Drying Patios, and the New Patio We Are Building
After the mill, coffee dries in the sun. We are building a new patio for it, on ground that used to be old coffee trees.
The new patio is built on the place where the old trees stood. It is a small piece of poetry, and also a lot of concrete.
Summary
- Coffee beans are dried on open patios in the sun after processing.
- A new patio is part of the clearing project that uncovered our roots.
- Patios and storage are practical work that supports everything else.
Key takeaways
- Drying is a delicate stage that needs space and good weather.
- Construction on the finca and the root story are the same story.
- Infrastructure projects often hide the most interesting discoveries.
After processing, the beans still hold a great deal of water. They have to dry down slowly and evenly, and in much of Guatemala that happens on patios, broad flat areas where the beans are spread in thin layers and turned by hand.
What happens on a patio
A drying patio is simple and demanding. The beans are raked into rows. During the day, workers turn them regularly so they dry evenly. When clouds come, everything is covered. At night, it is covered again. The goal is a steady, gentle drying, not a rush.
It is also one of the most beautiful sights on a finca. Rows of beans spread across a wide floor, glowing under the sun, with the volcano behind.
The new patio
We are building a new patio. This was one of the reasons the old trees had to come out. They stood on ground we needed. Digging them out, clearing the land, and starting the foundation was the beginning of the entire roots project.
I find that story a little funny. The patio was supposed to be the project. The roots were the side effect. They turned out to be the more interesting half.
A tidy ending, in progress
Every time I walk across the site, I think about what stood here before. Trees that were nearly a century old, now turned into objects that sit on tables around the world. The concrete patio, in a way, is a monument to a decision.
We share updates as the work goes on. You can follow it in Pouring the First Patio Slab and The Patio Takes Shape.
Why drying matters
Dried too quickly, coffee turns brittle and loses clarity. Dried too slowly or unevenly, it can pick up mold or off flavors. A good patio gives the people drying the beans some margin for error. That is the quiet job of infrastructure: to make the careful work easier.
Common questions
Why dry coffee on patios?
Sun and air dry the beans gently and evenly, and patios give space to spread and turn them by hand.
Is the patio finished?
It is under construction, and we are sharing progress as it goes.
Keep reading
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