Forastero fermentation advice for beginner
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Why are you looking for 90% fermentation? (By this I am assuming you mean 90% well fermented where well fermented equals brown color in dry beans.)
By the time the beans hit this level of fermentation the chemicals contributing to flavors other than cocoa have been cooked out.
The best indicator that fermentation is complete is to measure the pH of the cotyledon. You need the starting pH (average - and different beans and growing areas have different starting pH range) and the finished pH is around 1.3-1.5 below that. You need to measure how low the pH goes and then when it starts creeping up again fermentation is over.
Some residual acidity is not necessarily a bad thing, but too much is not good. You don't need to bring the beans in overnight but you may need to cover them depending on weather. (Where are you located?) Consistency is important. If you change the drying method much based on changing local conditions you will get different results every time. Less is known about the science of flavor development due to drying than fermentation.
Keep in mind that when the beans are in the bags for 2 days they are actually fermenting so you need to keep this in mind. Better to have some mechanical means to remove the extra pulp quickly (a press or centrifuge) or have the first box designed in such a way that it enables the juice to drain more quickly.
Do you know the starting pH, sugar content, and temperature of the bean mass? You should.
Are you putting thermometers in the boxes so you know temperatures during the process? You should.
Have you been happy with your Selmi overall?
