106 , 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,’ 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. 
