<![CDATA[The quality of Indonesian cocoa beans in the international market remains relatively low due to suboptimal post-harvest handling. The fermentation process, typically carried out by farmers for 4–5 days in accordance with SNI standards, is often uncontrolled due to limited fermentation facilities, resulting in a high moisture content and an underdeveloped flavor. This study aimed to (1) analyze the quality of re-fermented cocoa beans based on SNI Cocoa Beans No. 2323-2008 under treatments involving different sucrose concentrations and fermentation times, and (2) analyze the fermentation index values of re-fermented cocoa beans under the same treatments. The study employed a factorial design with two factors: sucrose concentration (0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10%) and fermentation duration (1, 2, and 3 days). Re-fermentation was carried out on farmers’ dried cocoa beans using fermentation bags with added sucrose as a process catalyst. The parameters observed included compliance with SNI Cocoa Beans No. 2323-2008 and fermentation index values measured using a spectrophotometer. The results showed that fermentation time had a major effect on the physical properties of cocoa beans (moisture content and weight), whilst sucrose concentration had a greater influence on biochemical aspects (pH and fermentation index). The optimal combination was achieved with a 2-day fermentation period and 2.5% sucrose (A2 × B1), yielding bean quality closest to ideal conditions. Re-fermentation was found to improve cocoa bean quality compared to unrefmented beans, suggesting its potential as a quality-enhancement solution at the farmer level.]]>
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