Production has grinded to an unfortunate halt as we need to switch the roll and there are no directions. We've tried unscrewing a number of different things without any luck. e
Some countries are exporting with 25% trash. Do this long enough, and you'll find everything you can imagine (and things you wouldn't have imagined) in cocoa beans.
Long term planning and critical thinking are not strong in all parts of the world - especially when you may not know where you're going to get the money to buy dinner tonight. As a result, short term financial decisions are often made - such as "if i put rocks in this bag, it weighs more and i'll get more money today". In actuality, while this is true for today, what it means is that they're shooting themselves in the foot for tomorrow - as folks will catch on to the fact that they're not buying what they think they're buying. That said, if i don't eat today, i don't care much about tomorrow.
A fundamental shift across multiple origins around incenting quality at the grower AND exporter level is needed to change the mindset. It's incredibly difficult, and I don't believe it'll occur on a large scale quickly.
Jim:
The cleaner in the video could be adapted for winnowing, not cleaning prior to roasting. It's a device that could be more functional than one made from PVC pipe. Using pre-classification sieves before winnowing would improve throughput and yield.
You are right, there should be absolutelynoneed for the purchaser of cacao beans to clean cocoa beans. However, not all growers/exporters are as diligent as you are, and not all purchasers understand the cost/labor tradeoff. It makes more sense to pay a premium for cleaned beans because the farm gate premium is almost always going to be far less than the cost of doing it yourself.
Unfortunately, quality control with respect to cleaning and inspection for defects is not always done on the farm. I purchased some beans from the DR through a broker and the official grading specification allowed up to 3% trash -small pieces of wood, flats, doubles, and other defects - by weight. I have seen bags with nails and stones in them.
Clay,
The concept of chocolate producers having to acquire machines to clean cocoa beans before use is a concept I am unable to comprehend. If you are buying beans that require cleaning, you are not only wasting chocolate production time but also paying premium prices for trash. Buy beans that are properly processed and forget about trying to compensate for shoddy quality control at the producer level.
The final stage of our process exposes all beans to a cleaning phase that removes all material that is not useable bean. In addition our machinery separates beans by size (mass) and offers uniform, clean beans that can go directly from the sack to the roaster.
Forget about adding a process to the already complicated issue of chocolate and buy from producers that include practice quality control in the process line .
Jim Lucas
I just came across all of this and all advice is very good,being on the other end of chocolate a consumer who loves good chocolate and a chocolate personal shopper. In the end,the chocolate bars have to taste good. Much hard works goes into making the bars and it is also an art with science thrown in. I have tasted many bars along the way and can now tell if something is off.So after all the courses much practice and good tasting beans.It is hard to know which course would be good,how much info is there, but I do hope that there will be more bean to bar courses for the people who wish to get into this so that the consumers like myself can keep on buying and tasting bars.
cole chocolat runs a bean to bar course for around $450 Its entirely online and runs over the course of a few months. I think the next one starts in september. For the money it provides a wealth of information and very good introduction to the world of making chocolate. Not equipment training per say or recommendations in any one direction, with the exception of tutor feedback, but very neutral information in all aspects of the industry and a good broad outline with lots of resources. A good start I would say, which does cover everything you mentioned above.
Would anyone in North America (or elsewhere but preferably in English), be willing to run a course, or know of a course or place for training in Bean to Bar? I am applying for funding to attend training. I am also happy to Stage somewhere to learn too.
Any info would be fantastic.
P.s in regards to what I would pay- between $3000 and $5000 for a course which covers everything from understanding beans, selecting, roasting and everything to final product- hopefully also covers which machinery is best suited but happy to pay someone separately for that information.
Cheers
Thanks for the feedback.
Cheers.
Data such as supplier information is readily available from sites like panjiva, importgenius, etc. that provide import/export details for much less than $5k; sometimes it is even free.
http://www.greatexportimport.com/buyer-ftcg_enterprises_inc/826888/ningbo_new_tang_intl_trading_co_l
Providing a fee-based business mentoring service may be a better approach for you, Brad. There are lots of business issues not specific to bean-to-bar that many start-ups need guidance in. Marketing, branding, hiring, negotiating, customer service, etc.
Regards,
Steve
Lisa;
I'm probably not going to offer a course. Unless it's something I'm going to do many times over, the up front work isn't economically feasible. I taught software programming at the University of Calgary for several semesters as a contract instructor, so I'm aware of the up front work that chisels away at the per hour bill rate that one can charge.
The whole purpose of my reply was to put things into perspective. Sometimes the sticker shock of an item may seem hefty, but when presented with the alternatives and their associated costs, or in this case the cost savings, the price justifies the outcome.
Those who are serious about making chocolate and were at one time prepared to spend the kind of money I mentioned wouldn't hesitate to pay the fee for the course if they knew it was going to save them the cost of the fee 8-10 times over.
Please don't be offended.
Brad
Lisa, "quite pricey" is all perception. Put it this way:
You could by a Netsch chocolate refiner for $75,000. What if I told you that you could buy a conche/refiner that would do just as good of a job for $30,000 but it would cost you $5,000 to get the information for the company that sells it. THEN... What if I could give you the contact information of a reputable company that could sell you a conche/refinerfor just $6,000 which could do the same thing with almost no maintenance, 24/7 for several yearsas the $75,000 and the same thing as the $30,000 unit?
All of a sudden paying $11,000 ($5,000 to me and $6,000 for the refiner) to save between $19,000 and $64,000becomes a FABULOUS deal.
Anything else I offer in my course is just gravy.
Sometimes business is also about saving money, not just making money.
Cheers
Brad
totally worth it!
There are VERY significant business differences between a home hobbyist, a small artisan, a commercial artisan, and a mass producer of chocolate confections.
However there is almost NO difference between a home artisan and a mass producer of chooclate with the exception of the size of the equipment used. The end result is always the same, and uses the exact same ingredients to make one product and one product only: chocolate.
Scaling a chocolatier is very, very different than scaling a chocolate maker.
Cheers.
Brad
3 days of hands on, accompanied by some thorough documentation is a heck of a lot of information if delivered property. Obviously one isn't going to cover all the in's and out's of a business. I've been starting, financing, and selling businesses for many years and I'm ALWAYS learning something new. The course would simply be a kick start in the right direction, and solid guidance of where to spend and NOT spend precious seed capital. The value of the course comes not from what you learn to do, but where you learn to NOT waste money in this case.
Hope that makes sense.
At least a free fireplace mantle!
I agree. I am sure there are plenty of issues that come up when you scale to a production level that a hobbyist would not be worried about. Everything from storage of the beans and completed chocolate to efficiencies you can leverage when making large batches and even wrapping choices.
I think the actual making of chocolate could even be broken into seperate courses itself - especially if you are talking making hobby chocolate at home versus making chocolate commercially.
Seems to me (as a beginner/hobbyist) that multiple classes might be good.
One class that focuses on the "art" of making chocolate from bean and another that focuses on the business side of things.
As a hobbyist I am currently most concerned with making good chocolate. So roasting profiles, winnowing tools and techniques, refining approaches are all big questions on my list. My goal would be to learn and improve my technique before developing bad habits. Then I can continue to refine my skills until I am ready to take the next step.
At that point I would be interested in the business side. Where I am going to have a whole lot of other questions about bean sourcing in volume, equipment to use, costs / revenue / money stuff, marketing / promotion, etc...
Having said that, the price I would pay for each half is quite different. There are a lot of sources online for getting started with the art side. A little reading and an open mind for experimenting has got me making bars that get a favorable review. So unless it could help me get to the next level in quality I would not look to pay too much. Certainly under 1,000 USD. However for the valuable business insights I would happily pay a lot more. After all, if I am going to invest tens of thousands in equipment and rent 5,000 USD for hard to find knowledge is well worth it, as Brad covers above.
Only my opinion, but I wouldn't have thought 3 days is enough to teach someone to make bean to bar chocolate, operate the machineryand how to setup thebusiness. Would you be assuming a certain level of knowledge re some topics?
What's the value associated with 75,000 hours of experience?
8-)
Funny you should post this Clay... Today I was thinking about putting on a 3 day"bean to bar" course, which would have participants do everything from cocoa bean to chocolate bar, and would also include equipment lists, prices from suppliers and so forth - essentially everything they would need to set up their own chocolate business. All the person would need to do is start making calls and wiring money.
The course would also include an evaluation of various types of equipment, including the plusses and minuses of each, as well as an overview of how to start and run a successful chocolate business.
Full turn key, I was thinking of charging $5,000 per person with a maximum of 3 people per course, and a guarantee that they would save at least $25,000 in unneccessary equipment purchases by taking my course, while at the same time being able to set up a business that could easily handle $500,000 per year in business.
For those truly serious, $5k is a pretty small investment for the information that took me over 3,000 hours to accumulate.
Any thoughts?
Brad.
In another discussion here on TheChocolateLife, member Mahmoud Baktaji asked about existing bean-to-bar chocolate schools to attend.
Based on responses to that post, I thought it would be interesting to ask the question directly to members:
If someone was going to be developing a hands-on bean-to-bar chocolate school, what would/should the curriculum include? What would be a good location for it? What techniques and equipment should be covered? And -- finally and importantly -- what would you be willing to pay to attend such a school?
Aloha Sean!
Congratulations on your first client! We have a strong history in supporting "fledgling" companies and will be happy to help you in any way we can. Please contact me either by phone 717-747-5895 or email marc@marclaucks.com and we'll discuss your needs in greater detail. Yes, we do make boxes with clear film windows.
Best,
Marc
Aloha Marc,
Thank you for such wonderful information. I am starting a fledgling company here in Maui. We have our first client and need to have a custom box made for our bar. I am looking for a box with a window to display. Also, do you make a box with a plastic window installed in the box?
Our dimensions are 5 1/2 x 2 3/4 x 1/2 inch. ...........Sean @ Maui Chocolate Co.
Yes indeed. Great insight Dirke!
Digital printing is ideal in many cases. We get excellent results with producing chocolate keys, inserts and other short run color jobs digitally. The problem is often with toner-based digital printing on heavier stocks (like that used for boxes)----depending on the design, cracking can appear along areas where a score/fold runs against the paper grain. This is why it's best to work with someone with experience and someone you feel you can trust.
Keep in mind,if you do get boxes made you will have to get a diecut made. These tend to be a little pricey ranging from $200+ depending on the complexity of the box. Standard offset printing ( I believe Mark is referring to ) is great if you are doing large amounts and will reprint in the future as metal plates are used for the printing process and can be reused. However again, they are metal plates and cost. Alternative solution would be to go digital print, it's cost effective for lower quantities, gives you the flexibility to create different looks or make changes without the over head of making new plates. BUT, there are different forms of digital print, highend and basically color photocopiers. Ask your local printer if they do both or can offer any suggestions. I've been in the print business for 20 years and still do print brokering on the side to bring in extra income in the slower chocolate months. Any questions I'm happy to help.
Fantastic Marc! thanks for the information I ll direct message you when Im closer to my packaging needs.
Thanks again,
Kelly
Hi Kelly,
A typical press sheet used to trim out various packaging products is fairly large in size. By way of example, our gang run business cards are run "64 up" meaning that 64 different people from all over the country have their cards produced on the same press sheet. This is why they're so affordable.
Before the days of "gang run printing" a box of full color business cards could easily cost $1000, today they're less than $60. 
You can see from the embedded image how a press sheet is utilized to print several different packaging items...there's a bar box and a few different sized sleeves and trays. Assuming several different buyers agree on a quantity, it's easy for everyone to save since only one set of printing plates and one press run is used to produce items for multiple people. Feel free to contact me directly if I can provide more information!
I would also be interested in that option however I am in the very beginning stages and would be looking purely for informational purposes right now.
Thanks Marc
I have a customer who buys several thousand plain white boxes but they have a tuck flap on the top and bottom.
We can run them with or without a window.
If you'll provide some information on how many you have a need for and the size of the bars, I'll get back to you with some information. Typically, what we do in this case is aggregate several orders together, run a large production run and then drop ship to each location. This allows everyone to "gang" their orders together and saves a lot of money over each person buying a small quantity on their own. There are affordable options to print the boxes as well. Marc
I don't know much about the packaging industry. However, my company has a client that does do work in that sort of thing.They call themselves a corrugated box company.
Aloha,
I am looking for this same product (blank generic boxes) so I can place my own sticker label on multiple bars.
If someone could send both of us in the right direction it would be much appreciated.
Thank you all for helping us........Sean G
Hello
I have been looking for a supplier of the those thin cardboard packaging boxes which are folded over and glued down over the chocolate bars. The chocolate itself is either flow wrapped or foil wrapped.
This type of box seems is used by manufacturers such as Theo Chocolate, Ghiradelli, Lindt, etc. Does anyone know the technical name of these kind of boxes?
These are usually custom printed but I would love to find blank generic boxes to which I can affix a product sticker instead. (I don't want to committ to buying a huge order of custom printed boxes just yet.)
Thanks in advance!!
Hi,
Does anyone, by any chance,know of good chocolate courses in Hong Kong?
Sebastian:
That's a great topic. I started a new forum discussion just for that purpose.
I'd urge folks to start thinking about what they'd like to see, what priced right means, and what they'd like to learn.
Sebastian:
Priced right, located here in the US, and hands-on.
Absolutely yes.
ZDS in germany has one.
I wonder if there's sufficient critical mass to create a new one?
hey there
does anyone have any idea or information about chocolate schools orinstitutes in which they offer courses about the production/making of chocolate from A to Z as well as fillings and the chemistry of chocolate ..like a course for month or 3 with a degree or something close to that .
any help will be highly appreciated
