The dryer

One fine day like many others my father was about to start drying the coffee, for this he began to remove the coffee from the sacks and began to distribute it on the trays of the gas dryer that we have to do the job, for many years the machine did its job very well, and my father had great confidence in the work done by it.

The sun drying process takes between 8 to 10 days, depending on the temperature and humidity of the environment, while the mechanical drying process takes between 6 to 10 hours.

The mechanical drying process of coffee is done in chambers or hoppers where hot air is introduced at a maximum of 50°C, passing through a fan that spreads it over the coffee. The drying process occurs when the humidity content of the coffee beans is reduced to 10% - 12% from 45% - 50%.

The drying of coffee is of utmost importance because the flavor and aroma of the coffee depends on it and it can also affect the longevity of the bean. Another important aspect is to know how to manage the adequate temperature, if not controlled, the coffee dries unevenly and can cause mold.

Dryers are more commonly used in areas where humidity is very high and producers should use mechanical drying to avoid damaging the coffee and also to reduce costs.

One fine day like many others my father was about to start drying the coffee, for this he began to remove the coffee from the sacks and began to distribute it on the trays of the gas dryer that we have to do the job, for many years the machine did its job very well, and my father had great confidence in the work done by it.

That day in particular, everything was very calm, I remember that it was a beautiful day, the blue sky without a single cloud and the radiant sun sheltered the whole landscape with its warmth. My father was still spreading the coffee in the dryer with great diligence, waiting for the new load of coffee to come out soon to be able to sell it, since we were in great need of money.

Anyway, in the eagerness to dry the coffee and get it ready, my father made a mistake that would give us a terrible scare. Once all the coffee was placed in the dryer, he released the gas and turned on the machine and the flammable fuel began to run through the ducts to the dryer.

The heat began to be felt in the machine so my father closed the doors and left the place to continue working in the coffee plantation. After a few minutes my father sent me to look for a basket in the dryer room, when I entered I found a large gas leak from one of the ducts. A large flame was beginning to form, threatening to reach the cylinder and explode.

I ran screaming in desperation to my father and family, everyone came running to see what was happening. We heard and saw the flame running through the pipeline towards the cylinder, what we thought was to throw water on it, I made a mistake, the buckets of water were fanning the flame. My mother and siblings were screaming in desperation as they ran for help.

My father kept pouring water in a vain effort to put out the fire. Nerves and panic kept us from thinking about what we were doing. The flame grew bigger and got dangerously close to the cylinder, my father made the decision to get out of there and wait for the worst, he took me by the hand, when we were leaving the room a neighbor quickly entered the dryer with a fire extinguisher and quickly sprayed the contents immediately extinguishing the fire.

We all looked at each other with a hint of tranquility and a nervous smile was on every face. My father thanked warmly the brave neighbor who saved us from a terrible tragedy.

After that terrible scare, my father made sure that the duct connections were well sealed and bought a fire extinguisher for emergencies, every experience leaves us with great lessons to improve every day.