Benjamin Jenkins is the founder and driving force behind Cahoots. Ben's focus is elevating Ugandan coffees by connecting the farmers with Pranoy Thipaiah, a coffee producer from India who developed a process he calls Culture Washed. The result is a well-processed, well-dried coffee that is exceptionally clean and delicious. The Culture Washed process begins by creating a starter culture by submerging pulped coffee parchment in water. This results in a highly active collection of native bacteria and yeasts. Then, the parchment coffee is removed, leaving only the liquid. After the fresh cherry is pulped, this starter liquid is added to the fermentation tank, allowing the concentrated microbes to begin working more quickly than in a standard fermentation. After 18 hours, the cherries are washed, placed on drip tables, and dried in a parabolic dryer for three weeks. The result is a coffee that is sweet and smooth with tasty flavors that remind us of brown sugar, golden raisins, dates, and fudge.