Kenya Embu County Kasawa Processing Station How Should Kenyan Coffee Be Brewed by Pour-Over?

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Kenya's 2017 Production Crisis

In 2017, Kenya experienced continuous production decline with soaring green bean prices. The 2017 production season had almost no winners.

Kasarani Processing Station

The Kasarani Processing Station is located in Embu County and was established in 1964. It is a small-scale primary processing station and village cooperative under the Kibugu Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS). The farmers from Kasarani come from two villages: Kibugu and Nguviu. The current processing station manager is John Njue Kamwengu. During the main harvest season, John hires several temporary workers to assist with his busy quality control and processing operations.

Climatic Conditions

The Kasarani region receives approximately 1500mm of annual rainfall. The main rainy season is from March to May, while October to December is the secondary rainy season, which coincidentally marks the division between the two major production seasons. November to January is the main harvest season, and May to June is the secondary harvest season. The average annual temperature ranges from 12 to 25 degrees Celsius.

Coffee Varieties

Farmers own an average of 200 coffee trees, with most planted with the SL28 variety. Ruiru 11 is used to increase yields and as a replacement variety during disease outbreaks.

Harvesting and Processing

The Kasarani harvesting and processing operations are as follows:

After the coffee cherries have their pulp removed, they undergo overnight fermentation to break down the sugars in the mucilage layer. They are then washed clean and soaked for approximately 24 hours. Afterwards, the coffee is evenly spread on drying tables. The time on the drying tables depends on conditions such as climate, ambient temperature, and processing volume, potentially requiring 7 to 15 days in total. The parchment coffee is then stored in cool, dry warehouses.

Quality Excellence and CMS Program

Since the 1990s, Kasarani has been known for providing specialty coffee. Despite low annual production, the cooperative remains eager to learn and participates in the "Coffee Management Services" (CMS) program. The long-term goal of this program is to increase coffee production through farmer education and training, agricultural loans, Good Agricultural Practices seminars, and annually updated and distributed Sustainable Agriculture Handbooks.

For example, farmers suggested that the cooperative provide fertilizers to expand fruit production. It's hard to believe, but Kenyan coffee farmers wait an average of 5 months to receive cash after delivering their cherries. Therefore, the cooperative's financial and cash flow capabilities determine the cohesion of its coffee farmers and their ability to improve quality. "To achieve good quality, first solve the lengthy payment mechanism" - introducing CMS was a major leap forward!

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee suggests brewing Kenyan coffee with 90°C water using a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, resulting in delicate berry acidity, excellent clarity, honey, currant notes, and a very persistent aftertaste.

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