Gedeb is one of three washing stations owned by Mekuria Mergia, this one is located in the south west of Yirgacheffe. The washing stations are supplied by 500-600 farmers and have a track record of supplying some of the highest quality coffee in Ethiopia.

The three washing stations are named after their owner, Mekuria Merga, a highly respected coffee professional with 23 years’ experience in the industry. He only focus on high quality Grade 1 coffees, he only processed a limited number of containers of both washed and naturals from all his stations.

In this area, the ancient Dega variety is cultivated, which in other regions of Ethiopia is indistinct within the so-called Ethiopian heirloom. This is, therefore, an Ethiopian microlot composed of a single variety.

Coffee cherries are harvested by family members, then hand-sorted to remove unripe and overripe cherries before they are delivered to the washing station for processing.

The cherries are soaked in water. The healthy cherries will sink, while the diseased and damaged cherries will float and are skimmed off and removed. The cherries will then be moved to the drying beds. Underripe and defective cherries will be sorted out by hand during the first days.

Fermentation

When producing naturals the level of fermentation will be determined by the thickness and layer during the first days of drying in combination with temperature. Fermentation is slower at higher altitudes as temperatures are generally lower.

Drying and hand-sorting

The cherries are dried in a relatively thin layer at about 3-4 cm the first days. They will build up the layers to 6-10 cm after a few days. The coffees are moved frequently, and they will be covered during the hottest hours of the day to protect the cherries from intense sunlight, then again at night to protect against humidity. This will also help improve quality as the coffee is rested and the drying more homogeneous. Drying naturals at these altitudes can take up to 20 days.

After drying the coffees will be packed in jute bags and stored in the local warehouse onsite, separated by process and grade. Lot sizes can vary from 100 – 300 bags. This process helps condition the coffee and achieve a more uniform humidity. They will normally be stored 1-2 months before they are moved.

In the cup:

Peach, blueberry, sweet ripe fruit.

For filter extractions with V60, we suggest the following recipe as a starting point:

Brew ratio: 1g of coffee for every 16g of water

Water temperature: 90–92C

Extraction time: 2’30 - 3’00

*** Minimum resting period: 14 days espresso / 7 days filter from roasting date ***