Cocoa And Chocolate
The Tree, The Bean The Beverage

70 THE COCOA AND CHOCOLATE INDUSTRY Löss on Fermentation and Drying. This is a matter of great importance to the planter who naturally wishes to obtain the highest possible yield of sound cacao. The following figures, compiled from a paper by J. de Verteuil (in the Proceedings of the Trinidad Agricultural Society for August, 1922) will repay study from the economic standpoint— LÖSS ON FERMENTATION AND DRYING Season. Fermented Days. Per cent Loss. Dried Days. Per cent Loss. Total Loss. Dry > 6-3 50-7 57-0 Wet S 1 i 7-2 ä 9 50-1 57-3 Pry ( 3i 8-9 > 7 461 55-0 Wet i 10-9 5 7 46-8 57-7 Dry > 5i 13-7 41-3 55-0 Wet S 161 j 6 41-4 57-5 It will be noted that the loss is higher in the wet season, and that cacao fermented for the shorter period requires a longer period of drying, and as drying requires large areas it is generally the “ bottle-neck ” in cacao production on estates. Had these experiments been carried a little further they might have definitely determined the most profitable period of fermentation for Trinidad cacao. The usual period of fermentation in Trinidad is about 8 days, and then the total loss varies from 62 to 67 per cent. Similar losses have been recorded by Hudson in St. Lucia, and by Van Hall in Surinam. The average yield from 100 parts of Forastero cacao, from the pod, may be taken as 36 parts of cacao beans of commerce. Hudson has shown that if the beans are not fermented at all, but merely dried, that the average yield is 39 per cent, that is 3 per cent by weight more than in the case of fully fermented cacao. In spite of this higher yield, fermentation is