MOISTURE CONTENT OF COFFEE

In many cases determining the equilibrium moisture content can also be used to determine the moisture content for specific products. Monitoring of the water content of coffee beans and ground coffee is necessary for compliance with quality control parameters and statutory regulations as well as being a crucial factor for an optimum production process. Inline measurement during production is often difficult and expensive. Measurement is usually only possible using samples in the laboratory which, on account of the time required, can lead to considerable shortfalls, quality losses and waste. Measurement technology for the determination of the equilibrium moisture content can be installed with relatively low expenditure at critical places in the production process. In addition, the low expenditure on measurement equipment allows for the realisation of simultaneous measurements at different process locations (e.g., silo, mill, temporary storage facilities). Comparability of the moisture content measurement values from the roaster to the silos and the mill and to the packaging is often difficult because different measurement methods are used and direct conversion of the water content values is problematic. However, determination of the equilibrium moisture content can accomplish this task at low-cost.