130 COCOA FERMENTATION 



blocks. If this liquor stagnates at the base of the fer- 

 ment ing-chambers, the integuments of the beans which 

 come in contact with it will be discoloured and their 

 contents injured. The mustiness common to badly 

 fermented cocoa is frequently due to inadequate drainage 

 in the fermenting-chambers. The holes should be either 

 made sufficiently small to prevent the cocoa beans falling 

 through, or, if bigger holes be made, each should be 

 covered with a piece of copper gauze. 



Even when fermenting-chambers are well provided with 

 air holes fermentation is most active amongst the beans 

 which are situated near the sides and top of the chambers. 

 To ensure uniform fermentation throughout the mass 

 the beans should be daily thoroughly mixed together in 

 the chamber or emptied from one chamber to another. 

 If the chamber be filled with beans the latter is obviously 

 the most practical method of mixing them. When 

 large quantities of beans have to be dealt with it would 

 be advantageous to arrange the chambers in tiers one 

 above the other ; a tier of chambers being allowed for 

 each day's fermentation. If the freshly collected beans 

 were placed in the highest tier they could be daily moved 

 to the next lower tier, and fermentation could be com- 

 pleted in the lowest tier. 



It is necessary to keep the fermenting-chambers tho- 

 roughly clean, both for the purpose of maintaining them 

 in a sanitary condition and to prevent the dirt which 

 congregates in them discolouring the cocoa beans. 



An efficient drainage system should be provided below 

 the chambers to carry away the drainings from the 

 chambers, as these, when allowed to stagnate, produce 

 an evil-smelling odour which must be injurious to the 

 health of the labourers employed in handling the beans, 

 and it is also possible that the cocoa beans may become 

 contaminated with the effluvium. 



When treated as suggested above from three to five 

 days' fermentation will be generally found sufficient for 

 the beans with white cotyledons, but the beans with 

 purple cotyledons usually require from five to eight days' 

 fermentation. 



Fermentation is usually completed when the pulp is 

 readily removed by pressing the beans between the fingers ; 

 and a transverse section of the beans shows that the 



