Origin Bulletin: October

Cold fermentation is a slower version of traditional coffee fermentation, where cherries or de-pulped beans are placed in cold environments to prolong the process, unlike traditional fermentations that occur at ambient temperatures. This technique is inspired by winemaking and enhances the complexity and intricacy of the flavours.

Using this method of fermentation, coffee cherries with higher Brix (sugar content) can be harvested; usually, the higher the Brix, the higher the chances of defects, but as in this case the fermentation happens slowly in cooler temperatures, it allows for the preservation of the sweetness without the risk of spoilage from over-fermentation. 

To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we released three amazing and unique coffees – one of those was Los Altos Mossto, produced by Erwin Mierisch in Nicaragua.

Erwin told us “Origin has purchased Los Altos for over a decade now, and always as a washed process, and it's always been a solid everyday drinking coffee. But for the anniversary we wanted to push the boundaries on what this farm could be capable of”.

For this coffee, whole Red Catuai cherries from Los Altos were placed inside a plastic barrel along with the mossto from previously anaerobically fermented Javanica cherries; it was then allowed to ferment anaerobically inside their warehouse under shade (24°C) for 48 hours before beginning its slow drying phase.

Here’s the secret to making cafe-quality coffee at home… Water makes up 95% of a brewed coffee. Its chemical composition will radically change the compounds that are extracted from your beans, and therefore the flavour in your final cup. This month we’ve created two activities that will help you upgrade your home brewing experience.

Activity 1 – Brew with tap water vs bottled water 

What you’ll need: 

• Any coffee 
• Whatever you use for your morning brew at home 
• Tap water  
• One bottle of Tesco Ashbeck, or Volvic water 
• A kettle 

What to do:  

• Brew two coffees using the exact same recipe and technique. Use tap water for the first, and bottled water for the second. Taste them side by side, what do you notice?  

Explanation:  

• You may notice that the coffee brewed with tap water has less complexity and might taste muddled or flat. This is because most tap water does not contain enough of the minerals which extract the sweet and acidic compounds found within the coffee bean.  

Cafes use expensive, complicated water softening systems to soften tap water before it is used for brewing coffee. Luckily, there is an easy alternative to replicating this at home: we can make a concentrate of coffee-extracting minerals to add to our brewing water to make our coffee taste great.  

What you’ll need: 

• Distilled water 
• Food-grade Epsom salts 
• Bicarbonate of soda  
• Weighing scales 

To make your concentrate: Mix 250ml of distilled water with 4g bicarbonate of soda, and 12g Epsom salts. Try to be as accurate with your weights as possible. Shake and stir to fully dissolve all the compounds and wait an hour before using it to brew coffee. Make sure you clearly label this ‘concentrate’, and never brew without diluting it! 

When you’re ready to brew, here’s what to do:  

Add 1g of your concentrate to 250ml of distilled water and give it a mix. Use this to brew your coffee to bring out its full potential. 

Kenya is producing country adored by the specialty coffee world. Renowned for producing coffees that are super fruity with highly juicy acidity.

Coffee was first brought to Kenya by colonist in 1893 and very quickly it became one of the leading gourmet coffee exporters. Kenya’s mountainous terrain, deep volcanic soil and moderate climate key to the delicious acidity that attract so much hype for Kenyan coffees. Kenya is one of few countries that has a climate that allows for two harvests, the main crop will be ready for harvest typically between May and July and the second ‘fly’ crop between October and December. Kenyan varietals SL-28 and SL-34 are widely selected by Kenyan farmers for their great cup profile and their adaptation to farming conditions in Kenya. SL-28 is particularly hardy to drought and SL-34 is positively adapted to high altitude, which is beneficial as most Kenyan coffees are grown above 2000MASL.  

Over the last 10 years we have bought from over 20 Kenyan farms and built lasting relationships and buying again and again from certain farmers. We have 2 Kenyan coffees coming up this month from two producers new to us, the first from Rung’Eto Farmer’s Co-operative Society and another from the Mugaga’s Farmers collective.  

Rung’Eto Kiangoi is a highlight of the Kenyan harvest this year as its not been at its usual highs due to a government decision to revoke all commercial milling licences leading to congestion in the government-run mills. This co-operative serves 1,150 farmers, by operating a dairy plant helping the company to diversify their income base. This allows the Co-op to cover their overhead costs and therefore increase income for farmers. This great washed coffee is a blend of SL-28 and SL-34 that is super clean and fruity, a real Kenyan classic scoring an impressive 87 cup score. It has strong flavours of Blackcurrant and rhubarb and as it cools there is a strong hibiscus note. 

MugagaKagumoini is another first for us and its gem in this years Kenyan harvest that has seen some considerable pressure. It is a washed coffee from the heart Nyeri County in Kenya’s Central region. The Mugaga’s Farmers Collective Society is made up of five different factories Kagumoini, Kiamabara, Kieni, Gathuga and Gatina, these have a total of 1570 smallholder producers that work for them. The farmers grow a combination of SL varieties and the disease resistant Batain and Ruiru varieties. Cherries are handpicked before being sent to the mills, where it is pulped and then dry fermented for 12-24 hours. Once fermentation is complete the beans are graded and then put out on drying beds for 10-15 days. This is a typically fruity Kenyan coffee with strong redcurrant and blackberry notes and a complex white wine acidity.