Coffee

The by-products of coffee processing are mainly coffee pulp, parchment husks and coffee husks. The main environmentally sustainable alternative uses include soil conditioner, fertilizer, mulch, animal feed, alcohol, bio gas, charcoal, heat energy, wax, and acids.

Coffee chaff from coffee roasting and spent coffee grounds from coffee manufacturing can also be used as CO2-neutral fuels. Spent coffee grounds from soluble coffee production can be burned as renewable fuel which replaces or reduces fossil fuel use for other production stages.

Four common sustainable coffee by-products include the following,

Composting

• Coffee pulp is a rich source of nutrients: 0.5% nitrogen; 0.15% phosphorus, and 0.5% potassium.
• Coffee pulp can be treated and used as organic fertilizer.
• Usually the coffee pulp is placed on piles and left to compost for about 3 to 12 months.
• During that time, coffee pulp turns into rich, black humus excellent for composting.
• Using organic fertilizers improves soil conditions and increases agricultural yield.
• Farmers save money otherwise spent buying inorganic fertilizers.

Mushroom planting soil

• Coffee pulp can also be used as planting soil for mushroom production.
• When used for this purpose, the coffee pulp is fermented for about two days.
• The coffee pulp is then pasteurized with hot water, drained, dried and mixed with mushroom spores.
• Next, the mixture is put in plastic bags with holes where the mushrooms develop for about 3 to 4 weeks.
• When the mushrooms grow out of the holes, they are collected.
• One bag allows for about 2 to 3 mushroom harvests.
• The fresh mushrooms are for table consumption or they can be dried for sale.
• The income from mushroom growing can be significant for the farmers who do this.

Animal feed supplement

• Coffee pulp is very rich in nutrients.
• Coffee pulp can be dried and used in animal feed.
• The pulp needs to be treated as quickly as possible to prevent the development of fungi.
• Usually, coffee pulp is treated with calcium hydroxide and dried under pressure.
• Another way to dry pulp, in the absence of industrial equipment, is to mix the coffee pulp with sugar cane molasses or other inorganic substances before storing the mix in silos.
• The resulting silage is available for use after 3 weeks and can remain stored for up to 18 months.
• The use of coffee pulp for this by-product appears to offer limited value because the cost of processing the pulp can exceed the gain derived from its use.
• The research on the effects of caffeine, potassium and other natural chemicals in the pulp on the health of animals is ongoing and will be influential for the future of this by-product.

Energy source for heat exchangers of coffee driers

• The most energy consuming step in coffee processing is drying.
• Sun drying is very common and offers many benefits but has drawbacks as well.
• Sun drying conserves energy, minimizes the use of fossil fuels and reduces costs.
• However, parchment coffee can be contaminated with dust and dirt during the sun drying process.
• Rainstorms happen without warning and are a challenge for farmers to prevent bean re-wetting which can promote bacterial infections and moldy growth.
• Because sun drying is time intensive, many coffee processors choose mechanical drying. The downside is that the cost to operate mechanical dryers is high and can cut down on margins.
• Using coffee parchment husks as the energy source for burners for heat exchangers of coffee driers is both a great environmentally friendly waste-recycling and energy-saving solution.

With international markets changing and the economic pressures mounting everywhere, crops such as coffee require innovative thinking to improve efficiency, cost effectiveness, quality and competitiveness. Sustainable coffee by-product development will continue to be a fast growing and important field of research.

What about drinking a delicious cup of Kona Extra Fancy Certified?

Timothy (“Tim”) S. Collins, the author, is called by those who know him “Gourmet Coffee Guy.” He is an expert in article writing who has done extensive research online and offline in his area of expertise, coffee marketing, as well as in other areas of personal and professional interest.

Come visit the author’s website: http://www.ourgourmetcoffee.com

Copyright – Timothy S. Collins. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Author: Timothy S. Collins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Home care

The by-products of coffee processing are mainly coffee pulp, parchment husks and coffee husks. The main environmentally sustainable alternative uses include soil conditioner, fertilizer, mulch, animal feed, alcohol, bio gas, charcoal, heat energy, wax, and acids.

Coffee chaff from coffee roasting and spent coffee grounds from coffee manufacturing can also be used as CO2-neutral fuels. Spent coffee grounds from soluble coffee production can be burned as renewable fuel which replaces or reduces fossil fuel use for other production stages.

Four common sustainable coffee by-products include the following,

Composting

• Coffee pulp is a rich source of nutrients: 0.5% nitrogen; 0.15% phosphorus, and 0.5% potassium.
• Coffee pulp can be treated and used as organic fertilizer.
• Usually the coffee pulp is placed on piles and left to compost for about 3 to 12 months.
• During that time, coffee pulp turns into rich, black humus excellent for composting.
• Using organic fertilizers improves soil conditions and increases agricultural yield.
• Farmers save money otherwise spent buying inorganic fertilizers.

Mushroom planting soil

• Coffee pulp can also be used as planting soil for mushroom production.
• When used for this purpose, the coffee pulp is fermented for about two days.
• The coffee pulp is then pasteurized with hot water, drained, dried and mixed with mushroom spores.
• Next, the mixture is put in plastic bags with holes where the mushrooms develop for about 3 to 4 weeks.
• When the mushrooms grow out of the holes, they are collected.
• One bag allows for about 2 to 3 mushroom harvests.
• The fresh mushrooms are for table consumption or they can be dried for sale.
• The income from mushroom growing can be significant for the farmers who do this.

Animal feed supplement

• Coffee pulp is very rich in nutrients.
• Coffee pulp can be dried and used in animal feed.
• The pulp needs to be treated as quickly as possible to prevent the development of fungi.
• Usually, coffee pulp is treated with calcium hydroxide and dried under pressure.
• Another way to dry pulp, in the absence of industrial equipment, is to mix the coffee pulp with sugar cane molasses or other inorganic substances before storing the mix in silos.
• The resulting silage is available for use after 3 weeks and can remain stored for up to 18 months.
• The use of coffee pulp for this by-product appears to offer limited value because the cost of processing the pulp can exceed the gain derived from its use.
• The research on the effects of caffeine, potassium and other natural chemicals in the pulp on the health of animals is ongoing and will be influential for the future of this by-product.

Energy source for heat exchangers of coffee driers

• The most energy consuming step in coffee processing is drying.
• Sun drying is very common and offers many benefits but has drawbacks as well.
• Sun drying conserves energy, minimizes the use of fossil fuels and reduces costs.
• However, parchment coffee can be contaminated with dust and dirt during the sun drying process.
• Rainstorms happen without warning and are a challenge for farmers to prevent bean re-wetting which can promote bacterial infections and moldy growth.
• Because sun drying is time intensive, many coffee processors choose mechanical drying. The downside is that the cost to operate mechanical dryers is high and can cut down on margins.
• Using coffee parchment husks as the energy source for burners for heat exchangers of coffee driers is both a great environmentally friendly waste-recycling and energy-saving solution.

With international markets changing and the economic pressures mounting everywhere, crops such as coffee require innovative thinking to improve efficiency, cost effectiveness, quality and competitiveness. Sustainable coffee by-product development will continue to be a fast growing and important field of research.

What about drinking a delicious cup of Kona Extra Fancy Certified?

Timothy (“Tim”) S. Collins, the author, is called by those who know him “Gourmet Coffee Guy.” He is an expert in article writing who has done extensive research online and offline in his area of expertise, coffee marketing, as well as in other areas of personal and professional interest.

Come visit the author’s website: http://www.ourgourmetcoffee.com

Copyright – Timothy S. Collins. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Author: Timothy S. Collins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Benefits of electric pressure cooker

In this the fourth article in our series on world coffees we discuss the coffees from Africa and the Middle East.

ETHIOPIA

Ethiopia is the true birthplace of coffee. The original coffee plant originated here as well the first brew. Ethiopia today is the fifth largest producer of coffee in the world growing mainly the best arabicas. Ethiopian dry-processed coffee (Harrar), tends to be medium-bodied and strongly acidic with fruity, winy tones. The best wet-processed coffee (Yirgacheffe) is light-bodied and has distinctive floral and citrus notes. Dry processed ‘Djimah’ is a popular bean that a exhibits medicinal taste. ‘Ghimbi’ is a wet-processed bean from western Ethiopia. Limu is the market name for a well-respected fragrant, floral and fruit-toned wet-processed coffee from south-central Ethiopia.

UGANDA

As the 11th largest producer of coffee in the world, Uganda has some fine arabica coffees which display the much favoured winy acidity and other desirable flavour characteristics of the best East African coffees. About 90% of the coffees produced are of the robusta variety, which are mainly used for blending and in the manufacture of instant soluble coffee. ‘Bugishu’ coffee from the slopes of Mount Elgon is the best known coffee from Uganda.

IVORY COAST

As the third largest producer of coffee on the African continent, the Ivory Coast grows mainly rich and strong robustas used in soluble coffee production.

TANZANIA

Tanzania produces mostly robusta coffees much of it grown on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro from which these Kilimanjaro coffees get their name. Some arabicas are grown further south in the country the best known of which is ‘Mbeya’ coffee. The best coffees from Tanzania have a full body and rich flavour, with classic acidy that make them resemble the best coffees of neighbouring Kenya.

CAMEROON

Due to its high altitude, rich volcanic soils and ample rainfall coffees from Cameroon are of good quality. They are full-bodied flavour with a well-rounded finish with chocolate characteristics.

KENYA

Kenya produces excellent quality Arabica coffees that are renowned for their consistent high quality. Although mainly produced by smallholders the harvested beans are pooled and processed under strict conditions by the Coffee Board of Kenya. The beans are carefully graded by the board into categories. PB or peaberry is considered the best, followed by AA, A and B. The peaberry plant only produces a single bean, rather than the usual ‘split’ bean found in all other varieties. Kenyan coffees have deep winy acidity with subtle fruit and berry tones.

MADAGASCAR

The island of Madagascar produces over 700,000 bags of coffee per year of both robusta and Arabica varieties. It’s most celebrated coffee ‘Kouillou’ has a highly distinctive flavour and is rated very highly by the French.

YEMEN

The name ‘Mocha’ often synonymous with coffee comes from the Yemen port of the same name, which was used as a main trading point for coffee beans. Yemeni beans are known for their rich, winy, aroma and strong chocolate tones.

For more information about coffee and coffee making equipment visit http://www.cafebar.co.uk

Author: Fenton Wayne
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Cellphone, mobile phone

Whichever blend of coffee you prefer or whatever type of equipment you are using to prepare the coffee the objective is the same. To release the coffee oils and soluble coffee compounds into solution in the final beverage.

Not all the soluble compounds are desirable particularly tannin so it is important to brew the coffee is just the right manner to produce the perfect cup.

Although it is possible to extract as much as a third of the mass of coffee from the grounds the optimum amount is about 20%

There are six important factors to consider when making fresh coffee.

1. The coffee grind – By this we mean the particle size of the coffee grounds. This varies typically from largest to smallest thus: coarse, medium, fine and espresso (or very fine)

Over-extraction can occur if the grind size is too small for the method and equipment used resulting in a coffee being bitter and too strong. If the size is too large then under-extraction will occur resulting in a weak wishy-washy coffee.

Typically one would use a coarse grind for a coffee pot, medium grind for a cafeteria (French Press), medium to fine for a typical filter drip machine and espresso grind for an espresso machine.

2. Freshness and quantity of coffee – Coffee beans should be stored in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight and ideally kept in an airtight container. The coffee should be ground to order as ground coffee will lose some of its subtle flavors and aromas if is left exposed to the atmosphere for very long.

It is vital to use the recommended dosage of coffee depending on the equipment being used. Using less coffee but increasing the brewing time will not result in a standard brew but create an over-extracted drink. Using more coffee than recommended but a quicker infusion time will result in an under-extracted coffee.

3. Temperature and water quality of the water – Always use fresh cold water to start off the brewing process. Ideally the water should be filtered to remove unwanted taints and odors and be very slightly hard.

Water should be used that has just come off the boil and be approximately 95-98 degrees Celsius for optimum extraction of coffee. Too hot can scald the coffee and too cool will result in under-extraction.

4. The infusion time – The length of time that the hot water is in direct contact with the coffee grounds is crucial in producing the perfect cup. In reality this is determined by the equipment being used to brew it, so always follow the manufacturers guidelines.

As a rough guide however consider the following.

10-30 seconds for espresso grind 3-6 minutes for fine grind 6-8 minutes for medium grind 8-10 minutes for coarse grind

5. Brewing method employed – Basically there are three different methods employed to make coffee. These are steep & strain, filter infusion and pressure infusion.

Steep and strain simply involves putting hot water in contact with coffee grounds in a pot or container until under extraction has occurred. The resulting brew is strained to isolate the coffee liquor.

Filter infusion is common in many applications and uses a filter basket filled with coffee grounds that has hot water added from above. The infusion time is relatively short as the water infuses briefly with the coffee until the liquor passes thought the basket into a flask or container below.

Pressure infusion – Hot water is forced under high pressure though a small tablet of compacted grounds to produce an individual serving of coffee. This is the standard method of producing espresso.

Again it is imperative to use the right method with the correct type and grind of coffee.

6. Cleanliness – Coffee contains oils that will leave a tarry residue on equipment that can contaminate and spoil the taste of subsequent brews. Daily washing and cleaning of equipment is an absolutely vital part in producing the perfect cup.

Have fun – producing a great tasting cup of your favorite coffee should be an easy and enjoyable task.

For more information about coffee and coffee making equipment visit http://www.cafebar.co.uk

Author: Fenton Wayne
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Tissot virtual reality