Forum Activity for @Tony2

Thanks for your reply Andy.

The tempering aid is Mycryo, but I did have the same problem tempering without the Mycryo.

I have been following the tempering system of heat, let cool, warm a bit while stirring, but the Mycryo instructions leave the last warming stage out - presumably as the mycryo is pure crystals of cocoa butter so it seeds quickly.

I do wonder what temperature I should cool the molded chocolate so it shrinks from the mold but does not get too cold to cause the condensation.

Any ideas?

Thanks again,

Tony

Chocolate is very nuanced. Welcome to the learning curve. :D

You mention you are getting bloom, but is this bloom happening after the condensation? That could be the problem in general. Condensation will aid in pulling the sugars out and when they dry you'll easily have sugar bloom.

AFAIK, I've never seen cold effect bloom. It can create cracking as chocolate shrinks as it cools. Humidity and your tempering methods are more a possibility.

In general your tempering methods need to be exacting. Tempering is usually a raising of temperature, a lowering of temperature, then a raising of temperature (not too much--dependent on kind) again. Extended tempers can even repeat the reduce and raise.

Was your blooming happening before you added agents to it? Did the same occur when you were doing the seed chocolate? You mention these tempering aid's (not familiar) but what is your main chocolate you are using. Is the whole thing a semi-sweet? Probably some of the easiest chocolate to work with is in this range.

Lots of fantastic resources and books out there.. You can find many recommendations for PierreWybauw, the CIA's book Chocolate Confections, or even some more soft books like Making Artisan Chocolates or Chocolate Obsession might help.

Keep a log, record whatvariablesyou can, and keep up the trials. It's not easy but once you find the rhythm and reason you'll forget a lot of the early setbacks. :D

Hello!

I'm new to this, so will welcome any advice.

I'm tempering by hand, using a double pan, recently using tempering aid but have also used the "adding extra chocolate to seed" method.

I have fairly consistent results (after buying several thermometers of increasing accuracy and price!).

The inconsistency is that some chocolates gain a white (sugar?) bloom, not a butter one, when stored for a week in a sealed plastic container.

For this question I'll add specific information: Callebaut 54%, tempering aid, heat to 45C, cool to 34C (adding the aid then), stir well.

I then pour into polycarbonate moulds, put into a freezer for a few minutes, then knock them out. By the time I have put them into a box they have condensation on them.

I have the same problem if I use a fridge and not a freezer.

I've just bought a hygrometer so I can see the humidity in the room, and a dehumidifier which I plan to use tomorrow.

Perhaps I'm cooling them too much, so any advice about temperature would be useful. Perhaps it's just too humid - it's certainly not too hot in the room right now! Should I keep them in a sealed box with silica gel?

It's just so disappointing, I thought I'd started to get the hang of all this!

Thanks

Tony

You should be fine. My experience has been that it is the milk fats that will turn. White chocolate has the shortest shelf live. I can keep that for at least a year if kept dry, dark and cool. Dark can be kept for years.

I have a block of Callebaut 70% dark couverture which shows an expiry date of late Aug 2011. Also a block of Callebaut 56% dark with the same date. They have been stored in a cool room in containers. What's the general rule for using chocolate that is over its expiry date? What about others like white and milk chocolate?

ouch!

never been a fan of "raw" whatsoever chocolate.

It is a painful exercise to explain every time the truth behind the "raw".... who know where this accident will bring... Is this the end of the "raw"?

i don't wish anyone to go out of business, but

maybe a bit of rules by the FDA will bring some clarity to the matter.

<grin>

Bloody stools and possible kidney failure are a small price to pay for higher antioxidants.

A link to the recall notice is up on the FunFresh web site - buried at the bottom of pages.

Sebastian is right, companies that are promoting raw chocolate products are going to have to institute strict controls to ensure their products are safe. This includes documented GMPs, sanitization steps, as well as post-manufacturing testing.

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm303012.htm

It should be obvious to everyone what my position is on this matter by now. It's good to be aware of enforcement efforts to emphasize that the danger is real. We will be seeing increased enforcement activities in this area.

Roma:

This sounds like just the sort of thing Chef Rubber might be able to do.

Hello Everyone,

I'm wondering where I can find something like an impression mat. I make chocolate bars and I would like the underside of the bar to read the name of the bar. Does anyone know of anyone that custom makes this sort of thing? Since I run a super small operation, I would just need a few of them.

Any insight is greatly appreciated!

Best,

Roma

In the Dominican Republic the differential between fermented and unfermented cacao is called Hispanola and Sanchez respectively. I was wondering how do they differentiate in other countries around the world? I have read that somewhere between 12 and 15 percent of the cacao out of the DR is fermented. Other countries like Grenada all the cacao is fermented from what I have read. How are the different types of cacao labeled in other countries and which countries have more fermented cacao and why?

FYI There is a small town on the Samana Peninsula called Sanchez. From what Don Hector Rizek told me, because the cacao was shipped out of the town it was called Sanchez. I guess no one fermented Dominican cacao back then.

Does anyone know when fermentation started to develop in countries like the Dominican Republic and when the name Hispanola was first used?

Thank you Brian, This looks like a very good bar packaging solution.

Eileen

Here is someone I have worked with http://eco-friendlypackaging.com/ . Very eco friendly and Paul is willing to work with realitively low minimums.

brian

Thanks Wendy! Will check it out.

Hi,

I came across this source: http://gourmetbusinessdirectory.com/ that I've kept in my favorites. They seem to have a lot of useful sourcesfor small food business, that might lead you to helpful sources. You have to dig through their links (past the constant ad for you to upgrade and buy their info.), but I recall finding info. for my own state there that I hadn't found else where.

Wendy

I am also searching for eco friendly options for packaging on a smaller scale. I am currently using paper backed foils and would like to use eco foil , or recycled paper. I make 1 ounce bars and also hearts and soon other shapes. How does one go about displaying the different shapes?

Hi Eileen,

Have you had any luck finding vendors for your packaging specifications? The packaging manufacturers and distributorsthat I have found only do high volume, I haven't found anyone making less than tens of thousands of packaging materials at a time. I am also looking for either lightweight cardboard or heavyweight paper wrappers, as well as chipboard boxes to display the wrapped bars. If you or any other chocolate life members have any leads they would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Adam

Hello Everyone

I'm trying to decide on the best packaging options and wanted to get feedback in terms of price, ease of use in automated manufacturing, durability, printing issues, etc.

I'm looking to produce a 3 oz and 1.5 oz bar and I currently have the option of the typical film bar flow wrap that is mechanically sealed on both ends.

However, I really like the idea of having the bar in a plain film flow wrap but then using a cardboard box to enclose it. My reasons are that the addition of the box looks more premium, easier in terms of storage and shipping, more printing copy space, and for customer convenience in that the consumer can use the box to store the uneaten chocolate.

Is this too costly to do? How difficult is this to do?

Does anyone have any recommendations on suppliers and pricing?

Thanks so much!

Clay,

The free sharing nature of this site is what makes it so special. That fact that people from all over the globe can discuss their chocolate passion and share knowledge is remarkable and would be nice to remain as is.. Tom brings up an interesting concept of an online magazine. With all the travels you've done I'm sure you could create some great content as well as have contributors. I miss Cocoaroma Magazine and would be happy to purchase a subscription to read the kind of articles , see the pictures etc. That magazine had interesting historical content as well as visits to places around the equator. I loved the chocolate shop and store window photos as they gave me ideas for my own displays and packaging. I read it cover to cover and sold it in my store.

just saying...

Clay, this site is by far and away the site I visit the most, several times a day, I have learnt an incredible amount, made many contacts and contributed in kind, though I do tend to answer most of my own posts. I think the free and sharing nature of this site, a nature that you have fostered is an excellent one and hopefully it inspires others to do the same. I for one have met many growers from Australia's neighbouring countries and have consulted to them on many aspects of small scale chocolate making, roasting profiles, formulations, feedback on beansetc. I don't charge forthis 'service', I taught myself chocolate making from this site and chocolatealchemy, from information provided freely and I pass that along. By doing this however, I get something much more valuable, I have built a up a wealth of knowledge and experience in local cacao and eaten a fair bit of it too!

As for paying for something on here, I don't know, I can't think of anything, maybe others can,I feel thoughit would impinge on the sharing nature of the site. Sure, though, people have to make money.

Actually, one thing I would pay for would be a 'Chocolate Life Magazine' (online)with well written and nicely edited stories. You do get that sort of thing onthis siteand from the blogs of chocolate makers etc but they are all a bit piece meal and you have to remember to go back for an update, and not all the info is in the one place in a easily digestible form. Editing an online magazine would be very time consuming though.

This is one of my favorite sites and I have also learned a great deal here. I enjoy reading about what people are doing around the world related to cacao production and appreciate all the expertise I have found among the members and Clay. I have no complaints.

Hi Gordon,

i have started following your website just about a year ago and i have really learned a lot. I also have shared my notes on beans, roasting and participated on a lot of discussion.

I found so interesting to contribute together with people from the 4 side of the world.

I understand you fear to loose control of the situation by someone pointing bad at your forum, but generally speaking this is a "open source" of knowledge: Someone like me will use to learn, someone will use to "spy" and someone just for the fun of accusing.

I like it, and i enjoyed discussions that are technically orientated.

I think Clay, you should still have input to the forum with your own discussion, opening up the forum to new ideas but also having a look at trends and political decision regarding chocolate (like the story about Fair trade)

Paying, not sure about... no one like to pay for sharing information.... and who will make the money? the Forum owner or the people that put the informations?

an online book library could be a cool idea.... small year fees, unlimited access and if i want to buy a Hard Copy of one of the books, a good discount should apply...

my 2 South African Rand of suggestions..

Cheers

Antonino

One option that is open to me on the Ning platform is toputsome"premium" content and features behind a pay wall. I am not saying I am going to do this, just that I can - and I want community input on this as well as other ideas for providing new services and features to members.

1) What kind(s) of content would you be willing to pay for?

2) How much would you be willing to pay for it?

I started TheChocolateLife back in January 2008 as an on-line community to share my passion for chocolate. That passion was ignited back in 1994, led to my starting chocophile.com back in May 2001 and to getting a book published in 2007, and to enabling me to travel to many interesting places and make a lot of very good friends.

But it almost didn't happen that way. Very early on, one of my first members (Casey Meshbesher of the now-shuttered The Chocolate Note), posted a review that did not meet "my guidelines." Casey pushed back saying that if I was going to try to control what people had to say - and how they said it - I would not be very successful in growing the community.

Very good advice, indeed, and I think that some of the success of the community - which is fast approaching 6000 members - is that I try to encourage a generally very positive and forward-thinking attitude in my writing and in members' discussions. Many members are surprised to find out that I spend more time behind the scenes corresponding with members than I do creating my own original content and contributing to others' discussions.

All of this came to a head over the past few days as a new member pushed back on some recent discussions I started. After taking the discussion off-line, it became apparent to me that I was at the kind of crossroads I was at back in early 2008 when Casey whacked me upside the head (metaphorically speaking).

As the community is now thousands (and not tens as it was back then), it makes sense for me to stand back and take stock of what my goals and mission are for the community. At the same time, it makes even more sense for me to ask you what you want to see in TheChocolateLife over the next four years.

So - tell me: What am I doing that you like (and don't like) and what would you like to see more of (and less of) on TheChocolateLife. I am constrained, somewhat, by the software platform, in what I can do and keep the site free for all to enjoy, but I will do what I can to learn from the spirit and intent of what you have to say - positive and not so positive - in order to help make the community work for ChocolateLife members around the world.

Hi mint,

I believe that they are using blister transfer technology.

Very common in Europe for printed shapes.

Alas, I don't think that we can make it in-house with inkjet printers and transfer sheets.

Virgil.

Hi Laura if you cant find what you are after on forum, it can be a bit daunting to start and money dont grow on trees ( shame ) you can email me on dave12389@hotmail.co.uk and i will walk you through it step by step.

if you go to the CHOCOLATE ARTIST SOFTWARE/PRINTER talks you should get all your questions answered. Should be on page 2 or 3 of the discussions.

hello i am new to the printing of cocoa butter but i aminterestedto learn more about the type of printer

Dave, you soundlikeyou knowa lotabout it

do you need to have a special printer ?

do you have to temper the cocoa butter or will the printer do it?

how does it keep the cocoa butter at the tempered?

thanks

Laura

Hi mint not sure what they have used for the watch, dont know what printer you purchased from ebay or what transfer sheets you use, i have had perfect results with chocolate artist form deco, that is the software they use for printing on transfer sheets, i use the cocoa butter sheets from chocolate world i find them better than the ones deco sell.

You will need a canon printer you can purchase all from deco but you might find if you buy the items seperately it may be cheaper.

dave

Hi All,

I bought this chocolate watch from Chapon in Paris. It's 7.5 euros and only 9g. It had a photo of Audrey Hepburn printed on it. Can anyone tell which technique they used to print image on chocolate? Transfer sheet or food printer?

I bought an edible printer from ebay and a pack of chocolate transfer sheets,but it doesn't work...I already wasted 4 sheets I also tried frosting sheets.. result is not good..

Hi Brad,

is it a case or all of the chocolate maker/ business owner suffer from high blood pressure?

Something to do with the fact we have been eating too much chocolate and our heart is used to pump under theobromine effect/push?

It might sound stupid, but i always been running on "high" (chocolate, figurative!!), now being a business owner that has turned into something more stressful.

If what we eat is what we are (and i eat very healthy) is the chocolate the potential cause of high pump work?

any thought anyone?

Nino

So Barb, any update on your research?

can anyone tell me what do i need /how to / crystallize theobromine ?

Brad if you want to reduce blood pressure naturally, hibiscus tea is very good apparently (Wiki again). I looked into it becausea couple of Aussie cacao growers started eating the whole beans straight out of the pods, pulp bean everything. The cacao beans they grow up there are very purple. Anyway they found they were able to ditch their blood pressure meds. This could be a combination of the theobromine as well as the complex mix of anthocyanins found in the purple beans - the same anthocyanins that are found inhibiscus tea, which are the blood pressure reducing agent. I did read on this further and it was a particular two anthocyanins that were the best - as far as I can remember.

I have no direct knowledge of it's use for bp reduction - however, since caffeine is also a diuretic, given the structural similarities between it and theobromine, i suppose theobromine could also be a diuretic. Again, i have no direct knowledge of this application personally, and while the wiki may be right, i've seen far too many things on it that are simply inaccurate for me to trust it as a good source 8-) (i've not looked at it in ages, but the chocolate wiki, for example, was (is?) riddled with inaccuracies).

I would unequivocally NOT make a 'tea' from the shells and drink that. You're going to get all sorts of unwanted nasties that you absolutely do not want to ingest. The entire point of crystallization is purification. At some point, you're going to need a separation step to help discriminate the theobromine from the other water soluble stuff - if you went straight to xtallization, sure you'd xtallize theobromine, but also precipitate out lots of other stuff.

a million $ question

I also read on Wikipedia that it works very well for reducing blood pressure (provided you don't exceed the LDL50). Seeing as I have high blood pressure, I could technically make a special "Brad" chocolate, eat it regularly (like that's tough to do already! haha!), and do away with my expensive meds. Theoretically....

Seeing as I have a few hundred lbs of shell, how does one boil them down and crystalize the theobromine from the residual? This is VERY intriguing!!!

Thanks.

Brad

It's the kissing cousin to caffeine. Stimulant. Also some evidence that it's pretty effective at suppressing the vagus nerve, which is what kicks off the coughing reflex - making it a natural cough suppressant.

Side note: you've heard not to feed chocolate to your dog as it could kill them - it's the theobromine that does this - small amounts can easily put a dog into cardiac arrest. Horses too, for that matter.

I'm curious too. Why would someone want to extract Theobromine? What use is it?

You can do the same with tea and extract the caffeine, it was a second year uni chemistry prac. Maybe they should do theobromine too, the prac would smell pretty good at least.

No.