Introduction to Kenya How is Kenya coffee graded?

Coffee growing areas of Kenya

Kenya's coffee producing areas are mainly concentrated in Mt. Kenya. Kenya) represents the plateau area. Tropical climate, acidic red volcanic soil for coffee provides a natural suitable growth environment. The main producing areas are Nyeri and Ruiru in the central part.

Kenya coffee varieties

Bourbon Bourbon was first brought to Kenya for cultivation. In the 1950s, Scott Laboratory, an agricultural research institution at that time, made unremitting efforts to select two excellent hybrids SL-28 and SL-34, overturning the long-standing bias that artificial breeding varieties were not excellent in natural varieties. SL-28 and SL-34 help Kenya coffee to form its own unique flavor characteristics and establish a perfect reputation in the coffee industry.

Kenya coffee growing methods

There are mainly two types of large farms (estates) and cooperatives (Cooperatives). The former generally has a larger planting area and independent coffee processing facilities. Most coffee production is done by a large number of small farmers, who form coffee cooperatives. Coffee cooperatives hire managers to oversee their members 'coffee processing, even to the point of managing each coffee tree.

Kenya coffee harvest season

Kenya has two harvest seasons, the main one from October to December and the secondary one from May to July.

Kenya Coffee Processing

Large farms usually have separate treatment facilities. A large number of small farmers usually pick ripe coffee berries by hand. Coffee picking is labour-intensive, requiring the whole family to work and even workers to be hired during harvest season. Fresh coffee needs to be transported in time to a cooperative-owned coffee processing plant for pulping, which may be carried by ox cart, pickup truck or truck. After dehulling, the Parchment coffee is stored briefly in the cooperative's processing plant and then sent to a privately owned plant for dehulling.

Kenya Coffee Grade

Kenya is known for grading coffee beans by particle size. Usually divided into nine grades, according to the bean type, there are PB, that is, round beans, accounting for about 10% of the total yield, in addition to E(elephant beans), AA, AB, C, T, TT, MH, ML according to the size.

AA Plus (AA+) Excellent AA grade in cup quality (flavor, taste)

AA Screen Size 17--18 Size

AB particle size (Screen Size) 15- 16 size, accounting for most of the yield

C particle size (Screen Size) is smaller than AB

TT Light weight beans blown from AA and AB grade beans by air filter

T Light weight beans blown from C grade beans by air filter

E Elephant Bean A large variant of two beans in one, also known as Elephant Ear Bean.

UG does not meet the above criteria

PB Peaberry, classified by appearance, independent of flavor weight