Beneficio La Chumeca

Micro-Beneficio La Chumeca is the Urena family’s Micromill on the family farm Chumeca.

With just the family and two workers employed year round, it specialises in natural processed coffees only, with no infusions or additives allowed.

Fermentation occurs in either orange coloured sack or stainless steel pivotable barrels, fitted with a tap at the bottom to enable sampling without breaking the airlock. The area on the farm took a year of research to identify, and is the most temperature stable area on the farm. The barrels are shaded with an open sided shed, or the aerobic area is under the shade of bamboo and native tree cover.

The mixture of styles that comprise the 777 and Capulinero processes are a result of an understanding of the fermentation processes developed in unison with eth Costa Rica Agricultural University. These processes involve a mixture of anaerobic and ‘oxidation’ fermentations, giving a complex outcome.

They have also worked hard to create a cascara from the cherries in this process that also comply with food safety practises when in fermentation and subsequent drying as well as being analysed before export too.