Clifton Coffee: Colombia, Ignacio Arias, Washed

At 2050 metres above sea level Ignacio Arias and his family benefit from the perfect conditions for coffee production that characterise the municipality of La Plata. Mata de Guadua is only 4 hectares so picking only takes 2 days. Each day’s picking is pulped separately, of course however the coffee picked on the second day is added to the first after 24 hours fermentation and then left to ferment in the tanks for a further 24 hours. In this method of fermentation, the second batch raises the pH level of the fermentation tank, permitting longer fermentation times with out the acetic acid produced by bacteria at a lower pH level. This process is common among small farmers throughout Huila & Antioquia.