Our Mill
Our Mill specializes in several processes giving it the utmost attention and care since the moment the cherry arrives to the moment the coffee leaves for the dry mill.
Our Processes
Las Mercedes represents the maximum expression of a great coffee that has always been cared for with dedication and perseverance for five generations in the Ortiz family. Only mature cherries with perfect ripeness are allowed. The cherries are subjected to screening before pulping to eliminate twigs, leaves, and other foreign material; also to separate the floaters from the bulk.
Las Mercedes mill uses the wet process which means that the fresh ripe cherries are received immediately after they have been harvested. The cherries are received at the ceramic tiled ditches, washed with collected fresh rainwater from our tanks, and immediately fed into a pulper which consists of rotating disks and cylinders, each one fitted with adjustable knives. These are designed to separate the bean from the flesh of the fruit while leaving each bean intact in its parchment envelope. The pulp is eliminated with the collected rainwater of the tanks and the parchment is collected in the washing channels. Finally, it is sun-dried to perfection in clay patios surrounded by beautiful landscapes.
The drying of the beans takes from 14 to 24 days in the clay patios, depending on the amount of sun the patios received and on the weather. In order to avoid uneven drying and cracking of the parchment, we stir the thinly spread coffee at regulars intervals.
Wash Process
The coffee is processed right after being picked, it is sent directly to the wash ditches and the pulp is completely removed. Once the pulp is removed and the coffee is washed it is placed on the patio to dry until it reaches a humidity level between 11.5% and 12%
Honey Process
After collection, the coffee is put in the wash ditches and the mill is adjusted to leave some of the pulp on the coffee. The coffee is then put on the patios without being washed for a few days and then moved to raised beds until the humidity level is between 11.5% and 12%
Natural Process
After being picked, the cherry is placed in the fermentation ditch, filled with water, to screen for floaters. The cherry is then removed and place on patios for about a week and then placed on the raised bed to dry until the humidity level is between 11.5% and 12%.
Double Wash Process
The coffee is first processed like a wash. Once it has been processed, instead of putting it on the patio, it is sent to fermentation tanks, and clean water is added for 12 hours. The water is then removed and refilled for another 12 hours. The water is then removed and the coffee is placed on patios to dry until it reaches a humidity level between 11.5% and 12%
Fermented Wash Process
The coffee goes through the same process as a honey coffee, but instead of being placed on patios, it is placed in a fermentation tank. It is left in the tank fo until it reaches its fermentation point. The coffee is then removed, washed, and placed on the patio to dry until it reaches a humidity level between 11.5% and 12%.
Fermented Double Wash Process
The coffee goes under the fermented wash process but instead of being placed on patios, it is washed, placed back again into the fermentation tank, this time with clean water. It remains in the water for 12 hours, the water is removed and the tank is refilled for another 12 hours. The water is then removed and the coffee is placed on patios to dry until it reaches a humidity level between 11.5% and 12%
