Co-Fermentation Process
Our latest release, Candy Blast Decaf, is a co-fermented honey process coffee. We'll address Honey Processing in a future post, but what is Co-Fermenting?
Co-Fermentation
In summary, coffee cherries (with the coffee bean inside) are fermented together with another ingredient, most often fruit, herbs, spices, or cultured microbes. Flavors from that ingredient actively infuse into the coffee during fermentation.
Fermentation lasts for at least 24 hours, sometimes in sealed tanks or plastic bags. Once the target pH, Brix, or flavor is reached, the coffee is washed (or not in the case of honey or natural processing) and dried.
The flavor impact is very explicit with high impact notes of watermelon, strawberry, tropical fruit, or cinnamon roll. These flavors are louder and more predicable than traditional fermentation and creates a dessert-like profile.
Controversy
In this process, the flavor of another ingredient is being absorbed by the coffee. *Coffee purists turn up their noses and scoff.*
However, we admire the craft and science being utilized at origin. Producers are curious about what's possible with their coffee. Plus the stakes are high; A poor co-ferment results in an undrinkable cup. If the fermentation period is too long, the coffee will taste like rotting food or acetone. If the microbial balance is off, the coffee will taste salty, like a barnyard, or like burnt plastic. If mold or fungal growth occurs, the coffee will taste like a musty wet basement and the whole lot is unsellable. There are plenty of other things that can go wrong during this process, but you get the point. At the roaster level, poor roasting can result in a cup with ashy sourness and a burnt coffee flavor.
Our Philosophy
Given the challenges of co-ferment processing, we have a deep appreciation for a cup that has been executed well. Producers can charge a premium for a quality co-ferment, and it's well deserved because of the skill, artistry, and labor put into production. Like any coffee, not all co-ferments are created equal. Buying from a trusted roaster is key to experiencing the innovation, creativity, and flavor-blast of this unique processing technique.