CHARACTERIZATION AND SELECTION OF SUPERIOR DRY STARTER MICROBES FOR COCOA BEANS FERMENTATION.

Cocoa farmers use various dry starter microbes to ferment cocoa beans. The quality of fermented cocoa beans is low and different. Characterization and selection of dry starter microbes are needed. There are three types of dry starter microbes which are tested, namely BB-Pasca dry starter microbes, Ragi-1, and Ragi-2. Characterization and selection of dry starter microbes was carried out by fermentation of cocoa bean pulp for 24 hours using dry starter microbes at various temperatures, namely 20oC, 30oC and 40oC. Parameters observed were maximum growth rate of starter microbes, consumption level of reduced sugar by starter microbes, total acid produced, decrease in pH level, and increase in fermentation temperature. Characteristics of BB-Pasca dry starter microbes in fermentation of cocoa bean pulp at 30oC are maximum growth rate at 0.280 hours-1, consumption of reduced sugars 10.8% (w/v), increasing total acid 6.3% (v/v), decrease the pH of 1.4, and increase the fermentation temperature to 3.7oC. Correlation between the parameters observed was more than 0.59. BB-Pasca dry starter microbes were chosen as superior starter.