Pour-Over Parameters for Santa Felisa Estate Double Anaerobic Geisha Coffee & Double Anaerobic Processing Introduction

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Estate Introduction

The historic Santa Felisa estate, with a century of history, is bordered to the west by the Atilan region and to the east by the renowned Antigua region. The estate is located near two volcanoes: Volcan Acatenango and Volcan de Fuego. Santa Felisa's own processing plant sits at an altitude of approximately 1,550 meters, while the actual coffee cultivation extends to around 1,900 meters. Whether considering climate, soil, or altitude, these represent the premier conditions for an exceptional estate.

In 1940, Mr. Trinidad Cruz founded Santa Felisa estate in Guatemala's renowned Acatenango region. Now in its fourth generation of operation, Santa Felisa estate spans altitudes of 1,500-1,920 meters with annual rainfall of 1,200-1,500mm. Through years of dedicated management, Santa Felisa estate's commitment to coffee quality is reflected throughout the cultivation environment, avoiding artificial chemical pesticides and using organic fertilizers such as vermicompost for coffee tree cultivation. In terms of social responsibility, the estate employs local Maya people, providing educational opportunities and courses in Maya cultural handicrafts for female employees, while offering considerable care in both their living and working conditions.

Coffee Details

Country: Guatemala

Region: Acatenango

Estate: FINCA SANTA FELISA

Altitude: 1,800 meters

Average Temperature: 18-22°C

Annual Rainfall: Approximately 800-1,200mm

Cupping Score: 86.25 points

Variety: Geisha

Processing: Double Soak

Flavor Profile: Sugarcane sweetness, honey, cream, vanilla

This Geisha coffee originates from Africa, which is why Santa Felisa estate calls it "African Geisha," distinguishing it from the Central and South American Geishas typified by Panama. The specific growing area is a section within the estate called "Mist Mountain," famous for its year-round cloud cover. Due to the low temperatures and high humidity, coffee cherries mature slowly, developing exceptional sweetness, and are only harvested when reaching Brix levels above 22. This Mist Mountain Geisha is a competition lot—this particular Geisha coffee was Lot #4 in the 7th Santa Felisa Cup of Excellence auction in 2016.

The processing method differs from standard washed processing, employing a Double Soak method similar to the Kenyan process. After removing the cherry pulp, the coffee undergoes a 24-hour soak in fermentation tanks, followed by an additional 24-hour water soak—totaling 40 hours of fermentation time. During this process, lighter beans are sorted and removed. Finally, the coffee is dried on patios for 5-10 days. This processing method particularly highlights clean aftertaste and bright acidity.

FrontStreet Coffee's Pour-over Geisha Technique

Today we introduce FrontStreet Coffee's commonly used pour-over technique for Geisha coffee: the three-stage method.

Three-Stage Pour Method

This is a segmented extraction method that divides one portion of water into three separate pours.

Suitable for light roast, medium-light roast, and medium roast coffee beans.

Uses Kalita wave dripper (cake cup style).

Increase bloom time or the number of pour interruptions to enhance the richness of the coffee's body.

Three-Stage Segmented Extraction Method

Advantages: More layered than single-pour methods, clearly revealing the front, middle, and back-end flavor profiles of the coffee. The technique involves increasing water volume after each bloom stage, typically pouring when the coffee level drops to the surface of the coffee bed, using small, medium, and large water flows for the three extraction stages.

Disadvantages: Requires higher precision in water flow rate and volume control.

FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha Pour-over Parameter Recommendations

The cake cup employs immersion extraction, increasing the contact surface area between coffee grounds and water. Compared to V60 brewing, this can enhance texture and produce a more viscous mouthfeel.

15g coffee, water temperature 91-92°C, grind BG 5R (Chinese standard: 64% pass-through rate on #20 sieve), water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15-16.

Technique: 27g water for bloom, bloom time of 30s. Using hot water from the pour-over kettle, start at the center of the filter and pour clockwise in expanding circles. Begin timing when the pour starts, pour 27g water, then stop pouring and wait 30 seconds before the first pour.

For the first pour, circle in the same manner as before, but with slightly slower speed, accelerating when reaching the outer circle. Stop pouring at around 1:15 seconds. When the liquid level drops by one-third, pour again. The second pour should concentrate on the center, avoiding the edges where coffee meets the filter paper to prevent channeling effects. End extraction at around 2:05 seconds. The tail end can be omitted (the longer the extraction time, the more astringency and roughness will increase).

Segmentation: 30-125-230g

Important Notice :

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