Fermentation of Fine Aroma Cocoa
Standardize fermentation and obtain repeatable quality results
For premium cocoa producers and processors facing difficulties in standardizing fermentation and obtaining repeatable quality results between batches, NFB continuously monitors critical variables and generates a digital history of each batch.
Cocoa fermentation is variable and little observable
- Variability in fermentation that makes it difficult to obtain batches with consistent quality.
- Reliance on manual methods and operator experience to evaluate the evolution of the process.
- Difficulty reproducing conditions that generated superior quality results.
- Difficulty in knowing what happens inside the cocoa mass during the different stages of fermentation.
- Lack of continuous data to compare batches and adjust protocols.
- Fragmented technological solutions poorly adapted to the real processing conditions at source.
Nebula standardizes, monitors and documents
- Ability to standardize and perfect own protocols.
- Cumulative learning from results of previous fermentations.
- Greater ability to reproduce protocols that generate desired results.
- Greater consistency in fermentation quality between batches.
- Greater control over a determining stage for the development of the sensory potential of cocoa.
- Better decision-making ability during multi-day fermentation processes.
Technical parameters for Cocoa
Temperature
40-52°C
pH
3.5-4.2 → rises
ORP
-200 to +600 mV
Duration
4-7 days
Target market
Fine Aroma Cocoa >90
NFB Bioreactors for Cocoa
NFB Essential®
Temperature control for fine cocoa
From USD $8,950 EXW
Nebula Fermentation® control system + Nebula OriginBlok® validation. Includes hardware (60 liter Pilot Reactor in 304 stainless steel), firmware, software and FAT tests. Make to order project with 50% advance. SAT testing, commissioning, on-site training and other capabilities are priced separately.
- GPS
- Altitude
- Timestamp
- Temperature
- pH
- ORP
NFB Insight®
Recirculation automation and full control
From USD $16,950 EXW
Nebula Fermentation® control system + Nebula OriginBlok® validation. Includes hardware (60 liter Pilot Reactor in 304 stainless steel), firmware, software and FAT tests. Make to order project with 50% advance. SAT testing, commissioning, on-site training and other capabilities are priced separately.
- Essential® +
- CO₂
- O₂ dissolved
- Load cells
- Temp. car
- Recirculation
NFB Signature®
Science: viability of starter cultures
From USD $69,950 EXW
Nebula Fermentation® control system + Nebula OriginBlok® validation. Includes hardware (60 liter Pilot Reactor in 304 stainless steel), firmware, software and FAT tests. Make to order project with 50% advance. SAT testing, commissioning, on-site training and other capabilities are priced separately.
- Insight® +
- Active Cell Density (ACD)
- Total Cell Density (TCD)
- Real-time feasibility analysis
- End of fermentation prediction
Originblok® for Cocoa
For premium cocoa producers and processors who need to verifiably demonstrate the origin, transformation and mass balance of each batch, OriginBlok® preserves their history with evidence.
- Verifiable evidence of origin and transformation
- Continuity of information between actors in the chain
- Downloadable QR certificate with Nebula Score®
- Direct integration with NFB
Paso 1
GPS Farm
Paso 2
Harvest
Paso 3
NFB Fermentation
Paso 4
QR
Paso 5
Blockchain
Paso 1
GPS Farm
Paso 2
Harvest
Paso 3
NFB Fermentation
Paso 4
QR
Paso 5
Blockchain
Cacao fermented with Nebula: expected impact scenarios
Illustrative scenarios of the impact cacao producers can achieve with NFB® + OriginBlok®: stabilize fermentations, access premium markets, and certify quality. Examples of the kind of value NFB® can bring. Each operation will achieve different results depending on its scale and process.
Esmeraldas Cooperative
Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Problem
Uncontrolled temperature ruined batches of cocoa Arriba.
Solution
NFB Essential with temperature alerts and pH/ORP monitoring.
Results
- Stable temperature 40-50°C
- First certified 'fine aroma' batch
- +25% sale price
Model: NFB Essential®
San Martin Cooperative
San Martin, Peru
Problem
Manual rotation work limited scaling and consistency.
Solution
NFB Insight with automatic recirculation and load cells.
Results
- +30% operational efficiency
- 100% reproducible fermentations
- Fine Aroma Certification
Model: NFB Insight®
Ambanja Estate
Ambanja, Madagascar
Problem
Yeast inocula showed variability between harvests.
Solution
NFB Signature with DCA/DCT for cell viability monitoring.
Results
- Cell viability >95%
- Consistent profiles between vintages
- Score 91 and access to premium market
Model: NFB Signature®
NOB plans
From free to enterprise. Choose the tier that fits your scale.
NOB Freemium®
USD $0/month
Try without obligation.
- 1 lot/month certifiable
- 1 farm
- Basic QR Certificate
- Dashboard read-only
NOB Basic®
USD $29/month
For professional producers.
- 20 lots/month
- 3 farms
- Complete Dashboard
- Real-time alerts
- Export PDF/CSV
- Basic Nebula Score
NOB Pro®
USD $149/month
Most popular for cooperatives.
- 500 lots/month
- Unlimited farms
- Read/write APIs
- Webhooks
- Advanced Nebula Score
- 4 hour chat support
NOB Enterprise®
custom
For corporates.
- Unlimited lots
- SLA 99.9%
- enterprise APIs
- SAP/ERP integrations
- private server
- 24/7 Support
Ready to transform your fermentation?
Schedule a personalized demo for Cocoa and learn about the ideal NFB model for your scale.
Request demo