The coffee fruit is carefully hand-picked as they ripen over the harvest season from October to April, and wet-processed using 100% mountain spring water. Washed beans are sun-dried on the expansive, 24-hr attended concrete grounds. Coffee is raked repeatedly until fully dried by the sun. The end result is a homogenous product virtually free of defects. More

ManLao River plantation is distinguished by a meticulous process resulting in a bulk product virtually free of defects. There is intense attention on agricultural techniques and farming conditions. The product can be further separated based on size, elevation and growing conditions such as shade and high rainfall.    

Green Coffee

All SiMaoArabica is exclusively produced by the ManLao River plantation, at elevation 1000 -1600 ft. The coffee is characterized by its intense aroma and small pellet size. Common grade is a homogenous 16 screen. Specialized selections are available based on size and elevation, and growing conditions, including:

• 18 screen
• Peaberry
• Shade-Grown
• High Elevation (1600 ft)

Basic grading criteria follows international standards:

Process

SiMaoArabica is hand-picked and processed by the wet method using 100% natural mountain spring water. The beans are sun-dried on a 24-hr attended concrete drying patio.

Sorting and Cleaning

Coffee cherries are carefully hand-picked as they ripen, usually over a 5-6 month harvest season starting from October. Each cherry is individually inspected for size and ripeness. Cherries accepted by the harvest QA at the washing grounds usually within approximately an hour of picking. Here the cherries are washed in tanks filled with flowing water. Screens are also used to improve separation by size.

Pulping and Fermentation

After the cherry is sorted and cleaned, the pulped beans are place into large fermentation tanks. Fermentation is carefully monitored, and usually completes within the next day. The resulting coffee is released into long winding troughs filled with flowing water.  The fermentation process is 24-hr attended.

Separation

Once fermentation is complete, the coffee is again separated. Defective or damaged beans become infected during fermentation, and are separated into the right tank. Passable beans remain in the main right tank.

Drying

Parchment coffee is dried in the sun on large flat concrete grounds custom-built for the coffee processing. There are 2 large-scale drying grounds at ManLao River plantation. The coffee is spread in 2-5 cm layers, and raked repeatedly until fully dried by the sun. Drying usually occurs in 5-6 days in the dry weather.

Below - One of the ManLao River plantation drying patios extending over 14000 sq. meters (156,700 sq. feet)

Parchment Coffee

Parchment coffee on the drying ground. It is almost ready!

Storage

The parchment coffee is stored in the warehouse until shortly before shipping. At this time the coffee is hulled, and the coffee is again sorted and screened. ManLao River Plantation has two of the largest storage facilities, located onsite directly next to the drying patios.