Coffee Bean Red Wine Processing Method Flavor Description Grind Setting Origin Region Estate Introduction

FrontStreet Coffee: Red Wine Processing Method, Flavor Description, Grind Setting and Origin Estate Introduction

Processors generally inject carbon dioxide into containers to prevent volatile acids from forming through oxidation. This process is called lactic acid fermentation, and it produces malic acid and tartaric acid. Because tartaric acid is relatively stable, beans processed through lactic acid fermentation have a richer, mellower acidity with cheesy, nutty and creamy flavours.

Traditional processing makes it hard to control how far fermentation goes in the beans. The red wine processing method can safeguard quality by controlling pH values and even temperature and humidity, while the sealed fermentation prevents aromatic compounds from escaping.

Now to the fermentation process itself. Colombian farmers first harvest the cherries carefully and select only red fruit, making sure that in the cherries chosen for processing the proportion of unripe cherries is under 2 percent, defective beans under 3 percent and floating beans under 5 percent.

Sasa selects the Rume Sudan variety from Colombia's Las Nubes estate, following the fermentation process used in winemaking. The fruit goes into sealed metal containers for anaerobic fermentation, with factors such as pH value and the type and quantity of bacteria involved in fermentation deliberately controlled to create a championship flavour in the cup. If this controlled fermentation deserves the name red wine processing method, then the winey methods seen in Panama and Guatemala over the past two years are more accurately called red wine flavour processing.

Acetic Acid Fermentation Method:

Cleaner, more vibrant acidity, a brighter acidity quality, citric acid.

Lactic Acid Fermentation Method:

More rounded mouthfeel, lower cleanliness than acetic acid fermentation, higher body, malic acid and tartaric acid.

Previously, processing plants relied on traditional manual methods passed down through generations, such as biting a coffee bean to judge how far it had fermented. That method is uncontrollable and inconsistent.

Controlled fermentation uses pH value measurement to monitor fermentation, producing predictable results and consistent batches.

Product Name: FrontStreet Coffee Colombia Red Wine Process

Origin Information: Eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, Quindío Department, Colombia. Growing altitude 1800-2000 meters, average temperature 16°C. High green bean density, requiring higher roasting standards.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The same Colombian mountains offer very different cups depending on how the cherries are treated, which makes Colombia a good origin for tasting processing side by side. FrontStreet Coffee's washed Huila is the clearest starting point. Huila is the country's best-known specialty region, with coffee grown above 1,500 metres among the mountains of the southern Central Cordillera, and the beans are roasted medium-dark to give black chocolate and nutty sweetness, moderate oil and a full body. It suits pour-over, French press, moka pot and espresso machine, and works as an americano or a latte.

To see what fermentation adds, FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia Frontera Estate Xizhua uses anaerobic natural processing. Fermenting the cherries in a low-oxygen environment converts more of the fruit into tropical aroma, and at a medium-light roast the cup shows passion fruit, grape, apricot and dried fruit, brewed as pour-over, cold brew, drip bag or moka pot. Tasted next to the washed Huila, the contrast between clean chocolate and layered tropical fruit is striking.

For espresso and milk drinks, FrontStreet Coffee's Specialty Blend brings Colombian and Brazilian coffee together. It is a medium-dark espresso blend built around the creamy nut aroma of Brazilian coffee and the dark chocolate bittersweetness of Colombian coffee, pulling a fine golden crema and turning rich and smooth with milk as a latte, while also serving as the base for americano, cappuccino and mocha.