Kenya's two-stage wash: a 24-36 hour tank fermentation, then a 12-24 hour soak in fresh water before drying on raised beds.
Kenya's double-washing protocol replaces a single fermentation with two stages: 24 to 36 hours in tanks and a wash, then a 12 to 24 hour soak in fresh water, followed by drying on raised beds. It is often called the 72-hour process. The source links it to the brightness, citric clarity and clean sweetness of top Kenyan washed coffees from Nyeri, Kirinyaga and Murang'a, and notes its high water use and reliance on well-equipped centralised factories.
How it worksKenya's double washing uses two separate fermentation and washing stages. Beans ferment 24 to 36 hours in tanks and are washed, then soak 12 to 24 hours in fresh water to further remove fermentation by-products before drying on raised beds.
Step by step
- 01
First fermentation of 24 to 36 hours in tanks.
- 02
The beans are washed.
- 03
A second soak of 12 to 24 hours in fresh water.
- 04
The beans dry on raised beds.
Timing · About 24 to 36 hours of fermentation plus a 12 to 24 hour soak
Field notes
- i
The source ties the method to top Kenyan washed coffees from Nyeri, Kirinyaga and Murang'a.
Our notes on Kenya Double Fermentation are still being checked against their sources, so for now this page shows only the facts we can stand behind.
What can go wrong
- Uses significantly more water than standard washed processing.
- Mainly practiced at well-equipped centralised factories.
In the cup, according to guides
- AcidityMoreDescribed as giving the brightness and citric clarity of top Kenyan washed coffees.
- CleanCupMoreThe second soak aims to remove further fermentation by-products, and the source cites clarity and clean sweetness.
A variant of
Common in
At the same stage
Sources · 1 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-09-30. Some details here are less settled than others.
- Kenyan Double Washing · Green Coffee Collective