Quality of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) pre-processed in coconut / Qualidade de café (Coffea arabica L.) pré-processado por via seca

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2009

RESUMO

The maturity stage physiological of coffee fruit after their harvest may influence on the physiological quality of grains and the final quality of coffee drink, mainly because of their peculiarities. The objective of this study was to verify some aspects of pre-process of coffee in coconut, harvesting at different percentages of cherry maturation stage, relating the influence of this stage of maturation, during processing of coffee in physical-chemical composition and quality of the drink. The coffee fruits were harvested in four percentages of cherry maturation stage by Derric manual system on the cloth, characterizing were investigated with four lots, Lot 1 (90.9%), Lot 2 (81.5%), Lot 3 (65.4%) and Lot 4 (44.7%). After collected, the individual lots were washed, and the fruits of higher density were separated andtransported to the cement terrace, where they remained for two days to reduce the initial water content of around 70% wet basis (wb). After this period, each lot was divided; one part remained in cement terrace and another court transferred to suspendeded terrace. The fruits were spread daily with using a squeegee on cement terrace and suspendeded terrace. These fruits formed layer with approximately three cm, which at dusk were stacked and covered with bags of plastic canvas and sackcloth. At dawn, these fruits were spread again on terraces, this process was repeating until the lots of coffee in coconut reach to 11% bu. (the recommended moisture content for storage). Every two days, in end of afternoon, samples of three liters of coffee were collected to determination of water content and water activity, and after step of washing, the coffee transferred from cement terrace to suspendeded terrace to detection and identification of fungi in the end of process of drying. After completing of process of drying, the coffee lots in coconut enhanced, capability the grains to separating with visible defects, and retained in sieves of 16 circular sieves above used to analysis of electrical conductivity and potassium leaching. These grains were ground with using a sieve of 30 "Meshes" to analysis of total acidity, fat acidity, ether extract, pH and color index of sensory analysis (proof cup). The experiment of physical-chemical analysis was conducted the second factorial 4x2 (four lots of coffee in coconut in different percentages of maturation stage and two types of terrace during the drying) in a complete randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Data were submitted to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and means were compared with using Tukey test at 5% probability (SAEG version 9.1). The data for detection and identification of fungi were expressed in percentage of species found in peel and coffee beans. Statistical analysis of sensory evaluation was conducted following the same schedule described factor to physical-chemical analysis with randomized block design (RBD) and program of SAS PROC GLM, version 8.0. We verified the correlations (r) of Pearson with α=0.05 between the physical-chemical and sensory attributes by the PROC CORR program of SAS, version 8.0. The results showed, the adverse environmental conditions at certain periods during the drying process were instrumental in the absorption of moisture of the coffee and that this effect was more intense in cement terrace, because suspendeded terrace was more protected from the weather change. The behaviors of the curves of drying and water activity were similar, resulting in an exponential curve adjusted to form the type y = y0 + ae(-bx). The low water activity, 0.533; the end of drying process was the direct responsible parameter to the reduction which was identified in the percentage of fungi. There were significant differences (P<0.05) measured in all physical and chemical parameters, the results showed that better quality of grain in lots that had higher percentages of fruits. These differences were also observed between the types of terrace employees; suspendeded terrace presented better quality of grain compared to grains in the yard of dry cement. However, these differences were not significant determinants to the point of adversely affecting the final quality of the drink of coffee, since they have not been significant differences between the sensory attributes that rank as being of lower quality. The significant correlations between variables of physical chemical and sensory evaluating during the processing of coffee in coconut, suggest that the damage of cell membranes of coffee beans are the main indicators to describe properly the final quality of coffee.

ASSUNTO(S)

desenvolvimento de fungo atributos sensoriais coffee in coconut water activity drying process sensory attributes processo de secagem cell membranes café em coco atividade de água membranas celulares engenharia de processamento de produtos agricolas development of fungus

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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