66 



Composition of the sweatings from a mixture of Calahacillo and Forastero. 



Water 



84-817 



Albuminoids 



•062 



Indeterminate nitrogenous matters 



'.\ ^250 



Glucose 



11-604 



Sucrose 



•638 



Astringent matter, etc. 



354 



Alcohol 



•188 



Tartaric acid, free ... 



•340 



Acetic, acid, free ... 



•892 



Acetic acid, combined 



•290 



Iron peroxide 



••• KJOO 



Magnesia 



•074 



Lime ,,, 



*•• 'vZy 



Potash 



• •• 094fc 



Soda 



•004 



Sulphuric anhydride 



•021 



Phosphoric anhydride 



•038 



Chlorine 



•007 





100 000 



Containing Nitrogen 



•010 





•040 



Examinations made by us of the process of sweating showed clearlj 

 that at first an alcoholic fermentation takes place accompanied by a rise 

 in temperature of the material ; later a little acetic ether is produced 

 either as a direct product of fermentation or by the interaction of the 

 alcohol and the acetic acid produced, and that, finally, the fermentation 

 becomes an acetic one, the temperature in the fermenting boxes gradually 

 rising so high as to practically stop the alcoholic fermentation. 



The results of our examinations and analyses show that the process of 

 fermentation or sweating in cocoa consists in an alcoholic fermentation 

 of the sugars in the pulp of the fruit accompanied by a Joss of some of 

 the albuminoid and indeterminate nitrogenous constituents of the beans. 

 Probably the albuminoid constituents are first changed into amides and 

 other simpler combinations which may be further broken up during the 

 process ot the fermentation. Some parts of the carbohydrates other 

 than sugars undergo hydrolysis and either escape in the runnings from 

 the boxes in the form of gluci se or undergo in turn the alcoholic and 

 acetic fermentations. 



During this change some of the astringent matters to which the some- 

 what acrid taste of the raw beans is due are also hydrolysed and thus a 

 marked improvement in flavour is gained. Small quantities of the 

 mineral constituents principally of potash and phosphoric acid are re- 

 moved from the beans in the liquid escaping from the fermenting mate- 

 rial. A slight loss in woody fibre is shown, which may be due to loss 

 of portions of the cuticle during the operation of drying. 



Our work has necessarily only resulted in a partial and incomplete 

 study of the results of the fermentation. We are compelled, under the 

 conditions of this colony, to leave the study of the changes which take 

 place in various kinds of beans and daring variously modified conditions 

 of fermentation to botanists and chemists in colonies and countries where 

 cocoa is an important product. We feel that our work in this line will 

 be fully compensated if it leads others more favourably situated to take 



