Brewing Method for Africa Uganda Rwenzori Mountains Region Anaerobic Fermented Natural Process Coffee Beans

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FrontStreet Coffee previously mentioned Uganda, the "little shy" coffee-producing country, and learned about coffee beans from the Uganda Elgon Mountain region. In this article, FrontStreet Coffee continues to discuss Uganda's premium coffee-producing region—the Rwenzori Mountains region.

Uganda

Uganda is located at the source of the Nile River, an inland country in Africa without access to the sea. The land is fertile, with volcanic soils in both eastern and western regions, and abundant rainfall. Some areas have two harvest seasons: April to June and October to February. FrontStreet Coffee believes that Ugandan coffee offers notes of dark plum, ripe fruits, full-bodied juice texture, rich and robust character.

Uganda boasts dense, lush forests, lakes, wetlands, and abundant river water resources. Coffee is the largest agricultural crop in Uganda, with approximately 500,000 coffee farms engaged in coffee-related agriculture, accounting for 25% of the total population. Most coffee trees are the robusta coffee variety, which grows vigorously and accounts for about 94% of Uganda's coffee cultivation. Only 6% is the traditional arabica variety. These rare coffee beans grow in tropical rainforests and are mostly exported to countries around the world.

Mt Rwenzori

The Rwenzori Mountains are one of the few mountain ranges on the African continent with permanent snow and ice cover. The climate varies with altitude and aspect of the mountains. The southern slope, at about 2,500 meters, is more humid and receives the most precipitation. Daily temperatures fluctuate significantly between 15°C and 21°C. The mountaintops are perennially shrouded in mist.

The local Bukonzo people live in these mountainous areas and have been farming here for centuries. The mountain soil is fertile, and the climate conditions are excellent, making it very suitable for coffee cultivation. Coffee grows on the slopes of Masira at altitudes of 1,500-2,300m. The nitrogen-rich volcanic soil creates a terroir that is perfectly suited for coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee — Uganda Rwenzori Mountains Anaerobic Natural Coffee Beans

Country: Uganda

Region: Rwenzori Mountains

Altitude: 1,600-1,800 meters

Processing Method: Anaerobic Fermentation Natural

Variety: SL14 & SL28

Anaerobic Fermentation Natural

Uganda's abundant river water resources allow its producing regions to process coffee beans using the washed method in large quantities. The stable climate conditions enable small-scale natural processing of coffee beans in Ugandan coffee regions. The coffee beans sourced by FrontStreet Coffee undergo anaerobic fermentation natural processing, which is one of the rarer processing methods in this producing region.

Anaerobic fermentation natural processing involves first subjecting whole coffee cherries to anaerobic fermentation, followed by natural drying. Essentially, the anaerobic process makes coffee more uniform and easier to monitor, while the aerobic process is more complex and harder to monitor. In an anaerobic environment, the decomposition speed of pectin sugars slows down, and the pH value also decreases more slowly, extending the fermentation time to develop better sweetness and more balanced flavors. The temperature for anaerobic fermentation must be controlled below 10-15 degrees. Coffee beans are fermented for three days in an airtight, clean stainless steel fermentation container under anaerobic conditions. They are then placed on raised beds for natural drying.

Coffee Varieties: SL14 & SL28

This coffee from FrontStreet Coffee is composed of SL14 and SL28, both of which are very common varieties in Uganda! SL varieties come from the research and selection of Scott Labs. Kenyan coffee became world-famous for SL28 and SL34, so the Ugandan government actively promoted and distributed SL seeds to farmers.

SL14 not only has excellent flavor but also possesses drought resistance, and can be harvested just two years after planting, which well meets farmers' needs. The raw beans appear uneven in size, yellow-green in color, and smell grassy.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Suggestions

FrontStreet Coffee's roaster uses a Yangjia 800 semi-direct heat roaster, with a batch size of 480g. The beans are charged at a drum temperature of 160°C, with heat at 100, and damper opened to 3. The turning point occurs at 1'34". When the drum temperature reaches 140°C, the damper is opened to 4, with heat unchanged. At 144.7°C, the bean surface turns yellow, and the grassy aroma completely disappears, entering the dehydration stage. When the drum temperature reaches 166°C, the heat is adjusted to 80, with the damper unchanged.

At 8'46", ugly wrinkles and black markings appear on the bean surface, and the toasted bread aroma clearly transforms into coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, one must listen carefully for the sound of the first crack. First crack begins at 9'37", the damper is opened to 5, and development continues for 1'45" after first crack, with discharge at 198°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Records

FrontStreet Coffee conducts cupping of samples 8 hours after each roasting batch, using 200ml standard cupping bowls, with a grind size that achieves 70%-75% pass-through rate on a #20 standard sieve, using 11g of coffee. Water TDS is 120ppm, water temperature is 94°C. First, the dry aroma is smelled after grinding, then water is added to fill the bowl. Wet aroma is confirmed, and after 4 minutes, the crust is broken and cleared for flavor evaluation.

Dry Aroma: Fermented aroma

Wet Aroma: Preserved fruit

Flavor: Cocoa, cream, licorice, preserved fruit

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Experience

Dripper: V60 #01

Dose: 15g

Water Temperature: 90°C

Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Medium-fine (BG 6m: 80% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve)

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Method: Poured in stages. Use 35g of water for a 25-second bloom, then pour in a circular motion to 130g in stages. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 227g and stop pouring. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. (Timing starts from the bloom) Extraction time is 1'55".

Brewing Flavor: Smells of a light fermented aroma, with flavors of cocoa, cream, peanuts, and gentle fruit acidity.

For more premium coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on WeChat: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473