The care on coffee's preparation from harvest to consumption and the study of parameters that may influence the commercial classification of the grain and the quality of the beverage is of great importance. As objectives, we performed the analysis of the influence of the age of the plants, belonging to the same variety, and the ripening stage of the grains (dry ones, ripe coffee berries and green ones) at the result of the commercial classification and the quality of the beverage. Harvest was performed, by boltering, in an area of 12-year Catuaí coffee, and another one of 3-year Catuaí coffee. For each age of the plants, the following lots were constituted: 100% ripe coffee beans, 60% ripe coffee beans and 40% green, 80% ripe coffee beans and 20% green, 60% ripe coffee beans and 40% dry, 80% ripe coffee beans and 20% dry, and composition obtained on the harvest. At the commercial classification, the norms established by the Brazilian Official Table for Classification (type) were followed. At the classification of the beverage, we have opted for using consumers as tasters, with the objective of analyzing the acceptance of the beverage regarding consumer's market. On the obtained results, we have observed, on the classification by size and determination of the average blend that the lots of 12 years have presented, with average blend of 15, result inferior of the lots of 3 years, with average blend of 16. On the commercial classification and beverage classification, the results were better, generally, for the lots of 3 years in different mixtures, without influence of the different stages of ripening.
coffee; age of the plant; ripening; commercial classification; beverage
