The micro-mill on Finca La Cumbre owned by Allan Oviedo Rodriguez and his family is named after his father, Don Joel. Micro-mill always sounds like an impressive term, but what it looks like is a small area of 15 metres by 5 metres, covered by a big greenhouse-like construction. At one end is the de-pulper, a machine which scrubs away the outer layers of the coffee cherry. For a Yellow Honey coffee 30% of the fruit of the cherry is left behind after it’s gone through the de-pulper. Allan then moves it into the greenhouse setup and on to a concrete patio or raised beds. The raised beds are made from mesh, allowing more air circulation than when the coffee dries on the patio. There can be small benefits to both these methods, and Allan uses a combination of both to get the best results. The raised beds can also be stacked on top of each other, allowing efficient use of space, and whilst the area is small Allan manages to dry both his own coffees as well as some for a few of his neighbours.
- Farm / Mill: Finca La Cumbre
- Region: San Luis de Grecia, Alajuela
- Variety: Villa Sarchi
- Process: Yellow Honey
- Altitude: 1600 masl
- Harvest: February 2021