Making Coffee with Lucia Solis cover image

Making Coffee with Lucia Solis

#18: Anaerobic Fermentation: Building Our Coffee Vocabulary

May 19, 2020
In this podcast, the host discusses the confusion and misuse of terminology surrounding anaerobic fermentation in the specialty coffee industry. They explore the complexity of language in describing coffee processes and the need for standardized definitions. The speaker proposes an alternative term, 'microbial demucillegination', to accurately describe the process. They also emphasize the importance of understanding fermentation's role in coffee production and challenging misconceptions about achieving specific flavors. Lastly, they highlight the importance of education and avoiding commoditization in the coffee industry.
31:56

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The specialty coffee industry needs clear and accurate language to describe coffee processing methods, particularly anaerobic fermentation, in order to avoid confusion and miscommunication.
  • Recognizing the role of microbial agents in coffee fermentation is crucial for understanding flavor development and attributing flavor changes to the coffee itself rather than solely to equipment.

Deep dives

The Confusion Surrounding Anaerobic Fermentation

The podcast episode dives into the confusion and misuse of the term 'anaerobic fermentation' in the specialty coffee industry. The host emphasizes the need for clear and accurate language when discussing coffee processing methods. The distinction is made between passive rotting, which historically characterized coffee processing, and intentional fermentation aimed at flavor development. The redundancy of using 'anaerobic fermentation' when all fermentation is anaerobic is highlighted, suggesting that the term is misleading and contributes to the confusion. The importance of giving credit to the microbial agents responsible for flavor changes is stressed, rather than focusing solely on the equipment used in the process. The host suggests using more specific terms such as 'dry fermentation' and 'submerged fermentation' to describe different processing methods with clarity and precision.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode