Custos de secagem de café cereja descascado desmucilado, em secador horizontal rotativo, com utilização de lenha de eucalípto e gás liqüefeito de petróleo.

Abstract

Technological and economical evaluations of unhusked desmucilated cherry coffee drying process are important to consolidate the brazilian coffee quality, to rationalize energy consumption and to optimize post-harvest costs. The objectives of this work were to investigate the influence of the drying of unhusked desmucilated cherry Icatú IAC 2944 coffee (Coffea arabica L.) in an horizontal rotary dryer, using eucaliptus firewood and LPGas, on the coffee total drying cost, including the energy, labor and capital costs. Two 15,000 liters commercial dryers were used. There were no design treatments, but concurrent tests, with coffee mass temperatures from 35.7 to 43.7ºC and airflows from 126.3 a 174.5 m3.min-1 and initial moisture content from 45,3 a 58,3%. The total drying cost was evaluated, including the energy, labor and capital costs. The results indicated that the use of LPGas presented 111,5% higher drying cost than eucalyptus firewood system. The use of wood showed a electrical cost 10.9% lower than the use o LPGas and when the LPGas was used in the drying processes resulted in a labor cost 112% lower than the use of wood.