Coffee is usually laid out in thin layers on raised beds or concrete patios to dry. If the layers are too thick, the beans won’t dry as quickly and will be at increased risk of mold.

Raised beds allow the wind to circulate more than concrete patios, which can further aid consistent drying. In both methods, the beans are moved around regularly to allow air to circulate.

One way to ensure that the beans are drying consistently and at the right speed is to take regular samples and measure the moisture content.

But it’s not enough to simply take some beans at random and check how dry they are. Instead, you should create a sampling plan that focuses on comparing representative samples.

After laying parchment coffee out in beds, wait a week to start sampling. Then, measure the moisture using a meter. Do this every day in the morning and at the end of the afternoon until it has humidity between 14 and 15%.