Guatemala El Progreso San Sur GrainPro

Coffee Background

At Finca San Sur, Don José Gómez (now 64) recently asked his son also named José Gomez to take over his life’s work cultivating and harvesting coffee at the family’s 45 acre farm. Jose Gómez (the son) has grabbed hold with both hands and started an ambitious plan for renovating 12 acres with Pacamara that he hopes will make his father proud. Cherry from San Sur is taken to La Esperanza, a mill with it's own storied history of receiving and processing cherry with traceability to the surrounding Antigua area, renowned for its cup profile and protected with its own origin mark. Fermentation tanks at La Esperanza, located in an enclosed building, are often heated with the same forced air used to heat the mechanical dryers to maintain a relatively consistent 24-hour fermentation protocol despite sporadically cold conditions in Antigua. Coffee is washed mechanically after fermentation and then pumped to a silo to remove water and pre-dry.  Next, the coffee is slowly dried on patios and then finished in mechanical dryers (guardiolas), which offer more control for achieving correct moisture for export. Dried parchment is taken to San Isabel, a dry mill in Guatemala City. San Isabel is equipped with multiple pieces of equipment to sort green coffee typical in most dry mills, such as, gravity beds, screens and electronic eyes. The mill also has a piece of equipment called a catadora, which is placed immediately after the dehuller and operates like a wind channel to remove broken and less dense coffee beans. Mild weather in Guatemala City provides ideal conditions for storing parchment in the warehouse until it is time to export.