Workflow - an Idea for Process
Workflow - an Idea for Process
In the past few years our kaffir lime trees had lot of fruits. This year is no exception. We collected some 50 kilos of kaffir limes (in the tray on the red trailer). We threw bad ones into the white bucket and put good ones in the blue bucket to wash with water and little vinegar. We cut the limes into quarters on a cutting board with a big knife. We had the cutting board on a crate on the trailer, so we could stand up straight and cut without bending our back. Cutting a thousand limes could really hurt if we didn't prepared the work area for 'good posture' too. Cut limes went into a clean plastic rubbish bag inside a clean rubbish bin. Later, we put in 5 kilos of raw sugar and 200 g of ammonium sulphate (fertilizer) and water enough to cover the limes. We closed the bag and tied it then closed the bin with a lid. We moved the bin into a shady place and left it to ferment for about 6 weeks.
Voila, this is how we make kaffir lime bio-juice which can be used to make soap, cleaning liquid, conditioning shampoo (in one) and a few other things (still in experiments).
So what is the good idea here? We have talked a lot about 'from idea to product', but a product can be 'soft' like a process or an algorithm even a recipe for cooking things. A product needn't be a solid piece/assembly of materials. It can be a 'workflow' -- a way to do some things.
In our workflow, we have "collection" (of kaffir limes) process, "clean-cut" process (shown in the picture), fermenting process (done by microbes in environment), and "tailoring end products" process. These processes must be done in certain order and in some certain ways else the whole thing may not produce what we have in mind.
Our workflow can be improved of course. We will change some tasks and workplaces to improve work safety and hygiene, and yes, to reduce cutting time ;-)
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ผมไปตรวจสิ่งประดิษฐ์ มีเครื่องหนึ่งคือเครื่องปลอกผิวมะกรูด ผมชอบมาก เสนอให้ได้รางวัลที่ 1 แต่ กก. ท่านอื่นไม่เห็นด้วย
หมักเวลา 6 สัปดาห์นานมากพอดูครับ ควรมีการวิจัยหาจุลินทรีย์ที่กินเร็วกว่านี้ ..ไหม ที่ม.ผมมีการวิจัยหมักน้ำปลา (โจทย์วิจัยผมเอง) ปกติเขาหมักกัน 18 เดือน ของเราทำได้ 6-8 เดือนเท่านั้น ตอนแรกไม่หอม แต่ตอนนี้หาจุลินทรีย์ทีทังเร็วและหอมได้แล้ว หอมกว่าหมักนานๆ เสียอีก ได้ข่าวว่ากำลัีงจดสิทธิบัตร
An interesting systematic workflow. I agree with you that the cutting process would be take times and easily be injured. What if the cutting board design the same as cutting paper board with a rack for fixing lemons in line.
Hi Sr,
Do you really need to cut the fruit into quarters? Can we do with smaller or bigger pieces? Will smaller pieces help with the fermentation process?
i am sure you can improve your workflow to eliminate all kinds of wastes for better efficiency.
Interesting lean project to think about....
Thank you คนถางทาง 
I had some dry kaffir lime zest, but never use any -- fresh is better ;-)
I had found that speed of fermenting depend on temperature (20-30C best), amount of sugar and ammonium sulphate (5-10%sugar, <1% ammonium sulphate) and the size of cut kaffir limes (smaller faster). I think types of microbes would play a big role there too. (I only tried 2 types: commercial 'actizyme' and 'wild' microbes; both work OK.)
My current problem is: to measure "ripe-ness" of juice -- how do we tell when the juice is fermented enough to use. I will trying pH, hygrometer, smell, taste (yuck), electrical resistance, ... with this batch.
Once we have this pinned down, the we can talk "best fermenting".
Thank you ป. 
That's something I hadn't thought about -- a paper cutting gillotine. Another way to hold and feed kaffir limes into the cutting edge would be needed. I used a large knife to do cutting by holding a lime between a thumb and 2 fingers, sliding the knife in between thumb and forefinger cuts the lime into halves, ...
Using a knife is actually a lazy way. Fermenting process goes fast and better if the limes are bashed and chopped into little pieces (like in a blender or food processor) but I do this for fun ;-) and I am good with knives so it is safe for me. One day, I'd be sorry I said this ;-) ;-)
No quarter cuts are in because I am lazy ;-) 2 or 3 cuts finish one lime. And yes smaller pieces are better fermented.
You are a chemist help me here. I want to measure the "ripeness" of fermentation when acitivity of microbes (reactions) is finished or too little to let going on. I have no idea what would be a good indicator ;-)
What are possible 'home made' methods?
Can you suggest some methods that any man with an old dog can do after lunch -- without going to a university?
This simple story is inspiring! Thank you na...ka...
ท่าน SR ชลัญ no comment นะ วันนี้จิตตก ผู้บริหารจะกินหัว เข้าใจภาษาตะแบงของชลัญใช่มั๊ย ก็เลยเอาเวลามาออกแบบเสื้อใหม่ให้ท่าน SR อารมณ์ดีขึ้นเยอะ แต่ยังไม่ค่อยถูกใจหรอก เสื้อสีเข้มออกแบบยากค่ะ ลองดูเล่นๆก่อนแล้วกัน อิ อิ
Thank you for your kind words 
โอ๋-อโณ
I bet you and all your friends in the lab had a good giggle from this post. So, you have your laugh, now give me some help here ;-)
Thank you 
ชลัญธร for
the great T-shirt. I love it.
And may I have the body too?
Mine is due for repairs -- from hair to toes ;-)
Some readers may be interested to follow up on the result of this process. Well, the (bio-)juice of the fermented kaffir limes looks like light brown cloudy liquid, smells like a fruity wine and tastes like... No. I am not game enough to taste it. Because I have no ideas what micro-organisms have been living and growing in the juice.
I did tested the bio-juice as a cleaning liquid. Here is one test.
A number of cleaning agents were painted on a copper-bottom pot. Fresh kaffir juice on the left, water, baking soda, vinegar, a popular dish washing liquid and the bio-juice on the right.
The pot was left alone for 30 minutes. And the result is shown by the second photo.