Autumn Firecracker

The Coffee Yard was set up by Norman Mukuru in the foothills of Mount Elgon as a centre for producing high quality naturals with a diverse range of cup profiles. He works closely with The Coffee Gardens improving the quality of coffee in the region. His Imbalu coffee is famous for its big, boozy, fruity notes and is the perfect fit for our Autumn Firecracker.

AeroPress Brewing Recipe

What you’ll need:

• An AeroPress brewer and a sturdy carafe or large enough cup (while you don’t need to use too much force, we find that a very delicate carafe or cup feels a little risky when plunging so something more solid is best)
• AeroPress filters
• Ground coffee (medium-fine)
• Scale
• Timer
• Hot water just off the boil (or between 93 - 96°C).
  

Because the AeroPress is a smaller brewer, we usually recommend 15g coffee to 240g water using the 1:16 ratio.

Regular method:

1. Boil your kettle and, while that’s happening, set up your AeroPress: Add a paper filter to the cap and screw it into the main brew chamber, then place both onto your carafe or mug on the scale. Add some hot water to rinse the filter and pre-heat the brewer and the receptacle (remember to discard before brewing!)
2. Tare the scale and add 15g of coffee (your AeroPress came with a very handy funnel for this situation). Tare again.
3. Start your timer, and pour about 25g of water to saturate the coffee. After 45 seconds, pour in the rest of the water.
4. Add the plunger to the top, remove from the scale, and wait.
5. At 1:45, start to gently but firmly press the plunger all the way down.

Inverted method:

1. Boil your kettle. Meanwhile, set up your AeroPress: connect the plunger part to the brew chamber, lining up the silicone seal roughly with the number 4. Place the brewer on the scale with the open flared end facing upwards.
2. Tare the scale and add 15g of coffee. Tare again.
3. Start your timer and pour in roughly 25g of water, saturating the coffee. After 45 seconds, pour in the rest of the water until you have 250g.
4. At 1:45, place a filter in the cap and screw it onto the brewer. This step is extremely important when using the inverted method—don’t forget!
5. Carefully and quickly flip the AeroPress over and place on the carafe or mug (pro tip: you can turn your mug or carafe upside down and hold it in place while flipping to lessen the risk of spills).
6. Remove from the scale and if you haven’t already, place atop your carafe or mug. Then, gently but firmly press the plunger all the way down.

Notes:

• The original AeroPress is quite small, making enough for about one cup. If you’re sharing with a friend, you can lower the ratio by adding double the coffee but the same amount of water to make a concentrated brew, which you can then dilute afterwards by adding more hot water.
• If you find that your ground coffee makes a bit of a mess when pouring into other brewers like the Kalita Wave or the Hario V60, the AeroPress dosing funnel can be used for these too!

Don't have an AeroPress? Check out our other brewing guides on our blog post, 'How To Brew Coffee at Home.'

Uganda is known as ‘the Pearl of Africa’ due to its spectacular landscapes and abundant wildlife. It's also one of the few countries in the world where coffee grows natively, with indigenous robusta trees still growing around Lake Victoria.

Robusta coffee was first domesticated by the Baganda people who used it for cultural and medicinal purposes. The British colonial government established large estates for robusta cultivation in the early 20th century, and also introduced robusta's higher-quality but fragile cousin Arabica to the country.

When many of the large estates collapsed in the 1920s due to falling prices and the fallout from World War I and the 1918 flu pandemic, smallholder farmers took over and remain the backbone of Uganda's coffee industry.

Today robusta coffee continues to play a crucial role in Uganda's economy, although high-grown Arabica is increasingly important and sought-after by roasters.

Did you know?

• High altitudes and cool temperatures make the Rwenzoris ideal for growing Arabica coffee, while the myriad microclimates and prevalence of shade-growing lead to healthier plants and more complex coffees.
• The Kibale Wild Coffee Project was an initiative around the millennium to commercialise the park's native-growing robusta by providing employment to inhabitants and incentivising conservation practices. However it transpired that there wasn't enough interest in premium robusta coffee at the time and the project was subsequently shelved.
• The Rwenzori Mountains are among the leading contenders for title of 'Mountains of the Moon', thought by Ptolemy and other ancient geographers to be the source of the Nile. Unfortunately the glaciated peaks that give the Rwenzoris their moon-like appearance are in retreat due to the global impacts of climate change.

Our speciality coffees are 100% traceable and ethically sourced. We work direct with farmers, or through trusted partners, to bring you the best coffee from around the world.

Sourced in partnership with: Falcon Coffees
Producer relationship length: Since 2015