The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-07-14


ter adhering to the beans There are
Two ways of conducting this, known
as the dry and the wet process. The
former is the more preferable and was
the plan usually adopted in CeyIon,
performed as follows:
As the parchment runs from the
pulper TO the cisterns, the water is i'm
mediately drained off through a wire
screen door either at the END Of the
cistern or on the bottom in the centre,
a slight fall in either case being neces-
sary TO facilitate the escape of the
water
Should the days picking not be suf-
1cielt 70 fill a cistern il IS generally
piled up at one end to accelerate Ter
mentation. Care should be taken how
ever, to pile in proportion TO the bulk
of the whole amount, so as not to gen
crate too much heat in the centre; and
on no account should the practice of
covering over with old sacks be re-
sorted to. The object being to obtain
an equal and regular fermentation
throughout the mass, and it is better
to take more time over the process
than 10 hasten matters and cause an
excess of heat by the latter method.
The time required varies according
TO the location of the plantation, the
elevation of the coffee, and the tenn
perature of the cisterns; as also in pro-
portion to the bulk of parchment to
be treated. 1t ranges from eight to
tWeIity-four hours, and some localities
will require as long as forty-eight
hours Experience alone can deter
mine this point, for over fermentation
will destroy the color of the bean,
while the reverse will render it diff
cult 10 treat in the cisterns and the
beans will have yellowish color, will
be difficult to dry and will be liable to
absorb moisture. Before washing the
parchment it should be subjected to a
thorough treading out with the feet,
in the receiving cistern, to loosen up
the gummy matter, then washed by
agitating with long handled squilgees
in several changes of water until per-
fectly free from all gummy matter or
the stray skins and light coffee being
floated off with the final washing. On
large plantations the washing is now
generally carried out with the aid OF
washing machine at a great saving OF
time and labor; but the parchment be
previously fermented in the same
manner described for the hand pro-
cess.
The next state is the drying which
lay as possible. The parchment hav
ing been allowed to drain to get rid
of all surplus water, is now spread out
in the sun over large SUI face, and
constantly turned with light wooden
rakes. The drying process must be
gradual at first, and care should be
taken not to expose the parchment too
long for the first two days to the direct
heat of the sun, otherwise it will split
and expose the bean before it to bleach
and spoil it's appearance when hulled.
From three to five days though run
ming, according to the duration OF sun
shine, will be sufficient to render the
parchment dry enough for string, to
await the final operation of peeling.
The drying ground may consist of
barber cues" or cemented surfaces,
or merely the ground levelled of and
coir matring spread over the space;
or trays may be employed which pos
sess the advantage of being easily and
quickly handled in the event of sudden
showers. Whichever system is adopt
ed. shed accommodation must be pro-
vided in which to store the parchment
in case of rain; for when once 1t has
been partially dried it must never be
allowed to get wet.
In all stages while handling parch-
ment, whether temporarily housed
during inclement weather, or stored
for shipment, or further treatment, the
greatest care must be taken not TO al
low it to become Overheated, or musty;
for this reason it is advisable to turn
it over from time to time with the
hands. or by the use of light wooden
rakes.
Before parchment is in fit state for
peeling it should be again exposed TO
the sun and thoroughly dried for
number of days. How long this should
be it is difficult to sly, for 1T depends
on the heat of the sun and the sample
of the parchment. The bean, however,
should be hard and brittle and should
always be peeled while warm.
In the Colombs mills, where the heat
from the sun would average no deg. r
in the shade, it was customary 10
spread the parchment on the "barba-
cues previous to pulling, for three TO
five DAYS. according to the condition of
the samples received from the various
plantations. The whole process of dry
ing may be conducted by artificial
means in a machine called a dryer,
which of course performs the work in
n much shorter space of time. Such ma
chimes. however capable of treating cot
fee on a large scale, are costly ana re-
uuire careful and skillful handling;
moreover. it is conceded by most au-
thorities that no process can equal that
of drying in the sun, in the countries
where the coffee is produced. In such
localities, where the weather cannot be
depended upon, or where there is not
sufficient sun heat, the artificial process
will have to be adopted; but this does
not apply to the district of Kona.
The final operation of grading the
coffee is rapidly and automatically ac-
complished by running the cleaned cot
fee through separator" This divides
the bean according to size into several
grades of coffee, removes all dirt and
maIformed beans, and separates the
'<pea-berry," the most valuable coffee
in the SamDlp