246 The Fermentation of Cacao 



The cost of cacao yeast would be very small, 

 or a planter could prepare his own ; the 

 following would be a practical method to be 

 pursued by a planter to obtain a yeast culture 

 in bulk : 



To i gallons of water are added J Ib. of 

 sugar (preferably glucose) and i oz. of a 10 

 per cent, solution of the plant salts i.e., 

 magnesium sulphate, calcium sulphate, calcium 

 phosphate, potassium nitrate, and sodium 

 chloride. This solution could be made up by 

 any chemist at cost price, 6d. for 10 oz. The 

 ij gallons are now boiled, poured into a clean 

 pail and allowed to cool. As soon as it is 

 cooled, with a clean spoon two or three beans 

 are removed from the centre of a mass of 

 cacao which has been fermenting for three 

 days and these are stirred into it. The top 

 of the vessel is now protected by tying over 

 it a muslin cloth. In a few days there will be 

 a white layer of yeast upon the surface of the 

 solution and another at the bottom of the 

 vessel. 



To the beans as they are placed in each 

 sweating box one pint of the thoroughly 

 stirred solution is added, and sweating will 

 start almost immediately, as shown by the rise 

 of temperature. 



Thus the cost of the yeast would be about 

 the price of half a pound of sugar ; this would 

 represent the quantity necessary for about four 

 bags of cacao. Thus a dozen pounds of sugar 



