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1 Great Coffee
4 Fermentation Methods
1 Worldwide Cupping
The James Hoffmann Fermentation Project
One coffee processed four ways : A worldwide tasting event to discover the effects of fermentation.
Secure Your Kit Now
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Every kit will be roasted exactly 2 weeks before the cupping to ensure peak flavors for the event and guarantee it'll get to you in time.
Delivered before the cupping event, or your money back.
If the kit doesn't arrive before the live tasting, we refund your whole order.
Combine with another coffee to get free shipping 🚛
Eldorado
Medium
24.99$
El Placer Gesha White Honey
Light
39.99$
Finca El Paraíso
Light
25.99$
Lucero
Medium
24.99$
Finca Adolfo
Light
24.99$
Barista
Medium-Dark
24.99$
6AM
Dark
24.99$
Decaf
Medium
24.99$
29.99$
In time for the cupping
Order now and delivery before the event is guaranteed. In the misfortunate event of a delay, we'll refund you.
Roasted for comparison
We will roast to a light color and ~1min30 development time. Each coffee will be roasted identically for perfect comparison.
Why 30g ?
We were part of the Decaf Project in 2024 and sold out our 1200 kits in 3 days. The quantity being limited, we decided to offer 30g kits so more people can join in. More work for us but more fun for the community 😎
Free shipping in Canada & USA
For orders of 2 or more items (kit + coffee) or (kit + cupping bowls), we offer Free Shipping. For orders of 1 kit, the shipping fee will be calculated based on your location.
One coffee · four processes
Same farm, same lot, same roaster. Only the process changes.
Lucia Solis took a single Guatemalan coffee and made it four ways. Starting with an un-fermented control most people never get to taste. Each lot is labelled by how it was made. What this does in the cup is yours to discover.
Learn more about fermentation in the next section.
The control
01
Mechanically demucilaged
The mucilage is removed mechanically, without fermentation. This is meant to be a control.
02
Wild fermentation
48-hour submerged fermentation with the local, indigenous microbes. This is the traditional method to make a "washed" coffee.
03
Lactobacillus inoculated
48-hour submerged fermentation inoculated* with Lactobacillus : a bacteria found non-exclusively in yogurt.
04
Yeast inoculated
48-hour submerged fermentation inoculated* with yeast : a microorganisms that feeds on sugars and fibers.
*Inoculation means adding a microorganism to a fermentable (in our case : coffee) to trigger a fermentation.
The step nobody sees
What is fermentation and why it matters, even in a washed coffee
Under the skin of every coffee cherry, the seeds are wrapped in a sticky, sugary layer called mucilage. In a washed process, you need to remove this layer before drying the coffee.
This is where fermentation typically happens : The producer lets the local microbes and yeast naturally present on the cherry break down the sugars.
So yes, even washed coffees are often fermented. Actually, most coffees are fermented, regardless of their processes, but that's a discussion for later...
Lucia Solis has a slightly different approach to this step : she puts all the coffee in water and lets the fermentation happen while the beans are submerged. This helps create uniform flavors and allows for agitation during the fermentation.
The difference with inoculation is that something from the outside is added to start a fermentation OR overthrow the natural microbes. Also a video on that on her channel.
The kit you'll get to taste is exactly that : What happens when a producer :
1. Skips the fermentation and manually removes the mucilage
2. Adds nothing and lets the local microbes take over
3. Controls the fermentation by adding a bacteria : Lactobacillus
4. Controls the fermentation by adding a selected strain of yeast
The world's largest coffee tasting
Tens of thousands of people. Same coffees.
The Fermentation Project is a worldwide tasting event created by James Hoffmann and Lucia Solis. One lot from Guatemala, processed four ways, roasted by roasters around the world and tasted together in a guided live cupping.
Its predecessor, the Decaf Project, sold close to 30,000 tasting kits worldwide. This year, the theme moves from decaffeination to fermentation and Nucleus brings it home to Canada.
We were lucky to be one the few roasters in Canada to get our spot in the Decaf Project in 2024 and we are proud to be back this year and bring this experience to your door 😎
Who's behind the project
2 Faces you might already know
James Hoffmann
2007 World Barista Champion
Author, Square Mile co-founder, and one of specialty coffee's most influential voices.
Lucia Solis
Fermentation specialist
She helps producers in 15+ countries use fermentation for consistency and value. Her podcast Making Coffee with Lucia Solis and her Youtube channel are top tier references for coffee processing.
In the box
What's in your kit
-
4 x
30 g of each coffee
The same Guatemalan coffee, processed four ways. -
1 x
Nucleus cupping spoon
Two spoons if you choose the Full Cupping Kit. -
1 x
Info sheet (for the nerds)
A coffee info sheet with water activity, density, roast color, etc. for the nerdiest of y'all 🤓 -
1 x
Nucleus stickers
A small extra just for fun. Who doesn't like stickers ? -
★
Optional: 200 ml cupping bowls (pack of 4)
With the Full Cupping Kit : Free Shipping included.
"Is 30g enough?"
Up to 3 cuppings per coffee.
The quantities being extremely limited, we opted for 30g kits to maximize the number of people that can join in on the experience. Our cupping kits are made to cup with 10g of coffee, which gives you multiple brews.
10g of each coffee for the live event, then 80g remaining for pour-overs or espressos
Why order here
Why Nucleus
01
Roast timing and freshness
We'll roast on a precise schedule to ensure peak flavors and perfect degasing for the event while making sure it's at your door in time. We've done this before, we know the drill 🫡
02
One of the only in Canada
We've managed to secure our spot to be able to sell in Canada. That means no trouble with customs duty and border delays.
03
Roast consistency
We'll roast the coffee to a light profile (for the nerds : about 10° of development in ~1min45). We'll match the 4 coffees to the exact same roast parameters and color to perfectly compare them.
The experience
Be part of coffee history
Barista, connoisseur, or simply curious enthusiasts, this is a one-of-a-kind chance to deepen how you understand coffee. Tasting what a process changes in a controlled environment will truly sharpen your understanding of coffee and your palate.
No expertise required. We send everything you need and a simple guide to follow James Hoffmann's worldwide cupping.
FAQ
Good to know
Yes! If it doesn't arrive in time through our fault, we refund your whole order. We roast and ship on a schedule timed to the event.
Plenty. Each 30 g bag allows up to three 10 g cuppings. Enough to compare all four methods more than once. The portions are built for tasting: enough to taste, revisit and confirm, with nothing wasted.
Considering the limited supply of this very special project, it was also important for us to make sure a maximum of people could take part in the event.
On purpose. The whole point is to taste the differences and discover them yourself. We label each lot by how it was made and leave the cup to you.
A light profile, calibrated to maximize the flavors you get out of the coffees. We'll match the 4 coffees to the exact same roast parameters and color to perfectly compare them.
For the nerds : about 8° of development in ~1min45. Official profile to be confirmed. We'll be able to send you the roasting data once everything is done.
Absolutely. No experience required. We include a simple guide to follow James Hoffmann's cupping. Taste along with the global community live, or brew each coffee at your own pace.
If you don't have cupping equipment (bowls and spoons), the Cupping Kit is highly recommended as it will make the whole experience smoother. Cupping spoons and bowls are designed specifically for this type of tasting. Alternatively, you could use wide cups of about 200ml and regular soup spoons.
Yes. US customers can order. Note that customs or import fees may apply on delivery. Our system might ask for import fees directly at checkout to avoid potential delays and surprise fees.
It's planned for early September 2026 (exact date to be confirmed), streamed by James Hoffmann. Follow it live on Youtube, or watch the recording anytime after.
Limited quantities
An opportunity that won't come twice
Four processes, one coffee, a worldwide tasting. Never been done before, probably never again. Reserve your kit now and take part of the experience.
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From start to finish, our product is made by people in Canada and supports our economy 100%.