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TRADITIONAL
TAPPING AND DISTILLATION METHODS
OF COCONUT WINE (Mnazi) AS PRACTISED
IN
THE COASTAL REGION OF KENYA
Kadere
TT *1, Oniang'o RK1, Kutima PM1,
and SN Muhoho1
ABSTRACT
The coconut palm (cocos nucifera) which is currently grown in nearly
90 countries that spread along the tropical belt is a versatile
plant. In Kenya the most important palm tree is the coconut palm.
Other palms found in Kenya include the borassus palm (Borassus aethiopum),
the doum palm (Hyphae coriacea) and the wild date palm (phoenix
reclinata). Tapping of coconut sap and utilization of this sap in
various ways are a widespread practice in the Coastal region of
Kenya. The study aimed at availing information on coconut wine tapping
and distillation in Kenya. The findings could be used for further
research, technological improvement and creation of awareness to
those not acquainted with the technology despite having interest.
The survey was conducted in Kilifi, Malindi and Kwale districts.
Information was obtained on identification of the right spathe,
tapping procees, sap collection, wine storage and distillation.
Ripe spathe was identified as that which was sword like in shape,
swollen at the base but not at the tip. The tapping procees involved:
tying of the ripe spathe; cutting and removal of the spathe tip;
sheath peeling-at a position 4 to 6 cm from the cut end; tying of
the exposed spikelets with leaflets followed by trimming 2 to 3
mm of the leaflets tied section from the cut end to allow continuous
oozing of the sap. The oozing sap was collected in containers made
of plastic or gourd materials. Trimming was done two to three times
a day, while wine collection was done twice a day. The first sap
to ooze out was discarded daily for a period of three to six days.
Wine meant for distillation was matured for one to seven days. The
distillation equipment comprised of an assembly of pots with different
sizes with a metallic container serving as a condenser. The number
of times the cooling water was replaced depended on the capacity
of the distillation equipment. This study is part of the project
on study, improvement and industrial application of coconut alcoholic
beverage (mnazi).
Key words: Coconut wine, Sap, Mnazi, tapping, distillation, spathe,
spikelets, sheathe.
FRENCH
MÉTHODES TraditionNELLES DE MISE EN VALEUR ET DE distillation DU VIN DE NOIX DE coco (mnazi) TELLES QUE pratiQUÉES DANS LA rÉgion COTIÈRE DU Kenya .
Résumé
Le cocotier (cocos nucifera ) est une plante à usages multiples ; il pousse actuellement dans près de 90 pays qui s'étendent le long de la ceinture tropicale. Au Kenya, le palmier le plus important est le cocotier. D'autres palmiers trouvés au Kenya sont notamment le palmier borassus (Borassus aethiopum) , le palmier doum (Hyphae coriacea) et le dattier sauvage (phoenix reclinata ). La mise en valeur de la sève de la noix de coco et l'utilisation de cette sève de plusieurs manières sont des pratiques bien connues dans la région côtière du Kenya. La présente étude avait pour but de publier des informations sur l'extraction et la distillation du vin de coco au Kenya. Les résultats pourraient être utilisés dans des recherches plus approfondies, pour améliorer la technologie et faire prendre conscience aux personnes qui ne connaissent pas encore bien cette technologie alors qu'elles s'y intéressent. Cette étude s'est déroulée dans les districts de Kilifi, Malindi et Kwale. Les informations ont été collectées sur base de l'identification de la bonne spathe, du processus de mise en valeur, de la collecte de la sève, de la conservation et de la distillation du vin. La spathe mûre a été identifiée comme étant celle qui était comme une épée de par la forme, gonflée à la base mais pas à l'extrémité. Le processus de mise en valeur impliquait qu'il fallait nouer la spathe mûre; couper et enlever le bout de la spathe; éplucher la gaine –à une position de 4 à 6 cm du bout coupé; attacher les épillets exposés avec des folioles. Il fallait ensuite émonder légèrement 2 à 3 mm de la section ligotée avec des folioles à partir du bout coupé afin de permettre un écoulement continu de la sève. La sève en écoulement a été collectée dans des récipients faits de matière plastique ou de calebasse. L'émondage se faisait deux ou trois fois par jour, tandis que la collecte de vin se faisait deux fois par jour. La première sève recueillie était jetée chaque jour pendant une période de trois à six jours. Le vin destiné à la distillation était gardé pendant un à sept jours pour qu'il arrive à maturité. L'équipement de distillation était composé d'un assemblage de pots de différentes dimensions avec un récipient métallique qui servait de condenseur. Le nombre de fois que l'eau de refroidissement était remplacée dépendait de la capacité de l'équipement de distillation. Cette étude s'inscrit dans le cadre du projet portant sur l'étude, l'amélioration et l'application industrielle de la boisson alcoolisée fabriquée à partir de la noix de coco (mnazi).
Mots-clés: Vin de noix de coco, sève, Mnazi, mise en valeur, distillation, spathe, épillets, gaine foliaire.
INTRODUCTION Palm wine is a sweet exudate from tapped unopened spathe of coconut
[1]. It is dirty brown in color, containing 10-12 % sugar, mainly
sucrose [2]. In Kenya, it is commonly referred to as "Mnazi"
or "Mdafu". It is also frequently referred to as "Nigerian
wine" in West Africa [2], Toddy (Coconut sap) in Thailand and
"Tuba" in Philippines. When distilled, it is known as
Lambonog or distilled wine (24-45 % alcohol) [3]. The wine can also
be converted to syrup, crude sugar or crystallized sugar [3]. The
fermentation process makes the sap milky white in appearance due
to the presence of a large number of fermenting bacteria and yeast.
This product is unique in that microorganisms are alive when the
wine is consumed [2]. Palm wine, apart from being an alcoholic beverage,
has some nutritive value to man. Results of a study of wine from
two species (Hyphaene conolea and Phonex reclinate) showed that
it was an important source of nicotinic acid and vitamin C. To a
less extent, it is also a source of proteins, thiamine and riboflavin
[4].
In Thailand, Toddy is marketed as a non-alcoholic beverage. Among
the factors that affect the yield of Toddy is age of palms and climate
[5] as well as the phenotypic yields group [6].
The tapping process of the wine may involve wounding of the stem
tissue, tapping from the root or fruit bud. In West Africa and particularly
in Ghana, palm wine is tapped by felling of trees ten or more years
old [7].
Today, as in earlier times, indigenous beers are probably by volume
the most widely consumed alcoholic beverages on the African continent
[10]. There are two main factors, which influence the demand for
traditional beers. Firstly, centuries of habit have attuned African
palates to the distinctive sour taste of these beers. Secondly these
beers are affordable to a wider range of consumers, selling at a
fraction of the price of other beverages [11]. In Customs Union
Countries of Southern Africa (Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and South
Africa) where aggregate economic statistics are dominated by the
extremely wealthy and westernized economy of South Africa, Sorghum
beer accounted for about 75% of the volume of all alcoholic beverages
sold in 1977 [12]. In Kenya, the consumption of traditional alcoholic
beverages may even be much higher due to economic hardships.
The need for high quality traditional alcoholic beverages is therefore
of everyone's concern in Kenya. Wood [13], pointed out that, in
modernizing indigenous food processing, it should be noted that
not only is a product being marketed, but also the chemical assay
qualities of the product and its organoleptic worth are intimately
integrated into the customer's philosophical and even religious
views. For any meaningful modernization of a particular technology
to take place, one requires adequate knowledge of the already existing
technologies [13]. Based on this fact, this study therefore intends
to provide detailed information on the traditional tapping and distillation
methods of coconut wine as practiced in Kenya. The tapping and distillation
of the coconut wine has been going on in Kenya for many years without
any proper documentation of the practice. This study is therefore
expected to create awareness to many people who have heard, seen
and even drunk the coconut wine but are not acquainted of its tapping
and distillation process. This study is also expected to serve as
a base for comparison with other similar practices found in coconut
and palm growing countries such as Philippines, Thailand and Ghana.
The findings could also serve as a useful tool for further scientific
research aimed at improving the tapping process hence better quality
and large quantity of production. This study is part of the project
entitled ‘‘Study, improvement and industrial application
of coconut alcoholic beverage (mnazi)’’.
MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY
The study covered three districts of the coastal region of Kenya,
namely Kilifi, Malindi and Kwale. The main tools used for the study
included participatory observations during the tapping and distillation
processes and discussions with the concerned tappers and distillers.
The other tools used were a tape recorder and a digital camera.
The secondary sources of information were informal list of tappers
and distillers obtained from the local chiefs` offices and that
from local extension workers working with the Ministry of Agriculture.
Stratified sampling was adopted for the study. The three districts
were chosen from the seven districts of the region. A minimum of
two (2) divisions in each of the sample districts was included in
the sample and this was done on Purposive Random Sampling. The selected
divisions included Kaloleni and Mtwapa in Kilifi district, Malindi
and Magarini in Malindi district and Matuga and Msambweni in Kwale
district. A minimum of two (2) locations was selected from each
of the divisions. Finally a minimum of one (1) village was selected
from each location. The selected villages were those with experienced
tappers and distillers. The last unit of the study was the individual
tappers and distillers who were again selected through Purposive
Random Sampling. The number of tappers and distillers selected were
one (1) each in every sampling village. The study was conducted
in local language and Kiswahili. The tappers and distillers were
probed through informal interview. Tappers and distillers were allowed
to describe the various tapping and distillation methods using local
names and terminologies, which were later, translated into technical
and scientific languages. The study sought information on different
tapping and distillation methods of the coconut wine (mnazi). This
information included the identification of ripe spathe (inflorescence),
the tapping process, collection and storage of the wine and finally
distillation of the wine into spirit. A total of 12 tappers and
12 distillers were interviewed during the study. The data obtained
was analyzed descriptively.
RESULTS
Identification of ripe spathe for tapping
Ripe spathe was identified by the tappers as that which was sword
like in shape, not swollen 6 -10 cm from the tip and neither should
it be swollen at the base. The length of ripe spathe ranged from
45 to 60 cm long while that which followed ranged from 8 to 32 cm
long, depending on the phenotype of the tree. Other tappers identified
the ripe spathe as that which neither had a rough base nor showed
how the spikelets (seeds) were arranged inside its sheathe. Some
tappers also identified ripe spathe through peeling off the net
like sheath at the base of the spathe (Ndifu). Once this was done
ripe spathe showed a clear demarcation of the spathe (florescence)
from the stalk. Other tappers identified ripe spathe as that which
easily shook when they climbed the tree.
The tapping process
The actual tapping process involved tying around of the spathe
with a rope made of sisal, creeping plant (Mbugu) or plastic material
depending on the availability. The rope was then pushed between
the spathe and the tender stem at a position 4 to 6 cm from the
base of the spathe then tied firmly around the spathe upward up
to 4 to 8 cm from the tip depending on the preference of the tapper.
Tying of the spathe was done so that it could be bent easily without
straining or opening up to expose the spikelets. This then was followed
by an incision(s) that was made on the spathe or florescence (Handa).
The incision was made at a point 3 to 4 cm from the base of the
spathe with an aim of allowing further gradual pulling down of the
spathe without straining. The exercise of gradual bending of the
spathe commenced immediately after incision and tying of the spathe.
This exercise was conducted on a daily basis or after every alternate
day for a period of one week. In some cases, the spathe took as
long as four weeks to reach the maximum bending position (almost
horizontal). To retain the bent spathe in the inclined position,
the spathe was supported either by a string tied to the spathe and
a lower leaf base (Kumbi) or a small stick inclined between the
tender stem and the spathe. The incision technique differed from
one tapper to another.
Some tappers made three V-Shaped cuts along the circumference of
the spathe, while others made only one V-Shaped incision as shown
in Figure 1A. The incision made at the base of the spathe, not only
allowed easy bending of the spathe but also the exit of air and
rainwater that finds its way into the spikelets of the spathe during
the tapping process. Thereafter the tip section of the spathe was
cut and thrown away (4 to 8 cm from the tip). This was followed
by careful trimming and peeling off of the sheathe portion, 4 to
6 cm from the cut end to expose the spikelets as shown in Figure
2B. Tappers then tied around the exposed spikelets with leaflets
plucked from the coconut tree whose midrib had been removed. The
tying round or wrapping of the exposed spikelets was made firm enough
so as to avoid accumulation of air and drip back of the sap into
the spikelets. It was noted that tappers practiced extra care while
peeling off the sheathe portion. This was done in order to avoid
puncturing of the spikelets. It was reported that punctured spikelets
easily rot due to accumulation of sap within them. Tappers reported
that drip back of the sap into the spikelets caused souring. The
leaflets used to wrap or tie around the exposed spikelets were replaced
from time to time. After the replacement of the first round leaflets,
the other subsequent leaflets were used without the removal of the
mid-rib. Some tappers replaced the leaflets after they turned yellow,
others after three to four trimmings, while in some cases tappers
replaced the used leaflets after every two to three days.
The tapping exercise was found to be tedious for it involved climbing
the tree two (2) to three (3) times daily. Tappers climbed the tree
so as to trim the tied section of the spathe and/or collect the
sap. The collected sap is normally referred to as coconut wine or
mnazi. Each time the tappers climbed the tree; 2 to 3 mm of the
leaflet tied section of the spathe was trimmed off. Usually the
first trimmings were done without any sap collection for a period
of one to six days depending on the tapper.
Figure 1: Sap collection and initial tapping process. A - Sap collection during tapping. B - Tapper making an incision at the base of the ripe spathe
Thereafter, trimming was done thrice a day while sap collection
was conducted twice a day although there were some tappers who trimmed
only two (2) times a day. Every time trimming or collection of the
sap was done, the collection container was replaced back to its
collection position. The sap collection container is locally referred
to as "Chiparya". The first sap to ooze out was commonly
referred to as "Mianzo", which was thick sweet slurry
and dirty brown in color. For the first one (1) to six (6) days
of tapping, the first sap to ooze out was usually allowed to accumulate
into the collection container and thereafter it was then discarded.
Discarding was done daily, (morning and evening). Some tappers used
evidence of active fermentation (effervescence) inside the "Chiparya"
as an indicator that the sap was ripe for collection. After the
first six days, the sap was collected daily using tapping containers.
The collection time was between 0500 and 0900 hours in the morning
and again between 1700 and 2200 hours in the evening or night- time.
During these two collection times, the trimming exercise was also
performed in each case (that is the first and third trimming respectively).
For the tappers who carried out three trimmings per day, the second
trimming was done during afternoon hours between 1200 and 1400 hours.
No sap collection was done during this second trimming, instead
it was allowed to accumulate ready for the evening collection (during
the third trimming). After every trimming and collection, the container
was replaced as shown in Figure 1A. The yield of the wine from a
tapped spathe increased gradually and its peak was usually reached
after three weeks of continuous tapping. On average one (1) to two
(2) litres of sap was collected daily from one spathe. Two (2) spathes
could be tapped simultaneously if the coconut tree was high yielding.
During the survey it was established that some spathes produced
sap until the spathe was trimmed to the end; while others stopped
producing sap after half of their original length was trimmed off.
It was also established that one spathe could be tapped continuously
for a period of one (1) to three (3) months. It was noted that tappers
kept on sharpening their tapping knives to keep them constantly
sharp.
Figure 2: A - Tapper getting ready to trip off 2-3 mm of the leaflet tied section of the spathe without sheathe. B - shows the peeled and unpeeled sections of the spathe.
After tapping the wine collected from different trees, it was then
mixed in a 20-litre container. The tappers then filtered the wine
using simple sieves or traditional sieves from the coconut tree
(ndifu), as shown in Figure 3. Filtration was done in order to remove
foreign matter such as parts of leaflets, spikelets, dead bees and
dead red ants. Finally, the filtered wine was stored in 20-litre
containers or pots for further natural fermentation and maturation.
It was noted that no other materials or reagents were added to the
wine during the whole process of tapping and storage, not even a
drop of water. Anything foreign including water was regarded as
adulteration. Wine meant for sale was stored for one (1) to three
(3) days depending on the demand. It was revealed that customers
preferred blends in which fresh wine was blended with that which
had been stored for one (1) to two (2) days. However Fresh wine
was not popular because it was too sweet and was associated with
constant headaches to the consumers. In few occasions storage was
prolonged up to one week due to lack of customers. Wine stored for
this long was later distilled into spirit or used for vinegar production
(Siki). The vinegar from the coconut wine was found to be very popular
among the local people as a food dressing. 
Figure 3: Drinking and wine filtering tools. A - traditional filtering funnel, B - drinking straw,
C - measuring bottle, D - small "Mboko", E - big "Mboko", F - traditional filter "Ndifu"
and G - modern sieve
Distillation of spirit (Pyuwa) from Coconut wine
During the survey it was established that, wine meant for distillation
into spirit (Pyuwa), required longer storage of up to one week,
although some distillers did not mind using wine that had been stored
for only one (1) to three (3) days, however this depended heavily
on experience and preference of the distiller as well as demand
of the spirit. Distillation into spirit not only raised the alcoholic
content of the wine to a greater value but it was also considered
as a way to preserve the wine least it goes bad. In the distillation
operation, matured wine was the only raw material required.
Maturation and storage of the wine meant for distillation was usually
done at ambient temperature (25 - 30 oC). For easy control of storage
time and temperature, most distillers preferred carrying out the
exercise themselves. It was noted that some distillers added one
(1) to two (2) litres of the milky sediment accumulated during storage
(commonly referred to as "Masimbi" or "Sira")
to every ten (10) liters of wine that was matured only for one (1)
or two (2) days, but others did not did not add any "Masimbi"
to the wine.
Neither tappers nor distillers stored wine meant for distillation
in plastic containers. Most tappers and distillers preferred the
traditional pots or gourds (Vibuyu). Most tappers and distillers
regarded high quality wine for distillation as that, which was neither
sour nor adulterated.
The basic assemblies of the distillation equipment used by most
distillers are as shown in Figures 4A and 45B. The major difference
between the two assemblies is the mouth of the largest pot. In figure
4A the largest pot has a wider mouth in comparison with that of
figure 4B. The actual assembly of the equipment is as shown in figures
5A and 5B. First the largest pot with the wine in it seats at the
bottom of the assembly. It acts as a heater and a reservoir of the
raw material. Some distillers used a twenty-litre rectangular tin
(debe) instead of the largest pot. The medium perforated pot with
holes at its base then follows. This unit acts as a separator. The
third smallest pot is then allowed to seat inside the perforated
pot. This unit acts as a collector of the overhead product (distillate).
Finally, a flat-based vessel made of iron or aluminum (sufuria)
covered the perforated pot as shown in figure 5. The sufuria acted
as a condenser. A small clearance between the smallest and perforated
pot was made available by placing small chips of wood or stones
at the bottom of the perforated pot before the smallest pot was
allowed to seat inside the perforated pot. Before assembling the
equipment, the matured wine ready for distillation was first poured
into the largest pot or metallic container (debe). Thereafter, the
equipment was assembled and some cold water was poured into the
sufuria. The cold water acted as a cooling medium for the vapour
or spirit that formed during the distillation process. After assembling
the distillation equipment, the joint between the largest pot or
debe and perforated pot as well as that between perforated pot and
the “sufuria” were sealed off with some clothing (kangas and lessos) and/or mud depending on the type of the largest pot
used. Distillers who used the largest pot with a wider mouth or
debe, sealed the joint between the largest pot and the perforated
pot with some clothing followed by mud from red or loam soil (figures
5A and 6A). However some distillers sealed this joint using mud
only. The joint between the perforated pot and the “sufuria”
were sealed off with some clothing (kangas and lessos) without any
application of mud as shown in figures 5B, 6A and 6B. Sealing of
the joints was done so as to avoid escape of the vapour into the
atmosphere. Distillers who used the largest pot with a small mouth
did not seal the joint between the largest pot and the perforated
pot. The design of this assembly was special, in that the perforated
pot fitted well into the largest pot such that no sealing was required
as shown in figure 6B.
Figure 4: Distillation equipment sets. In both A and B from left to right; sufuria, smallest pot, middle or perforated pot, and largest pot respectively. A - shows largest pot with wide mouth, while B - shows largest pot with small mouth.
The distillation was carried out using a three stone traditional
firewood cooker (jiko). The wine was then brought to boiling on
the jiko. After boiling commenced, some of the firewood was removed
to allow moderate boiling. Distillers explained that during boiling
of the wine, vapor was released, which distilled off from the largest
pot, through the perforated pot and finally the same vapor condensed
at the base of the flat-based vessel (sufuria). It was the sufuria
that acted like a condenser while the largest pot acted like a heating
vessel in the scientific flash distillation. The condensate that
formed at the outside base of the sufuria dripped into the smallest
pot with very wide mouth sitting inside the perforated pot (figures
5 and 6). The smallest pot therefore acted as a collector or reservoir
for the distillate (spirit). For continuous condensation of the distillate
during the distillation process, the water inside the sufuria was
discarded after getting warm while simultaneously being replaced
by more cold water. The frequency at which the warm water was being
replacement depended on the capacity of the condenser, as well as
the quality and quantity of distillate expected. The lesser the
number of times the water was replacement, meant short distillation
time hence as reported by most distillers the better the quality
and higher percentage of alcohol, but less yields are obtained.
Most distillers reported that in order to distill ten liters of
matured coconut wine one needed to replace the warm water three
to four times. The number of times warm water was replaced depended
not only on the capacity of the distillation unit, but also on the
size of the condenser (sufuria). The warm water was replaced after
it had attained a temperature of 40 to 50 oC . The water temperature
was determined by dipping of one's finger into the sufuria. Most
distillers preferred replacing the warm water three times, while
others preferred four times and few replaced it as many as six times.
After distillation, all the firewood was removed from the "jiko"
to allow partial cooling. Finally the equipment was dismantled,
followed by quick transfer of the distillate into a clean glass
bottle. The lid was screwed on before further cooling and storage
at ambient temperature. The supernatant liquid that remained in
the largest pot commonly referred to as "Reka" or "Magindiza"
was discarded in a pit or toilet because it was said to be lethal
to all living things including man, animals and even plants.
Figure 5: Two distillation equipment sets arranged vertically. A - largest pot act as a distiller (reservoir), B - metallic container (debe) is used in place of te largest pot.
Figure 6: Distillation units with small and wide mouth largest pots. A - a nuit with a wide mouth largest pot, sealing between the perforated pot and largest pot is enhanced by mud from red soil. B - no mud was applied between the perforated pot and the largest pot.
DISCUSSION
The tapping process as explained in this study compares well with
that of Thailand but differs with that which is practiced in Ghana,
where palm wine is tapped by felling trees that were ten or more
years old [6,7]. The major difference between the practice in this
study and that practiced in Thailand is on the section of the spathe
trimmed. In this study trimming was done on the tip of the section
of spathe whose sheathe was previously peeled off and the exposed
spikelets tied with leaflets plucked from the tree, while in Thailand
trimming of the spathe took place with its sheathe intact [6]. Also
found to be different was the period in which a single spathe could
be tapped. In Thailand a single spathe could be tapped for only
one month, while in this study, tapping and wine collection from
a single spathe continued for one to three months depending on the
genotype of the tree. In this study, climate as well as phenotypic
yields group of the coconut affected the wine yield but not the
age of the tree, while in Philippines age, climate, and phenotypic
of the tree all affected the wine yield [6,7]. All tappers interviewed
expressed the need of using very sharp tapping knives. The explanation
given was that blunt knives normally gave a rough trimmed surface
hence sour wine. The sour taste could have been attributed by the
fact rough surfaces allowed some drops of the oozing sap to accumulate
within them instead of a smooth/continuous drip into the collection
container, hence fermentation by the microorganisms present in the
wine that accumulated at the surface. The microorganisms that caused
fermentation included lactic and acetic bacteria [2]. These bacteria
caused both primary and secondary fermentation with the production
of lactic, acetic and other organic acids resulting to the sour
taste. While conducting this survey, tappers expressed the need
to filter wine after tapping. Most tappers reported that unfiltered
wine normally gave poor quality wine in terms of taste and smell.
This was expected because unfiltered wine usually contained a lot
of foreign matter such as parts of leaflets, fragments of spikelets,
dead bees and red ants. All this mixture together with the growth
and fermentation of microorganisms present in the wine [15,16,17]
could result to a mixture of compounds such as organic acid and
polysaccharides.
Acetic acid bacteria for example were reported to be capable of
producing polysaccharide such as soluble polymers of glucose, levan
and dextran [15,16,17]. The presence of the fermentation bi-products,
together with dead insects and ants as well as parts of leaflets
and spikelets could easily affect the quality of the tapped wine
if not filtered. In this study, sap collection was usually done
between 0500 hours and 0900 hours and again between 1700 and 2100
hours, this compared well with the collection time in Thailand.
Maravilla [6], reported that sap collection took place between 0600
and 0900 hours and again between 1500 and 1800 hours every day.
Discussions with most tappers revealed that, wine and sap collection
containers were not washed but instead leaflets plucked from the
tree were used to remove the foreign matter in them. On the other
hand, storage containers were washed but without detergent. This
practice contradicted similar practices in Thailand where tapping
tools were thoroughly washed with hot water [3]. Although no valid
reasons were given to explain the practice, most tappers treated
it as a taboo. Most tappers preferred the traditional gourd collection
containers as opposed to plastic containers. Gourd containers were
preferred because they were able to keep the wine cool, being poor
conductors of heat. This lowered the fermentation rate; hence less
wine was lost through frothing due to high fermentation rate especially
when the ambient temperatures were between 25 and 30 oC. During
tapping extra care was observed making sure there was minimum disturbance
of the spathe. This was achieved by holding the spathe firmly while
tapping it. It was established that shaking of the spathe during
tapping when done regularly caused it to gradually dry up as a result
less and less wine produced. This phenomenon also requires further
research to explain its validity for tappers did give any answer
to its occurrence. In this study, sap was stored without adding
any preservative while a similar study carried out in Thailand reported
that tappers and farmers used special barks e.g. Kam (Cotylobeum
lanceolatum) and pra-yom (Shorea floribunda) for preservation. They
also use a mixture of chemical preservatives mainly sodium metabisulphite,
sodium propionate, and sodium benzoate in the ratio of 10:1:1 respectively
to preserve the tapped wine.
The distillation process and equipment used to distil spirit from
coconut wine is similar to that described by Nout [14] in his report
about the manufacture of Nubian gin by "basin" distillation
equipment. However, major differences between this study and that
of Nout [14] are in the raw materials used, method of fermentation,
the distillation technique and the utilization of residues left
after distillation. In this case, coconut wine was the only raw
material as opposed to sugar cane or molasses mixed with components
of "busaa" beer .as described by Nout [14]. Further fermentation
of the mixture in that study was done for one week, whereas in this
study fermentation depended on the distiller's preference and ranged
from one to seven days. During distillation, Nout [14] indicated
that distillation process was stopped after three to four replacements
of the warm water, while in this study some distillers, replaced
the warm water more frequently, even up to six times. Other distillers
replaced the water less frequently, one to two times depending on
the capacity of the condenser and the reservoir (largest pot) as
well as the quantity and quality (concentration) of the expected
spirit. It was also established that the quality (concentration)
of spirit According to Nout [14], the residue left after distillation
process was used to feed animals and in some cases they it was added
into the raw material for further fermentation. In this study, the
residue was found to be extremely lethal to human, animals and plants.
It will be of great interest a study can be conducted to establish
the chemical composition of this residue. Findings of such a study
could be used to manufacture poisonous chemicals for rodents, insects,
pest and even weeds.
Major constraints faced by most tappers included: - provincial administration
and Police harassment; poor pricing and lack of market as well as
lack of modern and improved tapping and processing technologies.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Traditional methods for tapping and distillation of coconut sap
have evolved over a long period at the Coastal region. These methods
are used in identification and tapping of ripe spathe. They are
similarly applied in the collection, storage and distillation of
the sap.
It is necessary to formulate a clear policy concerning tapping
and consumption of coconut wine. Also other issues related to germplasm
development, technology transfer, marketing and distribution of
coconut and coconut products need to be addressed.
The need for better tapping methods and proper management to replace
the already existing traditional methods in order to increase palm
wine yields should be considered.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We express our gratitude to the Agricultural Research Fund (A.
R. F)- KARI, who provided financial support for this study as part
of Project ARF/PHT/I005024/1. Thanks are also due to The Coast Development
Authority (CDA) for her support in human resource and additional
transport for the survey.
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