Trying something different.
Something about fermentation....
I am not quite sure where the last couple of months have gone?
Looking at the date of my previous post and wondering how we got to the end of November so fast has got me in a planning mood.
Number 1, I need to write more.
Number 2, Organise my time better.
Number 3, Start the coffee cupping club.
Number 4, Keep cupping coffee.
Number 5, Keep an eye on the news. (reluctantly)
Number 6, Drink more wine. (For research purposes)
Number 7, Keep the conversations going.
If you know me, you will know that I am not a big fan of this time of year. Not enough sunlight and far too much time spent indoors. Although, I am trying to make the most of this time by planning next year’s sourcing calendar.
Looking back on the last couple of months there have been some key areas that I would like to explore more. One area, in particular, is around sustainable supply chains and what we can do to make sure that specialty coffee achieves its goal of sustainability through quality. The economic road ahead is looking pretty rocky and I want to understand if the coffee consumer is concerned about the increase in prices of specialty coffee? I would also like to know what motivates people to buy quality coffee, is it just the fact that the experience is better or is there an underlying ethical motivation that makes people choose specialty coffee? I would really love to engage with the community on this. So, please drop me a line if you have opinions on this topic and if you have noticed the price increase.
The second area is fermentation.
I have a post in the works on this subject, the topic is just so deep that I don’t know if I will ever finish it. So far I understand that fermentation if controlled, can lead to some very interesting results and has a huge impact on flavour, I am currently enjoying some outstanding coffees from Colombia that have undergone certain processes using commercial yeast that I will be writing about very soon. They are some of the best coffees I have tasted, so this is a big one.
Fermentation plays a key role in coffee processing and plays a significant part in liberating the seed from the cherry, but to what degree this has played in conscious flavour development is still a relatively new area. The skin of the coffee cherry once removed leaves a layer of flesh on the seed that needs removing before the seeds can dry. As the flesh breaks down microbes consume the flesh producing flavour precursors that produce some desirable taste attributes in the coffee. The majority of fermentation is currently done naturally but the move towards implementing clear protocols has been slowly gaining traction and I am interested to see how far this will go, and once again, very interested to hear if anyone has tried some coffees with interesting fermentation techniques and your views on this subject.
I also recently attended the Manchester coffee festival and the coffee community seems to be in good spirits. It is incredible to see how much the industry has grown and this event in particular over the last 8 years, I managed to have some very interesting conversations with folk I have not seen for a while. The industry is maturing and asking some challenging questions of itself which is always great to see. It has also rekindled my enthusiasm for getting out more, which has surprised me.
I am hoping to keep up some regular frequency with these posts, please let me know if there is anything you think I should be focusing on. Your comments will be very much appreciated.
Burts
Ahh, the writer’s dilemma: write more, and what to write about?
Every time we talk, you open my eyes to a new development in the coffee world. Once that happens, it seems I begin to see that subject everywhere—just you creating an awareness of that intricacy primes my mind to find related information. I always appreciate that.
If you’re ever looking for a ‘fallback’ option, I’d love to hear about the books you’ve read. Even a summary makes me aware of the what’s-what in the coffee world.