Dados do Trabalho

Título

IMPACT OF LARGE-SCALE FERMENTATION ON THE SENSORY PROFILE OF ARABICA COFFEE CV. ARARA

Introdução

The production of specialty coffees on a large scale has become increasingly necessary, however, its influence on coffee quality is still unclear. Therefore, the objective of this study was to carry out large-scale coffee fermentations, investigating the influence of different fermentation conditions on the quality of the drink.

Material e Métodos

Three lots of Arabica coffee cv. Arara were used. Coffees were grown at 1050 m in Chuá Farm, located in the Cerrado Mineiro region. Fermentations were carried out with washed coffee cherries, in a stainless-steel bioreactor with a capacity of 15000 L equipped with two water jackets, adapted to a temperature-controlled water circulation system (27±0.5°C). Fermentations were carried out for 48 h in solid state with inoculum (SSF-SCF), solid state without inoculum (SSF-SPF) and submerged state with inoculum (SMF-SCF). The inoculum used was Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Fruits were sun-dried until a moisture content of 12%. Next, the dried fruits were peeled, and the beans were roasted, ground, and directed for sensory analysis conducted by a panel of Q-Graders, following the protocol of the Specialty Coffee Association. Means and standard deviations were conducted using Minitab®️ Software 17.1.0.

Resultados e Discussão

The scores obtained in the sensory analysis were given to SSF-SCF (83.47±1.06), SSF-SPF (82.87±0.38) and SMF-SCF
(82.43±1.10), classifying them as specialty coffees (scores above 80 points). Among all the sensory descriptors identified by the Q-graders for each sample, those associated with fruited perceptions accounted for 60.93%, 38.43%, 33.86% for SSF-SCF, SMF-SCF, and SSF-SPF, respectively. This sensory profile was expected and is in line with the results
found in the literature, since coffee fermentation and the addition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae contribute to fruity descriptors with greater complexity. However, it was evident that the addition in a submerged state did not have the same performance, this fact may be associated with the possibility of solubilization of the compounds that help
in the sensorial composition, during the fermentation process. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that specialty coffees can be obtained using large-scale fermentation, a process traditionally limited to small-scale production. Furthermore, the specific fermentation method used influenced sensory perceptions and sensory evaluation scores.

Conclusão

This sensory profile was expected and aligns with the findings reported in the literature, since coffee fermentation and the addition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae contribute to fruited descriptors with increased complexity. Therefore, it can be concluded that changes in the fermentation method influence the final scores of the beverage, and large-scale fermentation successfully replicated the fruity notes achieved in specialty coffees.