Ecuador Finca El Limon -- Extended Fermentation Washed
ECUADOR FINCA EL LIMON
KIWI, GREEN APPLE JOLLY RANCHERS, RASPBERRY + SWEET LIME
BEAN DETAILS:
ORIGIN: Quilanga, Loja, Ecuador
PRODUCER: Segundo Abad
PROCESS: Extended Fermentation Washed (see details below)
ELEVATION: 1900 masl
VARIETY: San Salvador, Sarchimor, Typica, and Caturra
TASTING NOTES: Kiwi, green apple jolly ranchers, raspberry, and sweet lime.
ROAST TYPE: Light
Farm Level
The Farm
Finca El Limón is located in Quilanga, Loja, Ecuador, and is managed by Segundo Abad, a 33-year-old, second-generation coffee grower. The farm consists of 10 hectares of land, with 7 hectares planted with coffee. It sits at an elevation of 1,900 masl and hosts 18,000 coffee trees currently in production, primarily of the San Salvador, Sarchimor, Typica, and Caturra varieties. Notably, Segundo has also begun cultivating Sidra plants in his nursery!
Processing Method
This Washed lot undergoes a careful process:
- Hand-picking of the ripest cherries
- Initial 24-hour dry fermentation (while still in cherry)
- De-pulping followed by an extended 6-day fermentation
- Washing and drying in marquesinas for up to 15 days
- Regular movement during drying until reaching 10-11% humidity
Segundo's Journey
Segundo Abad's father was once one of the region's largest producers before his farm was devastated by coffee rust disease. Making difficult decisions, he passed part of the land to Segundo. Although rust had decimated nearly all the coffee trees, Segundo viewed this as an opportunity to revitalize the coffee production and preserve the family tradition.
With determination to learn, Segundo began experimenting with different coffee processing methods, consistently focusing on quality. While fermentation at the farm traditionally never exceeded 24 hours, Segundo recognized shifting market trends approximately four years ago. With guidance from neighboring producers, he began extending fermentation times. Last year, he expanded his repertoire to include Honey processed lots.
Today, Segundo Abad is celebrated throughout the region for his exceptional cup quality. With exotic varieties in development, we believe this marks just the beginning of Finca El Limón's promising future!
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?