Browsing by Author "Gimeyi, Damasco"

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    Effect of postharvest processing methods on the bean quality of arabica coffee grown in the Elgon region.
    (Busitema University, 2026) Gimeyi, Damasco
    Coffee quality is an important determinant of market value, consumer acceptance, and competitiveness in specialty coffee markets. The way Arabica coffee is processed can substantially influence the physical and sensory attributes on the coffee quality, while growing altitude may further play a great source of variation in the bean quality. This study evaluated the effect of postharvest processing methods on the physical and cup quality of Arabica coffee grown in the Elgon region of Uganda. Specifically, the study determined the effects of wet and dry processing on physical and cup quality characteristics. Coffee cherries were collected from various altitude categories in the Elgon region and processed using wet and dry methods in a factorial experimental arrangement with three replications. Physical quality was evaluated based on moisture content, screen size, 1000-bean weight, bean density, broken beans and green bean colour, while cup quality was assessed using sensory attributes including acidity, aromatic intensity, aromatic quality, astringency, bitterness, body, flavour, overall standard and overall cup quality. Data were analysed using analysis of variance, and treatment means were compared at the 5% significance level. Postharvest processing significantly affected all measured physical quality parameters (P < 0.001) and all evaluated cup-quality attributes, while altitude significantly influenced the physical characteristics and most sensory attributes. Wet processing produced lower moisture content (11.2%) than dry processing (12.3%), higher screen size (75% versus 65%), greater bean density (0.70 versus 0.65 g cm⁻³), fewer broken beans (3.7% versus 4.9%) and better green bean colour scores (4.0 versus 3.3). Dry processing, however, produced a higher 1000-bean weight (166.0 versus 153.2 g). Wet processing also produced higher scores for acidity (7.8 versus 6.5), aromatic intensity (3.9 versus 3.1), aromatic quality (4.1 versus 3.3), astringency (3.8 versus 3.0), bitterness (3.7 versus 2.9), body (3.5 versus 2.8), flavour (8.2 versus 6.8), overall standard (8.0 versus 6.8) and overall cup quality (84.2 versus 69.6). The study concludes that wet processing produced the most favourable overall physical and cup-quality profile of Arabica coffee grown in the Elgon region, despite dry processing producing greater 1000-bean weight. Future studies should evaluate fermentation duration, drying techniques, and storage conditions to further optimize coffee quality across different altitudes.