|
Post by sharkman on Jan 29, 2007 3:24:47 GMT -5
Aloha Sebastian! Thanks for the info. Does it matter what kind of wood the box is made of? Better to have a higher stack than a wider one for better fermentation? later Sharkman
|
|
|
Post by Sebastian on Jan 29, 2007 18:37:41 GMT -5
never thought about it - as long as the wood doesn't rot, i'd think it'd not be a huge concern what it's made out of. most of the big fermentation boxes i've seen are about 4'x4'x4' or so...
|
|
|
Post by Alan on Jan 29, 2007 23:17:05 GMT -5
In Arthur Knapp's treatise on cacao fermenation he states that sweat boxes are usually made from slate, stone, cement, or a hard native wood.
Examples include:
Chlorophora excelsa (Coast Odum Wood) Mimusops balta Cedrela mexicana (Cedar) Cordia alliodora (Cypre)
|
|
|
Post by sharkman on Jan 30, 2007 3:50:51 GMT -5
Do you know where I can find this publication on fermentation.? Thinkin about it the raw beans might be a bit corrosive on the wrong material. What do you think about an old compost turner? Drum -like with a handle. Plastic. I'll check out my books for those particular woods you mentioned. Thanks Sharkman
|
|
|
Post by Alan on Jan 30, 2007 10:14:34 GMT -5
I'd just try a library.
Good luck!
|
|
|
Post by sharkman on Jan 30, 2007 11:43:57 GMT -5
will do! Sharkman
|
|
jim
Neophyte
Posts: 7
|
Post by jim on Jun 15, 2007 17:18:27 GMT -5
On fermentation:
I grow cacao in Ecuador. Here's the scoop on fermentation: Only the beans that are exposed to air get fermented. They are packed close together in a box in order to generate sufficient heat to keep the fermentation process going, but exposure to air is necessary, hence the frequent stirring. Scientific work has shown that wooden square (not rectangular) boxes (2ft by 2 ft in the experiments) provide the highest number of fermented beans (>85%) of any other box shape, however, even a box is not necessary. In producing countries, they are typically hung up in burlap or PVC thread sacks, or set down on cement with banana leaves over them.
The juice that comes out of a fermenting pile is highly corrosive, so no metal nails may be used in construction of the box. The nails will sour the flavor of the beans, as well as corrode very quickly. So advanced carpentry skills are required to make a good fermentation box.
Laurel, ash, or most tropical hardwoods are good for fermentation boxes. However, the wood used should not be aromatic unless you want to provide that taste to the fermented cocoa beans.
|
|
|
Post by seneca on Jul 5, 2007 18:55:04 GMT -5
Do be sure not to use pressure treated wood for your bins, and watch out--nails won't be the only thing the baba will corrode. We've had to consistently spray our concrete slab when turning batches to prevent it from being eaten away :-)
|
|