NICARAGUA - LIMONCILLO COLD ANAEROBIC

Productor : Fincas Mierisch

Farm: Limoncillo

Variety: Java

Region : Matagalpa

Harvest : 2024

Process : Natural cold anaerobic

Elevation : 850 à 1110 mètres

Humidity : 10.1%

Natural cold anaerobic process

Anaerobic fermentation simply means fermentation without the presence of oxygen. We placed perfectly ripe, freshly picked cherries in barrels and covered them with a lid. Importantly, we ensured that the lid sealed the barrel hermetically to prevent oxygen from escaping. We attached an airlock to the lid to vent the carbon dioxide produced by the cherries during fermentation;

Next, we placed the barrels in a 6m x 9m x 3m cold room we built inside our warehouse. It's powered by two industrial air conditioners that keep the temperature between 6 and 10 degrees Celsius. We leave the cherries to ferment for 48 hours. After spending 48 hours in the cold room, the cherries are spread out in a thin layer on our patio, under 100% sunlight, where they will spend the first 4 days. Because of the initial fermentation phase, our aim in leaving the cherries under sunlight for the first few days is to halt fermentation in order to prevent over-fermentation or mold formation. The cherries are moved 3 or 4 times a day, always taking care not to damage them. After spending 4 days on our terrace, they were transferred to African beds inside a greenhouse. The cherries continued to dry in 50% shade for 12 days, then in 75% shade for a further 16 days. Total drying time was 32 days for this batch, and we stopped drying when they reached a moisture level below 12%. Once the cherries had reached the desired moisture level, they were transported inside our well-ventilated warehouse, where they stabilized for a month as dried cherries. This allows us to homogenize the moisture content of all the cherries. We then proceeded to hull the dried cherries, and let the “oro”, or green beans, rest/age for a further month. This second resting period allows the flavors to come into balance. After two months' rest, the beans are ready for export. Anaerobic fermentation promotes the growth of microbes that don't need oxygen to carry out their metabolic process, by creating an oxygen-free atmosphere and controlling temperature. These microbes include lactic acid and yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae (used to ferment beer and wine). Lactic acid helps to increase the acidity of coffee.
As our java has gained in acidity, we can expect a significant amount of lactic acid to have been produced during fermentation. The coffee bean is a living organism, and the spectrum of substances found in a living organism is determined by its metabolism.

Our aim was to slow down the metabolism of the coffee bean by letting it ferment at cold temperatures. However, we don't want to stop it completely. If the rate of fermentation is too slow, it could lead to the development of butyric acid.

We want to avoid butyric acid fermentation, as these types of acids produce unpleasant flavors and odors. We aim for alcoholic or lactic fermentation. This slower metabolic process will reduce the risk of overfermentation, allow us to extend the duration of fermentation and produce a cleaner cup profile with increased acidity.

Farm information

Named after the Limoncillo (Spanish lemon or Mamon) that was already growing on the farm when it was purchased. It was bought in 1930, after one of our grandfathers had transferred from the military academy to civilian life. Limoncillo is the second oldest coffee farm in the Fincas Mierisch group (Los Placeres is the first). Typica was the only variety grown on the farm until the mid-1990s, but due to climate change, unstable market prices and vulnerability to coffee leaf rust, we decided to diversify our varieties and prioritize quality over quantity.

The Matagalpa region was ground zero for German immigrants to Nicaragua, and the vast majority of them started growing coffee or some other agricultural product. Our great-great-grandfather, Bruno Mierisch, was the first member of our family to settle in Nicaragua in the late 1800's. He was hired to help build the national railroad, as he was a geologist by trade. However, once his work was done, the Nicaraguan government didn't have enough money to pay him, so he paid them with land. His first farm was Las Lajas in Matagalpa, which today belongs to one of our first cousins. Initially, there was no coffee on this farm, only a few lemons. It was around 1908 that he began producing coffee, as the Nicaraguan government offered incentives (tax breaks, subsidies, etc.) to farmers to plant coffee. Jose Santos Zelaya (president at the time) came from a family of coffee growers and he encouraged coffee growing in the country.

All our farms provide childcare for our workers and have access to elementary schools. Limoncillo, however, has its own elementary school and clinic;

SOLD IN 5 LB and 15 lb BAGS