Researching the Impact of Post-Export Fermentation on the Flavour and Aroma Development of Coffee

咖啡是加拿大和世界上最受欢迎的饮料之一，因其浓郁的味道和芳香而广受欢迎。据估计，加拿大每年的咖啡消费量接近400万袋60公斤，人均每年消费量超过7公斤。生产高品质咖啡的一个关键因素是所使用的发酵过程的类型。发酵允许自然产生的淀粉发展成糖，并增强咖啡的香气和口感。传统的发酵方法是一个漫长的过程，需要将咖啡樱桃放在防晒布上晒干，这需要清理土地和人工翻转樱桃，以最大限度地减少变质。为了加快和模仿传统的发酵过程，一些农民已经开始使用机械化的加工厂，在那里咖啡樱桃被浸泡在水罐中的水/酵母溶液中。这种受控方法达到了与传统发酵相似的结果，含糖量增加，风味和香气更明显，但时间要短得多。虽然这种新型受控发酵过程有很大的好处，但它给咖啡种植国的大多数农民带来了经济和环境方面的挑战。具体地说，它要求农民承担与建立废水处理工艺有关的经济负担和与废水处理有关的环境问题。然而，这些农民大多生活在贫困线以下，根本负担不起。不同组织进行的研究表明，一旦出口咖啡到达目的地国家，发酵就会得到促进。然而，出口后发酵是一个相对较新的概念，还需要进一步的研究来研究结果。Harken咖啡烘焙公司寻求与Okanagan学院合作进行应用研究，以调查出口后发酵使用不同酵母品种在受控环境中改善咖啡口感和香气的可行性。出口后咖啡发酵过程原型的开发将减少对农民的财政和环境限制，并使HarkenCoffee能够利用创新的技术过程来促进业务增长。

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in Canada and around the world, enjoyed for its rich flavour and aroma. Canadian annual coffee consumption is estimated at nearly 4 million 60-kilogram bags with a per capitaconsumption of more than seven kilograms each year. A key factor in the production of quality coffee is the type of fermentation process used. Fermentation allows naturally occurring starches to develop into sugar and enhances the aroma and flavour of coffee. The traditional fermentation method is a lengthy process requiring coffee cherries to be laid out on tarps for drying in the sun which requires the clearing of land and manualturning of the cherries to minimize spoiling. To expedite and mimic the traditional fermentation process, some farmers have begun to use mechanized processing mills where coffee cherries are soaked in a water/yeastsolution inside tanks. This controlled method achieves results similar to traditional fermentation with increasedsugar content and more pronounced flavour and aroma, but in a much shorter time. While there are significant benefits to this new type of controlled fermentation process, it creates economic and environmental challenges for most farmers in coffee growing countries. Specifically, it requires farmers to assume the financial burden associated with setting up the process and environmental issues relating to the disposal of wastewater.However, most of these farmers live below the poverty line and simply cannot afford it. Research conducted byvarious groups show that fermentation could be facilitated once exported coffee arrives at a destinationcountry. However, post-export fermentation is a relatively new concept and further research is needed to study the results. Harken Coffee Roasting Company seeks to partner with Okanagan College to conduct appliedresearch to investigate the feasibility of post-export fermentation using different yeast varieties to improve the flavour and aroma of coffee within a controlled environment. Development of a prototype post-export coffee fermentation process will reduce the financial and environmental constraints on farmers and allow HarkenCoffee to capitalize on an innovative technological process that will increase business growth.