Cassava starch (or tapioca starch) is a fine white starch product extracted 100% from fresh cassava root. Below is the process of producing cassava starch from cassava roots, and we invite you to refer to it.
Steps to Process Cassava into Cassava Starch
1. Grinding Cassava into Pulp
Different tools can be used to grind cassava into pulp. You can use two hands to grate the cassava root on a manual grating table with a spiked metal plate. The productivity is about 5 – 7 kg/hour. You can also use a hand-cranked grater with a spiked metal plate attached to the rotating axis. A basin is used to catch the pulp, with water covering the bottom of the spiked plate to clean the grating surface. This method yields approximately 10 – 15 kg/hour.
Different tools can be used to grind cassava into pulp.
To increase productivity, foot-operated cassava grinders similar to reapers can be used. The reaping teeth are made from a spiked metal plate, and the length of the grinding axis should be about 15 – 20 cm for comfortable foot operation. Tilt the grinding table to guide the cassava root onto the grating surface. A foot-operated cassava grinder can achieve a productivity of 100 kg/hour.
If there is a pulling mechanism, a wooden axis with firm, small nails can replace the spiked metal plate. An electric cassava grinder can achieve a productivity of 300 – 500 kg/hour.
2. Filtering Residue
For every portion of pulp, use four portions of water to filter out the cassava residue. The finer the filter, the better quality cassava starch will be obtained. The filter can be stretched into a shell or sewn into a bag for easier filtering. The starch, along with water, passes through the filter to create a starch suspension, which is collected into a settling tank.
The cassava residue can be used as animal feed.
3. Settling to Recover Starch
You can simply use a plastic sheet lined inside a basket to settle the starch. If the amount is small, a settling basin can be used to wash the starch.
The settling tank should be horizontal, wide at the bottom, and not too tall. If it’s a tank specifically designed for processing cassava starch, it should have a spout located 10 – 15 cm from the bottom. The starch should settle for at least 12 hours (usually overnight). Once the starch has settled firmly at the bottom of the tank, use a rubber or plastic hose to siphon off the water from the surface of the starch without disturbing it.
Use clean water to wash the surface of the starch. The water used for washing can be mixed with the starch suspension from the next batch to maximize starch recovery. After that, scoop the starch out for storage. For every 2.5 – 3 kg of fresh cassava, you obtain 1 kg of wet starch. The starch yield depends greatly on the fineness of the pulp, the filtering technique, and the settling process.
4. Storing Wet Starch
Wet starch can be stored in jars, pots, buckets, tanks, or plastic bags. The tighter the storage, the longer the starch will last.
If you have a large quantity, store the wet starch in plastic bags and bury it underground to preserve it for future use.
