Rwanda Fugi Aphrodise (Low Oxygen Natural)
Another beautiful coffee from producer Emmanuel Rusatira that we sourced through our friends at Sundog Trading, the Fugi Aphrodise packs a punch of sweet vanilla and ripe, juicy strawberry. These experimental lots from Emmanuel are always among our favorites of the year - we’re sure you’re going to love it too!
TASTING NOTES: Strawberry, Vanilla, Candied Ginger
PROCESSING STATION: Fugi
OWNER: Baho Coffee / Emmanuel Rusatira
IMPORTER: Sundog Trading
PROCESS: Low Oxygen Natural
PROCESSING
The initial steps for each process are the same: First, a day of intensive sorting at the cherry stage, under complete shade, to ensure only the ripest are chosen and any visible defects are removed. Step two is multiple rounds of floating - filling a large container with cherries and water, discarding the less dense cherries that float to the top of the tank. The densest coffees (sinkers) are reserved to be processed as the higher grade lots, and the less dense coffees (floaters) are mixed in with the rejected cherries from the initial sorting to be processed as lower grade lots.
The top quality cherries are tightly packed into sealed plastic tanks where they are left to ferment, undisturbed and under shade for a set period of time. The 2022 Humure Remera Hill Low O2 lot was fermented like this for a period of 40 hours. In today’s specialty coffee vocabulary, this would likely be considered a form of anaerobic natural processing. However, because all fermentation is in fact considered to be anaerobic by definition, we like to refer to this process more specifically as a low oxygen fermentation.
The goal here is to create a unique environment in which the cherries have very limited interaction with oxygen, but the environment is not 100% free of oxygen during the entire process. As fermentation takes place, carbon dioxide is released and progressively pushes oxygen out of the plastic tanks. The particular environment created changes both the rate of fermentation and the specific yeast and bacteria present. In our personal sensory experience, we’ve found that the low oxygen whole cherry fermentations always promote high intensity and complexity of fruit flavors and sweetness in the coffee.
Once the fermentation period is complete, cherries are turned out onto raised drying beds for drying. Cherries are spread out in a single layer on the beds and turned frequently throughout the drying stage. Specifically for Baho’s low oxygen coffees, they utilize unique techniques to drastically stretch out the total drying times. At 20% moisture content, the cherries are covered with mesh netting for a period of 5 days before being opened again to full sun. At 15% moisture content the cherries are moved under complete shade for a period of 5 days before being opened again to the full sun. Both steps are thought to alter the rates of drying in a way that promotes more fruit flavor and complexity in the final product. When the moisture content reaches the target 10 - 11 %, the drying phase is then considered complete. Total drying time for this lot is 45 days.
Emmanuel often compares his drying methods to that of a low and slow style of cooking. Generally speaking, particularly with grilling meat or simmering a stew, cooking gently with a low heat for a long period of time will produce an end product with more cohesive, sweet, saturated flavors. He explains: When you take meat and you put it on charcoal, after 20 min you have your meat ready. But in an oven, it would take 45 minutes. If you put it in hot ash, it may take two hours. When you taste these three meats, there's a difference in the taste. I have this kind of thinking that coffees that dry slowly, the taste and lifespan of this coffee may be longer and more delicious than the coffee that dries for 10-12 days in sun.
Another beautiful coffee from producer Emmanuel Rusatira that we sourced through our friends at Sundog Trading, the Fugi Aphrodise packs a punch of sweet vanilla and ripe, juicy strawberry. These experimental lots from Emmanuel are always among our favorites of the year - we’re sure you’re going to love it too!
TASTING NOTES: Strawberry, Vanilla, Candied Ginger
PROCESSING STATION: Fugi
OWNER: Baho Coffee / Emmanuel Rusatira
IMPORTER: Sundog Trading
PROCESS: Low Oxygen Natural
PROCESSING
The initial steps for each process are the same: First, a day of intensive sorting at the cherry stage, under complete shade, to ensure only the ripest are chosen and any visible defects are removed. Step two is multiple rounds of floating - filling a large container with cherries and water, discarding the less dense cherries that float to the top of the tank. The densest coffees (sinkers) are reserved to be processed as the higher grade lots, and the less dense coffees (floaters) are mixed in with the rejected cherries from the initial sorting to be processed as lower grade lots.
The top quality cherries are tightly packed into sealed plastic tanks where they are left to ferment, undisturbed and under shade for a set period of time. The 2022 Humure Remera Hill Low O2 lot was fermented like this for a period of 40 hours. In today’s specialty coffee vocabulary, this would likely be considered a form of anaerobic natural processing. However, because all fermentation is in fact considered to be anaerobic by definition, we like to refer to this process more specifically as a low oxygen fermentation.
The goal here is to create a unique environment in which the cherries have very limited interaction with oxygen, but the environment is not 100% free of oxygen during the entire process. As fermentation takes place, carbon dioxide is released and progressively pushes oxygen out of the plastic tanks. The particular environment created changes both the rate of fermentation and the specific yeast and bacteria present. In our personal sensory experience, we’ve found that the low oxygen whole cherry fermentations always promote high intensity and complexity of fruit flavors and sweetness in the coffee.
Once the fermentation period is complete, cherries are turned out onto raised drying beds for drying. Cherries are spread out in a single layer on the beds and turned frequently throughout the drying stage. Specifically for Baho’s low oxygen coffees, they utilize unique techniques to drastically stretch out the total drying times. At 20% moisture content, the cherries are covered with mesh netting for a period of 5 days before being opened again to full sun. At 15% moisture content the cherries are moved under complete shade for a period of 5 days before being opened again to the full sun. Both steps are thought to alter the rates of drying in a way that promotes more fruit flavor and complexity in the final product. When the moisture content reaches the target 10 - 11 %, the drying phase is then considered complete. Total drying time for this lot is 45 days.
Emmanuel often compares his drying methods to that of a low and slow style of cooking. Generally speaking, particularly with grilling meat or simmering a stew, cooking gently with a low heat for a long period of time will produce an end product with more cohesive, sweet, saturated flavors. He explains: When you take meat and you put it on charcoal, after 20 min you have your meat ready. But in an oven, it would take 45 minutes. If you put it in hot ash, it may take two hours. When you taste these three meats, there's a difference in the taste. I have this kind of thinking that coffees that dry slowly, the taste and lifespan of this coffee may be longer and more delicious than the coffee that dries for 10-12 days in sun.
Another beautiful coffee from producer Emmanuel Rusatira that we sourced through our friends at Sundog Trading, the Fugi Aphrodise packs a punch of sweet vanilla and ripe, juicy strawberry. These experimental lots from Emmanuel are always among our favorites of the year - we’re sure you’re going to love it too!
TASTING NOTES: Strawberry, Vanilla, Candied Ginger
PROCESSING STATION: Fugi
OWNER: Baho Coffee / Emmanuel Rusatira
IMPORTER: Sundog Trading
PROCESS: Low Oxygen Natural
PROCESSING
The initial steps for each process are the same: First, a day of intensive sorting at the cherry stage, under complete shade, to ensure only the ripest are chosen and any visible defects are removed. Step two is multiple rounds of floating - filling a large container with cherries and water, discarding the less dense cherries that float to the top of the tank. The densest coffees (sinkers) are reserved to be processed as the higher grade lots, and the less dense coffees (floaters) are mixed in with the rejected cherries from the initial sorting to be processed as lower grade lots.
The top quality cherries are tightly packed into sealed plastic tanks where they are left to ferment, undisturbed and under shade for a set period of time. The 2022 Humure Remera Hill Low O2 lot was fermented like this for a period of 40 hours. In today’s specialty coffee vocabulary, this would likely be considered a form of anaerobic natural processing. However, because all fermentation is in fact considered to be anaerobic by definition, we like to refer to this process more specifically as a low oxygen fermentation.
The goal here is to create a unique environment in which the cherries have very limited interaction with oxygen, but the environment is not 100% free of oxygen during the entire process. As fermentation takes place, carbon dioxide is released and progressively pushes oxygen out of the plastic tanks. The particular environment created changes both the rate of fermentation and the specific yeast and bacteria present. In our personal sensory experience, we’ve found that the low oxygen whole cherry fermentations always promote high intensity and complexity of fruit flavors and sweetness in the coffee.
Once the fermentation period is complete, cherries are turned out onto raised drying beds for drying. Cherries are spread out in a single layer on the beds and turned frequently throughout the drying stage. Specifically for Baho’s low oxygen coffees, they utilize unique techniques to drastically stretch out the total drying times. At 20% moisture content, the cherries are covered with mesh netting for a period of 5 days before being opened again to full sun. At 15% moisture content the cherries are moved under complete shade for a period of 5 days before being opened again to the full sun. Both steps are thought to alter the rates of drying in a way that promotes more fruit flavor and complexity in the final product. When the moisture content reaches the target 10 - 11 %, the drying phase is then considered complete. Total drying time for this lot is 45 days.
Emmanuel often compares his drying methods to that of a low and slow style of cooking. Generally speaking, particularly with grilling meat or simmering a stew, cooking gently with a low heat for a long period of time will produce an end product with more cohesive, sweet, saturated flavors. He explains: When you take meat and you put it on charcoal, after 20 min you have your meat ready. But in an oven, it would take 45 minutes. If you put it in hot ash, it may take two hours. When you taste these three meats, there's a difference in the taste. I have this kind of thinking that coffees that dry slowly, the taste and lifespan of this coffee may be longer and more delicious than the coffee that dries for 10-12 days in sun.