Modular Cocoa Fermentation Box and Solar Dryer Unit

Overview

Why fermentation and drying matter

Cocoa quality is largely decided after harvest. Beans must be fermented in a controlled way, then dried slowly and evenly. Poor fermentation or damp storage leads to off-flavors and mold, and buyers pay less for it. This unit gives small producers a clean, repeatable way to do both steps.

The fermentation box

The box is made of wood and has three sections separated by sliding boards. During fermentation, beans are moved from one section to the next, which turns the mass and brings fresh air through it. You can follow the process section by section.

The drying shed

The dryer is a half-tunnel shed with drying beds and openings that can be adjusted for ventilation. Its footprint is about 2.5 m wide by 6 m long, with a center height of about 2.55 m. The shed covers the beans from rain and keeps insects and animals away, while the sun does the drying. The shed can be moved to suit the plot.

Capacity

The unit is designed around about 300 kg of beans per fermentation and drying cycle. The real figure depends on the bean variety, the moisture at harvest and the weather, so please treat it as a planning size.

Where it is used

Co-operatives, estates and small buying points that want to raise bean quality without fuel-fired dryers. Where rain is frequent, a heated dryer can be added.

Choosing a configuration

• Wood species and local material options
• Number of boxes and sheds for your volume
• Covering material for the shed
• Site layout and drainage

Training and use

Fermentation is a skill. We include a short operating guide covering how to load, when to turn and how to judge dryness, and your local extension officers can adapt it to the bean variety you grow.

How to choose between this module and a gas dryer

This module is a low-energy option: the fermentation box handles the first stage and the half-tunnel shed finishes drying with sun and air. It suits co-operatives where sun is dependable for most of the harvest, fuel is costly and about 300 kg per cycle (the sized batch) matches how beans arrive from a group of farms.

Our three-tier stainless steel gas dryer (MM-CGD3) treats about 240 kg wet beans in total at a time and does not rely on weather. It uses gas and a fan, costs more to run, and suits sites with wet-season harvest peaks or a buyer who needs a steady finishing schedule. It dries beans only; it does not ferment them.

The sun module needs space (the shed footprint is about 2.5 m by 6 m), regular turning labor and a clean base, but few moving parts. Many farms start with the box and shed and add a gas dryer later for rainy weeks. Daily bean arrivals, rain pattern and local labor decide the right combination.