io6 The Fermentation of Cacao 



also exact directions suitable for all times 

 of the year and for all districts cannot be 

 given. 



The saccharine juice contained in the fruit 

 pulp adhering- to the outside of the beans soon 

 commences to undergo alcoholic fermentation 

 owing to the yeast cells that are naturally 

 distributed about them so widely, and as this 

 proceeds the yeast cells quickly multiply. 

 Should the beans only become slowly heated, 

 this is almost invariably an indication that 

 the alcoholic fermentation is only proceeding 

 slowly on account of a lack of yeast cells. 

 Should a batch of well fermenting cacao be 

 at hand, the fermentation of a new batch may 

 be accelerated by collecting the fermenting 

 saccharine juice from this well fermented lot 

 and mixing it with the freshly gathered beans, 

 but this will only be necessary on very rare 

 occasions. A pure yeast culture is at the most 

 of merely theoretical interest, 1 and has no influ- 

 ence on the quality of the cacao. After all, it 

 is only the amount of alcohol necessary for 

 acetic acid fermentation that is required, and 

 for this purpose the yeast cells, which as a rule 

 are present naturally, almost invariably suffice. 



On the second or third day after the beans 

 have been placed to sweat, acetic fermentation 

 sets in, causing a further rise of temperature. 

 If the latter rises beyond 50 C. (122 F.), the 

 beans are spread in thinner layers, whilst the 



1 See the other essays on this point. H. H. S. . 



