Koji Caturra w/Thermal Shock

From the start, only ripe cherries were picked and used. The selected cherries were then sterilized under UV rays, cleaned, and washed. Afterward, the cherries were placed in a bioreactor to be fermented. During this step, cherries were inoculated with the koji spore and were fermented for 60 hours at a controlled 20C. After 60 hours, the cherries were pulped and underwent a thermal shock process where they were first immersed in water at 40C, then into cold water at 12C. This shock in temperature helped minimize further oxidization during drying by closing the pores of the parchment with cold water. The cherries were then dried in a mechanical dryer until they achieved ideal moisture content.