[hangloose-hb]

First of all you have to remove all kinds of non-coffee-ingredients - that means dust, stones, sticks, nails, screws, knives etc. – before filling the coffee in silos. Now the coffee is prepared for the pretreatment I. The following process is based on a 4-ton-batch (6 or more tons are also possible). You fill the coffee in a cone mixer, mix the coffee, heat it up with direct-steam (~80°C) and add an exact amount of water. The steam and the water will enter the bean and detach the silver-skin. These skins will block the pumps and other equipment if you don’t remove it! After steaming the coffee flows through an air separator (counterflow) and the skins follow the air. The coffee falls in a wetting drum. Now the coffee gets the final moisture for the decaf process. The moisture depends on the solvent (Dichlormethan "DCM" or Ethylacetat "EA"). This water will open the fine ducts and solve the caffeine in the beans.

Now the beans are ready for the caffeine-extraction. You fill the beans in an extractor and fill it up with solvent. The temperatures are between 70 and 80°C. The solvent is pumped in a closed circuit until the caffeine-concentration is in phase equilibrium (beans and solvent). The solvent is more “attractive” (I don’t know how to translate it) for the caffeine and it diffuses from the water into the beans to the solvent. This step will repeat five to nine times with refreshed solvent (experienced data) - it depends on the caffeine content of the beans -. A continuous process is also possible. When the given caffeine-concentration is reached and the solvent is pumped direct steam will remove the last solvent. After this steaming the coffee is solvent-free. The coffee must be dried and cooled before you “close” the surface of the beans with carnauba-wax. The polishing is important for the transport and the coffee looks better.

During this process you remove many other ingredients. More with EA. DCM ist the better and cheaper solvent for the decaf. I mean that CO2 decaf coffee has the best taste.

That’s a short description of the decaf-process with solvent. I hope you understand my English because I’m not a native speaker.

The flow charts show you the decaf-process, caffeine raffination and the caffeine-extraction of the mother liquor from the caffeine raffination.

The SWP is a little different!

[Austin]

Have you done this?

[hangloose-hb]

Originally Posted by Austin

Have you done this?

Yes, I did it from 1997 until 2009. In Germany are the biggest decaf plants. Folgers will close their plant until the end of 2011 or in the beginning of 2012. They are going to buy the decaf service in Germany.

Austin, may you help me: I have a joint venturewith a colombian decaf plant. It's a technical support. They are looking for a possibility to enter the US market with their coffee (EA decaf). Do you know a salesman/trader or a possibility to find anyone?

[Austin]

I do not, but contact Chase, he may be able to help. Here is a link to his profile.

http://www.coffeeforum.com/forum/members/mycoffeepro/