Gakuyu Ini PB - Kenya

POMENGRATE, GREEN APPLE 

WHERE AND WHO

The Gakuyu-Ini farm is located in Kirinyaga County in the central Kenaya. This farm is part of a Coperative of a smallholder coffee producers called Thirikwa Cooperative Society. The farm is completely immerse in a fertile and forested thanks to the rich soils originated from the extinct volcano, Mount Kenya. The farm is setted at 1700 m.a.s.l. which  contributes to the crispy flavour of coffee. In the farm grows mainly SL28, SL34 and Ruiru 11 varieties. The combination between the resistance of Ruiru 11 with the fine cup of SL28 allows the farm to produce very high quality coffee.

FROM THE CHERRY TO THE BEAN

The most common process in this farm is the wet one, also called Washed process. The ripe cherry are send to the wet mill where are pulped. After the depulping process the water flow helps to separate the cherries in three different quality, based on their density. After the density selection the beans are dry fermented for at least 24 hours, once the mucilage is loose the beans are washed again in channels full of water to completely separate beans from waste. Then the beans are send to a soak tank where fermented in cold water for 24 hours more (this process help to express the classic Kenyan’s coffee flavors). Once the second fermentation is over the beans are layed under the sun for 11 to 14 days until the right moisture level.

ABOUT THE VARIETY

SL34&SL28

Both the varieties have a very good cup potential, but very susceptible to coffee berry diseases. Originally both of them were selected in Kenya by the Scott Agricultural Laboratories in the late 1930s. The SL28 is Bourbon – related and was considered the best breeding selection of the time because is drought resistant. SL34, instead, is Typica – related and is adopted in areas with good rainfall. Both of the variety express their best potential at 1200 meters above the sea or superior altitude.