Thimu AB, Kenya | Washed
Unroasted raw green coffee beans
| Farm: | Baragwi - Thimu AB |
| Location: | Kianyaga, Kirinyaga County |
| Varietal: | SL34, SL28, SL grafted, Ruiru 11 and Batian |
| Process: | Washed |
| Altitude: |
1800+ masl |
| Cup Score: | 86.25 |
| Cup profile: | Orange, raisin, apricot, blackberry, granola, black tea, |
| Harvest year: | 2023 - 2024 |
Thimu Coffee Washing Station is owned and operated by the Baragwi Farmers' Cooperative Society. The word thimu means “proverbs” in Kikuyu; in the past, planters would congregate in this spot during breaks to learn Kikuyu proverbs from their elders. These lessons, passed down through generations, were considered essential to wisdom and understanding in the Kikuyu community. This is a smallholder farmer's owned factory was started in 2003 and is the youngest in Baragwi Farmers Cooperative society. Now it has grown to over 1900 farmers.
The cherry is delivered at the wet mill, it is hand sorted to remove any foreign matter and also remove blacks then weighed and recorded. It is then introduced to cherry hopper to be pulped.
Once pulped using a 4 disc pulper, cherries are delivered to one of the factory’s fermentation tanks where it will ferment for about 16-24 hours depending on the ambient temperature at that time. The coffee is then fully washed on gradient water channels to remove traces of all mucilage.
The parchment will then be delivered to factory’s raised drying beds where it will dry slowly over the course of around 10-18 days. During very hot days it is covered using a shade net.
The coop does have the facilities to lend money as pre finance, however it is up to their discretion. Baragwi was actually the first cooperative in Kenya to have Rainforest Alliance certification and also is the largest in Kenya with approx. 27k farmers in total.