Making Coffee with Lucia Solis

Lucia

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.

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83 episodes
Updated July 27

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Mar 28, 2022 · 42 min
#42: Germination & Processing–Wet/Washed vs. Dry/Natural
In this episode we talk about: The long geographical chain of custody for a cup of coffee Why do wet process and dry process coffees taste differently Coffee seeds: orthodox vs. recalcitrant seed The yeast metabolism case for quality vs the plant metabolism case for quality Cacao seed germination vs coffee seed germination Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts. 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. Ukraine Resources: Ukraine Donations BUY GREEN COFFEE FROM HONDURAS Cayro Coffee RESEARCH PAPERS S-E Knopp, G Bytoff, D Selmar, Influence of processing on the content of sugars in green Arabica coffee beans, European Food Research and Technology 2005 223(2):195-201 DOI:10.1007/s00217-005-0172-1 D Selmar, G Bytof, S-E Knopp, B Breitenstein,Germination of coffee seeds and its significance for coffee quality, Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2006 Mar;8(2):260-4. DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-923845. Ludlow CL, Cromie GA, Garmendia-Torres C, Sirr A, Hays M, Field C, Jeffery EW, Fay JC, Dudley AM. Independent Origins of Yeast Associated with Coffee and Cacao Fermentation. Curr Biol. 2016 Apr 4;26(7):965-71. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.02.012. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Intro song: Elijah Bisbee Support the show
Mar 8, 2022 · 35 min
#41: How Much Effort Should Good Coffee Require? Cometeer Instant Coffee, Cake and Everest
In this episode we talk about: Crossing borders on foot My recent trip to Guatemala and Honduras w/ 2 new producer clients Brewing coffee as a love poem How instant coffee has a similar problem to instant cake mixes When is effort a virtue and when is it a drawback? Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts. 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. Resources: Ukraine Donations Environmental Impact of Cometeer on Christopher Feran's Instagram BUY GREEN COFFEE FROM HONDURAS CAFESMO - Hidardo Hernandez Finca Rio Frio - Dario Enamorado BUY ROASTED COFFEE OR Coffee Silky Drum Camera Obscura Yellow Place Coffee Video: Last Week Tonight - Everest 14 Peaks Documentary Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Intro song: Elijah Bisbee Support the show
Jan 6, 2022 · 41 min
#40: Listener Q&A: Water Evaporation & Sugar, Avoiding Acetobacter, How to Inoculate w/o Spending Any Money
Welcome to the first episode of the new year and season 3. In this episode we talk about: If sugar follows the direct of water flow, does sugar evaporate out as coffee dries? The difference between sugar in mucilage and inside the seed. Can sugar be a preservative? The benefits and drawbacks of adding cascara to the fermentation How to inoculate for free How to control the fermentation in a hot environment vs a cold one. Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts. 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. Resources: Momo Tostadores Podcast Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Intro song: Elijah Bisbee Support the show
Sep 15, 2021 · 57 min
#39:Infused vs Adulterated coffees, Cinnamon and Fermentation Failures
As many of you know, we've started doing live hang out after the episodes on Discord a week after the podcast comes out. I find this valuable because I get to hear from listeners and we create our own podcast after the podcast together. In the most recent gathering I had Felipe, Jose and Lucas from Ep 38 on the discussion so listeners of the podcast could ask them questions directly. A few things stuck out to me from that conversation that I want to share here because what started as a fun hang out turned out to provide a key insight for coffee producers. In this episode we talk about: Tank Additions: Mango, lemons, cinnamon Wine additions: sugar and acid Transparency: what does it mean and who benefits Enzymes vs Microbes like yeast and bacteria How fermentation is like gravity Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts. 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. Resources: Bean Scene Article Gravity Explained at 5 difficulty Levels Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Intro song: Elijah Bisbee Support the show
Aug 17, 2021 · 1 hr 4 min
#38:Reverse Engineering a $5 Castillo in Colombia w/ Lucas, Felipe & Jose
Today's episode features Lucas, a Patron and exporter with Unblended who sold a Kombucha coffee. I invited him and the producers he works with, Felipe and Jose to talk about their experience reverse engineering a $5 castillo. They started with the end goal in mind, the picked the price, the flavor profile they wanted and then created a process to hit their target. In this episode you'll hear from 3 passionate coffee professionals about: What a successful relationship looks like between producers and exporters The true cost of experimenting, 80 kilos vs 1 ton The price the farmer gets vs the roaster price Their exact process: preparing and caring for the kombucha SCOBY Their tracking: ph values and number of fermentation hours Support the show on Patreon to join our live Discord hangouts. 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 Contact: For special collaborations, samples, or inquiries about USA and HK on-spot inventory from Felipe, Jose and UVI: https://www.unblended.coffee/ or through Instagram: @Unblendedcoffee For connecting, learning more, or suggesting experimentation ideas: Instagram: @Ventolacoffee and @joalherb Support the show
Jul 27, 2021 · 1 hr 20 min
#37: Jamie Isetts Reimagines the Coffee Producer & Green Buyer Relationship
Today I am joined by Jamie Isetts, Sourcing Consultant. In this episode we cover: What a green buyer does How Jamie became a green buyer How to organize a coffee contract Communication red flags between producers and green buyers Strategies for long lasting relationships Get in touch with Jamie Isetts Support the show on Patreon 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
Jul 4, 2021 · 1 hr 13 min
#36: Lactic Acid 101—Rejecting Inoculation, Fermentation Fight Club & Defining Rot
In this episode I will cover: the yeast inoculation history of wine to better understand why the natural wine and sour beer movements are rejecting inoculation. the difference between rot, wild fermentations and controlled fermentations. the role of salt in a coffee fermentation. are lactoferments better for low or high elevation farms? to pulp or not to pulp coffee cherries? how lactoferments differ from "anaerobic" fermentations and carbonic maceration. Lastly, I will give you my advice for a successful coffee lactoferment. Support the show on Patreon 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 Mentioned in the Episode: Watch my processing fundamentals video here Carbonic Maceration YouTube Video The Noma Guide To Fermentation book 7 Scientific reasons Diagonally Cut Sandwiches Are Better Support the show
May 27, 2021 · 55 min
#35: Acetic Acid 101—Kombucha & Making a Washed Coffee Taste Like a Natural
Do you drink kombucha? Coming from California, kombucha is about as normal as orange juice. But I imagine it might not be as popular in other parts of the world. Kombucha is probably more popular in North America and Europe (coffee importing countries) and probably very rare in coffee producing countries. I can imagine a near future where buyers are drawn to or supportive of kombucha process without understanding what they may be asking producers to do. Or similarly, producers wanting to be ahead of the curve and differentiate their coffee in a new way borrowing methods from beer and wine. My hope is that this episode helps coffee producers experiment intelligently and with intention, to maximize positive results. If you’re a coffee buyer or consumer, I hope you’ll be curious and critical if you see these words pop up on a label. I hope the information in this episode helps you be a better consumer by questioning what you read on labels or websites. Support the show on Patreon And if you don't want to commit, show your support here: PayPal Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Intro song: Elijah Bisbee Mentioned in the Episode: Watch my processing fundamentals video here High Acetic Acid producing yeast: wild yeasts like Hansenula, Kloekera Dekkera and Brettanomyces Where to buy a SCOBY Support the show
May 6, 2021 · 55 min
#34: Robusta, Tropical Fruits and Mechanical Drying. Visiting India w/ Pranoy of Kerehaklu.
Today's episode is another in a series hearing from coffee producers from all parts of the world. I think one of the common traps we can get into is thinking and talking about "The" coffee farmer. Or "The Average Coffee Farmer." As if coffee farmers are a monolith. The average doesn’t exist. The people who grow and produce coffee are a very diverse group who do it for different reasons in very different conditions. It’s our nature, that when we learn something new, to compare it to what we already know, we learn by grouping and recognizing patterns and assigning categories. We take large amounts of information and shrink it, and distill it until it’s a small enough unit that we can attach a label. My hope with these episodes is to take a microscope to the group, get to know the individuals, how they think and what they think about. Today we get to visit India through the eyes of Pranoy, a 5th generation coffee grower. His family got into the business in 1953 where they have grown different produce in biodiverse, multi-cropped conditions. Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers. Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Intro song: Elijah Bisbee Mentioned in the Episode: Pranoy's Instagram Kerehaklu Website ECRE Podcast Support the show
Mar 23, 2021 · 36 min
#33: Listener Q&A: Learning from Thailand, Avoiding Mold Growth in Honey and Dry/Natural Processing in Humid Locations
Today’s questions all come from Dr. Mack in Bangkok, Thailand. Even though he is asking the question on behalf of coffee producers in Thailand, I wanted to answer them on the podcast because they are relevant to all of the newer coffee producing regions. Thailand didn’t export coffee until 1976! This is very recent and not a lot of time for coffee growers and producers to develop their craft and catch up with older coffee growing regions like Colombia, where I am living. Colombia was already exporting coffee in 1835. As new regions begin to grow coffee, the questions in this podcast will become more and more relevant. Dr. Mack's questions allow me to address a few things like: How to avoid fermentation during transportation from the farm to mill How to use yeast with rust resistant varieties How to do a honey or a natural process while avoiding mold growth (a common problem in humid tropical countries) Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers. Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Intro song: Elijah Bisbee Mentioned in the Episode: Short videos: 4 Things I don't like about Carbonic Maceration The Fundamental Problem with Carbonic Maceration Support the show
Feb 16, 2021 · 59 min
#32: Where Is Ripeness? Lessons From Brazil on Brix & Color
Our sugar journey is almost complete as we round out the third installment in the Brix series. I hope the previous podcast episodes helped open your mind to some of the challenges we face in talking about sugar in the coffee industry. Today's episode focuses on ripeness and how counterintuitively sometimes measuring Brix can lead to lower quality coffee. And to help illustrate this point I'm sharing a lesson from one of my favorite industries: the cork industry. Specifically cork wine stoppers. In 2013 I was invited to visit Portugal as part of a Quality Control trip on behalf of the winery I worked for. In this episode we will talk about Brix and fruit maturity (ripeness), I will discuss the results of research done on a Brazilian coffee farm and we will see if there isn't a better instrument than a refractometer to help us look inside the coffee fruit and determine what will make a quality cup of coffee. Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers. Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Intro song: Elijah Bisbee Mentioned in the Episode: Worms and Germs Video Presentation Comedy Skits: these are weird but hey, maybe you're weird too. SNL Cork Soakers Skit John C Riley Sweet Berry Wine Skit Free conference by The Barista League: High Density Digital Conference Support the show
Jan 19, 2021 · 38 min
#31: What Are We Measuring When We Measure Brix?
I hope the previous podcast episode helped open your mind to some of the challenges we face in talking about sugar in the coffee industry. In today's episode we are adding another element, another piece of the puzzle—the refractometer and the other instruments used to measure sugar. In today's episode we will see how a refractometer can give a high Brix reading even when there is zero sugar in the sample. Or, how it is possible to get negative Brix readings. I think understanding more about the the instruments we use, helps us understand the limitations of measuring Brix at all. Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers. Sign up for the newsletter to stay informed. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Intro song: Elijah Bisbee Mentioned in the Episode: Why is This Happening Podcast: Pappy Van Winkle TTB Alcohol Tax Chart Sugar Cane exporting Countries Support the show
Jan 7, 2021 · 36 min
#30 Untangling Sugar, Sweetness and Brix
Where does sweetness come from? Can something taste sweet that has no sugar? How can we measure sugar in coffee? This will be a more technical episode where we will talk about the sugar compounds like carbohydrates, sucrose, glucose and fructose and sweetness as a concept. We will also look at how sugar content differs based on processing style: washed, honey or natural. Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers. Sign up for the newsletter to stay informed. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Intro song: Elijah Bisbee Mentioned in the Episode: Brodie Vissers Youtube channel Brodie Vissers Instagram Vanishing Fleece by Clara Parkes Boss Barista C-Market Part I Boss Barista C-Market Part II Support the show
Dec 8, 2020 · 44 min
#29: How Can Yeast Help in a Rural Ugandan Setting: Consulting w/ The Coffee Gardens
Today you get to be a fly on the wall of a consulting session between myself and a coffee producer in Uganda. The Coffee Gardens is a newer project of coffee producers who have partnered with select coffee farmers in Eastern Uganda. They currently work directly with 300 small holder farmers. They have a micro-processing station in the foothills of Mount Elgon. This episode might be most relevant to a coffee producer, so if you know any, please pass this episode along to them. Especially if they are curious about using yeast to control their fermentations. Today we cover how to process undesirable cherries, we talk about the challenges in scaling up from a small trial to full scale lots. We also discuss yeast usage in very rural settings, is it even appropriate? At what volume should a producer consider using yeast? Even if you’re not a coffee producer I hope you will listen to the questions and concerns of a coffee producer and better understand their reality. Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers. Sign up for the newsletter to stay informed. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Into song: Elijah Bisbee Mentioned in the Episode: The Coffee Gardens Support the show
Nov 24, 2020 · 40 min
#28: Origin, Native, Indigenous and Local: Building Our Coffee Vocabulary
If you started the season with me in October you’ll remember that I started exploring the topic of what we lose when we take a plant from its native environment. Episode #25: A California Coffee Farm & Native vs. Local Yeasts looked at the relationship between coffee trees and the fermentation. Dr. Aimee Dudley’s research showed that the native microbes do not travel with the plant material and therefore all coffee fermentations outside of Ethiopia are non-native fermentations. Episode #26: Do Coffee Trees Talk? How Underground Fungi Affect Coffee Quality showed that when we take a plant from it’s native environment the microbes it needs to have strong immune response are also left behind. So we’ve touched on the above and below ground microbes that we leave behind. But is it only about microbes? Are microbes the most important thing we leave behind? I argue that it is not. As important as I think they are, I think there is something more valuable that is lost. Today, in part 3 I want to talk about another aspect we miss out on when we take something from its native environment. Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers. Sign up for the newsletter for new podcast releases. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Into song: Elijah Bisbee Mentioned in the Episode: Podcast: How Not To Travel Like A Basic Bitch Dr. Aimee Dudley's Research Lab Maca Pirate Video The Nagoya Protocol Support the show
Nov 3, 2020 · 1 hr 12 min
#27: Searching for the Escape Velocity of Coffee–w/ Mark from Finca Rosenheim
We usually hear about coffee from roasters or even people like me, who work with coffee producers but we are not producers ourselves. One of my podcast goals is to bring you directly to the source. Whether it's scientific research or hearing directly from coffee producers. Often we leave it to coffee professionals and educators to speak about coffee producers but it’s rare to hear directly from coffee producers about their motivations and challenges. And even when we do hear from them on their social media channels, there is a hidden pressure to present a rosy version of reality. Today’s conversation is with Mark from Finca Rosenheim in the Villa Rica region in Peru. This conversation is an honest look at some of the challenges producers rarely get to talk about. I asked Mark about organic certifications, climate challenges, coffee competitions, crop diversification, and what happens when markets can’t rebalance themselves. To get samples or buy coffee from Mark: Website: www.fincarosenheim.com Email: Info@fincarosenheim.com Instagram: @fincarosenheim Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos. Sign up for the newsletter for new podcast releases. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Into song: Elijah Bisbee Mentioned in the Episode: Vox Video: Coffee Crisis in Colombia Support the show
Oct 20, 2020 · 1 hr 2 min
#26: Do Coffee Trees Talk? How Underground Fungi Affect Coffee Quality
What is left behind when coffee moves to new locations. What is the trade off for innovation? This episode looks at what else we potentially leave behind when we introduce new plant material to non-native locations. The inspiration for this episode was a beautiful book by Peter Wohlleben called The Hidden Life of Trees. In it, Peter talks about native forests vs planted forests and the differences we (humans) are able to perceive. One of the example trees in Peter's book are oak trees. This was an interesting cross over for me because oak is very important for winemaking. Most of red wine is aged in oak barrels and many Chardonnay's too. This episode is filled with wine information on barrels, tastings and stories of my time in the wine industry. I enjoyed putting this episode together and I hope you enjoy listening to it. If you would like to support the show and help me make more episodes, join the Patreon community. Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers. Sign up for the newsletter for new podcast releases. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Into song: Elijah Bisbee Mentioned in the Episode: Video: How A Barrel Is Made Video: Dr. Susan Simard Ted Talk Support the show
Oct 6, 2020 · 50 min
#25: A California Coffee Farm & Native vs. Local Yeasts
This week I want to talk to you about where native coffee yeast come from. If you are concerned about coffee flavor manipulation by yeast, I hope by the end of the episode you have a broader understanding of where "native" yeast originally came from. To help illustrate the point, we start with non traditional coffee growing regions like Southern California. In the episode I will also be sharing research from Dr. Amiee Dudley. I met Dr. Aimee Dudley in 2017 during SCA EXPO in Seattle when we were on a Re:CO Panel together talking about yeast. I was offering the perspective of practical application of yeast, how coffee producers in situ could use it and Dr. Dudley was presenting her research on yeast genetics. She runs a lab at Pacific North West Research Institute and she is an expert on yeast genetics. Support the show on Patreon and get access to research papers. Sign up for the newsletter for new podcast releases. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Into song: Elijah Bisbee Mentioned in the Episode: The Coffee Podcast: Jay Ruskey Frinj Coffee Dr. Aimee Dudley's Research Lab Support the show
Aug 10, 2020 · 1 hr 3 min
#24: Tea and Coffee: Conscious Uncoupling w/ Aurora Prehn
Aurora is back for another tea chat. Unfortunately I think coffee and tea are often lumped together in similar categories but they have very different histories and I think it’s worth trying to de-couple these beverages. Join us as we discuss how: -tea is largely consumed in it's botanical origins and coffee is not. -the different flavors of stress (positive and negative) -over extraction and the role of color -my thoughts on Cascara tea Mentioned in the Podcast: Support the show on Patreon and get Aurora's curated tea flights and download the research paper on Leafhoppers and Oriental Beauty oolong tea. Aurora's Website Tea Reading List 2020 located at worldcat.org, curated by Aurora Prehn How to Taste by Becky Selengut Support the show
Jul 28, 2020 · 51 min
#23: Tasting Authenticity—When Different Countries Have Similar Flavor Profiles
What happens when the best in the world can't tell if a wine comes from the Willamette Valley in Oregon or Burgundy, France? What happens when the experts can't tell if the bubbles are from Champagne or California. Does a place really have a taste? Can we find it in the glass? That is the premise of terroir, tasting the land, localizing the product. But often, when put "terroir" to the test it cannot be found. Today's episode starts with the story of the 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting, a famous part of wine history that pitted French terroir-driven wines against terroir-less California wines. The competition had a blind tasting for red wine and for white wines. The red wines were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon and the white wines were the Chardonnay variety. We are also going to see what happens when Terroir is used as a basis for certifications. I'll share with you some of the limitations of the "geographic protectionism" and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Certifications are usually protective tools but sometimes they can work against the producers they are meant to protect. How can such a romantic and noble concept, tasting the land, respecting nature - work against producers? To pick future podcast topics, get access to the scientific papers, ask questions that I answer on the podcast, and help me continue making episodes: consider supporting the show by Joining Patreon Here Mentioned on the podcast: The historical origins are from the book Terroir and Other Myths of Winegrowing by Mark A Matthews. Bottle Shock Movie A Cougar Racist Champagne Support the show