Making Coffee with Lucia Solis
- Episodes
- 90
- Released
- every two weeks
- Latest episode
- Nov 9, 2026
About the podcast
A behind the scenes look at what goes into making one of the world's favorite beverages. Lucia is a former winemaker turned coffee processing specialist. She consults with coffee growers and producers all over the world giving her a unique perspective into the what it takes to get a coffee from a seed to your cup.
Episodes 90
The Coffee Producer Toolkit #8: Decaf
Support the show on Patreon to help us keep making new episodes.In this eighth episode, we give you a practical manual to take your coffee into the fast-growing market for decaf.We look at what it takes to …
Show notes
Support the show on Patreon to help us keep making new episodes.
In this eighth episode, we give you a practical manual to take your coffee into the fast-growing market for decaf.
We look at what it takes to decaffeinate coffee yourself on the farm. Then, we take you inside the Descamex plant in Veracruz, Mexico, to see how the Mountain Water Process works at scale, from steaming and osmosis to slow drying and in-house caffeine testing.
We cover what decaffeination does to flavor: a mellowing of intensity, aromas that sometimes come forward, harsh coffees softened, and a "spa effect" that can bring tired, baggy coffee back to life. We also look at which of your lots to send first, and which to keep away from decaf.
And we finish with the practical stuff: five-tonne minimum batches and why you should find your buyer before you commit, sharing a container and splitting a lot across smaller buyers, booking six to nine months ahead, what it costs, and why you should pass that cost on rather than swallow it.
Hosted by coffee journalist James Harper (Filter Stories podcast) and fermentation specialist Lucia Solis (Making Coffee with Lucia Solis podcast), it's built for farmers who want to run their farm like the business it is.
Over two years we interviewed 50+ producers and experts across 20 countries. Each episode takes one part of the business — agronomy, processing, fermentation, storage, quality, sales — and lays out what the best farms are doing.
Related podcast episodes:
James:
Follow us through our newsletters and Social media:
James’ Filter Stories Instagram
People mentioned in the episode:
- Gerrit Peters — 19grams / Grownd, Berlin, Germany
- Óscar Hernández — Finca Nogales, Pitalito, Huila, Colombia
- Óscar Hernández — Finca Nogales Instagram
- Pablo Salazar — Cafeología, Chiapas, Mexico
- Carlos Rendón — Finca Kassandra, Veracruz, Mexico
- Sergio de la Vequia — Mexico
- Demetrio Arandia, Daniel Robles and Ignacio Martínez — Descamex, Córdoba, Veracruz, Mexico
- Melissa de Gasperín — Rancho San Felipe, Veracruz, Mexico
- Ernesto Pérez Orea — Grupo Cafetalero APG, Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico
- Communal Coffee — Berlin, Germany
Resources:
- James Hoffmann's Decaf Project
- Photo of the raw caffeine at Descamex (James's Instagram)
- NCA National Coffee Data Trends 2025
- Perfect Daily Grind: Does decaf deserve better?
- Lucia's Fermentation Training Camp
Coffees cupped before and after Descamex's Mountain Water Process: Brazil Sierra Negra, Peru SHB, Mexican SHG RFA, Colombian Organic JAS, Sumatra Mandailing G1, Ethiopia Sidamo G2
Cover Art: Nick Hafner
The Coffee Producer Toolkit is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:
The Coffee Quest | BWT | Descamex | InterAmerican | Pinhalense | Novonesis | GrainPro
The Coffee Producer Toolkit #7: Storage
Support the show on Patreon to help us keep making new episodes.In this seventh episode, we give you a practical manual to protect the quality you've worked so hard to create, all the way from the coffee …
Show notes
Support the show on Patreon to help us keep making new episodes.
In this seventh episode, we give you a practical manual to protect the quality you've worked so hard to create, all the way from the coffee tree to the export container.During picking, we look at why heavy jute sacks crush and heat your cherries, and why smaller, ventilated, stackable baskets protect both your fruit and your workers.
On the drying patio, we cover what unseasonal rain does to your parchment, from mould to faster fading, and compare plastic tarps with a collapsible dryer that zips shut. We also hear what Flávio Borém's research says about multi-phase drying.
Once the coffee leaves the farm, we follow it through warehouses, ports and shipping containers. We hear what happens to jute sacks at the port of Cartagena, explain why regular plastic sacks aren’t good enough to protect coffee and how GrainPro's multi-layer bags block both oxygen and moisture.
And we finish with the money: what hermetic bags cost, how to clean and reuse them, and why you should build their cost into your price when a buyer asks you for a micro-lot.
The Coffee Producer Toolkit is the podcast that helps you run a more profitable coffee farm.
Hosted by coffee journalist James Harper (Filter Stories podcast) and fermentation specialist Lucia Solis (Making Coffee with Lucia Solis podcast), it's built for farmers who want to run their farm like the business it is.Over two years we interviewed 50+ producers and experts across 20 countries. Each episode takes one part of the business — agronomy, processing, fermentation, storage, quality, sales — and lays out what the best farms are doing.
Related podcast episodes:Lucia:
James:
- Filter Stories: Farm to Port – Why Specialty Costs More
- Filter Stories: Freshness and Grinding, Pt 1 (oxidation, diffusion and how to store coffee)
People mentioned in the episode:
- Ronald de Hommel — The Coffee Quest
- Paulino Quintero — Huila, Colombia
- Gilberto Baraona — Los Pirineos, Usulutan, El Salvador
- Marvin Tala — Engineering Department head, GrainPro Philippines
- Hazel Valera — COO, GrainPro Philippines
Resources:
- GrainPro hermetic bags, container liners
- NKG / GrainPro bag recycling
- How to Protect Coffee Against Container Rain
- Data loggers
Follow us through our newsletters and Social media:
James’ Filter Stories Instagram
Cover Art: Nick Hafner
The Coffee Producer Toolkit is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:
The Coffee Quest | BWT | Descamex | InterAmerican | Pinhalense | Novonesis | GrainPro
The Coffee Producer Toolkit #6: Quality Control
Support the show on Patreon to help us keep making new episodes.In this sixth episode, we give you a practical manual to judge your own coffee quality, so you can negotiate with buyers on a level playing …
Show notes
Support the show on Patreon to help us keep making new episodes.
In this sixth episode, we give you a practical manual to judge your own coffee quality, so you can negotiate with buyers on a level playing field.
We start with the simplest step of all: drinking your own coffee. We cover how to brew and taste it, how to build a catalogue of its flavours, and why tasting your neighbours' coffees in a monthly tasting club gives you negotiating power.
Then we look at sample roasting, and why a producer's goal is consistency rather than the perfect roast. With help from Thompson Owen of Sweet Maria's, we go from roasting in a pan, to a $30 popcorn popper, to top-end sample roasters, and lay out the basics of a consistent roast: weight, moisture loss, time and your own senses.
We spend a good part of the episode on water, the most overlooked factor in how your coffee tastes on the cupping table. We start with a blind test at World of Coffee Geneva, where the same coffee tasted completely different just by changing the water. Then we explain alkalinity, how to test it with an inexpensive drip kit and what range to aim for, and we compare the options for getting good water on your farm: bottled water, distilled water with mineral sachets, under-sink filtration, and a full system that matches what your buyers use.
And we finish with grading. How to use the Coffee Value Assessment to describe your coffee in the same language as your buyers and why you should always get more than one independent opinion on your quality.
The Coffee Producer Toolkit is the podcast that helps you run a more profitable coffee farm.
Hosted by coffee journalist James Harper (Filter Stories podcast) and fermentation specialist Lucia Solis (Making Coffee with Lucia Solis podcast), it's built for farmers who want to run their farm like the business it is.
Over two years we interviewed 50+ producers and experts across 20 countries. Each episode takes one part of the business — agronomy, processing, fermentation, storage, quality, sales — and lays out what the best farms are doing.
Related podcast episodes:
James:
- Filter Stories: How Heat Transforms Coffee Beans
- Filter Stories: How to Be a Better Taster
- Filter Stories: Getting Great Water, Step by Step
People mentioned in the episode:
- Karla Boza — Jacinta Y Su Cafe, San Benito, El Salvador
- Paulino Quintero — Huila, Colombia
- Jesús Antonio Chala — Finca El Silencio, Colombia
- Thompson Owen — Sweet Maria's Coffee, USA
- Lahari Balireddi — ASG Coffee, Kenya
- Manuel Barsallo — Agrícola Geisha, Panama
- Lawrence — BWT
Resources:
- Video: How to Make Cold Brew
- Physical Coffee Diary
- Digital App: Coffee Brew Log
- Digital App: Tasting Notes
- Sweet Maria's guide to roasting in a pan or popper, with video
- Sweet Maria's roasting on a pan or popper tip sheet
- Sweet Maria's air popper resources and video
- Filter Stories guide: Roasting your own coffee (English)
- Guía de Filter Stories: Cómo tostar tu propio café (en español)
- Guide to getting a good sample roast
- Video: How to Cup Coffee at Home
- SCA Cupping Workshop
- Video: How to use an Alkalinity Dropper Kit
- Buy a water test kit
- SCA Water Control Chart
- Water calculator to adjust alkalinity
- Make your Own Water for Coffee
- Video: Make your own water for coffee
- BWT bestmax PREMIUM (under-sink option)
- BWT bestbarista ROC COFFEE
- PDFs of CVA Form in 7 languages
- The SCA Coffee Value Assessment, Extrinsic Criteria List
- Digital App: Catador
- Digital: CVA in your web browser
Follow us through our newsletters and Social media:
James’ Filter Stories Instagram
Cover Art: Nick Hafner
The Coffee Producer Toolkit is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:
The Coffee Quest | BWT | Descamex | InterAmerican | Pinhalense | Novonesis | GrainPro
The Coffee Producer Toolkit #5: Price
Support the show on Patreon to help us keep making new episodes.In this fifth episode, we give you a practical guide to pricing your coffee to ensure your farm is economically sustainable in the long term. We …
Show notes
Support the show on Patreon to help us keep making new episodes.
In this fifth episode, we give you a practical guide to pricing your coffee to ensure your farm is economically sustainable in the long term.
We start by showing you how the “C” price is actually set, and why it is not what your coffee is worth.
Next, we show you how to calculate your cost of production and the common challenges producers will face doing this for the first time. We then look at how high above your cost of production. We cover where to find what coffees like yours are really selling for: asking other producers, asking roasters for their spot price lists, V-Hub and the Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide. We also explain why spot prices are only a starting point, and how producers add a 15 to 20% premium by offering consistency, trust and a relationship.
And we finish with negotiation. We explain why many roasters would pay more but have never been asked, and how cultural values of humility and harmony can hold you back. We show you a tool for communicating with buyers from different cultures, what to ask for when a buyer won't move on price, and how to charge for investments a buyer asks you to make.
The Coffee Producer Toolkit is the podcast that helps you run a more profitable coffee farm. Hosted by coffee journalist James Harper (Filter Stories podcast) and fermentation specialist Lucia Solis (Making Coffee with Lucia Solis podcast), it's built for farmers who want to run their farm like the business it is.
Over two years we interviewed 50+ producers and experts across 20 countries. Each episode takes one part of the business — agronomy, processing, fermentation, storage, quality, sales — and lays out what the best farms are doing.
Related podcast episodes:Lucia:
#64: "What Kind of Coffee Lover am I? How Much am I Willing to Pay for a Cup of Coffee?"
James:
Filter Stories: The Hard Business of Selling Beautiful Coffee
Follow us through our newsletters and Social media:James’ Filter Stories Instagram
People mentioned in the episode:- Karla Boza — Jacinta Y Su Cafe, San Benito, El Salvador
- Julia Ortega, Finca Los Pinos, Puebla Mexico
- Edilberto Tovar — Finca La Esmeralda, Huila, Colombia
- Melissa de Gasperín — Rancho San Felipe, Veracruz, Mexico
- Diego Robelo — Aquiares Estate, Turrialba, Costa Rica
- Cristian Reyes — Finca El Rodeo, Santander, Colombia
- César Marín — Chacra D'Dago, Peru
- Gilberto Baraona — Los Pirineos, Usulutan, El Salvador
- Lalo Perez, Biofilia
- ASOPEP, Planadas, Tolima, Colombia
- Piedras Azules cooperative, El Salvador
- Agnes Thieleke, InterAmerican Coffee Europe
Resources:
- Record keeping and profitability analysis
- V-Hub (formerly Cropster Hub)
- Coffee Yield Calculator
- Cost-of-production calculator
- Fairtrade Verified Living Income reference prices
- Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide
- Chad Trewick interview on Bellwether podcast
- Heifer / ASOPEP / Fairtrade Tolima living income study
- Book: The Culture Map by Erin Meyer
Cover Art: Nick HafnerThe Coffee Producer Toolkit is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:
The Coffee Quest | BWT | Descamex | InterAmerican | Pinhalense | Novonesis | GrainPro
The Coffee Producer Toolkit #4: Marketing & Sales
Support the show on PatreonIn this fourth episode, we give you a practical guide to finding buyers and selling your coffee into the specialty market.And we finish with the sales conversation itself: the …
Show notes
Support the show on Patreon
In this fourth episode, we give you a practical guide to finding buyers and selling your coffee into the specialty market.And we finish with the sales conversation itself: the questions to ask in your first five minutes with a buyer, and how to handle the rejection that's coming, because it is coming.
The Coffee Producer Toolkit is the podcast that helps you run a more profitable coffee farm.
Hosted by coffee journalist James Harper (Filter Stories podcast) and fermentation specialist Lucia Solis (Making Coffee with Lucia Solis podcast), it's built for farmers who want to run their farm like the business it is.
Related podcast episodes:Lucia:
- #54: Visiting Producers, Advanced Tourism & The Coffee Hunter (farm visits, the buyer relationship)
- #56: Pranoy Thipaia (finding export markets, expo advice)
- #65: To Blend or Not to Blend? Wine Vintages, and Harvest Update (sales strategy, consistency over novelty)
- Cabal Cafe Podcast en Espanol
James:
Follow us through our newsletters and Social media:
James’ Filter Stories Instagram
People mentioned in the episode:- Diego Robelo — Aquiares Estate, Turrialba, Costa Rica
- Cristian Reyes — Finca El Rodeo, Santander, Colombia
- Cristian Reyes — Personal Instagram
- Catherine Bedoya — Eje Cafetero, Colombia
- Hamsini Appadurai — Sangameshwar Coffee Estates, Chikmagalur, India
- Melissa de Gasperín — Rancho San Felipe, Veracruz, Mexico
- Edilberto Tovar — Finca La Esmeralda, Huila, Colombia
- Desnudo Coffee (Austin) — Austin, Texas, USA
- Alejandro Rodríguez Delgado — Hacienda San Pedrito, Puerto Rico
- César Marín — Chacra D'Dago, Peru
Resources:
- Algrano — Producer Sign Up
- The list of 144 international trade shows
- Clases Gratis de Inglés en linea - USA Learns
- Clases Gratis de Inglés en linea - Voa News
- English Accent Training
- The SCA Coffee Value Assessment, Extrinsic Criteria List
- PDFs of CVA Form in 7 languages
Cover Art: Nick Hafner
The Coffee Producer Toolkit is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:
The Coffee Quest | BWT | Descamex | InterAmerican | Pinhalense | Novonesis | GrainPro
The Coffee Producer Toolkit #3: Fermentation
Support the show on PatreonIn this third episode, we give you a practical manual to take control of your fermentations and improve your farm's profitability. We start with the basics — what is actually …
Show notes
Support the show on Patreon
In this third episode, we give you a practical manual to take control of your fermentations and improve your farm's profitability.We start with the basics — what is actually happening inside your tank, where the microbes come from, and why your coffee is going to ferment whether you want it to or not.
Then we go through five ways commercial microbes can make you money: consistency batch to batch, long fermentations you can run safely, lifting the score of your worst cherries rather than your best, clearing bottlenecks in your wet mill, and extending your coffee's shelf life.
We cover what a well-run fermentation actually looks like — the cleaning, the monitoring, the record-keeping — with a step-by-step blue-barrel protocol for smaller farms and guidance on when to move to tanks. We also look at the investment sums needed for commercial yeasts and how to justify them.
And we finish with the difficult questions — the environmental worries, whether using a starter culture is the same as adulterating your coffee, and how to talk about all of this with buyers who may view commercial microbes with suspicion.
Related podcast episodes:Lucia:
- #72: Planning Your First Coffee Fermentation Trials? Start Here.
- #76: How Commercial Microbes Threaten The Coffee Industry
- #80: How Microbiology Can Explain Beginner's Luck
James:
Follow us through our newsletters and Social media:
James’ Filter Stories Instagram
People mentioned in the episode:- Lester Lerner, Old Willow Coffee, Colombia
- Victor Chala, Palma Rosa, Colombia
- Fridolin Stocker— Mount Sunzu, Zambia
- Shyira washing station, Rwanda
- Evangelos Filippatos, La Cabra
- La Cabra, Copenhagen
- Helen Riley — Novonesis
- Gunne Øregaard — Novonesis
- Franz Zeimetz — Lost Origin Coffee Labs, Panama
- Alejandra Rodríguez Delgado — Hacienda San Pedrito, Puerto Rico
- Gustavo Arroyo — Rancho Contento, Puerto Rico
Resources:
- pH meter & buffer
- Thermometer
- Novonesis Pichia yeast
- Novonesis Lactobacillus bacteria
- Pressure washer
- Fermentation Log Sheet
- Yeast’s impact on the environment in research on vineyards
- Sprudge Best Of Panama coverage
- Lucia’s Fermentation Training Camp
- Coffee Wet Mill Sanitize
- Opciones para la desinfección del beneficio
- Cabal Cafe Podcast en Espanol
Lucia's Favorite Tools:
Cover Art: Nick HafnerThe Coffee Producer Toolkit is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:
The Coffee Quest | BWT | Descamex | InterAmerican | Pinhalense | Novonesis | GrainPro
The Coffee Producer Toolkit #2: Processing
In this second episode, we show you how to stop losing coffee to a badly calibrated pulper, why chasing 100% ripe cherries is actually costing you money, the $480 fix that lets a small farm sort cherries …
Show notes
In this second episode, we show you how to stop losing coffee to a badly calibrated pulper, why chasing 100% ripe cherries is actually costing you money, the $480 fix that lets a small farm sort cherries perfectly well, how to keep your coffee under 40°C during drying without spending a fortune, why a mechanical dryer isn't the villain everyone says it is, the cheap instruments that will deliver consistent quality across harvests, and ways to treat your wastewater.
The Coffee Producer Toolkit is the podcast that helps you run a more profitable coffee farm.
Hosted by coffee journalist James Harper (Filter Stories podcast) and fermentation specialist Lucia Solis (Making Coffee with Lucia Solis podcast), it's built for farmers who want to run their farm like the business it is.
Over two years we interviewed 50+ producers and experts across 20 countries. Each episode takes one part of the business — agronomy, processing, fermentation, storage, quality, sales — and lays out what the best farms are doing.
Related podcast episodes:
Lucia:
- Making Coffee with Lucia Solis — How to De-Funkify your Naturals
- Making Coffee with Lucia Solis — Germination: A Close Look at Coffee Drying
James:
Follow us through our newsletters and Social media:
James’ Filter Stories Instagram
People mentioned in the episode:
- Lester Lerner, Old Willow Coffee, Colombia
- Orlando Osorio, La Primavera, Colombia
- Astrid Medina, Tolima, Colombia
- David Velásquez, Los Naranjos, El Salvador
- Jesús Antonio Chala, Finca El Silencio, Colombia
- Victor Chala, Palma Rosa, Colombia
- Melissa de Gasperín, Rancho San Felipe, Córdoba, Mexico
- Norberto Suárez, Boquete, Panama
- César Marín, Chacra D'Dago, Peru
- Manuel Matta, Santa Maria, Colombia
Resources:
- Innovakit: canguaro (picking sleeves)
- Pinhalense Cherry Floater
- Pinhalense Vertical Pulper
- Pinhalense Mechanical Dryers
- Tolva — Plastic Vertical Hopper
- Moisture Meter (Mid Tier)
- Moisture Meter (High End)
- Cenicafé Low-Water Wet Milling (Ecomill-type systems)
- Flávio Borém Drying Research
- DIY Moisture Maths (weight + fixed volume)
Lucia's Favorite Tools:
Cover Art: Nick HafnerThe Coffee Producer Toolkit is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:
The Coffee Quest | BWT | Descamex | InterAmerican | Pinhalense | Novonesis | GrainPro
The Coffee Producer Toolkit #1: Farming
The Coffee Producer Toolkit is the podcast that can help you run a more profitable coffee farm. Hosted by coffee journalist James Harper (Filter Stories podcast) and fermentation specialist Lucia Solis (Making …
Show notes
The Coffee Producer Toolkit is the podcast that can help you run a more profitable coffee farm.
Hosted by coffee journalist James Harper (Filter Stories podcast) and fermentation specialist Lucia Solis (Making Coffee with Lucia Solis podcast), it's built for farmers who want to run their farm like the business it is.
Over two years we interviewed 50+ producers and experts across 20 countries. Each episode takes one part of the business — agronomy, processing, fermentation, storage, quality, sales — and lays out what the best farms are doing.
In this first episode, we show you how you can benchmark your farm against the two numbers that matter, protect your flowering without paying for irrigation, avoid the exotic variety trap that's costing farmers their harvests, stop wasting money on fertilizer your soil doesn't need, and save weeks of labor a year with tools that cost less than $50.
Follow us on Instagram - Lucia (@lluciasolis) - James (@filterstoriespodcast) and tag us in an Instagram story.
Join our Patreon community to be a part of our live Office Hours sessions.
Stay up to date through our newsletter
Discover how James produces Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to his Substack newsletter
Cover Art Designed by Nick HafnerRelated Podcasts:
Lucia:
James:
People mentioned in episode:
- Fernando Castillo Guatemala
- Paulino Quintero, Colombia
- Orlando Osoria, Colombia
- Julia Ortega, Mexico
- Sergio de la Vequia, Mexico
- Hugo lopez, Innovakit
Agronomists:
Resources
- Anacafe technical management
- Coffee Cascara Compost Guidelines (English)
- Compostaje de la pulpa/cáscara de café (Espanol)
- Netafim Drip Irrigation manual
- Innovakit: abonador (fertiliser applicator)
- Innovakit: aroplateo (tree guard for weed whacking)
- Innovakit: selector de arvenses (low-drift sprayer)
- Innovakit: canguaro (sleeves)
- World Coffee Research variety catalogue
- Recommended varieties: Centroamericano, H1, H16, Mundo Maya
- Coffee&Climate Toolbox
- Access Agriculture
- World Coffee Research Resources
- Barista Hustle’s Coffee Farm Management series
Our partner sponsors
#81: Nobody Wants to Pick Coffee
Check out our YouTube videosAI writing shapeSupport the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.And if you don't want to commit, show …
Show notes
Check out our YouTube videos
AI writing shape
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter to hear about the next episode, FTC dates, and coffee releases.#80: How Microbiology Can Explain Beginner's Luck
Buy Roasted Coffee Here.Check out our YouTube videos#63: Terroir for Busy PeopleDirty Jobs Hawaiian Coffee ClipSupport the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers …
Show notes
Buy Roasted Coffee Here.
Check out our YouTube videos
#63: Terroir for Busy PeopleDirty Jobs Hawaiian Coffee Clip
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter to hear about the next episode, FTC dates, and coffee releases.#79: Farm First: Lalo Perez on Long-Term Coffee Health
Lalo's substack pageIkaria Coffee (Lalo's farm + roasted coffee)Biofilia (agronomic consultancy)Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers …
Show notes
Lalo's substack page
Ikaria Coffee (Lalo's farm + roasted coffee)
Biofilia (agronomic consultancy)
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter to hear about the next episode, FTC dates, and coffee releases.#78: What Is Specialty Coffee? And Who Gets To Define It?
If you would like to watch our YouTube video on "What is specialty coffee"You can watch that here.If you are a roaster and are interested in participating in the Fermentation Project with James Hoffmann, click …
Show notes
If you would like to watch our YouTube video on "What is specialty coffee"
If you are a roaster and are interested in participating in the Fermentation Project with James Hoffmann, click here -> For Roasters: Buy Fermentation Kit
Listers Movie (bird watching) it's beautiful, I highly recommend this.
Email info.luxiacoffee@gmail if you would like to discuss Pluribus or Listers Movie in our Discord server.
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.#77: The Most Challenging Harvest We've Had
Roasterkat IG Reel about rain.YouTube version of the Q&A portionJames Hoffmann Healthy Coffee VideoThe 2025/2026 Harvest has not gone according to plan. Nick and I have found ourselves with some down time and …
Show notes
Roasterkat IG Reel about rain.
YouTube version of the Q&A portion
James Hoffmann Healthy Coffee Video
The 2025/2026 Harvest has not gone according to plan.
Nick and I have found ourselves with some down time and therefore have put together this casual, end of year update on how the season is going so far. Spoiler alert: not well.
I've combined a harvest update with listener questions about fermentation.
Questions featured in this episode are:- Are all coffees that are not anaerobic, aerobic?
- Am I aware of any efforts to design yeasts for Robusta?
- Do I think producers should create terms that further describe processing?
- How can you more precisely measure fermentation process with whole cherries?
- What's the most eco-friendly way to treat waste water and effluent?
Email info.luxiacoffee@gmail if you would like to discuss Plur1bus.
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.
Cover Art by: Nick Hafner
Intro song: Elijah Bisbee
Support the show
#76: How Commercial Microbes Threaten The Coffee Industry
Sprudge Best Of Panama ArticleRemanence and survival of commercial yeast in different ecological niches of the vineyardResponses, Inquiries, & questions about coffee sales or future Fermentation Training Camps …
Show notes
Sprudge Best Of Panama Article
Remanence and survival of commercial yeast in different ecological niches of the vineyard
Responses, Inquiries, & questions about coffee sales or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected]
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick Hafner
Intro song: Elijah Bisbee#75: Getting Great Water for Coffee
Water massively impacts your coffee's flavours. But most of us struggle to fix our water because water science is confusing...Join me and James as we go step-by-step through:Why these concepts matter for …
Show notes
Water massively impacts your coffee's flavours. But most of us struggle to fix our water because water science is confusing...
Join me and James as we go step-by-step through:
- Why these concepts matter for coffee flavour and equipment
- How to test your water at home
- How to fix it, depending on what you're working with
Check James' website for all of the visuals mentioned in the episode.
Resources:
#44: Are Wine Making Techniques the Future of Coffee?
Responses, Inquiries, & questions about coffee sales or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected]
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick Hafner
Intro song: Elijah Bisbee#74: Supply Chain Reflections: Consulting Insights from Farm to Roaster w/ Luke Waite
Resources:Responses, Inquiries, & questions about coffee sales or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected] a ticket to FTC-10 December 2025Luke's Website: Pomelo Coffee …
Show notes
Resources:
Responses, Inquiries, & questions about coffee sales or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected]
Get a ticket to FTC-10 December 2025
Luke's Website: Pomelo Coffee Consulting
Luke's Book: Pre-Order Pomelo book
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.Office Hours with Luke: 9am (GMT-6) Friday July 18th 2025
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Cover Art by: Nick Hafner
Intro song: Elijah Bisbee#73: Cultivating Identity: A Life Forged by Migration and Fermentation
This episode developed thanks to Nick, who thought it would be a good time to revisit a bit of my history in coffee to reconnect with long-time listeners, and to share a bit more about myself with new …
Show notes
This episode developed thanks to Nick, who thought it would be a good time to revisit a bit of my history in coffee to reconnect with long-time listeners, and to share a bit more about myself with new listeners. We started this podcast about 6 years ago, and if you've been through all 72 episodes, you probably have a good idea about my coffee philosophies.
But I also know that not everyone enjoys, or maybe even has the time to go back and start at the very beginning of a podcast. So we thought it would be a good opportunity to give you a bit of my coffee origin story, and a manifesto of sorts, all under one roof.
Resources:
Responses, Inquiries, & questions about coffee sales or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected]
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick Hafner
Intro song: Elijah Bisbee#72: Planning Your First Coffee Fermentation Trials? Start Here.
Today's episode offers a behind the scenes view of how I approach a coffee producer's first time using yeast for their coffee fermentations.We run through all of the potential variables to pay …
Show notes
Today's episode offers a behind the scenes view of how I approach a coffee producer's first time using yeast for their coffee fermentations.
We run through all of the potential variables to pay attention to when designing your first trials with commercial microbes. From cost of production to work-flow and data collection.
This conversation was recorded during a recent Office Hours session through our private Discord community. If you would like to be a part of this community, join Patreon and come participate in the discussion.
View the decision flow-chart here
Resources:Inquiries about coffee sales or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected]
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick Hafner
Into song: Elijah Bisbee#71: How to De-Funkify Your Naturals and Get Them to Dry Faster.
#54: Visiting Producers, Advanced Tourism & The Coffee Hunter with Tom of Sweet Maria’s#57: Will Frith Solves Terroir & Other Lessons From VietnamResources:Inquiries about coffee sales or future Fermentation …
Show notes
#54: Visiting Producers, Advanced Tourism & The Coffee Hunter with Tom of Sweet Maria’s
#57: Will Frith Solves Terroir & Other Lessons From VietnamResources:
Inquiries about coffee sales or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected]
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick Hafner
Into song: Elijah Bisbee#70: What do coffee cascara and rose wine have in common? Roasted coffee labels, batching your cherries over multiple days
Some of the questions in this episode:What typically happens to the water, along with cascara and whatever else is part of a fermentation, after the fermentation has been completed?Cascara is sometimes …
Show notes
Some of the questions in this episode:
- What typically happens to the water, along with cascara and whatever else is part of a fermentation, after the fermentation has been completed?
- Cascara is sometimes processed into a secondary product, cascara tea. Are there other secondary products that are made?
- As a roaster, what should we put on our bags to better point towards the farm?
- What's the consensus on adding flavor descriptors to bags? Do or don't?
- How can I store coffee cherry for 2–3 days without creating high damage?
Resources:
Inquiries about coffee sales or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected]
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick Hafner
Into song: Elijah Bisbee#69: Whole Coffee Cherry Fermentations—The Multiple Paradoxes of Naturals
This episode is a final harvest update and the behind the scenes of performing whole cherry fermentation with various microbes in an attempt to create a Dry Process/Natural coffee that I want to …
Show notes
This episode is a final harvest update and the behind the scenes of performing whole cherry fermentation with various microbes in an attempt to create a Dry Process/Natural coffee that I want to drink.
Resources:
Inquiries about coffee sales or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected]
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick Hafner
Into song: Elijah Bisbee#68: Fermentation vs. Germination: A Look at The Seed From The Inside, Out
I have wanted to make this episode for a long time, but I wasn't sure how to make it work. Finally some research for Dr. Flavio Borem helped crack the topic for me and the result is today's new …
Show notes
I have wanted to make this episode for a long time, but I wasn't sure how to make it work. Finally some research for Dr. Flavio Borem helped crack the topic for me and the result is today's new episode.
Things we discuss on this episode:
- Washed processed that tastes like a natural
- Process-forward coffees, funky coffee
- Neutral processing
- The need for speed, & gentle drying
- Drying is not just removing water
- Biggest producer mistakes, not upgrading the drying
- Fallacy of terroir
#67: Addressing Climate Collapse & Coffee Labor in Brazil with Ana Luiza of Fazenda Mió
In this episode we talk about:How Ana decided to join the family business after pursuing a career in art.The advantages and drawback of growing coffee in a "Full Sun" system.The future of coffee picking and the …
Show notes
In this episode we talk about:- How Ana decided to join the family business after pursuing a career in art.
- The advantages and drawback of growing coffee in a "Full Sun" system.
- The future of coffee picking and the role of Mechanical Harvesters.
- Brazil's 6 different biomes.
- How technology helped Brazil jump from 6 coffee bags/hectare in 1960 to 29 bags/hectare in 2023
- How climate change has affected the crop
- How Precision Agriculture is helping the farm use resources efficiently
- Tattoos!
Resources
Ana's Precision Agriculture Presentation on Coffee Knowledge Hub (you will need to make an account but it's free!)
Anacafe Presentation on Price Volatility (by Albert Scalla in Spanish)
Picture of Mechanical Harvester
Instagram#66: Winemaker Tools for Coffee Producers: Sugar & Acid Additions, Co-Fermentation w/ Fruit
I was going to create a new episode about Infused vs Inoculated Coffees, but much of what we established back in Episode #39 is still relevant. So I am pulling a Taylor Swift and going to re-release a new …
Show notes
I was going to create a new episode about Infused vs Inoculated Coffees, but much of what we established back in Episode #39 is still relevant. So I am pulling a Taylor Swift and going to re-release a new version of episode 39, keeping what still works and adding some new perspectives from the last 3 years.
In this episode I talk about:- The sugar and acid additions that French and California winemakers use
- How adding mango to a fermentation tank is completely different from adding passion fruit or citrus
- How to tell when a coffee is infused with a flavor
- Cinnamon flavor in a coffee
- Inoculation vs Infusion vs Co-Fermentation
- The role of enzymes in removing mucilage
- Gravity!
Inquiries about coffee samples or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected]
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick Hafner
Into song: Elijah Bisbee#65: To Blend or Not to Blend? Wine Vintages, and Harvest Update.
On today's episode I will be updating you on the coffee we made this harvest season and speaking of the importance of blends.If you’ve listened to even 1 other episode of this podcast, you’ll know that …
Show notes
On today's episode I will be updating you on the coffee we made this harvest season and speaking of the importance of blends.
If you’ve listened to even 1 other episode of this podcast, you’ll know that I'm usually trying to discourage the coffee industry from blindly adopting wine culture. Usually I share my thoughts that adopting a wine model benefits consumers more than producers and further accentuates inequality between the coffee buyers and coffee producers. Usually I believe the wine mode does more harm than good.
But here is a rare occasion where I think coffee could truly benefit from the wine model.
In this episode I talk about:
- Identity shift from a wine person to a coffee person
- Why coffee could benefit from adopting the wine vintage model
- How I approach blending coffee lots in the season
- Is Coffee Hunter an outdated term?
- My risky coffee sales strategy
Inquiries about coffee samples or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected]
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick Hafner
Into song: Elijah Bisbee#64: What Kind of Coffee Lover am I? How Much am I Willing to Pay for a Cup of Coffee?
This episode also comes on the heels of our recent trip to London. Our very first stop was the Nagare coffee shop in Shoreditch in North London. Nick and I do what we usually do when we step into a coffee shop …
Show notes
This episode also comes on the heels of our recent trip to London.
Our very first stop was the Nagare coffee shop in Shoreditch in North London. Nick and I do what we usually do when we step into a coffee shop and order the pour overs. They had 2 different coffees on the menu for a pour over so we got one of each and sat back at our cute little table in a cozy cafe, and it was only when we looked down at our empty Kinto ceramic cups that we finally realized we had paid 18£ ($23 dollars!) for 2 small cups of black coffee.
I experienced sticker shock because we have been living on farms in Colombia and Guatemala for the last 4 years and we are very out of touch with big city prices. I knew London was going to be expensive but I was not emotionally prepared to spend $11/cup on our daily coffee.
Nick and I needed more coffee that morning but if we got 2 more cups at Nagare, we would be close to $50 and we hadn’t even had breakfast yet.
In my head, a voice was saying, dang $11 is an expensive cup of coffee. And then immediately another voice said, hold on....
"don’t we want the price of a cup of coffee to rise?"
Aren't low coffee prices a big part of the problem with our supply chain?
The conversation about the price of a cup of coffee is one I have often. What should coffee cost? Who gets to set the price? How does price reflect value?
The conversation about price and value is often at the forefront of my mind because there is such a disparity between what a coffee producer gets paid for growing and processing the coffee and what a consumer pays for a cup of coffee made from their raw material.
Resources:
https://www.macrotrends.net/2535/coffee-prices-historical-chart-datahttps://ourcountrygarden.co.uk/british-gardening-statistics/
https://www.carelink24.org/doctors-prescribe-gardening/
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/02/21/headway/peat-carbon-climate-change.html
Inquiries about coffee samples or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected]
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick Hafner
Into song: Elijah Bisbee#63: Terroir For Busy People
Inquiries about coffee samples or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected] the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and …
Show notes
Inquiries about coffee samples or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected]
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.Cover Art by: Nick Hafner
Into song: Elijah Bisbee#62: The Commercial Yeast vs Wild Microbes Debate w/ Pranoy of Kerehaklu
Today I bring you a third installment with Pranoy from Kerehaklu. In this new episode we talk about:The pros and cons of commercial strains vs wild microbesThe over-complication of fermentationsThe drawback of …
Show notes
Today I bring you a third installment with Pranoy from Kerehaklu.
In this new episode we talk about:
- The pros and cons of commercial strains vs wild microbes
- The over-complication of fermentations
- The drawback of high altitude farming
- The drawback of honey process
- An alternative to adding fruit to your tank
- Terroir vs Ecological niche
- Pranoy's approach to cultivating his local microbes
And much more...
RESOURCES
#56: Finding Work/Life Balance as a Coffee Producer w/ Pranoy Thipaiah from Kerehaklu in India
#34: Robusta, Tropical Fruits and Mechanical Drying. Visiting India w/ Pranoy of KerehakluInquiries about coffee samples or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected]
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.
To connect with Pranoy:
Pranoy's Instagram
Kerehaklu Instagram
WebsiteCover Art by: Nick Hafner
Into song: Elijah Bisbee#61: Coffee Fermentation Review with Ashley Rodriguez of Boss Barista
RESOURCESInquiries about coffee samples or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected] Barista SubstackBoss Barista PodcastSupport the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts …
Show notes
- RESOURCES
Inquiries about coffee samples or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected]
Boss Barista Substack
Boss Barista Podcast
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.
Cover Art by: Nick Hafner
Into song: Elijah Bisbee- RESOURCES
#60: Thermoshock, Where Does Citrus Flavor Come From & How To Find Your Fermentation Soulmate
In this listener Q&A episode we talk about:How to use ThermoshockDoes drying pull sugar out of the seed?What labels are important on a coffee bag?How do I prepare my coffee?How to know if you've hit "The …
Show notes
In this listener Q&A episode we talk about:
- How to use Thermoshock
- Does drying pull sugar out of the seed?
- What labels are important on a coffee bag?
- How do I prepare my coffee?
- How to know if you've hit "The One" on a fermentation trial
- How do citrus flavors get into coffee?
- How did a coffee from Panama fool a listener into thinking it came from Ethiopia?
RESOURCES
Inquiries about coffee samples or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected]
- https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/13/1920 for
Effect of Six Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains on Physicochemical Characteristics, Antioxidant Activities and Sensory Properties of Fermented Orange Juices
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0740002021000538 for Production of volatile compounds by wild-type yeasts in a natural olive-derived culture medium
Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos.
And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal
Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.
Cover Art by: Nick Hafner
Into song: Elijah Bisbee
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