"SWEATING" BOXES, TRINIDAD.
The man is holding the wooden spade used for turning the beans.

Time. Temperature.
When put in 25° C. or 77° F.
After 1 day 30° C. or 89° F.
After 2 days 37° C. or 98° F.
After 3 days 47° C. or 115° F.
(After the third day the heat is maintained, but the temperature risesvery little.)

The temperature is the simplest guide to the amount of fermentation taking place, and the uniformity of the temperature in all parts of the mass is desirable, as showing that all parts are fermenting evenly. The cacao is usually shovelled from one box to another every one or two days. The chief object of this operation is to mix the cacao and prevent merely local fermentation. To make mixing easy one ingenious planter uses a cylindrical vessel which can be turned about on its axis.

FERMENTING BOXES, JAVA. From the last box the beans are shovelled into the washing basin.
(Reproduced from van Hall's Cocoa, by permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co.)

In other places, for example in Java, the boxes are arranged as a series of steps, so that the cacao is transferred with little labour from the higher to the lower. In San Thomé the cacao is placed on the plantation direct into trucks, which are covered with plaintain leaves, and run on rails through the plantation right into the fermentary. Some day some enterprising firm will build a fermentary in portable sections easily erected, and with some simple mechanical mixer to replace the present laborious method of turning the beans by manual labour.

The general conditions[1] for a good fermentation are:

  1. The mass of beans must be kept warm.
  2. The mass of beans must be moist, but not sodden.
  3. In the later stages there must be sufficient air.
  4. The boxes must be kept clean.

Changes during Fermentation.