Barista Magazine

Apr-May 2012

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Fermentation as a method to simply breakdown the slimy fruit on the outside of the coffee parchment is so 2007. Drying as simply a way to lower the moisture of a coffee to ready it for milling and export today is laughable. Today, the topic of processing is being debated, tested, experimented, adopted, and questioned the world over. T is fervor surrounding the matter of processing methods leads me to believe that we have more or less put to bed the notion that coff ee can be 100% perfect off the tree and everyone in this business is just here to not mess it up. Whether this new-found cultish curiosity about process is thought of as a fad or the next movement in coff ee, I honestly believe it seems like processing has fi nally arrived as a full-fl edged realized craſt in itself. It is not only an art and a skill, but it's something with styles and nuances that indeed add or take away quality. T ese styles pop up within a continent, in particular countries, regions, and then, of course, among lone individuals just trying something diff erent. Today, with the Internet and our phones making communication and the exchange of ideas from one side the world to the other so eff ortless, it is likely that the processing methods of coff ee as a practice will develop with less regional uniformity, making the entire processing craſt even more fascinating, and limitless in its potential. SECTION ONE FERMENTATION AND PROCESSING BEFORE DRYING As I discuss fermentation in this article, please note that I'm not referring to off -fruit fl avors in the cup. I'm only talking about the process used when producing washed coff ees. As I originally stated, the idea that the process of fermentation is solely the timeframe that the enzymes, acids, or yeasts break down the pectin (slimy fruit) creating a seed ready for washing clean, is in the past. Many coff ee producers have come to realize that by changing the methodology for producing washed coff ee—or simply testing the traditional process employed—creates very diff erent results in the cup. On top of that, no two places (countries, regions, atmospheres, mills, etc.) are exactly alike. Whether you believe in the natural yeast and bacteria aff ecting fl avor and fermentation, or simply the climate and temperature, there is certainly no standard or tried-and-true method that works in every place for every coff ee or, for that matter, a process that pleases every palate. It is, of course, with that notion that diff erent processes around the world are born and are today spreading like wildfi re from place to place. Note: By no means am I the world authority on processing, and a lot of regions that I am unfamiliar with are not covered. But based on my travels and tasting I wrote down the following breakdowns describing what I have seen, tasted and been told by reliable sources. TRADITIONAL FERMENTATION —LATIN AMERICA PROCESS While Costa Rica may have invented the washed method for processing coff ee, a tweaked method of that original technique is what is popular throughout Latin American today. T at tweaked method is what I would call the traditional fermentation process. T e traditional fermentation process employed throughout Latin America works like this: aſt er the coff ee is pulped, it's put in tanks to be fermented for between eight and 18 hours without water in the tank, which is called dry fermentation. T is is also generally done overnight, and the average length of time it sits in the tank is around 12 hours. Aſt er the overnight dry fermentation, the coff ee is then washed in channels or by machine and then put out to dry. EXCEPTION It is good to note that obviously lots of farmers have unique practices, and, of course, this "traditional" process is not true for 100% of producers in Latin America. For instance, in Costa Rica, the birthplace of the washed fermentation method itself, more and more producers in recent years are using eco-pulper with no fermentation, which I will explain later in this article. Further, the traditional fermentation practice is done in more places than just Latin America. For the most part, though, this is by far the most common fermentation practice in Latin America. A region of particular exception and note is Western Guatemala, and some other regions of Guatemala where fermentation times tend to go a little longer, presumably in response to a cooler climate. Many of the washing stations in Rwanda also do a traditional fermentation, but aſt er fermentation they generally wash and then soak the coff ee in clean water for an additional 12 to 24 hours (called simply a post-fermentation soak). Sumatra, around which there is a lot of misconception about the traditional processing methods, for the most part also practices traditional fermentation—just under much more rustic conditions. (Honey or Natural process is not the normal method of Sumatra, as is widely believed.) T e major diff erence is that the coff ee is oſt en fermented in buckets and bags, instead of tanks, before being hand washed. SUMMARY Fermenting dry for eight to 18 hours, washing, then sending to be dried. FLAVORS Over the past three years I have been involved with tasting a handful of coff ees that have been processed multiple diff erent ways (this is where I primarily thank Aida Batlle and J. Hill in El Salvador) and the traditional fermentation process seems to have a few things in common versus other processing techniques. In a word, it tends to be very balanced. From the fragrance to the aſt ertaste, the traditional process tends to produce the most balanced cup when compared to other processes. Acidity is moderate and round—sometimes slightly on the dry, crisp side. Body is moderate with a hint of dryness that tends to follow through to the round sweet aſt ertaste. Because of that balance and crisp character, it's easy to see why this method is so popular. www.baristamagazine.com 43

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