Through the evaluation of the physical characteristics of the quality of coffee, we establish if the previous processes of growth, cultivation, harvesting and marketing were carried out properly.  The main parameters are:

       APPEARANCE

Raw material (Parchment Coffee) must present uniformity in color, which is typical of fresh coffee properly produced. It should be free of foreign odors and of any type of contamination.  This coffee should have a fresh characteristic smell.

Regarding the final product (Green Coffee):  It must present characteristic odors and be free of foreign odors or any type of contamination and must have a uniform color. It must not present mixes of colors and must be free of live insects.

Humidity percentages must be between 10 to 12% for both raw material and final product.  These boundaries were established because coffee with these values, keeps its intrinsic characteristics and damage by microorganisms is avoided.

SCREEN SIZE

Coffee parchment screen sizing is an analytical technique that gives the basic information in order to calculate the factor of yield (FY) and so its final price.  On the other hand, this procedure allows assigning these coffees to different clients or potential customers according its bean screen size

Excelsos (Green Coffee):  Where Green Coffee is concerned; this is a measurement for different preparations.  Premium (screen 18), Supremo (screen 17), Extra (screen  16), European Preparation (EP) (screen 15), Colombian Excelso or Usually Good Quality (UGQ) (screen 14), Peaberry and Maragogipe are rule.

In parchment coffee, the percentage of physical defects is used to take decisions about the real coffee threshing and, also it’s an important  fact to establish the FY (kilograms of parchment coffee to produce a 70 k.  green coffee  bag).

In the Green Coffee case, these parameters allow us to establish whether the coffee has met exportation requirements.

Quality Control

Sensory Analysis