Water consumption
Energy
Fermentation
Mechanical damage
Café lavado
Consumo de agua
Energía
Fermentación
Daño mecánico
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This research evaluated a low-water and low-energy consumption coffee washing equipment that may be used by small producers who use natural fermentation. The three-speed effect of the rotor and three specific volumes of water in mucilage removal (response variable), capacity (kg.h-1 of washed coffee) and mechanical damage (%), under a completely randomized experimental design in a 3x3 factorial arrangement. The experimental unit consisted of 20 kg of Castillo® variety coffee with degraded mucilage. Each treatment had seven experimental units. Mucilage removal was affected by the rotation speed of the rotor or by the specific volume of water supplied, but not by the interaction of these two variables. The grain mechanical damage is neither affected by the rotation speed nor by the specific volume of water, nor by the interaction between them. Mucilage removal >96% was obtained with a rotation speed of 300 r.min-1 or with a specific volume of water equal or higher than 0.7 L.kg-1 of dry parchment coffee. The grain mechanical damage varied between 0.03% and 0.20%. The resulting waters were added to the pulp to obtain total retention and avoid spilling. This new equipment allows to wash coffee with lower energy consumption (1 kW.h.kg-1of washed coffee) compared to technologies used in Colombia.
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