CUP QUALITY, PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF ROBUSTA COFFEE BEAN PRODUCED BY WET PROCESS METHODS

Abstract

The quality of smallholder coffee could be improved by wet process method. Natural fermentation method (removing mucilage by fermentation) produced good quality of coffee bean, but it need long time process (24-36 hours). Removing mucilage by chemical could be reduced processing time. The aim of this research was to obtain the wet process method which easy, safe and applicable on smallholder coffee. This research had 4 (four) treatments of coffee bean wet process, they were soaking in 1% sodium bicarbonates solution for 1.5 hours, soaking in 0.3% lime solution for 0.5 hour, without fermentation and natural fermentation. The parameters observed were lightness of dry parchment coffee and coffee bean, moisture and ash content of coffee bean, cup pH, cup quality. The best of wet coffee processing yielded by natural fermentation and followed by soaking in 1% sodium bicarbonates solution for 1.5 hours. Nevertheless the preference score and the most of cup quality score yielded by soaking in 1% sodium bicarbonates solution for 1.5 hours better than natural fermentation. Soaking in 1% sodium bicarbonates solution for 1.5 hours as wet process method which easy, safe and applicable on smallholder coffee.