Welcome to the first episode of the new year and season 3.In this episode we talk about:If sugar follows the direct of water flow, does sugar evaporate out as coffee dries?The difference between sugar in mucilage and inside the seed.Can sugar be a preservative?The benefits and drawbacks of adding cascara to the fermentationHow to inoculate for freeHow to control the fermentation in a hot environment vs a cold one.Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts.And if you don&apos;t want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPalSign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Resources:Momo Tostadores PodcastCover Art by: Nick HafnerIntro song: Elijah Bisbee

Making Coffee with Lucia Solis

#40: Listener Q&A: Water Evaporation & Sugar, Avoiding Acetobacter, How to Inoculate w/o Spending Any Money

As many of you know, we&apos;ve started doing live hang out after the episodes on Discord a week after the podcast comes out. I find this valuable because I get to hear from listeners and we create our own podcast after the podcast together.In the most recent gathering I had Felipe, Jose and Lucas from Ep 38 on the discussion so listeners of the podcast could ask them questions directly.A few things stuck out to me from that conversation that I want to share here because what started as a fun hang out turned out to provide a key insight for coffee producers. In this episode we talk about:Tank Additions: Mango, lemons, cinnamonWine additions: sugar and acidTransparency: what does it mean and who benefitsEnzymes vs Microbes like yeast and bacteriaHow fermentation is like gravitySupport the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts.And if you don&apos;t want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPalSign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Resources:Bean Scene ArticleGravity Explained at 5 difficulty LevelsCover Art by: Nick HafnerIntro song: Elijah Bisbee

#39:Infused vs Adulterated coffees, Cinnamon and Fermentation Failures

Today&apos;s episode features Lucas, a Patron and exporter with Unblended who sold a Kombucha coffee. I invited him and the producers he works with, Felipe and Jose to talk about their experience reverse engineering a $5 castillo. They started with the end goal in mind, the picked the price, the flavor profile they wanted and then created a process to hit their target.In this episode you&apos;ll hear from 3 passionate coffee professionals about:What a successful relationship looks like between producers and exportersThe true cost of experimenting, 80 kilos vs 1 tonThe price the farmer gets vs the roaster priceTheir exact process: preparing and caring for the kombucha SCOBYTheir tracking: ph values and number of fermentation hoursSupport the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts. And if you don&apos;t want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPalSign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerIntro song: Elijah BisbeeContact:For special collaborations, samples, or inquiries about USA and HK on-spot inventory from Felipe, Jose and UVI: https://www.unblended.coffee/ or through Instagram: @UnblendedcoffeeFor connecting, learning more, or suggesting experimentation ideas: Instagram: @Ventolacoffee and @joalherb

#38:Reverse Engineering a $5 Castillo in Colombia w/ Lucas, Felipe & Jose

Today I am joined by Jamie Isetts, Sourcing Consultant. In this episode we cover:What a green buyer doesHow Jamie became a green buyerHow to organize a coffee contractCommunication red flags between producers and green buyersStrategies for long lasting relationshipsGet in touch with Jamie IsettsSupport the show on PatreonAnd if you don&apos;t want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPalSign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerIntro song: Elijah Bisbee

#37: Jamie Isetts Reimagines the Coffee Producer & Green Buyer Relationship

In this episode I will cover:the yeast inoculation history of wine to better understand why the natural wine and sour beer movements are rejecting inoculation.the difference between rot, wild fermentations and controlled fermentations.the role of salt in a coffee fermentation.are lactoferments better for low or high elevation farms?to pulp or not to pulp coffee cherries?how lactoferments differ from "anaerobic" fermentations and carbonic maceration.Lastly, I will give you my advice for a successful coffee lactoferment.Support the show on PatreonAnd if you don&apos;t want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPalSign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerIntro song: Elijah BisbeeMentioned in the Episode:Watch my processing fundamentals video hereCarbonic Maceration YouTube VideoThe Noma Guide To Fermentation book7 Scientific reasons Diagonally Cut Sandwiches Are Better

#36: Lactic Acid 101—Rejecting Inoculation, Fermentation Fight Club & Defining Rot

Do you drink kombucha? Coming from California, kombucha is about as normal as orange juice. But I imagine it might not be as popular in other parts of the world. Kombucha is probably more popular in North America and Europe (coffee importing countries) and probably very rare in coffee producing countries.I can imagine a near future where buyers are drawn to or supportive of kombucha process without understanding what they may be asking producers to do. Or similarly, producers wanting to be ahead of the curve and differentiate their coffee in a new way borrowing methods from beer and wine. My hope is that this episode helps coffee producers experiment intelligently and with intention, to maximize positive results. If you’re a coffee buyer or consumer, I hope you’ll be curious and critical if you see these words pop up on a label. I hope the information in this episode helps you be a better consumer by questioning what you read on labels or websites.Support the show on Patreon And if you don&apos;t want to commit, show your support here: PayPalSign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerIntro song: Elijah BisbeeMentioned in the Episode:Watch my processing fundamentals video hereHigh Acetic Acid producing yeast: wild yeasts like Hansenula, Kloekera Dekkera and BrettanomycesWhere to buy a SCOBY

#35: Acetic Acid 101—Kombucha & Making a Washed Coffee Taste Like a Natural

Today&apos;s episode is another in a series hearing from coffee producers from all parts of the world. I think one of the common traps we can get into is thinking and talking about "The" coffee farmer. Or "The Average Coffee Farmer." As if coffee farmers are a monolith. The average doesn’t exist. The people who grow and produce coffee are a very diverse group who do it for different reasons in very different conditions.It’s our nature, that when we learn something new, to compare it to what we already know, we learn by grouping and recognizing patterns and assigning categories. We take large amounts of information and shrink it, and distill it until it’s a small enough unit that we can attach a label. My hope with these episodes is to take a microscope to the group, get to know the individuals, how they think and what they think about.Today we get to visit India through the eyes of Pranoy, a 5th generation coffee grower. His family got into the business in 1953 where they have grown different produce in biodiverse, multi-cropped conditions.Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers.Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerIntro song: Elijah BisbeeMentioned in the Episode:Pranoy&apos;s InstagramKerehaklu WebsiteECRE Podcast

#34: Robusta, Tropical Fruits and Mechanical Drying. Visiting India w/ Pranoy of Kerehaklu. 

Today’s questions all come from Dr. Mack in Bangkok, Thailand. Even though he is asking the question on behalf of coffee producers in Thailand, I wanted to answer them on the podcast because they are relevant to all of the newer coffee producing regions.Thailand didn’t export coffee until 1976! This is very recent and not a lot of time for coffee growers and producers to develop their craft and catch up with older coffee growing regions like Colombia, where I am living. Colombia was already exporting coffee in 1835.As new regions begin to grow coffee, the questions in this podcast will become more and more relevant.Dr. Mack&apos;s questions allow me to address a few things like:How to avoid fermentation during transportation from the farm to millHow to use yeast with rust resistant varietiesHow to do a honey or a natural process while avoiding mold growth (a common problem in humid tropical countries)Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers.Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerIntro song: Elijah BisbeeMentioned in the Episode:Short videos:4 Things I don&apos;t like about Carbonic MacerationThe Fundamental Problem with Carbonic Maceration

#33: Listener Q&A: Learning from Thailand, Avoiding Mold Growth in Honey and Dry/Natural Processing in Humid Locations

 Our sugar journey is almost complete as we round out the third installment in the Brix series. I hope the previous podcast episodes helped open your mind to some of the challenges we face in talking about sugar in the coffee industry.Today&apos;s episode focuses on ripeness and how counterintuitively sometimes measuring Brix can lead to lower quality coffee.And to help illustrate this point I&apos;m sharing a lesson from one of my favorite industries: the cork industry. Specifically cork wine stoppers. In 2013 I was invited to visit Portugal as part of a Quality Control trip on behalf of the winery I worked for.In this episode we will talk about Brix and fruit maturity (ripeness), I will discuss the results of research done on a Brazilian coffee farm and we will see if there isn&apos;t a better instrument than a refractometer to help us look inside the coffee fruit and determine what will make a quality cup of coffee. Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers.Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerIntro song: Elijah BisbeeMentioned in the Episode:Worms and Germs Video PresentationComedy Skits: these are weird but hey, maybe you&apos;re weird too.SNL Cork Soakers Skit John C Riley Sweet Berry Wine SkitFree conference by The Barista League:High Density Digital Conference

#32: Where Is Ripeness? Lessons From Brazil on Brix & Color

I hope the previous podcast episode helped open your mind to some of the challenges we face in talking about sugar in the coffee industry. In today&apos;s episode we are adding another element, another piece of the puzzle—the refractometer and the other instruments used to measure sugar.In today&apos;s episode we will see how a refractometer can give a high Brix reading even when there is zero sugar in the sample. Or, how it is possible to get negative Brix readings.I think understanding more about the the instruments we use, helps us understand the limitations of measuring Brix at all.Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers.Sign up for the newsletter to stay informed.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerIntro song: Elijah BisbeeMentioned in the Episode:Why is This Happening Podcast: Pappy Van WinkleTTB Alcohol Tax ChartSugar Cane exporting Countries

#31: What Are We Measuring When We Measure Brix?

Where does sweetness come from? Can something taste sweet that has no sugar? How can we measure sugar in coffee?This will be a more technical episode where we will talk about the sugar compounds like carbohydrates, sucrose, glucose and fructose and sweetness as a concept. We will also look at how sugar content differs based on processing style: washed, honey or natural.Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers.Sign up for the newsletter to stay informed.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerIntro song: Elijah BisbeeMentioned in the Episode:Brodie Vissers Youtube channelBrodie Vissers InstagramVanishing Fleece by Clara ParkesBoss Barista C-Market Part IBoss Barista C-Market Part II

#30 Untangling Sugar, Sweetness and Brix

Today you get to be a fly on the wall of a consulting session between myself and a coffee producer in Uganda. The Coffee Gardens is a newer project of coffee producers who have partnered with select coffee farmers in Eastern Uganda. They currently work directly with 300 small holder farmers. They have a micro-processing station in the foothills of Mount Elgon.This episode might be most relevant to a coffee producer, so if you know any, please pass this episode along to them. Especially if they are curious about using yeast to control their fermentations. Today we cover how to process undesirable cherries, we talk about the challenges in scaling up from a small trial to full scale lots. We also discuss yeast usage in very rural settings, is it even appropriate? At what volume should a producer consider using yeast? Even if you’re not a coffee producer I hope you will listen to the questions and concerns of a coffee producer and better understand their reality. Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers.Sign up for the newsletter to stay informed.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerInto song: Elijah BisbeeMentioned in the Episode:The Coffee Gardens

#29: How Can Yeast Help in a Rural Ugandan Setting: Consulting w/ The Coffee Gardens

If you started the season with me in October you’ll remember that I started exploring the topic of what we lose when we take a plant from its native environment. Episode #25: A California Coffee Farm & Native vs. Local Yeasts looked at the relationship between coffee trees and the fermentation.Dr. Aimee Dudley’s research showed that the native microbes do not travel with the plant material and therefore all coffee fermentations outside of Ethiopia are non-native fermentations.Episode #26: Do Coffee Trees Talk? How Underground Fungi Affect Coffee Quality showed that when we take a plant from it’s native environment the microbes it needs to have strong immune response are also left behind.So we’ve touched on the above and below ground microbes that we leave behind.But is it only about microbes?Are microbes the most important thing we leave behind?I argue that it is not. As important as I think they are, I think there is something more valuable that is lost.Today, in part 3 I want to talk about another aspect we miss out on when we take something from its native environment.Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers.Sign up for the newsletter for new podcast releases.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerInto song: Elijah BisbeeMentioned in the Episode:Podcast: How Not To Travel Like A Basic BitchDr. Aimee Dudley&apos;s Research LabMaca Pirate VideoThe Nagoya Protocol 

#28: Origin, Native, Indigenous and Local: Building Our Coffee Vocabulary

 We usually hear about coffee from roasters or even people like me, who work with coffee producers but we are not producers ourselves. One of my podcast goals is to bring you directly to the source. Whether it&apos;s scientific research or hearing directly from coffee producers.Often we leave it to coffee professionals and educators to speak about coffee producers but it’s rare to hear directly from coffee producers about their motivations and challenges. And even when we do hear from them on their social media channels, there is a hidden pressure to present a rosy version of reality. Today’s conversation is with Mark from Finca Rosenheim in the Villa Rica region in Peru.  This conversation is an honest look at some of the challenges producers rarely get to talk about. I asked Mark about organic certifications, climate challenges, coffee competitions, crop diversification, and what happens when markets can’t rebalance themselves. To get samples or buy coffee from Mark:Website: www.fincarosenheim.comEmail: Info@fincarosenheim.comInstagram: @fincarosenheimSupport the show on Patreon and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.Sign up for the newsletter for new podcast releases.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerInto song: Elijah BisbeeMentioned in the Episode:Vox Video: Coffee Crisis in Colombia

#27: Searching for the Escape Velocity of Coffee–w/ Mark from Finca Rosenheim

What is left behind when coffee moves to new locations. What is the trade off for innovation?  This episode looks at what else we potentially leave behind when we introduce new plant material to non-native locations.The inspiration for this episode was a beautiful book by Peter Wohlleben called The Hidden Life of Trees. In it, Peter talks about native forests vs planted forests and the differences we (humans) are able to perceive.One of the example trees in Peter&apos;s book are oak trees. This was an interesting cross over for me because oak is very important for winemaking. Most of red wine is aged in oak barrels and many Chardonnay&apos;s too.This episode is filled with wine information on barrels, tastings and stories of my time in the wine industry.I enjoyed putting this episode together and I hope you enjoy listening to it. If you would like to support the show and help me make more episodes, join the Patreon community.Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers.Sign up for the newsletter for new podcast releases.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerInto song: Elijah BisbeeMentioned in the Episode:Video: How A Barrel Is MadeVideo: Dr. Susan Simard Ted Talk

#26: Do Coffee Trees Talk? How Underground Fungi Affect Coffee Quality

A behind the scenes look at what goes into making one of the world's favorite beverages. Lucia is a former winemaker turned coffee processing specialist. She consults with coffee growers and producer all over the world giving her a unique perspective into the what it takes to get a coffee from a seed to your cup.

hubhopper

Making Coffee with Lucia Solis

hubhopper