Efrén Echeverri Coferment - Colombia, Friedhats | 250g

Alright, here we go. Cofermentation is not a cheat code that introduces and infuses flavors into a coffee- it introduces new variables that have yeasts, sugars, and bacteria of their own that all have differing effects on fermentation, and those in turn impact the coffee as a finished product. Well managed fermentations can create more complex and more interesting flavors, but these still are not infusions. That is an entirely different ballpark. Pineapple added to the fermentation does not equal pineapple flavor in the coffee, strawberry added to the fermentation does not equal strawberry flavor in the coffee, and so on and so forth. That’s simply not how coffee, fermentation, or flavor transfer work. There is, and should be, a healthy skepticism surrounding obfuscation around flavored coffees, and that’s part of the reason why we are occasionally drawn to a well done coferment that has clarity from the producer side and is easy to understand why elements are added to the ferment and the effect those have. Especially when the finished cup doesn’t taste artificial.  

 The elements added to the fermentation of this lot are simple and easy to understand from a fermentation standpoint- pineapple and panela (unrefined cane sugar). Pineapple is rife with an enzyme called bromelain, which gives pineapple its reputation as a tenderizer. It accelerates the breakdown of proteins, which in coffee aids the release of mucus from the cherry, speeding up the availability of sugars which are, of course, key to fermentation. Studies also suggest that part of this breakdown includes the deterioration of the cell walls which allows caffeine to dissolve into water over time, gradually lowering the caffeine content in coffee, which is the primary source of bitterness in coffee. This slight reduction in bitterness allows more perceived sweetness and clarity. The other addition to the fermentation of this coffee is panela- unrefined cane sugar. The effect of this could not be more straightforward: sugar is the fuel for fermentation. All those microorganisms that drive the fermentation are eating up the sugars, so the more sugar present, the more active the fermentation can be. Easy. Clear. What we have here is an anaerobic fermentation, aided by two accelerants. These push the fermentation well beyond the standard realm of an anaerobic coffee by speeding up the breakdown and introducing a large food supply for the fermentation to perpetuate. An anaerobic fermentation to the nth degree if you will. After this cofermentation, the coffee is dried on parabolic beds as a natural. All of this compounds into a complex, explosive, sweet coffee loaded with red fruits and candy. 

Notes: Strawberry, Raspberry and Fruittella  

Process: Pineapple + Panela Coferment Anaerobic Natural

Variety: Tabi + Pink Bourbon