Identification of yeasts isolated from processed and frozen cocoa (Theobroma cacao) pulp for wine production

The alternative use of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) for wine production was test ed. The pulp samples, obtained from Formosa farm, Itacare, Brazil, were dil uted, homogenized and inoculated on Sabouraud dextrose agar medium (SDA) an d incubated at 28 degrees C for 5-8 days. Selected colonies were tested for the ability to ferment cocoa pulp and divided into fermentative, non-ferme ntative and weak/late fermentative species, isolates characterized as ferme ntative were further tested in a small-scale wine production plant and iden tified. Species from the genus Brettanomyces constituted the main fermentat ive yeasts, with the exception of two Kloeckera apis samples. The final win e product was normally pale or clear, making clarification unnecessary, and with a sweet or dry pleasant flavor. The predominance of Brettanomyces spe cies in cocoa pulp indicated its ecological importance in this environment and pointed to an active role of Brettanomyces in the deterioration process of the processed cocoa pulp.