The Effect of Open Air Storage on Carbohydrates and Higher Heating Value Recovery of Erianthus

Abstract

In regards to the energy use of water rich herbs, raw materials storage technology is important. Therefore, we carried out an open air storage examination of Erianthus to develop a low-cost storage technology. The Erianthus that was comprised of 492 g/kg water were cut into 15 mm, and were piled up into an original cone with a radius and height of 5 m using a conveyor belt. From the storage starting time, the top sank to 3.5 m in height by the next day. The density of this time was 259 kg/m³ in raw basis and 132 kg/m³ in dry basis. During the storage period, temperature at the surface was about 10 ℃ higher than the lowest air temperature. Those at the center and bottom were 20℃ higher, but they were not affected by the air temperature. The pH at the end of storage became less than 5 in the center, but other positions were neutral levels. The organic acids were mainly observed at the center where pH values were low. The total carbohydrates and HHV contents and recovery after the storage were high in the center part, and were decreased fell to the surface. Under the above conditions, the recovery of total carbohydrates was approximately 70% while the recovery of HHV was 75%.