Forum Activity for @Mark Heim

Yes, you can airbrush the colored cocoa butter on the demoulded pieces. Using a brush can be done too but you can't apply it toothick, and is really best for fine detailing as you get brush strokes. Just be sure of your temper. You can also control where you airbrush by spraying through a template you can cut out of paper.

Hi!

I'm thinking about a project, using food grad silicone molds to make 15mm scale chocolate buildings. what I'd like to do is then use edible paints to paint them. All the tutorials I've seen about painting chocolatereferto painting the inside of a mold with molten colored coco butter, but that won't really be feasible for what I want to do.

Has anyone ever done anything like this with any success?

Cheers!

Ken

A new kid on the block (In some ways literally a new kid as the person behind the confections being sold is 23-year old Shaineal Shah)opened up in SoHo in the past two weeks - Xocolatti. Despite his young age, the chocolates show a definite sophistication belying the maker's age, drawing on several cultures, including Indian.

The store is located on Prince St, west of Thompson Street, making it literally right around the corner from Kee's and just a few short blocks from Marie Belle and Vosges and another reason to make SoHo a part of any NYC chocolate walking tour.

While the confections themselves offer strong competition for the more established players in the 'hood, one thing that makes Xocolatti stand out is the design of the store, which measures only 150 square feet.

One of the challenges in any shop is storage and at Xocolatti they have turned necessity into virtue by incorporating the boxes waiting to be filled with chocolates into the fixtures and furnishings of the shop. The boxes literally line the walls.

The shelving units create a grid and the boxes fit within this grid creating an additional complex geometry. You can get a hint of the geometry looking in from the outside, but unless you're paying very close attention, it's not immediately obvious what the elements of the design are.

Shelf units (some of which contain backlighted signs, see the photo below) extend from the grid breaking the plane - offering a way to display the confections on sale.These shelves are highlighted by pin spots from the ceiling, causing the pieces to jump out at you, highlighting the fact that many of the pieces are decorated with luster dust.

and ...

You can see that different box sizes are used in different areas of the grid to create patterns within the grid. One next obvious step is to vary the color of the lids of the boxes seasonally to add variety to the presentation. Plus - you always know what your inventory of boxes is!

I've been to many countries and been to lots of stores and seen hundreds of different methods of presenting and merchandising chocolate. While I like the traditional elements of a store like A l'Etoile d'Or in Paris and the masculine austerity of La Maison du Chocolat - this little jewel box of a store in SoHo is one of the most innovative - and attractive - stores I have ever been in.

However, it's also true that you can't eat the boxes, so when you visit, look for Indian-inspired treats such as chikki slates - a very tasty take on chocolate-covered toffee. The saffron nut chikki features a hint of cardamom that adds a bright floral/vegetal note - coupled with a pleasant sticky/chewy texture and a nut combination that consists of almond, pistachio, and cashew - that distinguishes these from other toffees. In a very good way.

A solid debut from a young new competitor who's bringing in influences from outside the chocolate world in exciting ways to mix things up.

Daniel;

I can't agree with Clay more. In 2005 I started with essentially the same equipment you have now, and treated "making chocolate" as a fun activity for me and my daughter to do. Many times we hand peeled roasted beans while watching cartoons together.

I've burned beans, siezed chocolate, fought with tempering, made crappy chocolate, and made great chocolate. While doing it all, I was experimenting, giving it away to friends, and having fun.

In fact I had so much fun that I wrapped up a couple of other business ventures and started my own chocolate company.

If you're worried about beans, remember this: It's easier to blow $50 going to a theatre for a couple of hours than it is to make a couple lbs of bad chocolate (which incidentally isn't something your kids' friends can likely do with their parents).

Have fun.

Brad

www.SoChoklat.com

I cannot thank you enough for your response. I should take a lesson from my kids (who cannot wait to get started) and just do it.

Thanks again.

Dan

Daniel:

There are many resources here - and on ChocolateAlchemy.com - that can provide you with a starting place and guidance. However, there is no substitute for just diving it and doing it. The best way (the only way, really) to learn is from experience.

There is a tendency to think of cocoa beans as being precious and having enormous value. (If you're paying $10 or more a pound they are pricey - consider making the investment in purchasing a larger quantity so you don't worry about ruining them.) They are just ingredients. Just as any chef can be expected to burn or otherwise ruin an expensive piece of fish or beef - or truffles or whatever - as they are learning, you should expect to ruin some beans. They are just ingredients. Over 3 million metric tons were harvested last year (about 7 billion pounds). A "ruined' batch of beans is not "wasting" them if you learned something, and a couple of pounds out of a couple of billions is not all that much - won't you agree?

One of the most important things to have in your journey is a journal and write everything down. Weigh the beans before you start roasting them. Weigh them after. Mark down times and temperatures. Weigh the nib after cracking and winnowing and then the liquor after grinding. Get in the habit of documenting everything.

If you're in any doubt during the first run, over-roast rather than under-roast. For most people, over-roasted chocolate tastes better than "raw" chocolate. And some chocolate makers are known for their heavy roast profiles (e.g, Franois Pralus).

Like anything worth doing well, it's going to take time to feel comfortable with the materials, equipment, and processes. Work with it, don't fear it.

I am literally brand new to making chocolate.

I have thought about it for quite a bit and am finally committing. I have purchased some raw beans,Champion juicer and a grinder. I am, however, quite intimidated about starting and screwing it up.

Any advice or suggestions would be most welcomed. The more basic the better.

Helloooo...

So I am insearch of a creamy dreamy vanilla butter cream recipe, I cannot find one anywhere. Surely this has to be an easy recipe but I have tried 2 so far...one was greasy, the other was too gritty from sugar. I am looking one that is not too sweet but very creamy buttery...

anyone want to share with me? I would like to try one tomorrow...

Thanks. A bunch!!!

HI Omar

I have one Matfer 15kg (it has the wheel and can temper but I use it manually), and then 2 x 12l from Chocolate World - link to image here: http://www.chocolateworld.be/fotos/M1008.jpg

- Stu

Hi Stu, who is the manufacturer of the melting tanks?

- Omar

Clay, that was good advice and I decided against the chocolate world factory in a box concept. Before I made any decision, I went and got some very good chocolate training (they had competed in the World Chocolate Masters) - it was this that gave me an understanding of the direction I wanted to go, and the equipment I would need. The factory in a box option, as you pointed out, was expensive and didn't have everything I would need, and some things it turns out I don't need.

Nearly 5 months after my initial post above, and the decision has been made. I took a 300sqm warehouse and converted it into offices, retail outlet/cafe store, and a large factory.

I have decided against a tempering machine, instead investing in 1 x 15kg and 2 x 12kg melting tanks. I enjoy hand tempering/crystallizing the chocolate, so a tempering machine was ditched from the shopping list.

My new factory/production facility is geared toward artisan chocolate, and should be operational in about 8 more days all going to plan. Ended up spending WAY to much, but have gone with:

* 2 x custom built stainless benches with granite bench tops (and tray racks underneath)

* A custom built spray booth for both artisan chocolate and sculptures (plus a gravity air gun + compressor)

* Heated cabinet for cocoa butter/color

* A commercial oven so I can roast my own nuts etc and make my own praline (copper bowl method) - and I will be doing Macarons too, based on some very good advice I received

* A guitar cutter (Matfer) - decided this was a necessity in the end

* Over 200 poly carbonite molds (20 - 30 of each style)

* A massive air conditioning unit that can keep the factory at 18 degrees C and 50% Relative humidity.

And on top of this is all the shelving, stainless packing benches, miscellaneous tools (spatulas, spoons, bowls, pots, etc), refrigeration (who knew commercial refrigeration cabinets were so expensive!), pantries, etc.

Many of the comments on the forums here made the point that it isn't about the equipment, it is about knowing how to use the equipment (eg, the equipment does not make a chocolatier, and having a Selmi won't be any use to you if you don't understand the pre-crystallization of chocolate). This is so true! When I need to scale up some more, I may get a Selmi, but until then, I will be more than content using my melting tanks.

- Stu

Nat is correct in saying the Selmi is a nice machine as has been covered elsewhere on TCL. There are machines that are less expensive (also Italian) with similar or better feature sets.

The system appears to be aimed at someone who's never set up a chocolate kitchen before, but the equipment is scaled for someone who has a lot of business (100kg/hr production in shell molds is a LOT of pieces). So - it's a good shopping list for someone starting out but I would make different choices (and save boatloads of bucks) if I was just starting up and didn't already have a solid book of business in excess of $100,000/yr.

The temperer at least looks like a Selmi which is a great machine, the cadillac as everyone says. Those are about $20K on their own depending on the add ons. Not sure how to price all the other pieces of this package and whether they really add up to $30K more (38K Euro = ~$50K).

I haven't used any of these specific products or the companies products, just seen the Selmi in action.

-Nat

Good point Clay,

http://www.chocolateworld.be/pdfs/CW_concept.pdf

Cost around $38,000 Euros

Stu:

Do you have direct URL to the page? The site is not the easiest to navigate.

Thanks,
:: Clay

A Belgium company (chocolateworld.be) sells a 'chocolate factory in a box' concept.

We are starting out in making chocolate (not from bean yet, but one day!) and this concept looks pretty interesting.

Has anyone here used this, or any of this company's products before? Any feedback?

Thanks

Stu

Thank you! The colors weren't muddy, the paint was not adhereing to the chocolate at all. I sprayed two shades of red very lightly and then a tiny bit of black and got bloomed chocolate from it, which I am guessing is because the butter was not in temper....

I try to be very subtle about layering the colors...but I love the idea of a color wheel so I think I will get one

Certain colors do not mix well. The underlying pigments clash with one another and when mixes will turn muddy brown or gray. You can have a red with purple under tones and a red with yellow/green undertone that when mixed together will give you ghastly results. Do not mix complimentary colors unless you are trying to dull a color down, but do use them side by side to made your colors pop, like yellow next to purple. Get a color wheel at the art store, it will be of great help. If you want to take it further, a small watercolor set will show you what different colors do when mixed or sit next to each other. It is quite a science and one we normally do not pay too much attention to. Over time color mixing just becomes second nature.

When a color is translucent and is laid over another translucent color, it is the same as mixing colors.

I don't know if this is at all part of your problem, but this information might help you in your use of color. It does not matter if it is an oil painting or a chocolate bonbon, all the same.

Weeeelllll..... No I was I guess not tempering the cocoa butter....I have it divided into the badger bottles so I can quick change the colors. When I heat it I put the jars I am going to use in a small pan of water on the stove. ( not up to the lid, no water contact there) and I bring the water to a boil...shake it well and then it cools down a bit while I set the compressor up. So today my hubby used the thing and turns out just fine for him, but he was using only 2 colors. When I spray the lips I use 3 reds and a black... Do I have to let each color dry/set before spraying the next? What else am I doing wrong with this stuff and how can I actually temper the paint?

SO glad you all took the time to reply! Thanks!!!!

Greetings...

Can anyone post some suggestions or information on airbrushing with cocoa butter? I have a bunch of colors from Tomric. I have the badger 250, and the iwata all ready to go. We have used it a couple of times

Our 4 trays of orange and yellow for pumpkin came out fine. I had 4 trays of lips sprayed and only 1 tray came out all shiny and pretty, the other 3.... all bloomish and ugly ugly ugly....

I have been trying to research this online and haven't really found very much information so I thought I would try here.

I looked under an old forum about questions for Norman Love and there were alot of questions regarding this that were not answered....so we are hoping to try this again tomorrow

Giving up is not an option. I will rule the cocoa butter!

Hi,

Anyone have recommendations for finding a printer for chocolate bar wrappers? Should I be looking for something specific for professional wrappers? I need someone who can provide me with options for the paper and cut the wrapper to size.

Any thoughts would be really really appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Geetha

Clay, This is something I didn't think of before now. Humidity is something I don't know much about or how to measure. What does it mean to 'keep humidity within a good range'? That link looks very interesting and I'll have to read it a few more times before I get my head around it!!!

Your combination sheller/winnower sounds great. Do you have an idea of the winnow capacity per hour? I just spent about 2 hours hairdrying 2kgs of beans and I have to say, while I am quiet proud of the amount of husk I managed to remove, there has to be an more efficient way to do this!

Thanks

Shana

Brad, I have read through the chocolate alchemy winnowing information. There is a lot of info there and it's very informative. Do you have a link to your solution? 120lbs an hour is fantastic!

Hi Brian, thanks so much for the advice. I currently leave the cupboard doors open and the window in the room too just to keep the air moving. I do use my grinder in the same room at the moment put the odors are not strong. I have noticed a few more fruit flies trying to enter the house but nothing else. I will screen the beans with a mosquito net anyway, that might keep any intruders out!

Thanks again for the information.

Shana

Shana:

Brian has given a very good description. Temperature is less of an issue than humidity. Although you don't need the remote Internet monitoring part of this, the following article describes plugging in a humidity sensor to a dehumidifier to keep the humidity within a good range:

http://www.iobridge.net/wiki/tutorials/remote-control-over-the-internet-with-local-automatic-control

Keeping the air circulating is also important; a dehumidifier can help with this.

The plans John Nanci is circulating are pretty good and you should be able to produce something for not too much work and not too much money that will be a huge improvement over the Crankandstein/hair dryer combination you're currently using.

I am working on a combination sheller/winnower that is very inexpensive (looking to bring it in for under $100 in parts) and that has a lot of advantages over the two step approach that is based on the Crankandstein. I intend to publish complete plans and BOM (bill of materials) before the end of the year.

:: Clay

Brad is pointing you to the right place. John Nanci is now making winnowers. I have seen an earlier prototype and it did a very good job of winnowing with a lot less work than your current method. Best of luck to you.

Erin

Shana;

Brian has provided some good advice below.

With regard to winnowing, John Nanci over at www.ChocolateAlchemy.com has designed a small scale winnower from plywood and PVC, and has put the plans (more or less) up for people to use.

I have also posted a description of my solution on that site, and someone has taken the time to draw a rough schematic of my description. My winnower does about 120lbs per hour and is very simply constructed from one sheet of plywood a stand, and some blower motors. I've been using mine now for 2 1/2 years without issue.

Cheers

Brad

Check out that site for a possible solution for you.

Hi shana, i know about warehousing large amounts of cacao beans, the basic principles should apply for small scale too.

humidity will cause mold if you don't keep the air moving, you need a well ventilated place. if the air is dry then ventilation is less important. so for instance if they're in a closed cupboard in a humid place, and particularly if they're very dry, like below 7%, they will uptake water and can get moldy. you could leave the cupboard door a little open and put a small 15cm fan in there and it should help the problem.

temp is not as important, generally speaking the cooler the better so 15-18 is no problem at all. when you get up into tropical temps you have to think more about it.

you want to keep the beans away from potential contaminants and odors as they can uptake those too. so if there's dust, if you're cooking strong odors nearby like garlic, if the cabinets themselves have any kind of food or chemical odor, or if they're exposed to smoke of any kind, you can have off flavors in the beans and hence the chocolate. also this is more for when you have a concrete floor/walls, but they should be off the floor on wood pallets and never touching the walls. I cover the floor and walls in heavy gauge plastic to avoid contact and/or contamination.

finally there are some bugs that will attack cacao beans in tropical climates. i can't imagine its a problem in ireland but if you have ventilation holes or leave the cupboard door open, you may want to screen the beans off with a simple flexible mosquito mesh to stop small moths or flying baddies from getting in there and laying eggs in your beans.

hope this helps,

brian

Hi all,

Could anyone advise me how to store my cocoa beans before I roast them? They arrived in jute bags. I am only starting out and still experimenting with roast times, winnowing, grinding, refining. I have read that beans can go moldy. At the moment I am re-bagging into smaller jute bags and storing in a cupboard. The average daily temperature in there varies about 15-18degrees. Is this cool enough to store the cocoa bean?

Any help or advise is greatly appreciated.

On separate note, I am finding the winnowing very slow, (crankandstein and hairdryer method) however I am confident that with the growing interest in making chocolate that soon someone out there will develop an affordable small scale winnower. Thanks to everyone for all the posts they are extremely helpful and informative.

Shana

Ireland

The JustLuxe web site recently posted a list of ten chocolate factories to explore around the world.

Problem is - the list is a mix of actual places where chocolate gets made, confectionery factories, plus a museum and at least one retail store where no chocolate of any kind (neither chocolate nor confectionery). Surprisingly, the US takes three of the top ten spots - Mast Bros, Theo, and Tcho.

The slide show is here . Please post your thoughts/reactions to the selection.

The JustLuxe list begs the question ... what chocolate factories (actual places where chocolate is made, not candy/confectionery factories and places where chocolate is only sold or venerated) would make it to your top ten list? Especially if you got the insider guided tour. And let us know which ones you've already checked off on your your bucket list - if any.

Also - what's your favorite chocolate factory tour story?

Mine just might be taking brilliantly fresh macarons off a speed rack and passing them through the chocolate (called Melissa) used to make Pralus' Barre Infernale Lait and eating them messily ... at 6:30 in the morning. Chased with a double espresso we are talking the true breakfast of champions.

Ah, what a good idea. They must be in temper as my associate just brought some mold back that she used for marketing. I made them in August and they are still fine. Thanks.

In don't thinks you did anything wrong.

Just the same as you handdip pralines, they won't be a shiny as a moulded praline.

If you want the bottoms more shiny, you can put a plastic foil on the chocolate when it is still fluid.

Someone Please!

Ok, so I have been trying to take photos of my molds with the problems. The photos are not very good, but never the less you will be able to see the kind of "streaks" and even something that looks like chocolate bloom. The top is beautifully shiny, falls out of the molds if I do not turn them around carefully with a good snap. Also it is not all the molds from the one batch, some are perfect than some has these marks and chocolate bloom. The ones that are so very white shows how the white "spots" is more visible at certain angles and at others you cannot see it. Could it be the way I work with them. I spoon the chocolate into the molds. Should I rather try the method with the plastic bottle? I just find that the nozzle clogs after a while, so help please!

I do not have a decent camera, do not know how to get the photos from my cell that does take decent photos as I have to do it with blue tooth and I do not know how to do it and even with the best equipment I will not be able to take decent photos, so I hope these will give you an idea of my problem.

I'm sorry I still don't have photos to show you (I have no clue how to get them in focus!), hopefully my son will pitch up here some time, he is never around on weekends! These last few days I ran into even more problems with my molds. Now I get full out chocolate bloom, I can understand that is a tempering problem, what I do not understand is that I have no problem with my dipped truffles?

I am using a long stem teaspoon to put the chocolate into the molds. Previously they came out OK as I have said above, but I am now wondering it that is the problem. Should I try the method of the plastic bottle with the chocolate in it? Will that make any difference. I it was only a tempering problem I should have problems with my dipped truffles as well?