Forum Activity for @Simon G

Is there a way to work out mold size from weight?

Essentially I am looking to have mold made for 75 grams and require a certain thickness. I realised I don't actually know the weight/volume ratio of chocolate so can't work out the exact dimensions of the mold.

Does anyone have a formula for this or at least know the volume of 100g of chocolate so I can work it out from there?

Another one of those little questions that leaves me scratching my head when planning my start up.

Hello,

I make chocolate panning but i use polishing agents. Maybe i can help aomething...?

Hi,

I am currently looking to start a small chocolate business by producing various type of panned chocolate. I have done some research and found that most of the people will use polishing agents (e.g coating gum & shellac) in polishing the chocolates. I personally don't quite like this method because the smell of this polishing agents are quite terrible. Anybody knows how to complete the polishing by not using the polishing agents? Also, will the results be comparable to using the polishing agents?

thanks.

A very small amount of cocoa powder will have been processed to contain lecithin. Unless you've specifically asked for it, yours is not.

Why do you read that? i've no idea 8) i've read lots of crazy things on the internet.

One t hing you'll need to watch with higher fat powders is that they will be more susceptible to both temperature and pressure, in that the fat in them may melt or squeeze out, and when it resolidifies, will turn yoru bag of nice powder into a brick of solid cocoa. however, it's still fine, it's just needs to be reground.

Can you tell me what you mean by "unless it's been lecithinated"?

And why am I always reading that cocoa powders with a high fat content have a low shelf life?

Thanks!

Dorothy

Every cocoa powder, unless it's lecithinated, will have the same shelf life if properly stored. Assume proper storage conditions, and it's not lecithinated, your cocoa powder will be good for up to three years.

Can anyone please tell me the shelf life of Pernigotti cocoa powder? It has a higher fat content (20-22%) and I want to make sure I am not using any that has gone bad.

Thanks,

Dorothy

I guess this gives new meaning to "hot chocolate"

5:59PM EST November 23. 2012 - In a real-life caper that could have starred Willy Wonka , Austrian police are seeking a thief who stole 18 tons of chocolate bars and melted into thin air.

Earlier this week, a truck driver loaded 33 pallets of milk chocolate at a factory in Bludenz for a delivery in the Czech Republic, Austrian public broadcaster ORF reports, according to the Associated Press . But the license plates and paperwork for the truck and driver were forged, was discovered when the real truck showed up later, the Austrian Independent says .

The paper says the truck was chartered from Chechnya .

"The fraudsters were very sophisticated," police said.

The news reports do not identify the producer, but Suchard , famous for its Milka brand, has a factory (and shop) in Bludenz.. Kraft Foods now owns the formerly Swiss

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2012/11/23/18-tons-chocolate-stolen-austria/1723445/

Yep, temper to 27C

I should have mentioned, this is for making bars and not fillings. I think I'm right on the border of this batch being able to hold its shape as a bar without melting or breaking too easily. I'll try doing a temper and see if that holds better at room temperature. If not, I'll just put it in some 4oz mason jars. It's for holiday gifts.

I temper until about ambient. Getting the right crystal structure can not only help with texture but in slowing oil migration into the shell.

Am I going to get a crystal structure with all the hazelnuts in there? They were in the conch for a few days so they are fully incorporated. I molded one that wasn't tempered and it seemed pretty much like what I'm used to. Thx.

Swiss Chalet here in the US sells Felchlin wholesale.

Hi Brad,

For premium chocolate I've paid from US $7 to $14 per Lb, wholesale. I have bought from the chocolate makers direct and from distributers. The average has been around $8/$11 but for 100% I've paid up to $14. The prices have gone down somewhat but not much. I buy Felchlin, Grenada, Valrhona, El-Rey, Askinosie, Amano and Waialua Estates. Hope this helps. -Mark

I get Callebaut for $3.79/lb here in Alaska from a local wholesaler. I was quoted $12/lb for Vahlrona before shipping, which cost more than the product to Alaska so I stopped there.

Max Felchlin sells in pounds????????????

I'd love to get his stuff in, here in Vancouver, but no one wants to bring it in, and I can't find the head office to ask what minimum quantities they want for Vancouver.

Before you consider Qzina, consider Lindt. They have an office in Toronto and will ship in quantities of 100 kgs.

I pay $85 for a 22lb ofcallebaut 811 callets.

Blommer's the largest US grinder of cocoa. They are a bulk industrial producer of chocolate, and they do as well as any of the other bulk chocolate producers. They'll have a range of stock products to select from.

I have never heard of them but they look to be a large company. After looking at their site, their product list only dark chocolate on some of their products without giving the percentage of cacao solids. These prices indicate they are purchasing bulk cacao. When cacao is fine flavored, the farmer and cooperative/exporter should be getting close to $1.50 to 1.75 a pound for export purposes and sometimes, a little higher.

Does anyone use Blommer's chocolates?

We have used it for family tradition and still like the creaminess of their lexington chocolate.

Direct from Blommer (2000 lb order) I was quoted $1.90/lb- you could tack ona quarter/lb for shipping.

Until we can get to that point, we get it through a local store and have worked out a price of approximately $2.90/lb.

I haven't seen anyone's comments on Blommer and would be interested in your thoughts.

Hi Brad,

here in South Africa (don't know how much will help you) we sell chocolate at ca $13/kg (71% dark) and ca $10/kg for a milk 38%.setting us in a medium high price range.

We are a small bean to bar organic chocolate factory (1T/month) that sell as well to restaurants and hotels.

we are competing against

A)the big guys (callebaut,vahlrona,lindt,belcolade, ect)

B) against lower level of chocolate (chocolate is chocolate...we hear that a lot here!!)

C)No one else sells organic chocolate, so it is hard to compare "apple with apple" fairly.

I am telling you that simply because if you produce an excellent chocolate and you approach directly Pastry Chefs you will be able to enter the market without problems.

Being a Pastry Chef my self, we have managed to "speak the same language" of the Pastry Chefs of some of the major 5 star hotel in Cape Town.

We offer them chocolate and chocolate solutions,ideas and customer care that makes the difference between us and a just a sale rep of a big guy.

Taste and consistency of course is what will make you competitive but on this, i believe some of us has a lot to learn from you!

All the best with the new shop!

PS: i sent you some chocolate few months ago via a client of us coming back to Canada, have you ever received it? (Cocoafair)

Nino

I am currently buying Callebaut 835 dark chocolate in 11 pound blocks and I am getting it for $3.63 per pound.

Brad - I get Guittard and E. Guittard from a local bakery supply company for about $4.50/lb, buying in 10 - 50 lb orders. Some of it they stock normally, but the E. Guittard they stock for me specifically at that price.

Thanks Clay. That was very helpful.

Brad:

Directly from Valrhona, price for "pistoles" of couverture darks and milks average around US$8/lb for their minimum wholesale order.

Guittard runs considerably less, with their most expensive product being under US$6/lb for their minimum wholesale order but most running in the $3-5 range depending on format and pack.

Callebaut products are generally price-competitive with Guittard, though some of the origins and the Cacao Barry rare origine line are at the high end of the range. Belcolade is at the lower end of the range, generally.

Prices are negotiable to some extent as you go closer to the manufacturer/importer and can quote larger volumes.

In general, it's best to be just slightly less expensive than your target price competition.

Thanks Edward and Sebastian!

Very helpful and certainly a reality check for me. These prices are definitely a far cry from the prices I charge retail for wrapped bars!

know that between 8-20/lb - callebaut's making an absolute killing on margin...

Like others have said, it all depends on volume. Chocolate is a commodity.

If it means anything to you, I buy aprox 1000 kgs per year. I'm paying around $12./kg for a good single origin 70%, and around $10.00 for a good 38% milk chocolate.

These prices were negotiated with the CDN branch of the mnfctr and based on a minimum of 1000 kg/year. One very nice thing I like about the mnfctr. is that their prices are very stable--usually it will only change about every two years-barring any unforseen circumstances. They will give you a 2 mth "heads up" before prices do change.

What you should be doing is estimating your minimum amount and taking this to the various suppliers and asking them what kind of a price they can give you. You know that old saying about asking the price of a Rolls Royce? If you ask suppliers for pricing on a high volume product, you'll get all kinds of answers. Dangle your yearly consumption infront of them, and they'll sit up and sharpen their pencils before giving you a decent price.

In my town (Vancouver Canada) prices are all over the place. For the same Callebaut 70/30 prices can range from $8.00 to $20.00 depending on the supplier and their "story of the day".

If you are using large amounts, it helps to deal directly with the mnfctr or regional sales rep for the mnfctr and NOT local distributers.

Anybody else care to share? I've provided a lot of guidance to peopleon this forum in the last couple of years. It's not often I ask for anything, but this time pricing feedback would be very helpful.

Quid Pro Quo Everyone!

Thanks in advance.

Brad

Depending on your size (volume), you're looking as low as $2.00/lb, and as high as you can convince someone to pay. average mid size fella (< 100,000 lbs), i'd day is ~$4.00/lb.

Thanks Thomas.

I'm hoping some chocolatiers here in North America can weigh in and give me some idea as to price ranges they are paying for what I've listed above.

Again, the quantity doesn't really matter, assuming you aren't buying 7 metric tons per order, but rather a few lbs, or few hundred lbs at a time.

Thanks in advance.

Brad

I have been buying 10 pounds of liquor per order. I pay $8lb at one place and $6lb at the other. I am including shipping costs. It comes out about a $1 pound cheaper if you subtract them. When I can make bigger purchases (60 lbs. at one place and 100 lbs. at the other) it will lower the price by about $2 a pound. I know the price for a pound of liquor in the DR at CONACADO last summer was a little less than $2.70 a pound. If you want more information, let me know.

Hi Everyone!

In January I will be opening my third location, after which I will need to plan for and build a commissary to make chocolate for all of my future stores.

For the first few years, the commissary will far over produce what my stores can consume, so I am exploring the option of selling some of the chocolate and chocolate related products (70% dark, nibs liquor, etc) on a wholesale basis to various local restaurants.

The question I have, is for all of you who buy bulk chocolate for your business, what would you typically pay per kg for

1. a premium quality couverture
2. milk chocolate
3. nibs
4. liquor

I'm not asking for trade secrets here - just prices you are typically quoted by your suppliers.

Thanks in advance

Brad

Moisture and heat are bad news... both shorten shelf life and can affect taste and texture (as can too much cold + moisture... which is why you don't keep chocolate refrigerated). Cool and dry are the best conditions.

ther is no dought that chocolate get spoiled wen exposed to humidity, avoid contact with air by foiling, or by keeping in air tight containers, or keep in closed room to avoid as much as humidity, nobody canot say how soon a chocolate will get spoiled it depends on humidity , presecnce of microbs and other parameters.

lt depends on even the brand, try changing your brand, In india most of the companys are making only compound chocolates it some times give a soapy of flaver when exposed to air.

In my native place Kodaikanal peoples are keeping chocolates in open for months with out geting spoiled, here temprature is usualy below 16 degree celcius ,

Hi

I am trying to work with chocolate in a high humidity country. ( between 60 and 80 %) I was wondering what is the normal shelf life of chocolate once you open it from the manufacturers packet. I normally keep it well sealed in an air tight container and the room temp. is normally between 20-27 maximum. I know I may need to invest in cold storage for the chocolate. But, it has really been bothering me that once opened from the manufacturers pack , some of the chocolate has been tasting - a bit off- stale , gritty or old a bit like a closed attic - what is the reason for this ? This is also happening extremely fast - within 1-2 months of opening the package. The prodn. dates are around april or march this year with best before in 2013 for milk and dark 2014. How soon can chocolate taste off once opened. And any ideas why this ishappeningand ways to avoid it. Any help will be appreciated

I'm having somewhat the same issue. I temper my chocolate by hand in the marble. But I'm having trouble lowering its temp because of the amount of chocolate plus the weather won't help me, it's so frustrating

2kg is pretty much the smallest amount I use in mine.

Can anyone tell me what the minnimum amount of chocolate I should use in a 6kg melter?