What is Fermented Coffee?

When it comes to fermented coffee, there will be some people who love it because of the unique flavors it brings, while others hate it. But one thing is for sure: fermented coffee is the new trend in specialty coffee processing in Vietnam and the world!

Within the scope of this article, Helena Coffee leads you to discover how fermentation can affect coffee quality. What is the true meaning of coffee fermentation? And is it possible to process coffee without this process?, this is also how we are working every day to improve the quality of coffee inputs on the farm to serve our roasted coffee products through the seasons, then serve Serving coffee-loving customers is getting better day by day. Come on let's get started!

WHAT IS fermentation?

You probably remember those early high school lessons: fermentation is a chemical reaction. The combination of yeast, bacteria, and other microorganisms makes it easier for one substance to break down into other substances. Usually, the substances that are broken down are sugars. When this happens, they tend to give off heat. In addition, different enzymes can catalyze this event.

Or to put it more simply, fermentation is a natural change that happens when you put sugar and water together – and in selected coffee, both are well-rounded. And so, as soon as the ripe coffee beans are picked (or even while they are still on the tree) the fermentation process will begin.

The question is, does this fermentation improve the taste of the coffee or ruin it? Together we will find the answer.

WHAT DOES fermentation have to do with coffee?

Fermentation is an important part of the post-harvest processing of coffee. It can happen in one of two ways:

• Aerobic: This is what happens in the presence of oxygen. The technique of this type of fermentation is very simple: just place the recently harvested ripe coffee cherries in a barrel or container and let the micro-organisms work. Monitor time and temperature to help you control and analyze it.

• Anaerobic (anaerobic): In this case, the coffee cherries are placed in a tank (before or after grinding) and covered in water which allows different microorganisms to work.

• Anaerobic (anaerobic) fermentation in water is more homogeneous and easier to monitor, whereas aerobic is more heterogeneous and complex.

Fermentation is a chemical process in which complex molecules are broken down into simpler molecules, producing liquid and gaseous products (volatile compounds). Coffee cherries are processed by one of three methods immediately after harvest to allow spontaneous fermentation or intentional fermentation. The three different coffee processing methods are called dry, wet, and honey. Depending on the type of processing, the amount of time required for fermentation varies. The main purpose of fermentation in all methods is to remove the mucilage layer, which is rich in polysaccharides (pectin), and to reduce the water content of the coffee beans. However, if managed carefully, fermentation also has a positive effect on the quality attributes of the coffee.

Above you have understood what is Fermented Coffee?, Before going deeper, Helena Coffee hopes that you have learned about the most popular methods of processing green coffee today.

HOW DOES fermentation affect the quality of the coffee?

Since the fermentation process is so complex, there are many different potential outcomes. Poor, uncontrolled fermentation can lead to mold or even chemical flavors in coffee – That's why producers need to understand the process, monitor, and work according to the best methods.

Because when successfully controlling the fermentation process, it can enhance the best attributes of the coffee, making coffees with distinct, unique flavors… Increase sweetness, and acidity, while discovering and highlighting distinctive new flavor groups such as fruit, caramel, chocolate, and others.

This is increasingly common in the specialty coffee processing industry in Vietnam as well as in the world.

APPLICATION OF COFFEE fermenting process in SPECIAL COFFEE PROCESSING

Good coffee is not only high-quality coffee but also requires consistency and uniformity in each production batch. As the scale and output increase, this becomes a huge challenge not only for coffee processors but also for roasters. It motivates Producers to learn the processes behind fermentation, to attend training in quality analysis, and to taste, so they can proactively assess the impact of their experiments. – and change them, if they need to.

One of the important factors to be aware of and control is Brix, pH, fermentation time, the temperature during fermentation, accurate monitoring, and data recording both during and after fermentation so that it can be extracted, adjusted, and improved over the seasons to bring quality and consistency to the product.

CONCLUSION

You see, fermentation in coffee is inevitable. We will be the ones to decide on PURPOSE fermenting to create unique product lines with different flavors. Coffee processing is an integral part of creating the unique flavor and aroma of your perfect cup of coffee. Hopefully after this series of articles you have a better understanding of what fermented coffee is, how fermentation affects the taste of coffee, and suggest ways to create specialty coffee beans.