Decaf Colombia San Agustín
DECAF COLOMBIA
SAN AUGUSTIN
DARK CHERRY, HONEY CANDY + MILK CHOCOLATE
A new lot of EA Natural Decaf from the beautiful San Agustín zone in southern Huila. This process maintains more of the bean integrity and adds luscious fruity notes. We're tasting flavors of dark cherry, honey candy, and milk chocolate. A wonderful DECAF!
BEAN DETAILS:
ORIGIN: San Augustin, Huila, Colombia
ALTITUDE: 1700 - 1900 masl
VARIETY: Colombia, Caturra, Castillo
DECAFFEINATION: Washed/EA
FERMENTATION/DRYING: 12-18 hours in concrete tanks/ Drying: 2-3 weeks on raised beds or cement patios
TASTING NOTES: Dark cherry, honey candy, and milk chocolate.
ROAST TYPE: Light/Medium
Farm Level
San Agustin Decaf: Origin and Processing
Origin:
- Located in the Colombian Massif, a group of Andean mountains in Southern Colombia
- Known for religious monuments and megalithic sculptures, part of UNESCO world heritage
- Accessible via flights to Bogota, then Neiva, followed by a 3-4 hour drive
- Traverses the Magdalena River Valley, a crucial juncture housing three important rivers
Coffee Production in San Agustin:
- Traditional coffee-growing area
- 80% of producers grow coffee on less than 3 hectares
- Family-run farms with intensive management practices
- Remote location, 2-3 hours from collection center in Pitalito
- Most producers transport coffee via municipal buses
- Low prevalence of coca cultivation due to distance from the coast
- Many farms lack property titles
Farming Practices:
- Varieties grown: Caturra, Colombia, and Castillo
- Fertilization methods: NPK, organic compost, or a mix of both
- Shade trees: Ice cream bean tree, banana, and eucalyptus
- Additional crops: Corn, beans, and fruit for family consumption
- Fermentation: 12-18 hours in concrete tanks
- Drying: 2-3 weeks on raised beds or cement patios
EA (Ethyl Acetate) Decaffeination Process:
1. Pre-treatment: Steaming beans to remove silver skin
2. Moistening: Hot water used to swell and soften beans
3. Extraction: Repeated washing with ethyl acetate to remove caffeine
4. Cleaning: Low-pressure steam removes residual ethyl acetate
5. Drying: Vacuum-drying to restore original moisture content
EA Process Details:
- Removes over 97% of caffeine
- Results in about 3% weight loss
- 60 bags of 70kg green coffee yield 58 bags of 70kg decaf
- Ethyl acetate is derived from fermented sugarcane
- Considered a natural process, maintaining coffee flavor integrity
Post-Harvest Handling:
- Parchment coffee dropped off at Pitalito collection center
- Transported to processing plant in Popayan for decaffeination
General Brewing Instructions
- Filtered water. Spring water is ideal. Removing chloride, sulfur, and iron is essential.
- A burr grinder. The more even the coffee particles, the better the coffee. Burr grinders, whether manual or electric, will do a better job than "whirly-blade" grinders. Invest in a burr grinder. Your taste buds (and coffee roaster) will thank you.
- A scale. I know using a scale can seem a bit like you're doing something you shouldn't be. Trust me, you can only brew consistently great coffee with a scale. Water and coffee are hard to measure without one.
- Clean equipment. Properly cleaning your equipment is the only way to avoid stale and rancid coffee flavors entering your cup. Please keep your equipment clean. The sooner and more often you clean your gear, the easier it will be in the long run. Add it to your ritual and thank us later.
- Delicious and freshly roasted Color Coffee
- Hario V60 02. Check out Scott Rao's video on how to brew a better pourover than your local cafe does.
- French Press. Check out James Hoffman's video on how to brew a next level cup.
- Aeropress. Check out Tim Wendelboe's video on how to brew an exceptionally easy and delicious cup.
Coffee Faq
IS YOUR COFFEE ORGANIC OR FAIR TRADE?
In many cases, yes. However, our first priority is quality and flavor. Sometimes these priorities align and our producers are certified organic and/or fair trade. We always pay well above fair trade rates (which are quite low and don’t guarantee sustainability or quality).
Often times, the producers we work with are too small to gain certifications. It’s expensive and laborious. Many of our producers are certified organic and fair trade, including many of our producers in Peru, Ethiopia, and Mexico.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME-FRAME TO DRINK MY COFFEE?
We recommend drinking our coffee within one month of the roast date. Most of our coffees taste best however within 2 - 14 days of roast date.
For espresso, we recommend using coffee that has rested at least 7 days after roast date. This is because coffee gives off CO2 after roasting that can interfere with extraction. One way to get around this is to let your ground espresso dose sit for 30-120 minutes before pulling the shot. Email info@colorroasters.com for more questions about this.
If you are pre-grinding the coffee, we recommend drinking the coffee within one week of grinding.
CAN YOU GRIND MY COFFEE ON WEB ORDERS?
Yes, we can. Please select how you want your coffee to be ground at the time you place your order. Simply click on the arrow beside "Grind" and make your selection. If you need help choosing let us know the brewing method you will be using to prepare the coffee, in the notes of the order. And we will be happy to grind the coffee for you on our commercial grinder.
DO YOU HAVE BREW RECIPES?
These are in the works! We are compiling a bunch and even shooting some video, to help you brew like us at home.
In the meantime...go here: Pour Overs | Aeropress to get some expert advice.
MY COFFEE TASTES WEAK, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?