CQI S.1 Episode 1:Cupping Conversations - Balance Coffee Quality Institute

Episode 6: Sunalini Menon: Coffeelab India; Tata Coffee; CQI Board of Trustees

The season finale! In this conversation, Director Coffeelab India and CQI Board Member Sunalini Menon of joins us to provide some valuable perspective on coffee quality, processing and innovation from her years of experience working with coffee producers and evaluation quality.

Timestamps:

1:54 – Welcome

2:50 – Sunalini’s History with Processing

8:04– The Evolving State of Coffee Processing

15:04 – Analyzing Variables to Guide Processing Methodology

22:40 – Identifying the Market and Communicating

29:43 – A New Awakening: Correlating Varietal to Cup to Processing to the Market

35:40 – Value of Continuous Education

42:41 – Challenges and Adaptations

49:37 – Sunalini’s Favorite Coffees

52:49 – Wrap-up





• Learn more about CQI’s Post-Harvest Processing program: Post-Harvest Processing (coffeeinstitute.org)

• Stay up to date with what’s happening at CQI: News (coffeeinstitute.org)

• You can contact Sunali at clab@coffeelabindia.com

• Visit https://www.tatacoffee.com/

• Lallemand - selected yeasts and bacteria for coffee processing - is the sponsor of this season of the CQI podcast.

Episode 5: Eddy Nkanagu – Sucafina

In this episode, Eddy talked about the efforts being made to
reinvigorate coffee growing in Burundi, 
using post-harvest processing techniques to increase productivity. Josh
and Eddy chat myths regarding fermentation and discuss the benefits and
challenges of managing timing with extended fermentations.

Timestamps:

2:00– Eddy’s Background

3:10 – Transition into Coffee
Processing Career

4:25 – Coffee Growing in Burundi

6:00 – Improving Productivity through
Education

8:58 – Post-Harvest Processing to
Improve Farmer Income

11:28 – Challenges of Fermentation and
Managing Processing Methods

15:14 – Testing and Recording

16:58 – Impact of Experimentation at
the Market

18:29 – Advice for Producers
Interested Experimenting with Fermentation

19:45 – Misconceptions about
Fermentation – Communicating about Green Coffee

23:00 – Learning about Fermentation
Coming from Another Industry

25:18 – Essential Information for
Coffee Processors to Know

26:18 – Processing Management –
Balancing Cost and Labor

28:15 – Knowledge Sharing

31:21 – Favorite Coffee Eddy is
Producing

32:55 – Wrap-Up

 

·        
Learn more about CQI’s Post-Harvest Processing
program: Post-Harvest
Processing (coffeeinstitute.org)

·        
Stay up to date with what’s happening at CQI: News (coffeeinstitute.org)

·        Interested in knowledge sharing from Sucafina? Visit: The Center

·        Follow Greenco Burundi on Instagram: @greenco_burundi

·        Visit https://www.sucafina.com

·        Lallemand is the sponsor of this season of the CQI podcast.

Episode 4: Lucas
Venturim – Fazenda Venturim

In this episode, Lucas shared insights about fermentation, yeast,
the specific challenges of robusta and techniques to improve it through processing, about having diverse portfolios of product offerings, about the importance of carefully considering changing markets, and about innovative partnerships with the local community, and about biological inputs.

Timestamps:

1:53 – Lucas’s Background

11:01 – Innovations in Process sing
Canephora at Fazenda Venturim

20:56 – Initial Challenges in
Fermentation for Robustas

25:18 – Misconceptions about
Fermentation

29:57 – Value of Education

36:01 – Collaborating with Bee Holders
for Cross-Pollination 

42:19 – Ongoing Innovations at Fazenda
Venturim – Biologic Inputs

47:46 – Wrap-Up

 

·        
Learn more about CQI’s Post-Harvest Processing
program: Post-Harvest
Processing (coffeeinstitute.org)

·        
Stay up to date with what’s happening at CQI: News (coffeeinstitute.org)

·        
Follow Café Fazenda Venturim on Instagram: @cafefazendaventurim

·        
Visit https://fazendaventurim.com.br/

·        
Lallemand is the
sponsor of this season of the CQI podcast.

Francisco shares his experiences with developing machines to help in post-harvest processing and talks about the role of mechanization. He also talks about common processing mistakes and the value of coffee education.

• Learn more about CQI’s Post-Harvest Processing program: Post-Harvest Processing (coffeeinstitute.org)

• Stay up to date with what’s happening at CQI: News (coffeeinstitute.org)

• Follow Virginia Coffee Roasters on Instagram: @virginiacoffeeroasters

• Visit virginiaroasters.com.br

• Visit csmart.ai

• Lallemand is the sponsor of this season of the CQI podcast.

Timestamps:

2:16 – Francisco’s Background

4:16 – CSmart AI and Color Sorters for Cherries

7:49 – Initial Challenges in Developing New Coffee Processing Tech

11:13 – Color Sorters and Bringing Coffee to Market

12:41 – Myths about Mechanized Processing

14:47 – Green Coffee Classification Equipment

19:50 – Fermentation Data Recording

21:40 – Common Mistakes in Fermentation

23:45 – Assessing Risk in Fermentation

24:48 – Processing Management Issues Holding Producers Back

25:59 – The Value of Education – Key Takeaways

27:43 – Recommendations for Producers Interested in Experimenting

29:45 – Wrap-Up



·        Learn more about CQI’s Post-Harvest Processing program: Post-Harvest Processing

·        Stay up to date with what’s happening at CQI: News (coffeeinstitute.org)

·        Follow Francisco on Instagram: @fmassucci/

·      ·        Learn more about CSmart on their website: https://www.csmart.ai/

·        Lallemand is the sponsor of this season of the CQI podcast.

Episode 2: Luiz
Roberto Saldanha – California Coffee Estates; Capricornio Coffee

In this episode, Luiz discusses the benefits and challenges of
growing at low altitude and atypical latitude, about addressing challenges
through innovating drying techniques, about promoting quality coffees and
challenging paradigms, and about the value of education and mentorship. 

Timestamps:

2:03 – Luiz’s Background

6:00 – Learning from Coffee
“Gurus"

10:43 – The Challenges of Growing at
Around the Tropic of Capricorn – Necessary Innovations

17:33 – Initial Experimentation

21:53 – Latitude Paradigm

24:45 – Latitude vs Altitude –
Misconceptions and Reception

28:26 – Takeaways from the Q
Processing Program

34:25 – Common Processing
Mistakes 

36:22 – Interactions with the Coffee
Producing Community

38:42 – Just Scratching the Surface of
Coffee’s Potential with PHP

41:31 – Wrap-Up

 

 

·        
Learn more about CQI’s Post-Harvest Processing
program: Post-Harvest
Processing (coffeeinstitute.org)

·        
Stay up to date with what’s happening at CQI: News (coffeeinstitute.org)

·        
Follow Luiz on Instagram: @luiz.california

·        
Follow Capricornio Coffees on Instagram: @capricorniocoffees

·        
Learn more about Capricornio Coffees on their
website: https://www.capricorniocoffees.com.br/

·        
Lallemand is the
sponsor of this season of the CQI podcast.

In this episode, Josh and Felipe chat about experimentation with
thorough research and testing, the importance of focusing on processing best-practices, challenging trends and working with local coffee growing
communities to share knowledge and improve coffee quality.

Timestamps:

2:10 – Felipe’s Background

3:45 – Innovations in PHP at La Palma
y El Tucan

7:56 – Benefits of Experimentation

10:23 – Education that Would Have Been
Valuable

11:27 – Recommendations for
Experimenting with Fermentations

14:09 – The “pH Clarity Project”

20:12 – Using Processing to Create
Sustainable Coffee Communities

23:54 – Advice for Other Producers

25:27- Valuable Experiences with the
“Barista Exchange Program”

27:31 – Managing Risk as a Producer

28:42 – Challenging Both the Status
Quo and New Trends

30:57 – Wrap-Up

 

·        
Learn more about CQI’s Post-Harvest Processing
program: Post-Harvest
Processing (coffeeinstitute.org)

·        
Stay up to date with what’s happening at CQI: News (coffeeinstitute.org)

·        
Follow La
Palma y El Tucán on Instagram: @lapalmayeltucan

·        
Visit www.lapalmayeltucan.com

·        
Lallemand is the sponsor of this season of the CQI podcast. Follow them on LinkedIn @lalcafebylallemand
and on Instagram @lalcafebylallemand