PRODUCTION AND QUALITY EVALUATION OF COCOA WINE

Abstract

The research paper depicts the production and quality evaluation of cocoa wine. Cocoa is an important plantation crop grown for chocolates manufactures around the world. Cocoa mucilage, a by product of cocoa bean processing, constitutes 10% of total cocoa beans. Cocoa sweatings, the pale yellowish liquid that drains off during cocoa fermentation is the breakdown product of the mucilage surrounding the fresh cocoa bean. The cocoa sweating from the extracted cocoa pulp was collected and used for wine production. The aim of our project is to produce best quality wine and to optimize the conditions for producing good wine. The utilization of the cocoa mucilage which is mostly wasted during the cocoa processing for the production of wine helps to increase the market value of cocoa. The matured cocoa fruits for wine production were procured from Cocoa Research Centre, KAU Vellanikkara. Mucilage collected from the pulp obtained after pod breaking was then transported to laboratory and used for the production of wine. The primary and secondary fermentation were carried out for 7 and 13 days respectively. Wine was being prepared by varying TSS, amount of yeast and in pasteurized and unpasteurized conditions. The physico chemical properties and microbial count were analysed.