• Regulate the dryer temperature by regulating the amount of coconut shell fed into the burner for
a specific period of time, i.e. feeding a constant number of shells per unit of time, e.g. 25 half
shells every ten minutes. The exact number of half shells should be determined by doing actual
drying trials.
• Do not load wet comminuted kernel onto the surface of the hottest portion of the dryer. Place
it first on the cooler portion and reduce the moisture content before it is moved to the hotter
portion. This is because any material with high moisture content tends to stick when placed on
a very hot surface.
• Do not allow the kernel to stay long on the dryer surface. Constant moving and fast turning of
the grated kernel is required to prevent it from getting scorched. If this happens, the resulting oil
will be pale yellow and have a burnt odour.
Guidelines for drying in a forced draught (with fan) tray-type dryer (Figure 51)
• Spread the freshly comminuted coconut kernel thinly in each of the loading trays. The thickness
of the layer of kernel in each loading tray should not exceed one centimetre.
• Set the thermostat control of the dryer at 75°C for the first hour of drying. Then reduce the
temperature setting to 70°C and maintain this temperature until the kernel has reached the
desired moisture content.
• Regularly change the position of the trays inside the dryer. Likewise, regularly mix the loaded
kernel in the trays to assist with a more uniform drying regime.