Traceability Project

Kenya

Washed AA Top – Kiamutuira (7702B) new crop – eta September

Region: Kirinyaga, Mount Kenya

Municipality: Kerugoya–Kutus

Cooperative: Kiamutuira

Altitude: 1650-1700 m

Cultivation: Mix of sun and shade

Harvest: October through December

Soil: volcanic loam soils

Varietal: SL28 & SL34 (90%) Ruiru 11 (10%)

Processing method: washed

Drying method: Sun dry on raised beds

Kiamutuira washing station is part of the Mutira Cooperative Society, an organisation founded in 1951 and today a point of reference for thousands of smallholder farmers in the region. The cooperative invests actively in the local community, supporting member families through educational programmes and specialist agricultural training. The cherries are harvested October through December and sorted. Dry-rested for 30 hours, they are then pulped and washed in tanks to remove excess mucilage. Finally, the coffee is sun-dried on raised beds, enhancing the brightness of the cup and helping create a complex aromatic profile.

Cupping

Rich, complex acidity. Citrus notes and ginger weave through hints of peach tea. A clean, lingering aftertaste.

Washed Process

The harvested coffee cherries are first selected, either mechanically or in water tanks, to remove unripe cherries and other foreign matter. They are then processed with depulpers to remove the skin (exocarp) and pulp (outer mesocarp).

With a portion of the mucilage (inner mesocarp) left on the parchment (endocarp), the coffee beans are fermented in water tanks for around 14 to 36 hours. During this time, the microorganisms in the beans help break down the mucilage with their enzymes.

The beans are then washed with fresh water and laid to dry on either cement patios or raised beds, or in some cases placed in mechanical dryers. They are turned regularly to avoid unwanted mold and further fermentation, and when the beans reach around 11% humidity they are stored in parchment (endocarp), before being milled and bagged.