Fermentation and Drying Trials
In July of 2019 we ran two small batch fermentation and drying trials in our ancestral house in Liliw, Laguna. Our objective was to see if we could produce well fermented and dried cacao beans from a relatively small volume of wet beans using the technique we learned from our training the previous month with Dr. Nat Bletter in Hawaii. We used fermentation starters and placed our fermentation box inside a temperature controlled container.
We bought ripe cacao pods from Ka Ino's farm and rested them for 5 days before opening.
The rested pods were opened and the beans inside were placed in a plastic container lined with wood and banana leaves.
Fermentation starters were added to the wet beans. They include commercial bread yeast, nata de coco starter, sugar and pod skin.
Empty pods were added to the ferment. Yeasts on the skin of the pods also help with fermentation. The fermentation container was placed inside a styrofoam box.
A temperature probe monitored the generated heat during fermentation. A temperature controller turns a bulb on when temperature inside the box drops below 110°F.
We followed a 2-1-1-1 fermentation protocol which means that the beans were exposed to oxygen only after the first two days; then mixed daily thereafter until fully fermented.
Cut tests were performed daily starting on day 5 until day 8. Starting day 5 a quarter of the beans were removed from the ferment and placed in the solar dryer.
Our solar dryer is a temporary setup covered with UV plastic. Even during the cold and rainy weather, temperature inside can go up to 120°F or 49°C.
The beans were placed in plastic trays and mixed several days during the day.
A moisture meter was used to determine if the beans were sufficiently dry. We went for a final moisture content of 6%.
A 100 bean count cut test was done for each fermentation batch.
Each batch of fermented and dried beans was roasted, cracked, winnowed, ground, refined, tempered and molded into chocolate bar for tasting.