Green Coffee Bean Pretreatment for Low-Temperature Odor Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for reducing unpleasant odor components in roasted coffee beans, such as indole and skatole, require high-temperature heat treatments, which are costly and equipment-intensive, and there is a need for a more efficient and cost-effective method.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the addition of moisture and organic acids or saccharides to green coffee beans, followed by heating below 100°C under atmospheric pressure to impregnate the beans, allowing the acids or saccharides to be absorbed, and then roasting, thereby inhibiting the formation of indole and skatole.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-temperature heat treatment is used to reduce unpleasant odor components, then the effectiveness of odor reduction is improved, but the equipment complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the temperature parameter from high-temperature treatment to low-temperature treatment (below 100°C), and changes the pressure parameter from high-pressure to atmospheric pressure, thereby reducing equipment complexity while maintaining odor reduction effectiveness through the combined action of moisture, organic acid, and saccharide
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces moisture, organic acid, and saccharide as intermediary substances that facilitate the reduction of unpleasant odor components at low temperatures, replacing the need for complex high-temperature equipment
2Reliability
If high-temperature heat treatment is used to reduce unpleasant odor components, then the effectiveness of odor reduction is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the temperature parameter from high-temperature treatment to low-temperature treatment (below 100°C), significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining odor reduction effectiveness through the combined action of moisture, organic acid, and saccharide
3Device complexity
If moisture addition and low-temperature heating are used to impregnate green coffee beans, then the equipment complexity is reduced, but the impregnation efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention maintains continuous useful action by sequentially adding moisture, organic acid, and saccharide to green coffee beans, allowing each substance to be thoroughly absorbed before the next addition, ensuring complete impregnation without requiring complex equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary action by first adding moisture to green coffee beans to prepare them for subsequent absorption of organic acid and saccharide, creating optimal conditions for impregnation before the main treatment
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively reduces the content of indole and skatole in roasted coffee beans without high-temperature treatments, improving flavor quality and reducing odor components efficiently.
Implementation Method 1
heating the green coffee beans and the moisture to a temperature lower than 100° C. under atmospheric pressure to impregnate the green coffee beans with the moisture... causing an organic acid and/or a saccharide to be absorbed to the green coffee beans impregnated with the moisture
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a feature which suppresses the formation of indoles and scatoles, which are known to be an unpleasant odor component in roasted coffee beans, without heat-treating raw coffee beans to a high temperature of 100° C. or higher. More specifically, the present invention moistens raw coffee beans with water and subjects the same to a heat treatment at a temperature less than 100° C. at atmospheric pressure, causes the heat-treated raw coffee beans to absorb an organic acid and/or a saccharide, and thereafter, roasts the coffee beans.