Kopi Luwak profile. Vietnamese companies sell an imitation kopi luwak, made using an enzyme soak which they claim replicates the civet's digestive process. Imitation has several motivations. The high price of kopi luwak drives the search for a way to produce kopi luwak in large quantities. Kopi luwak production involves a great deal of labour, whether farmed or wild-gathered. The small production quantity and the labor involved in production contribute to the coffee's high cost. Imitation may be a response to the decrease in the civet population. Initially, civet coffee beans were picked from wild civet excrement found around coffee plantations. This
Giling Basah called “luwak”. The coffee beans, still coated with mucilage, are then stored for up to a day. Afterwards the mucilage is washed off and the parchment coffee is partially dried for sale, retaining only 30% to 35% of the moisture content. Processors and collectors then hull the coffee in a semi-wet state, which gives the beans a unique bluish-green appearance. This method is thought to reduce acidity and increase body, resulting in the classic Indonesian cup profile. The Giling Basah process can create a "goat's foot," a split on one end, in green coffee beans. Sometimes the hulling machine partially