Lost Origin Processing Lab

Lost Origin Coffee Lab, based in Panama City, represents a departure from traditional on-farm coffee processing. Founded by Juan-Andres Typaldos and Franz Zeimetz—who also operate the Casa Bruja craft brewery—the lab functions as an experimental hub that merges the precision of brewing science with coffee production. Rather than processing coffee at the farm level, the lab sources high-quality cherries from renowned producers in the Boquete region, such as Finca Don Benjie and the Saraceni family, to execute highly technical post-harvest protocols.

The logistical model of Lost Origin is central to its identity. After cherries are hand-picked in the high-altitude Boquete region, they are placed in specialized, oxidation-resistant crates and transported via refrigerated trucks on an eight-hour journey to Panama City. This cold-chain transport ensures that the raw material arrives at the lab in a pristine, stable state, allowing the team to maintain total control over the subsequent fermentation environment.

Inside the facility, which is situated above a craft brewery, the team employs equipment typically found in fermentation science rather than traditional milling. They utilize custom-built, oxygen-free stainless steel vessels equipped with precise temperature, pressure, and agitation controls. This infrastructure allows for the inoculation of coffee with specific yeast strains and bacterial cultures, such as Lactobacillus plantarum and Lachancea thermotolerans, to influence the development of specific aromatic compounds and fruit-forward notes.

Beyond fermentation, the lab emphasizes a rigorous, multi-stage drying protocol. The coffee is dried in controlled environments featuring HEPA filtration and precise humidity and temperature management. This systematic approach is designed to ensure consistency and to protect the delicate flavor precursors developed during the fermentation phase, effectively treating the coffee bean as a substrate for controlled biological transformation.

This experimental methodology has garnered significant attention within the specialty coffee industry. The lab’s influence is perhaps best exemplified by its role in high-level competition; for instance, the 2024 World Brewers Cup Champion, Martin Wölfl, utilized a double-processed coffee produced in collaboration with Lost Origin and Finca Maya. Such results have validated the lab's "mad-scientist" approach, proving that non-traditional processing can yield world-class, award-winning results.

For the roaster and the consumer, Lost Origin represents a shift toward "designed" coffee profiles. By isolating the processing stage from the farm, the lab provides a platform for producers to explore new flavor dimensions without the risks associated with on-farm experimentation. The resulting coffees are often characterized by intense, IPA-like aromatics and complex acidity, offering a distinct alternative to conventional washed or natural processes.

Today, Lost Origin stands as a bridge between the agricultural heritage of Panamanian coffee and the technical innovation of the craft beverage sector. By treating coffee processing as a data-driven, iterative experiment, they continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in the cup, influencing both local producers and the global specialty market through their commitment to scientific rigor and creative exploration.