Making Coffee with Lucia Solis

Where does sweetness come from? Can something taste sweet that has no sugar? How can we measure sugar in coffee?This will be a more technical episode where we will talk about the sugar compounds like carbohydrates, sucrose, glucose and fructose and sweetness as a concept. We will also look at how sugar content differs based on processing style: washed, honey or natural.Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers.Sign up for the newsletter to stay informed.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerIntro song: Elijah BisbeeMentioned in the Episode:Brodie Vissers Youtube channelBrodie Vissers InstagramVanishing Fleece by Clara ParkesBoss Barista C-Market Part IBoss Barista C-Market Part II

Today you get to be a fly on the wall of a consulting session between myself and a coffee producer in Uganda. The Coffee Gardens is a newer project of coffee producers who have partnered with select coffee farmers in Eastern Uganda. They currently work directly with 300 small holder farmers. They have a micro-processing station in the foothills of Mount Elgon.This episode might be most relevant to a coffee producer, so if you know any, please pass this episode along to them. Especially if they are curious about using yeast to control their fermentations. Today we cover how to process undesirable cherries, we talk about the challenges in scaling up from a small trial to full scale lots. We also discuss yeast usage in very rural settings, is it even appropriate? At what volume should a producer consider using yeast? Even if you’re not a coffee producer I hope you will listen to the questions and concerns of a coffee producer and better understand their reality. Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers.Sign up for the newsletter to stay informed.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerInto song: Elijah BisbeeMentioned in the Episode:The Coffee Gardens

In this conversation with Dr. Aimee Dudley, a researcher on coffee fermentation and its relationship to native ecosystems, they delve into the complexities of cultural identity in coffee. They discuss the significance of terms like native, indigenous, and local, while emphasizing their societal implications. The dialogue examines the ethical dimensions of coffee sourcing, urging a reassessment of historical narratives in coffee production. Dudley’s insights reveal how much is lost when coffee is removed from its native environment, highlighting vulnerable producer dynamics.

 We usually hear about coffee from roasters or even people like me, who work with coffee producers but we are not producers ourselves. One of my podcast goals is to bring you directly to the source. Whether it's scientific research or hearing directly from coffee producers.Often we leave it to coffee professionals and educators to speak about coffee producers but it’s rare to hear directly from coffee producers about their motivations and challenges. And even when we do hear from them on their social media channels, there is a hidden pressure to present a rosy version of reality. Today’s conversation is with Mark from Finca Rosenheim in the Villa Rica region in Peru.  This conversation is an honest look at some of the challenges producers rarely get to talk about. I asked Mark about organic certifications, climate challenges, coffee competitions, crop diversification, and what happens when markets can’t rebalance themselves. To get samples or buy coffee from Mark:Website: www.fincarosenheim.comEmail: Info@fincarosenheim.comInstagram: @fincarosenheimSupport the show on Patreon and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.Sign up for the newsletter for new podcast releases.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerInto song: Elijah BisbeeMentioned in the Episode:Vox Video: Coffee Crisis in Colombia

Join Peter Wohlleben, renowned author of "The Hidden Life of Trees," as he shares fascinating insights into the complex relationships between trees and their ecosystems. Discover how coffee trees communicate through underground networks and the impact of non-native yeasts on flavor. Peter discusses the art of wine barrel crafting and its connection to oak trees, drawing parallels to coffee cultivation. Learn about the silent struggles of trees in agriculture and how human intervention can disrupt natural ecological balance.

This week I want to talk to you about where native coffee yeast come from.  If you are concerned about coffee flavor manipulation by yeast, I hope by the end of the episode you have a broader understanding of where "native" yeast originally came from.To help illustrate the point, we start with non traditional coffee growing regions like Southern California.In the episode I will also be sharing research from Dr. Amiee Dudley.I met Dr. Aimee Dudley in 2017 during SCA EXPO in Seattle when we were on a Re:CO Panel together talking about yeast. I was offering the perspective of practical application of yeast, how coffee producers in situ could use it and Dr. Dudley was presenting her research on yeast genetics. She runs a lab at Pacific North West Research Institute and she is an expert on yeast genetics.Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers.Sign up for the newsletter for new podcast releases.Cover Art by: Nick HafnerInto song: Elijah BisbeeMentioned in the Episode:The Coffee Podcast: Jay RuskeyFrinj CoffeeDr. Aimee Dudley's Research Lab

Aurora is back for another tea chat.Unfortunately I think coffee and tea are often lumped together in similar categories but they have very different histories and I think it’s worth trying to de-couple these beverages.Join us as we discuss how:-tea is largely consumed in it's botanical origins and coffee is not. -the different flavors of stress (positive and negative)-over extraction and the role of color-my thoughts on Cascara teaMentioned in the Podcast:Support the show on Patreon and get Aurora's curated tea flights and download the research paper on Leafhoppers and Oriental Beauty oolong tea.Aurora's WebsiteTea Reading List 2020 located at worldcat.org, curated by Aurora PrehnHow to Taste by Becky Selengut

What happens when the best in the world can't tell if a wine comes from the Willamette Valley in Oregon or Burgundy, France? What happens when the experts can't tell if the bubbles are from Champagne or California.Does a place really have a taste? Can we find it in the glass?That is the premise of terroir, tasting the land, localizing the product. But often, when put "terroir" to the test it cannot be found. Today's episode starts with the story of the 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting, a famous part of wine history that pitted French terroir-driven wines against terroir-less California wines. The competition had a blind tasting for red wine and for white wines. The red wines were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon and the white wines were the Chardonnay variety.We are also going to see what happens when Terroir is used as a basis for certifications. I'll share with you some of the limitations of the "geographic protectionism" and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system.Certifications are usually protective tools but sometimes they can work against the producers they are meant to protect.How can such a romantic and noble concept, tasting the land, respecting nature - work against producers?To pick future podcast topics, get access to the scientific papers, ask questions that I answer on the podcast, and help me continue making episodes: consider supporting the show by Joining Patreon HereMentioned on the podcast:The historical origins are from the book Terroir and Other Myths of Winegrowing by Mark A Matthews.Bottle Shock MovieA CougarRacist Champagne

Welcome to the next installment of terroir in coffee.This one little word contains a whole world of history and has an important role in the economic viability of certain agricultural products.After the last episode I heard from some of you who wished I had talked about soil minerals and plant nutrition from soil. Others also asked about the wine making regions like Bordeaux where Terroir is regulated by french law. I cover both of these concerns in todays episode before we get to discuss what I really wanted the episode to be about: microbes and morality.There is an unspoken understanding that products that express terroir are more moral than others.I wanted to give you an episode that focused on microbiology, that talked about the yeast and bacteria that contribute to a "taste of place" but I couldn't do it without including the human perception that products that express terroir, products that are "transparent" are superior.  I think we need to be really careful because science doesn't support this view. Any moral component of terroir is a choice to see it through a religious and political lens.I want to challenge your views on "transparency" and "intrinsic quality".To pick future podcast topics, get access to the scientific papers, ask questions that I answer on the podcast, and help me continue making episodes: consider supporting the show by Joining Patreon HereMentioned on the podcast:The historical origins are from the book Terroir and Other Myths of Winegrowing by Mark A Matthews.How to Use a Pressure ChamberDemeter Fragrance Library

This podcast explores the concept of terroir in the coffee industry, discussing its relevance and potential pitfalls. It delves into the debate surrounding the definition of terroir and whether or not it should include the human element. The episode also examines the historical roots of terroir and its application in marketing. Additionally, it challenges the conventional belief about fruit ripening and discusses the conflict between Old World and New World labels in the wine industry. The discussion also explores the expanding definition of terroir beyond soil elements.