Does Australia Grow Coffee?
WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF COFFEE-GROWING COUNTRIES, AUSTRALIA MIGHT NOT BE THE FIRST PLACE THAT SPRINGS TO MIND. HOWEVER, AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN GROWING COFFEE...
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COFFEE FERMENTATION IS OFTEN SPOKEN ABOUT AS A TREND — BUT IT'S BEEN AT THE HEART OF COFFEE FLAVOUR FOR CENTURIES. AT JACK MURAT, IT’S A CORE PART OF HOW WE GROW, PROCESS, AND SHAPE OUR AUSTRALIAN-GROWN COFFEE.
WHAT IS COFFEE FERMENTATION?
AT ITS CORE, COFFEE FERMENTATION IS A NATURAL PROCESS WHERE MICROBES — MAINLY YEASTS AND BACTERIA — BREAK DOWN THE SUGARS AND FRUIT MATERIAL (MUCILAGE) SURROUNDING THE BEAN. IT BEGINS IMMEDIATELY AFTER HARVEST AND CAN OCCUR IN WATER, IN SEALED TANKS WITHOUT OXYGEN, OR DURING SUN-DRYING.
LIKE SOURDOUGH, CHOCOLATE OR WINE, FERMENTATION SHAPES FLAVOUR — ENHANCING BRIGHTNESS, COMPLEXITY, AND SWEETNESS. IT’S NOT JUST A STEP IN PROCESSING — IT’S A FLAVOUR-DEFINING TOOL.
WHY DOES FERMENTATION MATTER?
FLAVOURS LIKE TROPICAL FRUIT, BRIGHT CITRUS, OR RICH JAMMINESS BEGIN LONG BEFORE ROASTING. THEY START WITH HOW THE COFFEE FERMENTS.
IN THE PAST, FERMENTATION WAS A NECESSITY — A WAY TO MAKE COFFEE STABLE FOR TRANSPORT. IN DRY REGIONS LIKE YEMEN, NATURAL SUN-DRYING CREATED DEEP, FRUITY NOTES. IN WETTER AREAS LIKE INDONESIA, WASHING AND FERMENTING BEANS IN WATER IMPROVED CONSISTENCY.
TODAY, PRODUCERS LIKE US USE FERMENTATION BOTH AS A HERITAGE PRACTICE AND A MODERN TOOL TO REFINE FLAVOUR.
A SHORT HISTORY OF COFFEE PROCESSING
FROM THE 15TH CENTURY ONWARD, NATURAL FERMENTATION OCCURRED AS WHOLE COFFEE CHERRIES DRIED IN THE SUN. THIS METHOD, USED IN ETHIOPIA AND YEMEN, CREATED RICH, WINE-LIKE PROFILES THAT STILL DEFINE COFFEES TODAY.
IN TROPICAL REGIONS WHERE DRYING WAS HARDER, FARMERS BEGAN WASHING COFFEE — REMOVING THE FRUIT BEFORE DRYING TO REDUCE DEFECTS. THIS EVOLVED INTO THE WASHED PROCESS, EVENTUALLY STANDARDISED IN PLACES LIKE COLOMBIA AND COSTA RICA.
THE THREE CORE FERMENTATION METHODS
WASHED (WET): CHERRIES ARE PULPED, THEN THE BEANS SIT IN WATER TO BREAK DOWN MUCILAGE. THE RESULT IS CLEAN, BALANCED COFFEE WITH NOTES OF CARAMEL AND CITRUS.
NATURAL (DRY): WHOLE CHERRIES DRY INTACT FOR 2–4 WEEKS. FRUITY, FULL-BODIED FLAVOURS EMERGE, OFTEN WITH BERRY OR TROPICAL CHARACTER.
HONEY (PULPED NATURAL): CHERRIES ARE PULPED, BUT SOME MUCILAGE IS LEFT ON. THIS PRODUCES A ROUND, SWEET CUP THAT SITS BETWEEN WASHED AND NATURAL PROFILES.
MODERN CONTROLLED FERMENTATION
AT JACK MURAT, WE EXPERIMENT WITH ANAEROBIC FERMENTATION, CARBONIC MACERATION, AND SELECTED YEAST STARTERS. EACH TECHNIQUE IS TRIALLED IN SMALL LOTS AND CUPPED CAREFULLY.
WE USE THESE TOOLS NOT TO CHASE TRENDS — BUT TO BRING OUT THE BEST IN OUR NORTH QUEENSLAND COFFEES.
NO TWO COFFEES FERMENT THE SAME
EVEN COFFEE FROM THE SAME FARM CAN FERMENT DIFFERENTLY DEPENDING ON THE VARIETY, SUGAR LEVEL, CLIMATE AND MICROBE PRESENCE. FERMENTATION REMAINS AN ORGANIC, VARIABLE PROCESS — AND THAT’S PART OF THE MAGIC.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU, THE DRINKER
IF YOU'VE EVER NOTICED A CUP WITH NOTES OF RIPE FRUIT OR HONEYED SWEETNESS — THAT STARTED WITH FERMENTATION. UNDERSTANDING THIS STAGE DEEPENS YOUR CONNECTION TO COFFEE'S ORIGIN.
FROM OUR FARM TO YOUR CUP
AT JACK MURAT, WE DON'T JUST ROAST COFFEE — WE GROW IT, FERMENT IT, AND SHAPE IT FROM THE GROUND UP. EACH LOT IS PROCESSED WITH CARE TO REFLECT ITS ORIGIN AND SEASON.
OUR CURRENT SMALL-BATCH RELEASE, BATCH 28, IS A NATURALLY PROCESSED, HIGH-SCORING LOT THAT SHOWCASES AUSTRALIA'S POTENTIAL FOR EXCEPTIONAL SPECIALTY COFFEE.
MORE JOURNAL POSTS
Where to Buy Australian Grown Coffee?
Australian Coffee: Your Questions Answered
EVER WONDERED IF SPECIALTY COFFEE CAN GROW IN AUSTRALIA? FROM VARIETIES TO ELEVATION, PROCESSING TO TASTE — WE ANSWER THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT AUSTRALIAN-GROWN COFFEE, STRAIGHT FROM THE FARM.
