Colombia Cauca Sugar Cane decaffeinated premium coffee

Decaffeinated coffee? In specialty quality? We have something new for you... Have you ever heard of decaffeination with sugar cane? Do you know the differences between a "conventional" coffee and a coffee decaffeinated with sugar cane?
The coffee comes from Colombia, more precisely from the CAUCA region, where it is decaffeinated using a rare but high-quality process. The Sugarcane process.
We also rely on our regional coffees here. Coffees of solid and consistent quality thanks to strict requirements that have been established over the years with trustworthy partners

.allowing sugar cane molasses to ferment produces various solvents that specifically extract the caffeine from the coffee beans. The result is surprising and can hardly be distinguished from untreated coffee: A balanced coffee that tastes great with or without milk and surprises with a slight rum-like note that is charismatic for sugar cane.

Good decaffeination consists of removing the caffeine while preserving the aromas of the coffee itself. Conventional methods use the addition of high heat and pressure. Adding too much heat or pressure damages the cell structure of the green coffee bean, which ultimately leads to a loss of flavor. The sugar cane process makes it possible to preserve the flavor using natural extraction methods. It is a chemical-free process in which no additional substances come into contact with the green coffee and

how does it work? This sugar cane decaffeination process begins with a pre-treatment of the green coffee with very low steam pressure to remove the silver skins that coat the green beans. This causes the beans to swell and, with the help of naturally produced ethyl acetate, at least 97% of the caffeine is removed from the coffee. For this purpose, (regionally) grown sugar cane is fermented to produce natural ethyl acetate. The beans are then soaked in water with ethyl acetate, which dissolves and removes the caffeine. During the decaffeination process, the green coffee is repeatedly rinsed with ethyl acetate. After extraction, low steam is then used again to remove all traces of

our current sugar cane decaffeinated green coffee is produced by ASCAFE. The complete process is carried out directly in Colombia. Our goal is to reach a volume to decaffeinate and import our own coffee from the plantations of the Coffee Growers around Ciduad Bolivar in Colombia from June 2023. This will open up another segment for the region.

Further information on the treatment process:

The processing of sugar cane ethyl acetate (E.A.), commonly referred to as naturally decaffeinated, begins with the fermentation of molasses, which is extracted from sugar cane, to produce ethanol. This alcohol is then mixed with acetic acid to produce the compound ethyl acetate.

in Colombia, where sugar cane is readily available, it makes great economic sense to utilize this abundant resource. E.A. also occurs naturally in wine, beer, fruit, vegetables and other foods and beverages

The green coffee is exposed to steam and water in the first step of the decaffeination process. This increases the moisture content and causes the bean to swell in order to facilitate the dissolution of the caffeine. The coffee beans are then washed with sugar cane ethyl acetate, which dissolves the caffeine. In the next process step, the beans are cleaned with water, followed by steam to minimize the E.A. residues. Finally, the coffee is dried until they reach a similar residual moisture content (9 - 10%) as before the process.

why ASCAFE?

aim of this association is to strengthen the exchange between farmers regarding good agricultural practices so that they can achieve greater economic independence.

4 social programs are involved in the purchase of this green coffee

Spirit of Peace: A coffee produced by former FARC guerrillas who want to start again and are in the peace process

Women: A coffee to promote and improve the living conditions of women in the Cauca region. Mainly produced by women affected by violence and living in poor social conditions.

Cabildo: Green coffee grown by indigenous communities in the eastern region of the Cauca department.

Intergenerational: It is an academic program as it allows students to learn about coffee cultivation at school to encourage the younger generation to start and take over family plantations.