Sensory quality of different coffee varieties submitted to controlled fermentation

Abstract

The consumer market for specialty coffees has been growing every day in most countries, especially in the Brazilian domestic market. Post-harvest processing and preparation methods have been extremely relevant in this context. Brazil is the largest producer and exporter of coffee in the world, and one of the largest consumers of the beverage, making it necessary to develop research involving strategies to improve the quality of the coffee beverage. These researches have provided Brazil with recognition not only as a major producer but also as a supplier of good quality coffee. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensory quality of the beverage of different coffee varieties submitted to controlled fermentation compared to natural drying in the yard process. The experiment was carried out in the Planalto de Araxá, in the experimental design in randomized blocks, in the factorial scheme of 8 X 3, being: 8 varieties; 3 types of fermentation (120 and 168 hours of controlled fermentation and a third, which was natural drying in the yard), all with 4 repetitions. The sensory quality of the drink was evaluated through the scores of 3 qualified referees, called Q Arabica Graders, following the SCA classification methodology. It was concluded that the inoculation of fermentation yeasts added to the sensory quality in the 8 varieties evaluated, compared with natural drying. Controlled coffee fermentation, provided that it is carried out under satisfactory environmental and technical conditions, can improve the sensory quality of coffee grown in the Cerrado of Minas Gerais.