Everything you need to know about specialty coffee

The container is on a ocean vessel heading towards its final destination.

Raised beds generally layered with chicken mesh (metal mesh) to increase airflow for better and more consistent drying of cherry and parchment.

A type of coffee processing that usually refers to a sealed tank fermentation. The coffee can be either depulped or whole cherry and then fermented dry or in clean water in an airtight tank to prevent the oxygen from being introduced. This type of fermentation can limit the microbial population and activity, though depending on days spent in the tank produce an intense flavor profile.

An arroba is one-tenth of a carga, or 12.5 kg. It is used to measure smaller quantities of coffee in Colombia specifically.

An insect that invades the cherry to lay eggs. The berry borer beetle has an immunity to the caffeine. Its points of entry and exit exposes the bean to other damages. The berry borer beetle may kill the seed embryo and introduce off flavors to the cup.

Also knows as BL, B/L, or BOL is a document issued by shipping companies to describe the details of the cargo/container. Its receipt by the buyer often trigger a transfer of funds and enables clearing customs.

Is a primary defect that appear as a partially or fully blacken bean. This may be caused by frost damage or fungus damage, severe overripening, moisture damage, fermentation errors, and other factors, and can have a significant negative impact on cup quality.

Measured with a refractometer, brix is a method of measuring sugar content of a water based solution.

The seller is repsonsible for contracting and paying for the oversea transit.

Usually refers to whole cherry anaerobic fermentation. Tropiq has chosen to differenciate between Anaerobic Natural (for CM dried as a natural process) and Anaerobic Washed (for CM depulped before it's dried).

A carga is equal to 125 kg of parchment. it is a term used in Colombia and it comes from the maximum weight a mule can carry.

A secondary defect that may occur during post-harvest processing such as depulping or dry milling.

Our standard shipping container for international trade is a 20-foot. A full container load averages between 275-325 bags at around 19200 kg.

Credit terms typically cover two things: the amount to be paid and the timeframe for payment.

A variety of coffee that has been deliberately cultivated by selective breeding. These will not usually produce true to type offspring; rather, they are often hybrids or selected mutations and must be propagated with human intervention.

Partial or complete removal of the coffee's mucilage down to the parchment either through fermentation or demucilage machines.

A measurement of the amount of coffee that can fit in a given 3-dimensional space, mathematically expressed as mass divided by volume.

The removal of fruit layers from the parchment coffee usually to produce washed/honey coffee.

Facility for hulling parchement sorting defects thorugh color, density, screen size and bagging for export.

Ethiopian Commodity Exchange is a marketplace for the nation's traditional agricultural economy.

A depulping machine that can process coffee cherry using less than a tenth of the water a normal depulper uses.

Central American coffees uses the term EP to indicate screen size (15-18), in addition to SHB or SHG to refer to the highest grade of coffee based solely on elevation.

Although it refers to a specific screen size separation in the ICO Size grading manual, "Excelso" is broadly used to refer to coffee that is ready for export in Colombia.

A company that manages all sourcing, milling, bagging, documentation and shipment at origin.

Full Container Load

Free on board. The seller must deliver the coffee onto the ship at the port in the port of loading. The buyer agrees to book and pay for shipping, insurance, and any customs, and overland freight costs incurred on arrival to the port of destination

Price paid to the farmer which is not to be confused with price paid to the producer.

A metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substances through the actions of enzymes.

The pre-processing step responsible for sorting out lower quality cherry before depulping, fermenting, and/or drying.

When the coffee blossom open and start forming what later will become the coffee cherry.

In Ethiopia, coffee is graded from G1-G5 where G1 is the highest quality on the market and G5 represents commercial coffee.

Period when the coffee farmer picks coffee cherry from their trees.

Broadly used to refer to any variety that has not crossed with another.

A coffee processing method in which coffee cherry skins are removed and then dried without removing the mucilage.

Removing the parchment and/or dried cherry skin from the seed prior to sorting and export.

Unique plant bred from two distinct genetic parents.

Smaller in size and curl at the tips.

A company that manages all documentation and custom clearance at final destination.

A type of plant fiber used to make the bags used to hold and transport coffee and many other products.

Using letters A, B, C, and T to grade coffee based on size and quality.

Less than a container load.

Large cylinders that lets dry heated air pass through the parchment to speed up the drying process. In some countries, air humidity is so high that it's impossible to dry without.

The quantity of water contained in the coffee bean, commonly measured as percentage of mass.

The study of the physical characteristics of plants.

A sticky layer that surrounds the coffee bean.

No Approval No Sales. NANS is a contract term meaning the pre shipment samples must be approved by the buyer before the coffee is stuffed and shipped.

Sample offered to a client with specific volumes and price linked.

Coffee producing countries.

Pre-Shipment Sample

The layer of cellulose beneath the mucilage that protects the coffee bean and resembles parchment paper when dried.

This term refers to the by-products of coffee processing, including defective beans and those that are smaller in size in Colombia specifically.

A taste defect resembling the flavor and aroma of raw potatoes, caused by the presence of pyrazines, likely the result of a bacterial infection of the coffee cherry.

Farmers often have to walk long distances to deliver cherry to a buyer. A purchasing point is a place where cherry buyers are set up to collect and pay for cherry.

Identifiable once the coffee has been roasted and showing a pale color, normally giving a peanut taste to the coffee. Associated with Immature coffee.

New coffee taking the place of the rejected one.

Coffee that is located domestically, usually in a warehouse and available for purchase.

Used to decelerate the fermentation after the fermentation and before hitting the drying tables.

Also known as special preparation represents alternate fermentation and drying methods.

Refers to a sample generally taken from the field (drying beds or local stock). The type sample is un-sorted and is meant to showcase the potential of a coffee. Some defects are to be expected.

Used to measure vapor pressure. It indicated weither or not a coffee has been dired properly and can be considered as stable. We also use it to anticiapte shelf stability.