About This Coffee
Mutitu washing station was built in 1957 and is one of the oldest factories in Kenya. Around 750 smallholder farmers actively deliver their cherry to Mutitu station. Mutitu washing station is part of the Rugi Farmers’ Cooperative Society. The society, which has over 2,200 members, manages several stations including New Irera, Mutheru and Githaiti.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Predominant varieties in the region are SL28 and SL34. The producers deliver their cherries to the central washing station. Mutitu factory then wet processes the coffee in typical Kenyan style.
After weighing the cherry to keep a record of each farmer’s delivery, coffee is pulped on a disc pulper and then dry fermented for 12-24 hours. After fermentation, parchment is washed in clean water and washing and grading channels to remove remaining mucilage. Then, the coffee is submerged in clean water for up to 36 hours with a water change every 5 to 12 hours. Finally, parchment is delivered to the raised drying beds for an average of 10 days. The highest qualities are soaked for an additional 24 hours in clean water before being carried out into the drying field.
When the coffee has dried to 11% moisture content, Kenya's registered marketing agents take the coffee to the weekly auction. In this auction, registered buyers are able to bid on the coffees they liked. Each buyer can take samples from the auction’s sample room to evaluate in his own lab, a week prior to the auction.
AB Grade
Kenyan coffees are classified by size. AB beans are those that are between screen size 15 and 18 meaning that beans are between 6 and 7 millimeters in size.
Coffee in Kenya
Though coffee growing had a relatively late start in Kenya, the industry has gained and maintained a impressive reputation. Since the start of production, Kenyan coffee has been recognized for its high-quality, meticulous preparation and exquisite flavors. Our in-country sister company, Sucafina Kenya, works with farmers across the country to ensure these exceptional coffees gain the accolades they deserve.
Today, more than 600,000 smallholders farming fewer than 5 acres compose 99% of the coffee farming population of Kenya. Their farms cover more than 75% of total coffee growing land and produce nearly 70% of the country’s coffee. These farmers are organized into hundreds of Farmer Cooperative Societies (FCS), all of which operate at least one factory. The remainder of annual production is grown and processed by small, medium and large land estates. Most of the larger estates have their own washing stations.
Most Kenyan coffees are fully washed and dried on raised beds. The country still upholds its reputation for high quality and attention to detail at its many washing stations. The best factories employ stringent sorting practices at cherry intake, and many of them have had the same management staff in place for years.