Home chocolate project day 5

Now I’m sure the beans are fermenting. The pulp is reducing and turning red, and a definite yeasty / woody aroma is present. Also we’ve noticed a definite warmth coming from the beans and I believe this is a good sign.

Early yesterday there was a little white mould or fungus, and later in the day a few spots of green mould of the type you see on bread. I removed these and have tried to mix the beans up a few times a day and so far this has stopped the mould returning.

The problem now is when to stop. Should I assume the the fermentation is going slower than in the tropics because of temperature and lack of the right yeast / bacteria in the atmosphere? Or should it be stopped now to prevent over-fermentation?

If the fermentation should be stopped, then how?! Is it a case of beginning the drying process? Thoughts and suggestion welcome at http://www.seventypercent.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1035 .

Here’s today’s photo, and I think you can see a real difference here. At some point I think the beans should go a lot darker, but I guess this could still be a few days away.