Kenya Mukurweini ABCoffee Bean Intro:

Kenya Muguruai AB Coffee Beans

Region: Kenya Muguruai Processing Factory

Altitude: 1400m

Variety: SL28 & SL34

Processing Method: K72 Washed

Crop Year: 2020

Grade: AB (coffee bean size between 15–16 mesh)

Kirinyaga Region

Kirinyaga

The Kirinyaga region is located on the slopes of Mount Kenya, adjacent to the Nyeri region, and is renowned worldwide for its intense, layered, and full-bodied coffee. Along with the Nyeri region, it is recognized as one of the two best coffee-producing areas in Kenya today.

Most producers in this area are smallholder coffee farmers who join cooperatives. The cooperatives play a unifying role by providing washed processing facilities, while the farmers deliver their coffee cherries to the cooperative processing plants. Altitude: 1300 to 1900 meters, Harvest Season: October to December (main season), June to August (secondary season). Based on cupping, PreStreet Coffee found that this region is dominated by berry flavors, with moderate sweetness, honey, and creaminess.

Muguruai Processing Factory

Mugaya

The Muguruai Processing Station is located in the Kirinyaga region and was established in 1975 under the leadership of the Mutira Farmers Cooperative. The cooperative has 924 members, with an average of 200 trees per member. The Muguruai Processing Station is situated at an altitude of 1570m, with an average annual temperature of 12-26°C, red volcanic soil, and an annual rainfall of 1,100 mm. These superior geographical conditions result in lush plant growth and high coffee yields.

After harvesting, smallholder farmers deliver the fresh cherries to the processing station for washed processing. With the support of their partner, the Coffee Management Services (CMS), their long-term goal is to increase production by training farmers, increasing investment, providing agricultural knowledge training, supplying new materials related to sustainable agriculture, and encouraging farmers by increasing their income, gradually achieving their objectives. CMS firmly believes that establishing transparent and trusting partnerships with smallholder farmers supports the sustained growth of the entire domestic coffee industry and continuously improves the production standards of high-quality Kenyan coffee.

Coffee Bean Varieties

SL28 & SL34

SL-28 and SL-34. These are two of the 40 varieties resulting from a research program led by Guy Gibson at the Scott Laboratories (SL) under the direction of Scott Laboratories. The laboratory cultivated and named them in 1930. According to SL laboratory botanists, SL28 and SL34 are genetic variants.

SL28 and SL34 have copper-colored leaves and bean shapes resembling broad beans, offering excellent sweetness, balance, and complex, varied flavors, with notable citrus and dark plum characteristics.

Coffee Bean Processing Method

K72

Most Kenyan washed processing follows the unique Kenyan K72 washed method: ripe coffee cherries are cleaned, depulped, dry fermented for 24 hours, washed, then dry fermented for another 24 hours, washed again, and dry fermented for a third 24-hour cycle, achieving a total of 72 hours of strong fermentation. After washing, the beans are soaked in clean water tanks overnight, and drying begins the next morning on sun-drying beds. Due to the 72-hour fermentation process, it is called K72.

PreStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendation

PreStreet Coffee roasters use a Yangjia 800N semi-direct flame roaster with a charge of 480g: the drum temperature is set to 160°C, the air vent is opened to 3, and the heat is set to 120. The turning point is at 1'28". When the temperature reaches 130°C, the air vent is opened to 4. At 6'00", the temperature is 154.6°C, the bean surface turns yellow, and the grassy flavor completely disappears, indicating the end of dehydration.

When the bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and black streaks, and the toast smell clearly transitions to coffee aroma, it can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack begins at 9'28", the air vent remains unchanged, the first crack development time is 2'20", and the beans are dropped at 193.8°C.

PreStreet Coffee Cupping Report

PreStreet Coffee performs cupping within 8–24 hours after the sample coffee beans are roasted. PreStreet baristas typically use 200ml ceramic cupping bowls. The cupping water temperature is 94°C. The grind size is controlled to a 70%–75% extraction rate through a standard 20-mesh sieve (0.85mm). The ratio is 11g of coffee powder to 200ml of hot water, i.e., 1:18.18, yielding an extraction concentration within the ideal Golden Cup range of 1.15%–1.35%. The steeping time is 4 minutes.

Dry Aroma: Berries

Wet Aroma: Caramel

Flavor: Dark plum, plum, grape, caramel, nuts