Jamaican Coffee Board studies warehouse conditions

Jamaican Coffee Board studies warehouse conditions    The Jamaican Coffee Industry Board is studying the interior conditions of its coffee warehouses scattered throughout the island.
   Coffee in these warehouses should ideally be kept at a temperature between 20 to 25 degrees Celsius and have a relative humidity in the range of 60 to 70 percent. The problem is that some of these facilities lack adequate environmental controls and construction materials to properly store high-value Jamaican coffee beans.
   “We want to compare different warehouse conditions and find out how those conditions may be affecting bean moisture levels,” said Gail Nelson, a research officer with the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board, in Kingston. “If the beans are losing too much moisture, there can be a negative impact on flavor and quality.”
   The board will use a system developed by Bourne, Mass.-based Onset Computer Corp. to record temperatures and humidity in eight facilities on the island. Measurements are taken every 15 to 30 minutes. The information is periodically downloaded onto the board’s system and uses accompanying software to compare time-stamped graphs of each warehouse to see how climate fluctuates.
   “From these trials, we hope to be able to make some conclusions over time about the overall storage conditions of each facility and take corrective action if necessary, such as sealing off roofs or installing better environmental controls,” Nelson said.