What is honey treatment? SHB Coffee treated with Red Honey at Fire Phoenix Manor in the Valley of Central Costa Rica

Honey treatment is a kind of treatment between sun treatment and water washing. It keeps the coffee clean by washing, and because it is dried in the sun together with the pulp mucosa, it greatly increases the sweetness and caramel flavor of the coffee (the sugar content of the pulp mucosa is extremely high). Honey treatment first appeared in Costa Rica in Central America, mainly because of the lack of water resources in some high-altitude areas of Central America, so the coffee fruit was dried in the sun together with the pulp mucosa after using the pulp sieving machine. Honey-treated coffee beans are graded according to the degree of retention of the pulp (from more to less): yellow honey (20%), red honey (50%) and black honey (100%). The drying time of raw coffee beans treated with red honey is 2-3 weeks, usually due to weather or placed in a dark place. If the weather is clear, the grower will shade part of the sun to reduce the sunlight time. The advantage of this is that it can avoid the excessive fermentation caused by direct exposure, so that the overall dried fruit flavor of coffee is obvious but not too strong, the fruit flavor is delicate and the fat is thick and lasting, and the rhyme is long!

Located on the fertile hills of the Poas volcano in the central valley of Costa Rica, Fire Phoenix Manor is the first producer of honey-treated and sun-cured coffee in Central and South America. It is a completely 100% organically grown coffee estate. The owner believes that organic farming is a better choice for environmental conservation and family health, even in the face of many technical and organizational challenges. The high-quality coffee produced by this manor is very unique, and the biggest feature is its amazing sweetness! He became famous when he took part in the boutique coffee contest in 2009. During the harvest season, the sugar content of the fruit is measured by the sugar meter (Brixmeter) often equipped by the wine industry, and the best time and treatment are determined according to the brix sugar content. Only those with more than 20% sweetness will be exposed to the sun. The Brix value of general fruit is 14 for apple, 12 for lemon and 18 for passion fruit, but the coffee cherry of Fenghuang Manor can reach 21-22. The manor attaches great importance to the concept of environmental treatment, such as collecting Rain Water to process coffee, and the production and use of organic compost using earthworm farming (worm composting) makes the planting process completely free of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.