Coffee Bean Fermentation: What is it?

Fermentation is one of the newest trends in coffee bean processing. After removing the cherry, a layer called mucilage is left. Fermentation uses this to change coffee flavor before anything else!

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Fermentation: How does it work?

The sugar in mucilage is broken down into simpler substances. Either aerobic, with oxygen, or anaerobic, without oxygen, fermentation is a tricky process. The two can be combined by moving coffee beans from a fermentation tank with oxygen to water without oxygen, or vice versa.

There are three types of fermentation:

• Washed: beans are dupulped completely.
• Honey: a small about of pulp is left behind for drying, called ‘honey’.
• Dried: berries are completely dried, leaving all pulp behind for later removal.

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To ferment, steps must be exactly replicated for consistent results. Natural processes are easier to reproduce. Take notes and cup your coffee, learn how to do that here.

Fermentation is a gamble, where the results can highlight unique flavors in coffee beans or ruin the products completely. Detail the procedure each time, any part matters!