The Chelbesa Washed Lot is produced at the Chelbesa One Washing Station in the Gedeb Zone, Ethiopia (Chelbesa is the “kebele”), and managed by our partners SNAP Specialty Coffee. The approximately 1,000 farmers that deliver cherry to this washing station, come from the region and have between 2 and 3 Ha of land sitting at an elevation of between 1,950 – 2,200 m.a.s.l. This lot consists of the Ethiopian Heirloom varieties Korume and Wolisho.
Once the cherries arrive at the Chelbesa One Washing Station, they are placed in water for sorting and removing of floaters. The cherries are then de-pulped and left to dry ferment in tanks for 2-3 days, to be later washed and placed to dry on raised beds. To ensure an even drying, the parchment is constantly moved each day, taking 7-10 days, depending on the weather, until reaching the desired humidity.