Kenya Cassis

• Country: Kenya
• Region: Kirinyaga
• Producer: Ngariama Farmers Cooperative Society
• Variety:  SL-28, SL-34, Batian, Ruiru 11
• Processing: Washed
• Altitude: 1800 masl

The roaster's story:

Farmers sort their cherries by ripeness before they go into production. They are then placed directly in the hopper that is connected to the pulping machine.The coffee flows from the hopper down to the pulper, and the pulper removes the skin and pulp (usually an Agaarde disc pulping machine). The machine is designed to conduct grading of high and low quality (1st, 2nd, and 3rd). Grade 1 and 2 are fermented separately, while Grade 3 is considered to be of lower quality. The coffee is fermented for 16-24 hours under closed shade. After fermentation, the coffee is washed and graded again in channels, so that the cherries of lower quality (with lower density) will float. They are removed, leaving the denser, higher quality beans to be separated as higher-grade lots. The cherries are then soaked under clean water for approximately 24 hours. After soaking, the coffee is spread out on raised beds and dried for 7 to 15 days.