Processing
at Sherwood begins when ripe cherry coffee is delivered to the factory
from Resource, Sherwood Forest and Whitfield Hall
farms. Cherry coffee is inspected, and is pulped within 12 hours
of arrival.
Pulped coffee
has a coating of slippery sugar containing mucilage, which must be removed.
Most coffee processors save time by scrubbing away the mucilage right
after pulping. At Sherwood, we use the traditional and time-tested
"fermentation" method of removing mucilage. We are convinced
that fermentation enhances the flavour and aroma of our coffee, and use
it despite the additional time required.
After
fermentation and washing, parchment coffee -- as it is now called
-- is spread on concrete "barbeques" for drying. Slow sun drying
may enhance the flavor, and experienced cup testers say they can tell
the difference between sun dried coffee and that which has been mechanically
dried. RSW Estates coffee is 100% sun dried.
Dried to between 11% to 13% moisture, RSW coffee is bagged and placed
in our sealed storage area. Temperature is maintained at a constant 75
degrees F. Commercial dehumidifiers of the type used for
drying and preservation of fine works of art are used to maintain
ideal moisture content for a minimum of two to three months while
coffee matures to optimum flavour characteristics.
Parchment
coffee in small lots is then hulled at low temperature,
polished, graded to specific size, blown free of dust, then sorted in
our new drymill facility. Coffee is moved from station to
station in tubs to reduce chipping and other processing defects. Finished
coffee is returned to humidity controlled storage immediately after processing.
Our green coffee is barrelled at Sherwood factory, just
prior to CIB inspection and air freight shipping.
Additionally,
as befits such a fine product, our coffee beans are sorted by hand
-- removing chipped, broken, discolored, and off-taste beans. Although
extremely tedious -- the average worker will sort about seventy five pounds
of coffee a day -- a meticulous hand sorting process has been shown to
remove virtually all defective beans while preserving more of the best
beans for your coffee drinking enjoyment and pleasure.
The Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica (CIB) Regulatory Section must
approve the quality of all green coffee prior to export. For roasting,
we use the same quality coffee that is shipped in the traditional wooden
barrels to our customers in Europe and North America. In addition, the
CIB carries out regular quality control tests on our roasted coffee that
is shipped by mail order.
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RSW Estates Ltd, 80 Hagley Park Road, Kingston 10, Jamaica
W.I. E-mail: info@rsw-estates.com
© Copyright 2002 RSW Estates. All Rights Reserved.