Pie High

Caerlos Mejia is owner of Finca El Chollo, named after his nickname “Chollo”. The farm is located at 1,450 m.a.s.l and has 16 hectares of coffee plantation, and one hectare of citrus fruits. The farm has an annual production of about 400 bags from around 65,000 coffee trees.

Process Info

Step 1 - Ripe coffee cherries are hand-picked

Step 2 - The cherries are spread out in thin layers on drying beds in the sun to dry.

Step 3 - The cherries are regularly turned to ensure even drying and prevent mould or fermentation. Drying can take anywhere from 12-15days, depending on weather conditions. The cherries must dry until the moisture content is about 10-12%.

Step 4  - Once the cherries are fully dried, they are passed through a hulling machine that removes the dried fruit pulp (mucilage) and outer parchment layer.

Step 5  - The beans are cleaned to remove any remaining debris and sorted by size, weight, and color.

Step 6  - The green coffee beans are bagged and stored in a cool, dry place, awaiting export.

Espresso: 1:2 coffee to water, water temperature 91°C, extracted in 28 – 32 seconds

Pour over: 1:16 coffee to water, water temperature 89°C, pour in stages, brew time 2:30-3:00 mins

French press: 60-65g coffee per litre of water, water temperature 91°C, brewed for 3-4 mins

Aeropress: 16g coffee, water 250g, water temperature 91°C, brewed for 1:30-2 mins, press time around 45 sec