Dr. A. Schulte im Hofe 107 



acetic acid formation may be increased by 

 using juice flowing from beans already under- 

 going acetic fermentation. 



The work on fermentation floors resembles 

 that in a malt factory, except that in the case 

 of cacao the aim is to acidify the produce, and 

 higher temperatures are- employed, whilst on 

 malting floors the barley is meant to germinate. 

 As during the sweating process an acid fluid 

 comes away from the beans, this fact must be 

 taken into account, as owing to it the floor 

 should consist of some material that is not 

 affected by acids, and hence cement and lime 

 should, as far as possible, be avoided in its 

 construction. 1 



If only small quantities of cacao have to be 

 dealt with, a wooden trough of suitable dimen- 

 sions will suffice, and the beans can be turned 

 about by shovelling the cacao from one end of 

 the trough to the other, for one end should 

 always be kept free, and in this way the cacao 

 becomes easily aerated. 



At first on the plantations in the Cameroons 

 the cacao was washed after fermentation had 

 been completed, whereby the remains of fruit 

 pulp adhering to the beans were removed. 

 As, in chocolate factories, the shell is removed 

 from the kernel, in any case it is immaterial 

 whether some of the fruit pulp still adheres or 



1 Wood, and especially some native woods, are far 

 preferable, especially as the vinegar or juice tends to 

 pickle and preserve it for a long time. H. H. S. 



