Design and construction of a coffee bioreactor.

Abstract

Coffee is tanked second to crude oil as the most important internationally traded commodity across the world and it is also the most important cash crop in Uganda; Wet processing of coffee helps to preserve the intrinsic value of the coffee beans however when poorly conducted, it severely deteriorates the final product. Wet processing is done in two ways. and this includes mechanical demucilating and natural fermentation. The main. objective of this research was to design and construct a coffee parchment fermentation vessel to aid natural decomposition of the sugars contained in the mucilage to allow it to be freely washed off. This was accomplished through. a systematic study of the specific objectives which involved designing the components of the bioreactor. constructing and thereafter testing its usability. Much of the relevant information required to accomplish this study lies in comprehensive review of relevant literature and case studies to the various wet processing stations and the local farmers who are to use the equipment. The equipment was successfully designed, constructed and tested; the results from the testing clearly shown that regulating temperature of fermentation other than the. ambient. conditions. significantly reduces the fermentation time by a round 68%, from the 16hours taken at uncontrolled Conditions to 5hours. However, the design had some limitations in. controlling the temperature to the required optimum (37) degrees Celsius and it is recommended that a more efficient temperature control mechanism be incorporated for complete optimization.