Mechanically Demucilaged
Removing the sugary, goopy layer on the outside of the seed (mucilage) by applying water and machine-created friction.
Limited release
James Hoffmann Fermentation Project
The James Hoffmann Fermentation Project is a limited-availability set of four 4oz coffee bags. They are limited to one set per customer, whole bean only, and are available now as a pre-order while supplies last.
$40.00
Presale shipping notice
This limited release begins shipping September 11, 2026. By default, every item in your order will ship together on that date.
The Fermentation Project
What is Fermentation?
After coffee cherries are plucked from the tree, but before the green seeds are spread out in the sun to dry, what happens?
Fermentation occurs, where the seeds are removed from the cherry,
then exposed to a combination of heat, moisture, and all kinds of micro-organisms as the sugary mucilage on the outside of the bean is stripped
away.
For even the best roasters, the impact of fermentation on flavor and quality is
still a bit of a mystery.
A Global Project
With the James Hoffmann Fermentation Project set, we intend to pull
back the curtain on this process.
A collaboration with James Hoffmann, a celebrated industry professional and
Lucia Solis, a coffee scientist and consultant; and dozens of other eager
roasters, this set contains coffee from Finca San Miguel Urias in Antigua,
Guatemala that was processed in four distinct ways at origin.
Taste the experiment
One Origin. Four Ferments.
Every coffee in this release begins with the exact same harvest from the same farm in Guatemala.
At Higher Grounds, we’re taking a uniform approach to roast duration, development time, and roast level in order to highlight the processing variable. We’ll also walk you through a modified cupping protocol that you can follow along with using the tools you have at home. Join likeminded enthusiasts in a virtual global cupping event on October 3rd, or simply taste each coffee in your own time. Every set will ship with tasting instructions so that you can focus on flavor without worrying about the method.
The only thing that changes is how the coffee is fermented before drying. That single decision dramatically changes sweetness, acidity, aroma, body, and overall flavor.
Taste them side-by-side and decide for yourself.
Wild Fermentation
Breaking down the mucilage by soaking the coffee in a tank with the local environment’s naturally occurring microorganisms.
Lactobacillus Inoculated
Breaking down the mucilage with a concentration of Lactobacillus bacteria added into the tank.
Yeast Inoculated
Breaking down and removing the mucilage with a concentration of Yeast bacteria added into the tank.
This product is excluded from any promotional sales or discounts. The sets will ship along with the rest of your order on September 11th. Any additional coffee you add to your pre-order of a Fermentation Project set will ship on September 11th as well. Thank you for your understanding.