Chelichele Yirgacheffe Carbonic Maceration

We already know that coffee transcends national and international boundaries and Worka Chelichele washing station demonstrates just that. According to political boundaries, the station is in Gedeb Woreda but according to the congruence of microclimates and tastes, the station and the farms that deliver to it are in Yirgacheffe. 

Farmers delivering to Chelichele washing station farm coffees at 1,700 to 1,900+ meters above sea level. They carefully select ripe, red cherry to deliver to Chelichele station. The station processes their cherry with a number of unique processing methods, including the Carbonic Maceration process used on this lot.  

Farming methods in the region remain largely traditional. Yirgacheffe farmers typically intercrop their coffee plants with other food crops. This method is common among smallholders because it maximizes land use and provides food for their families.

In addition to remaining traditionally intercropped, most farms are also organic-by-default. Farmers in Yirgacheffe typically use very few — if any — fertilizers or pesticides. Most farm work is done manually by the immediate family.

To capitalize on the magnificent climate, Worka Chelichele provides training to help farmers produce better quality cherry. Training focuses on procedures for harvesting and transporting cherry.

This lot is processed using carbonic maceration, a processing technique inspired by winemaking. Like anaerobic fermentation, carbonic maceration typically takes place in a sealed environment. While the method is similar, the main difference between anaerobic and carbonic fermentation is that anaerobic describes a no-oxygen environment and carbonic describes a carbon dioxide-rich environment.

Creating a carbon dioxide-rich environment alters the kinds of microbes that will survive and flourish during fermentation. Different microbial activity will alter the flavor profile and can produce extremely unique and delicious flavors.

Farmers selectively handpick cherry and deliver it to the washing station. At intake, employees hand sort incoming cherry to remove any under- or over-ripes or damaged cherry. Cherry is placed in a container and sealed so that no air can enter. In this sealed environment, fermentation begins. Because the skins of the cherry is left intact, fermentation may take days or weeks. Once fermentation is complete, cherry is removed, washed in clean water and laid on raised beds to dry. Drying coffee is raked regularly to ensure even drying.

Yirgacheffe is a district in Southern Ethiopia’s Sidamo region. Yirgacheffe is widely recognized as one of coffee’s ‘birth regions.’ Washed coffees coming from this district are so well-known and sought-after that Yirgacheffe is considered its own micro-region.  

The majority of coffees grown in Yirgacheffe are local landrace varieties (which are often also called Ethiopian heirloom). Other varieties grown in the region were developed by the Jimma Agricultural Research Centre (JARC). JARC is an important research center for Ethiopia and has done a great deal of work on developing disease-resistant and high-yielding varieties that still demonstrate quality in the profile. 

Most farmers in the region farm on fewer than 5 hectares (many counting their coffee farms in terms of trees rather than area). Cultivation methods are traditional for the most part, with coffee being grown as part of an integrated ‘coffee garden,’ intercropped with other food crops.