🧪☕ FERMENTATION → SENSORY LAB WORKSHEETS

🧫 LAB 1 — ACID TYPE IDENTIFICATION

Which acids were designed during fermentation?

Objective

To identify dominant organic acids in the cup and trace them to fermentation pathways.

Cup Sample ID: ___________

A. Sensory Detection (Taste First)

Tick all that apply:

• ☐ Juicy / citrus
• ☐ Crisp / apple-like
• ☐ Sparkling / cola-like
• ☐ Creamy / yogurt-like
• ☐ Sharp / vinegary
• ☐ Harsh / drying

B. Acid Mapping

C. Fermentation Hypothesis

Dominant fermentation type (circle one):

• Washed (controlled)
• Extended washed
• Lactic / inoculated
• Anaerobic
• Uncontrolled / over-fermented

Reasoning (chemical, not opinion):

🍬 LAB 2 — SWEETNESS ORIGIN ANALYSIS

Is sweetness built or missing?

Objective

To determine whether perceived sweetness originates from sugar preservation, fermentation efficiency, or roast exposure.

A. Sweetness Perception

Rate on a scale of 1–5:
Sweetness intensity: 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐

Sweetness character (tick):

• ☐ Honey-like
• ☐ Caramel
• ☐ Candy-like
• ☐ Thin / fleeting
• ☐ Absent

B. Chemical Interpretation

Likely fermentation outcome:

C. Roast Interaction Check

Does roast appear to:

• ☐ Preserve sweetness
• ☐ Expose lack of sugars
• ☐ Degrade sugars

Trainer note: Roast reveals what fermentation built.

🧈 LAB 3 — BODY & MOUTHFEEL TRACE

Texture as biochemical evidence

Objective

To link mouthfeel to lipid + polysaccharide preservation during fermentation and processing.

A. Mouthfeel Description

Tick dominant sensation:

• ☐ Thin
• ☐ Round
• ☐ Creamy
• ☐ Oily
• ☐ Dry

B. Compound Mapping

C. Fermentation Link

Likely fermentation impact on body:

• ☐ Preserved structure
• ☐ Degraded polysaccharides
• ☐ No significant effect

Explain:

🌬️ LAB 4 — AROMATIC IDENTITY & MICROBIAL SIGNALS

What microbes spoke through aroma?

Objective

To identify aromatic families and link them to microbial activity.

A. Aroma Detection (Dry & Wet)

Tick all perceived:

• ☐ Fruity
• ☐ Floral
• ☐ Winey
• ☐ Nutty
• ☐ Solvent-like
• ☐ Funky

B. Aroma → Microbial Link

C. Quality Judgment (Circle one)

Aroma expression is:
Clean / Expressive / Overripe / Defective

Chemical justification:

⚠️ LAB 5 — DEFECT FORENSICS

Diagnosing fermentation failure

A. Primary Defect Detected

• ☐ Sharp sour
• ☐ Medicinal
• ☐ Musty
• ☐ Fermented / rotten
• ☐ Astringent

B. Causality Chain

C. Final Verdict (Complete the sentence)

“This defect is caused by __________________ during fermentation,
and the roast __________________ the issue.”

🧠 LAB 6 — FULL CUP BACK-TRACING (CAPSTONE)

Blind Cup Code: ___________

1. Top 3 sensory signals detected:
2. Dominant chemical groups:
3. Most likely fermentation style:
4. Roast interaction:
   • Preserved / Exposed / Destroyed
5. Overall cup quality (chemical reasoning):

🎯 ASSESSMENT CRITERIA (Trainer Use)

Students are evaluated on:

• Chemical reasoning (not guessing)
• Logical fermentation linkage
• Clear sensory language
• Ability to separate cause vs amplifier

Correct reasoning beats correct answers.

KCS Teaching Line (Use Often)

The tongue detects.
The brain diagnoses.
The process explains.

Alfred Gitau Mwaura says “Cupping is forensic science” ☕🧬