The coffee fruit is preferably harvested at the cherry stage, with high moisture and metabolic activity, and must then undergo a drying process for better preservation of the bean and its sensory attributes. In this context, this study aimed to characterize the final quality of the Arara cultivar Arabica coffee processed using the wet method and subjected to six drying methods: three conducted at the agro-industrial establishment (fixed-bed dryer, rotary drum dryer, and combined drying) and three laboratory-scale methods (convective oven, cast-tape drying, and suspended terrace). Drying was carried out to reduce the coffee's moisture content from an initial value of 46.2% on a wet basis (w.b.) to a final average value of 11.35% (w.b.). The fruits of in natura demucilaged coffee and the processed dry coffee beans were characterized for moisture, ash content, nitrogen compounds, lipids, total titratable acidity, organic acids, sugars, and the instrumental color of the beans. The sensory profile of the Arabica coffee was evaluated by five coffee specialists using the methodology proposed by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), and all the coffees were classified as a specialty.
Keywords: Arara cultivar; characterization of dried coffee; coffee drying methods; coffee quality; specialty coffee.