Kii AB

Small-scale producers selectively harvest only ripe cherries and deliver them to the Kii processing plant. After receiving and sorting, the coffee is pulped and fermented for 16 to 24 hours, depending on the ambient temperature. It is then washed with clean water from the Kii River and left to soak for an additional 12 hours to refine the acidity and clarity in the cup.

Once Washed and sorted, the parchment is dried on raised beds for approximately 14 days. It is stirred frequently to ensure even drying and is covered during the hottest hours of the day and at night to protect it from moisture. All water used in the process is filtered through earthen pits before being returned to natural waterways.

The Kii processing plant belongs to the Rungeto Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS), a cooperative that brings together more than 850 smallholder farmers in the Kibugu district, in the heart of Kirinyaga. Built in 1995 at the foot of Mount Kenya, the station takes its name from the Kii River, whose waters are used in the coffee’ Washed .

Each farmer cultivates plots of less than one hectare, averaging 250 trees, on high-altitude volcanic soils. The ripe cherries are handpicked and delivered the same day to the processing plant, where the receiving manager conducts a strict visual selection, accepting only the densest and ripest cherries.

Kii AB coffee corresponds to Kenya’s own bean size classification: AB beans pass through sieve meshes between 15 and 18, which is equivalent to a size between 6 and 7 millimeters.

Kirinyaga is located at the foot of Mount Kenya, about 112 km from Nairobi. The locals call the mountain “Kirinyaga,” the name from which the county derives its name and which means “the peak of whiteness,” in reference to its snow-capped peaks.

When replicating this recipe, there are various variables that can affect the final result of your cup, such as the roast date, how the beans were stored, the environment, the water, the condition of the equipment, and so on. It’s important to keep in mind that all these factors can have an impact, and you may need to make minor adjustments when replicating this recipe.