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The Fermentation Project Tasting Set

We're super excited to be taking part in the Global Tasting event created by James Hoffmann & Lucia Solis. This is an amazing oppourtunity to taste the effect processing has on coffee first hand each set will feature:

100g Mechanically Demucilaged (control)

100g Wild Fermentation

100g Lactobacillus-Inoculated Fermentation

100g Saccharomyces Yeast-Inoculated Fermentation

This will be enough coffee to take part in the global cupping taking place at 3pm GST on the 03/10/26 and also brew a few cups of coffee from each process.

Coffee will be roasted and dispatched on the week commencing 14/09/26. Any coffee purchased alongside the order will be shipped seperately relevant to when the order was placed.

£27.50

MORE INFO

Origin // Guatemala

Region // Antigua Valley

Producer // Finca San Miguel Urias

Variety // Caturra, H1, Bourbon

Elevation // 1,460 - 1,540 M.A.S.L

Process // Various

Importer // Caravela

Per kg green price // 15.43 USD

Processing

Taking the same coffee as the starting point, four processing methods were used to produce four distinct expressions of the same lot.

Mechanically Demucilaged (Control)
This coffee undergoes mechanical mucilage removal with no fermentation, serving as the project’s control sample. Its flavour reflects the coffee’s genetics, terroir, and cultivation practices without the influence of fermentation.

Wild Fermentation
A 48-hour submerged fermentation using naturally occurring local microorganisms. This is the process that traditional washed coffee normally undergoes where microbial populations present in the local water break down the remaining mucilage left on the cherry after depulping.

Lactobacillus Inoculated
A 48-hour submerged fermentation inoculated with Lactobacillus bacteria. The contolled introduction of specifc bacteria will affect the development of organic acids during processing and can be compared to both the control and local (wild) bacteria coffees to see how this changes the final cup.

Yeast Inoculated
A 48-hour submerged fermentation inoculated with Saccharomyces yeast. This approach promotes the formation of flavour precursors and can once again be compared with the other coffees in the experiment to see what affect this has on the flavour profile of the coffee.

The people behind the project

Lucia Solis, Fermentation Consultant

Lucia studied Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis, specializing in microbiology and fermentation science. She spent nine years working in wine production in Napa Valley before transitioning her focus to coffee in 2014.

Today, she is a coffee fermentation and processing specialist with over 12 years of international experience, having worked alongside producers in more than 15 countries.

Lucia supports coffee producers in rethinking processing as a strategic opportunity to add value and reduce risk at the wet mill. Her work centers on simplifying and streamlining protocols from fermentation through drying, creating greater clarity and operational control.

By applying microbiological principles, she helps producers develop reproducible cup profiles while bringing stability to one of the most variable stages of coffee production. Her approach emphasizes scientific rigor combined with practical simplicity — ensuring that innovation remains accessible and scalable.

James Hoffmann

James Hoffmann is an award-winning coffee professional, author, and communicator known for his influential work in specialty coffee. He won the World Barista Championship in 2007 and has since become one of the industry’s most respected voices through his educational YouTube channel, books, and global projects. James is recognized for making complex coffee topics accessible, combining deep technical knowledge with clarity, curiosity, and thoughtful exploration of flavor, process, and brewing.

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