The Fermentation Project by Father’s Coffee Roastery is a tasting set for anyone who wants to experience just how much processing can change a single batch of coffee. Inside the package, you’ll find four 100-gram samples that come from the same farm but have undergone four different processing methods. The goal isn’t to showcase the wildest fermented coffee possible, but to give you the chance to compare the differences side by side. In a single tasting, you can observe how fermentation affects the sweetness, acidity, body, and overall complexity of the cup. The project was created in collaboration with James Hoffmann, Lucía Solis, and Caravela Coffee, and is ideal for home cupping, group tastings, or as a gift for anyone who wants to dive deeper into the world of coffee.
The coffee comes from Guatemala, specifically from Finca San Miguel Urias in the Antigua Valley, between the towns of Ciudad Vieja and San Miguel Dueñas. The farm is owned by Hector and Lilian Leal and operated by Rueda Farms. The coffee trees grow at an elevation of 1,460 to 1,540 meters above sea level, and the varietal composition consists of approximately 85% Caturra, 15% H1, and a small amount of Bourbon. This single origin is crucial to the entire set, as all four samples are based on the same coffee. Differences in flavor do not arise from variations in farm, variety, or terroir, but primarily from the way the coffee was processed after harvest. This makes The Fermentation Project a very clear and engaging way to understand the impact of fermentation in practice.
All four samples are based on washed processing. After harvest, the cherries are sorted, pulped, and then transferred to fermentation tanks.
- The first sample is a control—mechanically pulped without fermentation—so it showcases the pure foundation defined by origin, variety, and growing region.
- The second sample underwent wild fermentation, during which the coffee was submerged in water for 48 hours with naturally occurring microorganisms.
- The third sample fermented for 48 hours submerged in water with Lactobacillus bacteria, which can influence freshness, acidity, and complexity.
- The fourth sample uses Saccharomyces yeast, which can promote the formation of flavor precursors, body, and complexity.
After fermentation, the coffee is washed and dried for 10 to 14 days on an outdoor concrete patio, shaded as needed to control the temperature.