In Pursuit of Quality
“Behind every experiment is uncertainty. That, as well as time, is the cost. But it is worth paying.”
In December, we were fortunate to be involved in a coffee fermentation experiment with the producers, Mr Thai and Mr Tai. The purpose was to see how introducing different types of yeasts and micro-organisms during the processing of Canephora influence the cup profile, what it happens during fermentation, and submitting to the Vietnam Amazing Cup for assessment. The result would determine which method Mr Thai and Mr Tai to implement in their next harvest season.
At the beginning of the experiment, we went to Mr Thai’s farm to harvest ripe cherries, specifically the Thien Phuc variety which is grown in the Bao Lam region. Three batches of 60kg cherries were needed, which meant harvesting around 250kg to compensate for potential floaters and defective cherries. We spent the morning and early afternoon selectively picking ripe cherries, where we had the chance to speak to Mr Thai about pursuing for quality; where he sees coffee going and how to get there.
“Quality requires time. Anyone can sell quantity and be forgotten, but I want to be proud of our coffee that is grown and produced in my home country. I want to leave this behind for my children so they can be proud too.”
Mr Thai grew up with coffee. Behind his home are small hectares of land from his grandparents, which are full with coffee trees, jackfruit, star apple (vu sua in Vietnamese) and avocados. Before working in coffee, Mr Thai and his wife Mrs Trang, owned a convenient store for a few years where he bought wholesale goods and delivered to customers in the local community. Bao Lam is full of coffee farms, and Mr Thai noticed them during his delivery runs and thought back to his own family’s farm. Over time, Mr Thai looked deeper in how coffees were produced and harvested, why majority of farmers would mechanically dry their coffees, and questioned, “How can I do better?”. Through a coffee sensory and processing course, Mr Tai who had had the same ambition – to improve Vietnamese coffee, especially Robusta, strive towards sustainability, and form a cooperation with local farms.
Back on the experiment. Once enough cherries were picked, we washed the coffees in a tank of water. We did this in small batches, washing and removing defective cherries and debris like tree branches and leaves before washing for a second time. While doing this, the yeasts and microbial liquid were prepared, calculating litres per 60kg batch before pouring into the plastic lined sack of coffee cherries. The sacks were then stored in a cool environment to allow the first stage of fermentation.
After the fermentation period, the cherries are laid on the raised beds to dry, monitoring the moisture and temperature in 24-hour intervals. At each interval, 10 coffee cherries were taken as samples, slicing the skin and put into falcon tubes containing DESS liquid, used to preserve the cherries. After cherries reach a suitable temperature and moisture level, the cherries were stored again in new plastic lined sacks, fermented further in a cool environment before taken out to dry for the second time. Further samples were taken, just like before and by the end of the experiment, the samples were sent to a lab to analyse the results. We wait until May 2026 when the green coffees are available. We will then roast using our trusted Ikawa Pro50 V3 using a specific profile for Robusta samples, and send back to Mr Thai, Mr Tai and the producers to try out with their team. Together, with us in Hanoi and the producers in Bao Lam, we will collate the feedback and see which would be suitable for the upcoming harvest.
