Description

Luis Eduardo Campos has been working in coffee for 36 years. It was originally part of a Tarrazú cooperative that collapsed in the early 2000s. 567 producer members decided to buy the cooperative and restart it in 2004, naming it Altura San Ramon. Luis was the director of Altura San Ramon for 11 years and it was during that time that he developed his unique anaerobic processes. In 2015 he founded his own farm. Luis developed his anaerobic processes after observing the fermentation process of wines and realizing that using a similar method with coffee could develop deeper, more complex flavors. The process begins with ripe coffee cherries which have a high sugar content (measured by a Brix meter) which can fuel the anaerobic process. Variety isn't the most important factor, but he has found that Yellow Catuai works well. Luis has three tanks for his anaerobic process, to which he adds mucilage (coffee pulp) from another batch of coffee, to prevent oxygen from entering the process. Fermentation lasts between 22 and 24 hours, with the temperature kept just below 10°C. Fermentation must stop when the sugar contained in the mucilage has been consumed, but before the alcohol is formed. During fermentation the release of CO2 puts pressure on the beans, enhancing their flavour. Temperature, pH and Brix measurements are the three most important factors in Luis' anaerobic process. After fermentation, the coffee is dried. Because it's soaked in extra mucilage, it takes longer than usual to dry. It is spread in layers of 7 cm and turned every 20 minutes for the first few days. Each of the three tanks can only produce two exportable bags of coffee per day and the extra drying and turning time increases labor costs. The result is an amazing product. Luis' search for new and innovative ways to improve coffee production also led to the development of the thermal process. Here the semi-washed coffee is heated with part of the mucilage remaining on the bean, causing the natural sugars to caramelize. The result is a coffee with a lighter profile and a sweet and fruity flavour, reminiscent of fruit infusions.

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