Kenya Gichathaini Ab: Sample Coffee Roasters

Kenya
Gichathaini Ab

We find flavours of delicate fruit punch, orange

Body Acidity

Gichathaini is one of three factories (or washing stations) that together form the Gikanda Farmers’ cooperative society.

The factory itself is owned by the coffee farmers who deliver cherries to the station. There are currently 897 members, with 770 of them active and selling coffees through the factory.

One elected factory representative sit on the Gikanda FCS management committee and are involved in making major decisions for the factory and for the Gikanda society as a whole.

The washing station itself is located on the Eastern side of Mt. Kenya national park about 6 km from the town of Karatina. The conditions for coffee growing are near perfect: there is abundant rainfall throughout the year, with concentrated wet periods between March-June and October- December. The average daily temperatures range from 15 C to 26 C with considerable cooling taking place at night.

The water used at the station for fermenting and washing the coffee is drawn from the nearby Ragati river using gravity-fed channels and is re-circulated during processing for conservation purposes.

After use it is moved into soak pits away from water sources so that it does not pollute the area.

Processing at Gichathaini

Timely and selective hand picking is carried out in Gichathaini wet mill. Cherry is delivered to wet mill the same day it is picked. Cherry sorting is carried out at the wet mill prior to the pulping.

Red ripe cheries are separated from underipes, overipes and foreign matter. Processing utilizes clean river water (wet processing) that is recirculated before disposal into seepage pits. Sun drying is done before delivery of the coffee to the dry mill for secondary processing.

AB: Coffee grading in Kenya

In Kenyan coffee you’ll often see initials, which are used indicate the size of the beans. AA is the larger of the two, based on a sorting screen sized 7.22mm; with AB made up of the combined beans of A grade (6.8mm) and B grade (6.2mm).

Certifications

Gikanda Farmers Cooperative Society and the Gichathaini wet mill are certified Fairtrade, UTZ, and Rainforest Alliance certified.

Sourcing and ingredients

100% SL 28, SL34, and Ruiru 11 and Batian coffee beans, provided by Condesa Co.Lab and roasted by us on Gadigal land / Sydney.

Green coffee certified Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade.

Country grade: Unknown ?

Packaging

Bag: ABA Certified home compostable
Label: Recyclable
Valve (on bags larger than 250g): General waste
Coffee ordered online is shipped in a recyclable cardboard box

Brewing this coffee

We recommend brewing this coffee 15–49 days post-roast. If pre-ground, brew as soon as possible. Our advice on storing coffee.

1:3
dose:yield
ratio

To brew on espresso, we recommend using 20g of beans (dose) to get 60g of espresso out (yield), during 24-28 seconds.

g dose

g yield

View the how to brew espresso (single origin) guide.

1:16.7
beans:water
ratio

To brew in infusion/fed brewers (V60, Chemex) use a ratio of 1:16.7 ratio of beans:water.

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

1:14.3
beans:water
ratio

To brew in immersion brewers (plunger, AeroPress, Kalita, batch brewer) we recommend using a 1:14.3 ratio of beans:water

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

1:12
beans:water
ratio

To brew as cold brew we recommend using a 1:12 ratio of beans:water

g beans

g water

View full recipes and videos in our brewguides

Producer: 1045 Small Holders
Country: Kenya
Region: Nyeri County, Mathira West District
Altitude: 1600-1900m above sea level
Varietals: SL 28, SL34, and Ruiru 11 and Batian
Process: Washed
Harvested: November 2019
Body: Medium
Acidity: Bright
Tasting notes: Delicate fruit punch, orange
Roast style: Omni

Varietals

SL34 varietal

Developed by Scott Laboratories in Kenya, the SL34 varietal was designed to be high yielding with good cup quality.

The location

Coffee from Kenya

Alongside Ethiopia and Colombia, Kenya is one of the origins we get most excited about at the roastery. It exports some of the most vibrant, bright, and unique coffees in the world.

The Nyeri region of Kenya

Central region home to Mount Kenya, an extinct volcano that produces rich, red soil. Most commonly smallholder cooperatives. Coffee trees in this region produce two crops (the main harvest producing the higher quality lots)

Farm processes

Washed process

Machines are used to remove the flesh from the coffee cherry before being fermented in water, washed again, and finally sun dried. This process tends to result in more distinct, cleaner flavours.