Forum Activity for @Lesley Vaisanen

Hello Dallas,

Someone is wanting to put a deposit down for the machine and purchase it right away. You mentioned to me to go ahead with this if someone does want to buy it in the mean time.  I will keep you posted if the deal does not go through.  Thank you again for your interest and I hope someone else on here can help you find what you are looking for.  All the best with your new shop and new venture!~Lesley

Nicole,

So bummed to miss out on your guitar cutter. I saw your post the other day (my account just became active today) and I missed your update by about 5 minutes.

Enjoy your travels!

Best regards,

Annalynn

Hi everyone!

I'm Annalynn and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. My day job is that of a Human Resources Professional, but I've decided to pursue chocolate making on the side again, like I did when I was attending university. I'm, literally, just getting started and I'm doing everything from home.

I would love to connect with a lot of people in the chocolate community and look forward to collaborating with  and getting to know you.

I'm certain I'll have a slew of questions in the beginning and hope you don't mind providing some guidance.

Best regards,

Annalynn

I've just started roasting new samples of Oko Caribe, trying a total of 8 combinations described below. Hopefully some of you will have suggestions for things to try.

First, about the equipment: I use perforated cheats in a commercial convection oven with excellent air flow, a single layer of beans on each pan. Prior to this I had used a Gene Roaster, a Behmor and a home oven. The Gene Cafe and oven get similar results at equivalent temperatures, often 20% below the reading needed for a similar roast profile on a conventional oven.

On to the specifics: in previous experiments I found that some cocoas do better with a drying / pre-heat phase. I use 20 minutes at 65C, the lowest available setting for my oven. For each temperature I have two sheets, one that goes through the pre-heating phase and one that does not. This time beans were removed at 18 and 20 minutes.

For the roast tests I was joined by a friend with a great palate. We hand-shelled beans from each sample and mixed nibs (I'm thinking of using a mortal & pestle next time) to get a representative sample without getting too wired.

Results:

pre-heated, 100C:

  18m: floral notes with peanut, coffee, fudge and brownie

  20m: more chocolate flavour, notes of espresso

100C:

  18m: sticky shells, beans still hard. Peanut, strong acid, green banana

  20m: brazil nuts (!?). fairly astringent but with a nice bourbon / malt, a slight smoke.

pre-heated, 110C:

  18m: nutty. spice notes: nutmeg, clove. some harsh acids. "warm"

  20m: minty, pepper aftertaste, less acidic, not very astringent.

110C:

  18m: pretzel (!?). Fruity acids, a favourite.

  20m: coconut. astringent; spice and espresso.

The next tests will be "no pre-heating, 22 minutes @ 100C" and "10m pre-heat, 12m @ 118C".

Is there anything else you would try for roast profiles or to change my protocol? Thanks in advance.

Long shelf life of chocolate products (products to be stored at 18-20C) is achieved by formulating recipes in a way that would keep "water activity" low. Product with water activity below 0.6 will not spoil as there is not enough available water for microorganism to multiply (it does not kill them, just stops them reproducing) and there is no need to add any preservatives. 

We make a very wide range of centres like ganaches, fruit based, nut based, with cream (we boil the fresh cream) with shelf life between 4 and 6 months.

A bit more info on water activity:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_activity

Reduced to 300. 

hi, I'm sorry to bring this up again, but it is a very interesting discussion. It appears you are all saying you cannot have quality chocolates with a 6 month shelf life. Whilst I understand what you're saying, I believe it can be achieved. I know an importer of fine chocolates, and one VERY reputable European chocolatier (I won't mention names for privacy sake, but I promise, it's not Godiva or something similar lol) makes chocolates (with ganache and all crazy fillings), with a shelf life of 6 months. These guys have won many presitigious awards in the chocolate industry. The chocolates are manufactured for praline bars in retail shops, so I am lucky to have access to the boxes they come in (where I can see the ingredients). The only "weird" ingredient they use is glucose syrup. Otherwise, it's all natural flavours. And the ganaches are made with cream, too. They are among the best and most natural tasting chocolates I've ever had, and I've sampled a lot of chocolates!

Unfortunately there's no single defined solution for you.  There are simply too many variables.  Are you going to sell wholesale?  Are you going to sell online?  Are you simply going to offer your products exclusively out of your store?  These all require different labelling, and the requirements difffer from state to state, and province to province.

Welcome to beaurocracy.

I've never made vegan white chocolate, but obviously the key issue would be the need to swap out the milk powder with a vegan ingredient. From what I understand soy powder is the usual choice. The taste would not be equivalent, but this is often the case with vegan foods. You'll have to experiment to get something you like.

As for the sweetner, I'm not sure why you are planning on using coconut sugar. If you are doing it to avoid the bone char issue you can accomplish that by simply going with organic sugar, since certified organic sugar cannot be filtered through bone char. Also, I'm guessing that organic sugar is less expensive than coconut sugar as well as easier to find.

Most likely your state Department of Agriculture handles the licensing for food processing. At least that's the way it works here in Oregon. In any case the relevant agency where you live will send you that info once you tell them you want to get licensed. I know that here in Oregon they actually want to see your packaging before they license you in order to make sure you've done it correctly. Again, in your state things may work differently so check. If they don't offer the info make sure you ask for it. There are specific requirements, but it's really not that complicated. Also, if you are a small business you are exempt from some of the requirements. 

In the meantime you might try this link. It has way more info than you actually need for your chocolate, but it's a good place to start:  http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/UCM265446.pdf

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone can help me out with information about FDA regulations on packaging a food product like chocolate. It can't be as simple as just nutritional info and a foil wrapper. I want to start selling my chocolate but also don't want to get fined or even sued. I've read through the FDA website but it seems so generalized.  Any information of refernces will be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

Matt

Here's a good place to start

http://chocolatealchemy.com/white-chocolate/

I have a new vibrating table that attaches to the Perfect equipment tempering machine. I just don't use it, it's been used once. Selling for $850 bought it for $950. email me at dirke@urgechocolates.com or call 604-839-5977

 vibratingTable.png - 182KB

Hello,

I have wanted to try my hand at making white chocolate. I am going to purchase cocoa butter (not press myself) and I am hoping to attempt a vegan white chocolate with coconut sugar. But I'm not sure where to begin. Any great information out there about how to proceed? Thanks so much.

Just wanted to let everyone know that both the Little Dipper and Guitar Cutter have found a good home .

Thank you sebastian and gap for sharing your method of making slabbed ganache.
I also have one of these frames you are talking about. As you say they are perfect for making multilayered ganache, but as gap mentioned, if you have 1kg of ganache you need 3 frames.
I mostly make 2-3kg of ganache (peak season) and dont want to have 6 or 9 frames to "play" with.
So i guess i need to "build" such a scrapper by my own. I also was thinking about a scrapper where I can adjust the height, so i can eventually make also multilayerd pralines. I will talk to a metalworker, shouldnt be that difficult.

The other problem with the stainless steel bars (bend and unhandy), i have to rethink.

@gap: you are using silpat for your slabbed ganache? Didnt you have any problems with ganache sticking to the silpat? I have some recipes where the ganache is really soft (but still "cut-able") and i once tried silpat and it was a mess.
Is it a normal silpat or something special?

I'm taking a break from my chocolate business for a little while to travel and have some extra equipment to sell. Both are in great condition. Contact me for more details. I'm based in the Bay area in CA, but willing to ship.

Thanks!

Nicole

OK what size and type of powertwist belt do I need to order? They seem to have a good varierty.  Thank you

 Hello Dallas, I wasn't sure if emailing the other way worked so I am doing both. Yes they are still available and if you try my cell, the 250-462-1576 number, I will have it on me all day.  ~Lesley

Price dropped to 325. 

HI Lesley,

Is this still available? Mind if I give you a ring later today, to discuss?

Dallas

Thanks all.  I tested my know-how again using good, solid molds from Tomric (my own family's company had just one tray of three different shapes). Anyway, every single mold fell out beautifully.

@Mark-allan, maybe Fat Daddio was not what we got then.  I know that is a name I've seen around.  In any case, I do believe now that what i have been provided is crappy tools, and they are just going to have to spend the extra money if they want good molds and fewer losses of product.

Thanks again!

Yep - I use the same as Sebastian mentions. As per here:

http://www.savourschool.com.au/equipment/frames/products.aspx

Very easy to make/have made. Mine are 3mm high and in a variety of dimensions, depending on how much ganache I am making. I can customise my recipe sizes to the frame dimensions I want - eg., 1000g of ganache fills 3 medium frames.

I put the frames on a silpat mat (which is on a tray) and stick multiple stacked frames together with chocolate. When the ganache has set, apply over-tempered chocolate to the top to create a foot, cover with baking paper and a tray, flip it over and peel off the silpat. Run a knife down the edge of the frame and remove the frame and you're ready to cut your slab and enrobe.

I got a series of 1/4" thick 24x24" plastic 'sheets' (squares), and cut out the inside of them until they looked like picture frames.  Having multiples of them allows for them to be stacked so i can vary my thickness (each layer i add = 1/4" thicker ganache).  Stack 'em up, pour the ganache, let it solidify, run a knife around the edges, and lift it up and cut.

Easy to clean, small footprint, inexpensive to build/replace.

Hi folks!

I am looking for a more efficient way to make slabbed ganache.

This is how i make it now: I have 2 long stainless steel bars, between these bars i put the ganache and spread it even with a plastic board (see attached picture). I use my fingers to prevent the ganache from running over the side of the bars.

Next day i bottom them, turn over and cut em with the guitar.

In detail I am looking for

-) a better scrapper to spread the ganache (like in the video below)

-) something more flexible than the stainless steel bars (they bend over time and i cant use them anymore and they are unhandy to store)

-) a alternative to the baking parchment, something i can use more than once (silpat doesnt work well for ganache)

A while ago I found this video on the internet. (Le Caramel et le Chocolat Henri Le Roux ) At minute 02:00 you can see how they slab the ganache.

Looking forward to some tips and tricks on how you slab ganache and what equipment you use.

Any help appreciated!

 regards, dd

addition: i uploaded a photo of my last slabbed ganache.

 IMG_20150922_191044.jpg - 1.7MB

Fat Daddio polycarbonate molds are what I use. I have bought other non polycarbonate molds and never use them. I'm sure other brands of polycarbonate are just as good. Polycarbonate is rigid, but you can whack them on the counter without breaking them. If the chocolate is tempered right, the bars/candies will fall right out after a chill. The more you use them, without washing them with soap, the easier the chocolates will be to remove. A trace of cocoa butter coats the mold after its first use, so the chocolates fall out even easier after subsequent uses.

molenkamp@home.nl

Hello,

I'd love to exchange with you. Could you give me your email address? I'll write to you when I am ready to exchange.

Best wishes

Mateusz

Hi there - I'm in North Seattle - near Northgate Mall. Would be happy to meet you somewhere between here and Renton. 

My email is tmicklin@gmail.com

contact me for my cell phone number. We can arrange to meet. 

I may even drop the price a bit since I wouldn't have to pack it for shipping  

Thanks

Tom 

Where are you in Seattle? I'm in Renton and interested.

Hi Nicole,

we are producing chocolate making mold, and  not sure it is useful to you. If you need, i can show you and help you solve the problem.

My skype is yoqtony, and email is cleopatra.tony@gmail.com.

Best regards

There is such a thing as crappy molds - don't know the Fat Dadio ones but I know some of the Italian molds I've purchased are much too light and do a piss poor job of molding.

Does anyone know of suppliers for marble tables/carts, the metal frames to pour fudge into on the table, paddles for working the fudge, etc.  

Hi All,
I have two Krebs Hotchoc chocolate sprayers that I'm selling for 375. These are brand new and work amazingly well in terms of texture. I'm located in the US. 

Hello Mateusz,

do you want to make an exchange of chocoalte wrappers?

I am a collector from The Netherlands.

Regards

If you are in the business of selling chocolate, products, or services, the way to promote your business to ChocolateLife members is through a member marketplace ad.

Got brand new in January 2014.  Paid $28,594 USD asking $18,000 USD obo

Everything is working in excellent conditon.  Enrober was used 8 times.  Down sizing because I am starting nursing school.

I live in Summerland BC Canada.  Border is 45 minutes away.

Converted to single phase by Selmi.

Is a work horse and I love it. Tank holds 24kg/52lbs

http://www.selmi-chocolate.it/en/prodotti.asp?id_categoria=1&id=4#specifiche   tempering machine pic

http://www.selmi-chocolate.it/en/prodotti.asp?id_categoria=1&id=3#specifiche    enrober

I can teach you how to use them if you have never used these machines before.  They are very user friendly.

I can't seem to get the pics to load here, I can send some out to you directly.

250-462-1576

250-494-3107

Lesley Vaisanen

I suspect the chocolate stained nut bag you mentioned! Apparently 25% is a good amount to get out with a hydralic press so we aren't doing too bad without one!

Kerry - what do you think would happen if you took the remaining nib mass (after you removed that first 25g or so of butter), put it into a fine-mesh nut bag (or something equivalent), placed it in a strainer over a bowl, and dropped a weight on it? Do you think you might squeeze out another 10%-20%? Or would you just end up with a chocolate-stained nut bag?

Hi all,  

I don't claim to be a chocolatier, just a candy maker, but I do a pretty good job.  I was hired by someone who decided to open a handmade candy business based on my skill and I get paid really well.  Because I'm not a chocolatier, I need help with a shell mold question.  The owner bought me some molds for our creams (I pipe them) from sellers on Amazon.  One brand was called, I think, Fat Daddio or something.  They didn't go to Tomric as I suggested, I imagine thinking they are saving a few dollars.  Anyway, the molds are no where near as heavy weight, and I'm not having a lot of success getting them out of the molds. 

Is there such thing as a crappy shell mold, or do I just stink at this?

Thanks

This years finals have been announced! And theres a lot of great chocolate on the list!

http://www.internationalchocolateawards.com/2015/10/world-final-winners-2015/

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