Abstract:
The trend of variation in temperature, and pH of cocoa beans in heap and
tray methods of fermentation was studied at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana.
Heaps of sizes having 50 kg, 150kg, and 450 kg and the standard tray method of
fermentation were tested and the grades of dried beans obtained from the different
methods were compared. In the heaps, a higher peak temperature was reached as
compared to the trays. The beans in the heaps followed regular fluctuations in
temperature during fermentation while the temperature fluctuations were low in the
trays. The final pH values of pulp and beans were not much affected by the
method of fermentation and heap size However, the decrease in pH of cotyledons
was slower in the largest heap The fermentation methods and heap sizes
did not markedly affect the grade of the dried beans.
