ALTITUDE - 1500 MASL // REGION - NORTH SUMATRA // PROCESS - CARBONIC NATURAL // VARIETY - TYPICA

Indonesia Avotara Carbonic Natural 100% Arabica Speciality Grade Coffee

Hendra’s Speciality Coffee Farm and Washing Station: A Hub for Experimental Processing in Aceh

Located in the Pegasing sub-district, Hendra's farm and washing station stands out in an area traditionally known for conventional wet-hulled coffee. The journey began when Hendra’s father, Hamdan, moved from Banda Aceh in 2006 and purchased land to start growing coffee. This sparked Hendra’s passion for coffee production, and by 2010, he was experimenting with washed coffee processes, inspired by research and others in Indonesia who were moving away from traditional wet-hulling.

Investment in Post-Harvesting Facilities To improve quality, Hendra and his family have invested heavily in post-harvest processing. They’ve built a small washing station equipped with two pulpers, gravitational washing channels, and numerous raised beds housed in large poly tunnels for drying. This facility produces around 40 tons of green coffee annually and handles approximately 8–10 different experimental processes.

Collaborating with Local Farmers Hendra works closely with 70 local farmers, encouraging them to pick only ripe cherries by offering incentives. Farmers who travel long distances to deliver their coffee are compensated further. Additionally, Hendra has initiated a nursery project to grow the Abyssinia varietal, one of the original coffee types brought to Indonesia, which is known for its lower yield but superior cup quality. Hendra offers a premium for this varietal to motivate farmers to grow it on small plots.

Speciality Coffee Processing Based on Demand The processing method Hendra chooses depends on both the weather and customer requirements. Much of the farm’s coffee is sold to speciality coffee roasters in Indonesia, with Jakarta being a key market.

Carbonic Maceration: Hendra’s Special Process

For the carbonic maceration process, Hendra selects only the best cherries from farmers located at higher altitudes, rewarding them with premium payments for their quality. The process involves placing cherries into plastic fermentation tanks, where CO2 is used to remove oxygen. The cherries are left to ferment for 70-80 hours.

After fermentation, the cherries are dried on raised beds for 20-25 days. During this period, they are turned regularly in a controlled drying tent. Once dried, the coffee is processed through a density table twice to remove immature beans. Finally, it goes through two rounds of handpicking to ensure it meets speciality coffee standards.