A graphic for the Fermentation Project green coffee set with four jute bags of different colors, each one labeled with one of the fermentation methods: washed, wild, lacto and yeast.
Lucia Solis (L) and James Hoffman (R) discussing fermentation by the tanks. Source: James Hoffman, YouTube
Lush natural forest at San Miguel Urias, with a view of the volcanos in the background.
Lucia takes us on a tour of the wet mill at Finca San Miguel Urias in Antigua.
A graphic for the Fermentation Project green coffee set with four jute bags of different colors, each one labeled with one of the fermentation methods: washed, wild, lacto and yeast.
Lucia Solis (L) and James Hoffman (R) discussing fermentation by the tanks. Source: James Hoffman, YouTube
Lush natural forest at San Miguel Urias, with a view of the volcanos in the background.
Lucia takes us on a tour of the wet mill at Finca San Miguel Urias in Antigua.

Fermentation Project Green Coffee Set (Pre-Order)

$35.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.

The Fermentation Project Green Coffee Set contains four different versions of the same coffee processed with different fermentation methods. These coffees are part of a collaborative project by James Hoffmann and Lucia Solis, culminating in a global tasting event on October 3rd. You’ll receive one ½ lb bag of each method: mechanically demucilaged ("machine washed"), wild fermentation, lactobacillus inoculated fermentation and yeast inoculated fermentation.

* Limit 1 set per customer. This is a pre-order, which means that orders containing this product will ship later, likely sometime in September.

Included in Your Kit
  • 1 x 1/2 lb of Mechanically Demucilaged
  • 1 x 1/2 lb of Wild Fermentation
  • 1 x 1/2 lb of Lactobacillus Inoculated Fermentation
  • 1 x 1/2 lb of Yeast Innoculated Fermentation
Product Overview
Full Cupping Notes

The Fermentation Project is a venture by coffee processing specialist Lucia Solis and coffee professional James Hoffmann to examine the impact of fermentation on what we experience in the cup. There are a variety of roasters and companies around the world offering these coffees as a roasted set, but Sweet Maria’s is the only place (that we’re aware of) where you can get them green to roast yourself.

What will each method taste like? Typically we offer extensive tasting and roasting notes, but in keeping with the spirit of the project, it’s up to you to roast them and find out for yourself. That said, we expect noticeable differences in acidity, texture and complexity between the four methods. We recommend roasting these coffees light (City/City+) in order to keep roast flavors from overpowering the cup and covering up those differences. You are free to roast and taste these coffees in your own time, but there will be a global guided tasting with Lucia and James on October 3rd. You can hear James talk about the project in his most recent video or sign up for updates on The Fermentation Project by signing up for his newsletter. You can find more information in our Coffee Library, and we'll be updating the article and this product with our own cupping notes after the tasting.

The coffee comes from Finca San Miguel Urias in Antigua, Guatemala and consists primarily of Caturra with some H1 and a smidge of Bourbon. For the Project, the same coffee lot was harvested and processed in parallel, but utilizing different fermentation approaches in order to understand their influence on flavor. One coffee is mechanically demucilaged ("machine washed") rather than tank fermented and acts as a control sample, while the other three use varying microbes (wild, lactobacillus and yeast) to break down the mucilage before being washed and patio dried.

We’re offering all four coffees as one, complete set. You’ll receive one ½ lb bag of each method: mechanically demucilaged (control), wild fermentation, lactobacillus inoculated fermentation and yeast inoculated fermentation, all individually packaged.

Only 280 sets available, limited to 1 per customer.

COFFEE DETAILS
cultivarBourbon Types, Caturra Types, Modern Hybrids
farm gateYes
Specs

Technical Specifications

Key specifications and operating details for this product.

region Antigua, Guatemala
processing Mechanically Demucilaged, Wild Fermentation, Lactobacillus inoculated fermentation, Yeast inoculated fermentation
drying method Patio Sun-Dried
arrival date Aug 2026
farm gate Yes
country origin Central America
type Farm Gate, Sample Sets
Reviews

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