Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Dawson, Georgia » National Peanut Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #126652
Title: CURING PEANUTS USING CONTINUOUS FLOW DRYERS

Author
item Butts, Christopher - Chris
item Sanders, Timothy

Submitted to: Applied Engineering in Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/29/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: A two-year study was conducted to determine the potential for curing peanuts using continuous flow dryers with minimal detrimental effects on quality. A single-pass continuous flow dryer and a recirculating batch dryer were compared with conventional wagon drying systems. Peanuts cured using the continuous flow dryers were dried at a much faster rate than conventionally cured peanuts. Peanuts cured using the single-pass continuous flow dryer had unacceptably high levels of split and bald kernels when compared to those cured in wagons. The recirculating batch dryer resulted in significantly higher percent split kernels and skin slippage than the conventional dryer. However, the reduction in peanut milling quality may be acceptable in order to achieve the faster drying rate.

Technical Abstract: A two-year study was conducted in Georgia and California to determine the potential for curing peanuts using continuous flow dryers with minimal detrimental effects on quality. A single-pass continuous flow dryer and a recirculating batch dryer were compared with conventional wagon drying systems. Peanuts cured using the continuous flow dryers were dried at a much faster rate than conventionally-cured peanuts. Depending on depth and initial moisture content, the drying capacity of the the single-pass continuous flow dryer was 1.5 to 5.8 t/h. Drying capacity of the conventional dryer ranged from 0.2 to 0.4 t/h. Peanuts cured using the single-pass continuous flow dryer had 7.8 % splits compared to 4.1% when cured in conventional wagon dryers. The recirculating batch dryer resulted in significantly higher percent split kernels (10.7 %) and skin slippage (1.6%) than the conventional dryer (7.6 and 0.1%, respectively). Drying capacity for the recirculating batch dryer was approximately double that of the conventional dryer. However, the reduction in peanut milling quality may be acceptable in order to achieve the faster drying rate.