Lactic Fermentation Coffee | A New Release from Jack Murat

LACTIC FERMENTATION COFFEE: A NEW RELEASE FROM THE 2025 HARVEST

EACH HARVEST BRINGS NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLORE HOW PROCESSING SHAPES FLAVOUR IN COFFEE. FOR THIS RELEASE, WE FOCUSED ON A METHOD THAT IS STILL RELATIVELY UNCOMMON IN COFFEE PRODUCTION: LACTIC FERMENTATION.

THIS COFFEE COMES FROM OUR 2025 HARVEST IN FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND AND REPRESENTS ANOTHER STEP IN HOW WE ARE EXPLORING FERMENTATION ON THE FARM. BY CAREFULLY CONTROLLING HOW THE COFFEE FERMENTS AFTER HARVEST, WE CAN INFLUENCE TEXTURE, SWEETNESS AND ACIDITY IN THE FINAL CUP.

THE RESULT IS A COFFEE THAT IS BOTH EXPRESSIVE AND BALANCED, OFFERING A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON AUSTRALIAN GROWN SPECIALTY COFFEE.

WHAT IS LACTIC FERMENTATION IN COFFEE?

FERMENTATION IS A NATURAL STAGE OF COFFEE PROCESSING. ONCE THE FRUIT IS REMOVED FROM THE COFFEE CHERRY, THE SUGARS SURROUNDING THE SEED BEGIN TO BREAK DOWN THROUGH MICROBIAL ACTIVITY.

IN LACTIC FERMENTATION, BACTERIA CONVERT THOSE NATURAL SUGARS INTO LACTIC ACID. THIS IS THE SAME BIOLOGICAL PROCESS USED IN FOODS SUCH AS YOGURT, CHEESE AND PICKLES. IN COFFEE, THE EFFECT IS SUBTLE BUT DISTINCTIVE. LACTIC FERMENTATION CAN PRODUCE A SMOOTHER ACIDITY AND A ROUNDER MOUTHFEEL WHILE PRESERVING CLARITY IN THE CUP. RATHER THAN PUSHING FLAVOUR TOWARD INTENSITY OR FUNK, THE GOAL IS BALANCE AND STRUCTURE.

HOW THIS COFFEE WAS PROCESSED

FOR THIS LOT, THE COFFEE CHERRIES WERE FIRST HARVESTED AND DEPULPED. THE BEANS, STILL COATED IN THEIR STICKY MUCILAGE LAYER, WERE THEN FERMENTED WITH A SMALL ADDITION OF SALT. THE SALT HELPS GUIDE MICROBIAL ACTIVITY TOWARD LACTIC FERMENTATION, ENCOURAGING THE NATURAL SUGARS IN THE MUCILAGE TO CONVERT GRADUALLY INTO LACTIC ACID.

THIS PROCESS REQUIRES PATIENCE AND CAREFUL CONTROL. TEMPERATURE, TIME AND MICROBIAL ACTIVITY MUST REMAIN STABLE SO FLAVOUR CAN DEVELOP WITHOUT BECOMING AGGRESSIVE. ONCE FERMENTATION REACHED THE DESIRED POINT, THE COFFEE WAS WASHED AND SLOWLY DRIED BEFORE RESTING AHEAD OF MILLING AND ROASTING.

FLAVOUR PROFILE

THE RESULT IS A COFFEE DEFINED BY SWEETNESS, BALANCE AND TEXTURE. IN THE CUP YOU WILL FIND: CONDENSED MILK SWEETNESS, CANE SUGAR AND LEMON BRIGHTNESS.

THE ACIDITY IS GENTLE RATHER THAN SHARP, WHILE THE BODY CARRIES A CREAMY TEXTURE THAT LINGERS THROUGH THE FINISH. IT IS A STYLE OF COFFEE THAT REWARDS SLOWER BREWING METHODS WHILE STILL HOLDING STRUCTURE IN ESPRESSO. 

COFFEE FROM FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND

COFFEE GROWING IN AUSTRALIA REMAINS RARE. OUR FARM SITS NEAR MAREEBA IN FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND, WHERE WARM DAYS, COOLER NIGHTS AND VOLCANIC SOILS PROVIDE CONDITIONS SUITED TO ARABICA COFFEE PRODUCTION.

BECAUSE WE GROW, PROCESS AND ROAST OUR COFFEE OURSELVES, WE ARE ABLE TO CONTROL EVERY STAGE OF PRODUCTION. THIS ALLOWS US TO EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT PROCESSING TECHNIQUES AND UNDERSTAND HOW THEY INFLUENCE FLAVOUR. FERMENTATION METHODS LIKE THIS ARE ONLY POSSIBLE WHEN FARMING AND PROCESSING ARE CLOSELY CONNECTED.

WHY FERMENTATION MATTERS

FERMENTATION IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL TOOLS IN MODERN COFFEE PROCESSING. WHILE THE VARIETY OF COFFEE AND THE ENVIRONMENT IT GROWS IN DETERMINE MUCH OF THE FLAVOUR POTENTIAL, FERMENTATION ALLOWS PRODUCERS TO REFINE HOW THOSE FLAVOURS APPEAR IN THE CUP. SMALL CHANGES IN FERMENTATION CAN INFLUENCE SWEETNESS, ACIDITY, BODY AND AROMA.

FOR US, THESE EXPERIMENTS ARE ABOUT LEARNING HOW AUSTRALIAN COFFEE EXPRESSES ITSELF WHEN PROCESSED WITH CARE. EACH HARVEST GIVES US NEW DATA AND NEW INSIGHTS.

HOW TO BREW THIS COFFEE

THIS COFFEE WORKS WELL ACROSS BOTH FILTER AND ESPRESSO BREWING. FOR FILTER METHODS SUCH AS V60, KALITA OR BATCH BREW, THE LEMON BRIGHTNESS AND CONDENSED MILK SWEETNESS BECOME MORE PRONOUNCED, CREATING A CLEAN AND LAYERED CUP.

AS ESPRESSO, THE COFFEE BECOMES FULLER AND ROUNDER, WITH CANE SUGAR SWEETNESS AND A SMOOTH FINISH. AS WITH MOST LIGHTLY ROASTED COFFEES, A SLIGHTLY LONGER EXTRACTION AND STABLE WATER TEMPERATURE WILL HELP BRING OUT THE BEST IN THE CUP.

NOW AVAILABLE

THIS COFFEE IS PART OF OUR 2025 HARVEST RELEASES AND IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR ONLINE STORE AND AT JACK’S NORTH BONDI. FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN HOW FERMENTATION INFLUENCES FLAVOUR, THIS RELEASE OFFERS A DISTINCTIVE EXPRESSION OF WHAT AUSTRALIAN GROWN COFFEE CAN BE.