Planting and producing Kona Beans goes through a long process that delivers an exceptional result in the end. There are several stages that farmers must go through to deliver the perfect cup of Kona Coffee.
Hand Picking
One of the most important stages in producing Kona Beans is hand picking the best coffee cherries at just the right time. Picking the at their peak of ripeness is very important. This allows farmers to choose only the ripe cherries and leave the rest without damaging the tree.
Wet Method Processed
Once they have been hand-picked you will be time to undergo the next process. This process is to remove the outer layers of skin so the coffee beans inside will be exposed. The coffee cherries will be inspected for freshness and color before being placed in the cherry pulper. The cherry pulper will help to remove the outer skin by mashing the cherry until it causes the skin to split.
Drying
Once the wet mill process has been completed it is now time for drying. The drying system used is to ensure quality and to enhance the bean flavor. The beans will be transferred to the drying that until they are sun-dried. In which they are placed on a platform and exposed to the sun. Due to the fact that it’s common for Kona to experience several cloudy days each year special mechanical dryers are often used in the drying process.
Dry Milling
Once the drying process is complete the next step will be known as the milling process. In this process the parchment and silver skin is removed. This will leave the beans without any type of protective coating and is referred to as “green beans”. The dry milling will utilize many machines that transform the coffee from parchment to green bean. A machine known as the huller will remove the parchment skin from the beans themselves. Once this is done the green beans are then placed in a sorter so they can be sized. This allows the beans to be separated into different types of Kona coffee. The most popular types found are Select and Prime, Extra Fancy, PeaBerry, and Fancy.
Storage
Both the green bean and parchment are stored into the tears and humidity controlled type rooms. This will help to preserve the ideal flavor for the coffees.
Our roasting
Kona coffee will be roasted and packaged while still freshly warm from the oven. They are placed in protective foil bags which prevent the entrance of moisture and air. Kona coffee is shipped within days of being picked, processed, and packaged.
The process that does into creating Kona coffee is done with pride and the highest level of expectation that’s possible. Locals who dedicate their lives to being a part of the coffee process is surely what makes the coffee unique. Kona coffee loved and highly desired all around the world.
