Coffee Notebook

Processing

A reference for the coffee processing techniques encountered in the notebook, grouped by family. Updated as new methods appear.

Note on disclosure: lots described as "Natural" or "Anaerobic Natural" sometimes involve added inputs (yeast strains, fruit pulp, spices) that aren't always declared on the bag. Where the protocol is named or detailed, this notebook follows the roaster's description. Where the description is vague but the cup tastes obviously infused, that's flagged in the tasting notes.

Washed

Cherry is depulped, then fermented (typically 12–48h) to break down mucilage, then washed clean and dried. Produces the most origin-transparent cup — the default reference point for "what does this farm taste like."

Honey

Cherry is depulped but mucilage is left clinging to the bean during drying. The colour adjective (white / yellow / red / black) reflects how much mucilage and how slow the dry — more mucilage and slower drying push the cup sweeter and heavier. Sits between washed and natural.

Natural

Whole cherry is dried with the bean still inside. Sugars and esters from the fruit migrate inward; cup leans fruit-forward, fermented, sometimes wine-like. Range from clean (lower altitude, controlled drying beds) to wild (extended ferments, raised intensity).

Extended Fermentation Natural

A long ferment phase (48–96h or more) before drying, often under controlled temperature. Pushes intensity but also raises defect risk if drying isn't tight.

Anaerobic / Sealed Fermentation

Whole cherry or parchment is sealed in a tank with limited oxygen. Lactic and microbial activity dominate; cups push toward intense fruit, sometimes funk or solvent notes. The "anaerobic" label has become a catch-all — actual protocols vary widely (duration, temperature, inoculation, with-cherry vs. depulped).

Carbonic Maceration

Whole cherry sealed in pure CO₂ before any depulping — borrowed from Beaujolais winemaking. Tends to produce intense, glycerol-heavy cups with pronounced fruit. Often combined with yeast inoculation (see Cultured section).

Nitrogen Fermentation ("Nitro")

Sealed bioreactor with nitrogen displacing oxygen, usually combined with inoculated yeast and bacteria. Producer-named variants include Nitro Wash, Nitro Natural, and "Culturing." See Glitch's Milan Nitro Wash entry for a detailed walkthrough.

Cultured / Yeast Fermentation

Specific yeast or yeast+bacteria strains are inoculated into the ferment to produce target esters. When the strain and protocol are named, it usually signals tighter quality control rather than infusion. Overlaps with anaerobic — most named yeast protocols are also sealed. Can be layered inside other techniques (e.g. CM + Intenso).

Named commercial strains in this notebook: - Intenso (Lallemand/Lal Cafe) — Saccharomyces cerevisiae; won SCA Best New Product 2018. Drives tropical fruit and berry intensity. Applied standalone or inside CM. The name doubles as a flavour descriptor, which is intentional. - CIMA — used by Blue Tokai Producer Series; typically 72h. Produces apple, chamomile, stone fruit notes. Manufacturer not publicly confirmed. - Enzyflow — used by Prodigal for Panama lots. Less documented than the above.

Co-Fermentation and Infusion

External ingredients — fruit pulp, spices, flowers, even barrel residue — are added to the ferment. Disclosure varies: "co-fermentation" is the accepted term, "infusion" is the pejorative one, and "natural" is sometimes used to obscure either. Increasingly contested in specialty coffee: Best of Panama, COE, and SCA have all tightened disclosure rules in recent years. The fault line is honesty rather than the technique itself — a declared co-ferment is a known input; an undeclared one breaks the chain of trust between producer, roaster, and drinker.

Hybrid / Multi-Stage

Combinations of the above, run in sequence — typically a controlled aerobic or fermentation phase before drying, or a wash front-end on a natural-style dry.