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 14 gallons of water are added 4 Ib. of 
sugar (preferably glucose) and 1 oz. of a 10 
per cent. solution of the plant salts—de., 
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 0z. The 
14 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 
