Physico-chemical composition and sensory quality of conilon coffee produced in Espirito Santo State and submitted to different processing forms

Espirito Santo State is the largest producer of conilon coffee in Brazil. However, there is a lack of information about physico-chemical composition and sensory characteristics of this coffee submitted to different processing forms. Therefore, the objective of this work was to investigate physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of the Espirito Santo conilon coffee submitted to three forms of processing. The harvest was performed selecting only cherry grains, which were submitted to three forms of processing (dry process, semi dry process or wet process). Sensory analysis was performed by two professional classifiers. Analysis of moisture, pH and titratable acidity were determined in samples of raw and roasted coffee and aqueous extract were determined in samples of roasted coffee. The processing forms and types of grains did not differ in terms of pH and acidity. Natural and peeled coffee showed higher levels of aqueous extract. In sensory classification, all samples showed good overall evaluation. The use of raw material within the quality standards, grains of cherry type and the proper conduction of post-harvest stages allow the obtainment of a beverage with good sensory ratings and without changes in pH and acidity regardless the processing form used. Therefore, it is possible to obtain good quality beverages using dry processing, which is less expensive than the other types of coffee processing.