After coffee cherries are plucked from the tree, but before the green seeds are spread out in the sun to dry, what happens? Fermentation occurs, where the seeds are removed from the cherry, then exposed to a combination of heat, moisture, and all kinds of micro-organisms as the sugary mucilage on the outside of the bean is stripped away. Even for roasters, the impact of fermentation on flavor and quality is still a bit of a mystery. With the James Hoffmann Fermentation Project set, we intend to pull back the curtain on this process. A collaboration with Hoffmann, a celebrated industry professional; Lucia Solis, a coffee scientist and consultant; and dozens of other eager roasters, this set contains coffee from Finca San Miguel Urias in Antigua, Guatemala that was processed in four distinct ways at origin. Mechanically Demucilaged; removing the sugary, goopy layer on the outside of the seed (mucilage) by applying water and machine-created friction. Wild Fermentation; breaking down the mucilage by soaking the coffee in a tank with the local environment’s naturally occurring microorganisms. Lactobacillus Inoculated; breaking down the mucilage with a concentration of Lactobacillus bacteria added into the tank. Yeast Inoculated; breaking down and removing the mucilage with a concentration of Yeast added into the tank. On our end, we’re taking a uniform approach to roast duration, development time, and roast level in order to highlight the processing variable. We’ll also walk you through a modified cupping protocol that you can follow along with using the tools you have at Join likeminded enthusiasts in a virtual global cupping event on October 3rd, or simply taste each coffee in your own time. Every set will ship with tasting instructions so that you can focus on flavor without worrying about the method. A link to the virtual global cupping will be provided when your coffee ships. Opportunities to taste the varying results of different fermentation techniques are few and far between. You will gain special insight and a deeper appreciation for a producer’s role in the production of coffee. The James Hoffmann Fermentation Project is a limited-availability set of four 4oz coffee bags. They are limited to one set per customer, whole bean only, and are available now as a pre-order while supplies last. This product is excluded from any promotional sales or discounts. Your set will ship on September 11th. Please note that any additional coffee added to your pre-order of a Fermentation Project set will ship on September 11th as well. Thank you for your understanding.