Perbaikan Proses Pembuatan Gula Merah Aren di Pabrik Gula Aren Masarang Tomohon

Pabrik gula aren Masarang Tomohon saat ini memiliki masalah rendahnya efisiensi produksi akibat pembentukan bongkahan gula selama tahap akhir pemprosesan gula. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk meningkatkan efisiensi proses produksi gula di pabrik dengan penekanan pada sorpsi air oleh gula dan pada penghancuran bongkahan gula selama produksi serbuk gula aren (gula semut). Umur simpan gula merah aren diestimasi dengan kurva isoterm absorpsi menggunakan rumus Labuza. Penghancuran gula dilakukan mula-mula melalui penentuan jenis gilingan, diikuti dengan membuat desain gilingan dan membangun konstruksi gilingan. Perhitungan umur simpan gula menghasilkan angka 6,4 tahun umur simpan. Konstruksi gilingan gula dibuat didasarkan pada gilingan martil (hammer mill) dengan kapasitas untuk mengurangi sisa produk hingga 1,28 persen.The Masarang Palm Sugar Factory in Tomohon is currently facing to the problems of the low efficiency production due to the crumble formation during the last step of sugar processing and the question of the shelf life of the product. Therefore the goal of this research is to improve the palm sugar processing at the factory by focusing to the understanding the water sorption by the sugar and to break down the sugar crumbles during the brown sugar powder production.  The shelf life of the brown palm sugar was estimated by the isotherm absorption curve followed by application of Labuza formula.  The sugar milling was processed by firstly determined the milling type, followed by designing the mill and then constructed it.  The calculation of shelf life of the sugar product was found as 6.4 years.  The sugar milling was constructed based on the hammer mill with the capacity to reduce the crumbles as low as 1.28 percent.