What is dry milling coffee and why is it important?

Once we have selected our new lots from Ethiopia and have signed the contract with all the import specifications (or export in the case of the producer), the coffee needs to go through a very important stage of the production chain called "Dry Milling", this process includes hulling, various types of classification, and finally packaging and loading into the container. Each of these stages is described in detail below:

​1. Hulling: One of those essential steps in the elaboration of coffee and which consists of the "liberation" of the bean from its wrapping or parchment. This is done by means of hulling machines that use friction and pressure to carry out their task.

​2.  Sorting: After hulling, the coffee will go through various sorting methods, including the removal of stones and heavy foreign objects, sorting for size, density and colour. Smaller, lighter coffee beans tend to roast faster than denser, larger beans, so having a consistent size and density of coffee beans is essential for consistent quality coffee roasting. Colour sorting is also a critical service and involves optical machines that can scan each bean at high speeds.
 
3. Manual sorting: Although optical colour sorters are very efficient, they are no match for human eyes. People can distinguish a variety of shapes, colours and appearances that machines cannot detect.
 
4. Packaging and Loading: Finally, our coffees will be packed in 60 kg jute bags with double bagging (grainpro inside and jute outside). The export includes the physical filling of the container plus the handling of all the necessary documentation and legal formalities required to export the coffee.