Hi, i'm trying to find the belt to relace the snapped one and i was wondering if you could tell me the code of the belt you bought since their seems to be a variety of sizes..... or which one you bought on Inno Concepts?
thank you!!
The issue was that the seal on the bottom of the drum wore away, thus creating an air vacuum which stopped the drum from having enough power to spin. I resealed the drum using some food grade epoxy, and voila, issue resolved!
before you add stuff make sure they are pre-warmed and fluid and add little by little...not all together. help with hot air gun if needed 
**Update** I was able to get this changed out with no issues. I have no idea why I was lead to believe that it would be so difficult. Haha. Unfortunately, it didn't resolve the issue, which is, the machine jams up as soon as I put something in it. It runs fine with nothing in it, but as soon as I add ingredients, the wheels get stuck. Back to the drawing board. Thanks to all who replied.
Looks like we have different machines. Mine isn't a grinder, but a melanger ECGC-12SL. It's a lot smaller than what you have, so I'm thinking (hoping) that it shouldn't be that difficult. Inno is offering to walk me through it over the phone for the first time. Should be interesting.
Hi Katherine,
we have ECGC 65 A grinder from cocoatown. my husband changed the belts a week ago and it was ok. he used a wrench 19. we did not remove the motor, just raise it, but don't remove it.
I don't think we're talking about the same machine. There isn't any metal coupling on the bowl. The bowl is a completely separate piece which lifts right out. I just need to flip the machine over, and remove some screws to get the bottom off, in order to get to the belt. I got the exact belt I needed from Inno. The first one lasted about 6 months, but I know it was my fault for overloading it with something too thick & sticky. Patience this time....
Hi Maria, thanks for the reply. I got the exact belt it needs directly from Inno Concepts, so that shouldn't be an issue. So no motor removal necessary? I actually found a tutorial online on how to replace the belt in a Santha, and I assume it's a similar process (although Inno told me no) I think they're just trying to get me to ship it back to them & pay them to do it....
It shouldn't be too hard to do it yourself. When I was starting out I went to a hardware shop that also repaired appliances like blenders to help me put it together.
I didn't see why the motor would need to be removed to remove the belt.
What you need to know if that the black plastic ring which holds the metal coupling to the bowl is removable. This allows you to separate the top of the machine from the bottom, with the large wheel and makes running the new belt from the motor to the wheel easier. It needs a bit of stretching to fit tight.
As for replacements I read good comments about using Powertwist belts which may last longer.
Hope this helps. How long did the original belt last?
It's time for my first belt change on my Cocoatown Melanger. Inno Concepts tells me that I shouldn't attempt this myself, and that the motor "may" need to be removed in order to change the belt. Has anyone on this forum done this themselves? I'm a newbie.
Not positive but this might be the same mold at Chocolat-chocolat
http://www.chocolat-chocolat.com/home/chocolate-molds/chocolate-molds-easter/p16408224.html
Thanks Lana. I just saw your other posting on this subject. Great looking bunnies, by the way!
I have a question...
Where can you get good quality 3D molds like this?
Does anyone know the proper way to use these two-piece molds? This style has two buttons that let the two pieces "snap" together. Should I deposit some chocolate in, snap them together, and shake? Or, make twoseparatepieces and then stick them together later with melted chocolate?
I tried the snap-and-shake method, and a small amount of chocolate oozed out of the cavity, making for an ugly looking rabbit.
Any guidance would be appreciated! 
I see that there are some discussions about Enrobers.
FYI it is more important that you have a cooling tunnel than the perfect enrober. I started with a 60 year old Nielsen ,then I used a
KreuterLiliputfor 10 years. But the most importantequipment was the cooling tunnel,when you are busyyou want to be able toenrobe continuously.
By the way my Kreuter is for sale and other equipment like a stefan mixer for making perfect emultions with temperature control ,there could also be a vacuum pump attached to remove the air from your ganache.
If you are interested please contact me or visit our website to get a feel of the production we do with this equipment.
Albert
Lind uses 'artifical flavor' to round of their product. I have experimented with many industrial flavours at varying dosages but the main issue I hit (I use a combination of Belgiumchocolateand compound chocolate) is that the flavour stability starts to degrade after few weeks.
Usage of flavour gives an amazing lift to the product but unable to nail the reason for loss. I have tried Soy lecithin but that has not helped.
Does using pure chocolate (i.e. no vegetable fat) have better stability. Because of weather conditions and handling difficulties mixing compound chocolates keeps my chocolate stable and yet gives a reasonable soft texture.
Thanks
I used dark malt extract from a brewing store. I initially used 3% and, for dark malt extract, it was too much. I dropped that to 1.75% for my second batch and that seems closer to the mark.
I haven't tried using light malt extract yet.
I refined for 24 hours and the texture was smooth - no mouthfeel difference. It was noticeably less sweet (which is what I was aiming for).
Hey Felipe,
What Brands of Vanillin do you recommend?
Gap,
Thanks for the update!
Did you find the texture or mouthfeel different? Considering the hardness of lactose I'd be concerned of a 'grainy' texture.
FWIW - the sugar makeup of my recipe being 1/3 lactose and 2/3 sucrose worked quite well on the weekend.
FYI French Broad Chocolate makes a 45% milk malt bar. It's quite addictive
Cant wait to try it out. Thanks Felipe
OK, thanks Felipe. I was going to give it a try this weekend with 1/3 of the sugar beinglactose and 2/3 being sucrose.
Felipe
very interesting conversation guys.I have two questions here please:
what flavor does malt give to the chocolate? and what is the approximate percentage to use?
What brand of Vanillin do you guys recommend?
Thanks!
Felipe - did you end up trying to add lactose to your milk chocolate? What is a good proportion of sucrose to substitute with lactose as a starting point? For example if you had 100g of sugar in your recipe originally, would you say 70 sucrose and 30 lactose is a good place to start experimenting? Or should I increase/decrease that lactose proportion of the sugar?
Not looking to get my hands on your recipe, just trying to get a feel for a range to start experimenting in. 
Cheers
OK, thanks Sebastian.
malt is made from wheat, maltose is a sugar.
When people talk about adding malt to chocolate, are they referring to malt extract/powder or maltose? Is there a difference between the two in terms of making chocolate?
Vanillin is available in two types - ethyl and methyl. The ethyl version is much, much stronger than the methyl - so use it very, very judiciously. Assuming it's pure (which it may not be - it my have a very substantial amount of what's known as a carrier or bulking agent added to it - usually dextrose or maltodextrin - your supplier could tell you) - I'd say you're off by 2 orders of magnitude. Remember, it's easy to add more if you don't like it; it's awfully hard to take some out if you've overdone it.
I think malt makes for a wonderful addition to milk chocolate, by the way. I wish more used it, but it's wheat derived, so allergens play into things for most folks.
Sebastian, thanks for the response!
It was surprising to hear its use is driven by cost-saving purposes and that it is hard to grind. Either way I got some lactose (not sure if anhydrous or alpha monohydrate) and may get to do some tests on a home grinder. I would be more inclined to reduce sweetness than save costs.
Either way it is useful that it is not a key ingredient for 'better' chocolate in your own scale.
My next steps are:
Malt Extract -The latest test, which is in progress: to add dried malt extract at 2% of total weight. The extract itself is not especially tasty, but I guess it balances ok with vanilla.
Vanillin / Ethylvanillin - I read that a significative amount of vanillin is desirable for a swiss milk taste and it is not present on the beans themselves. I sourced vanillin and ethylvanillin - do you know which one is better for our purpose? I plan to mix vanillin (0.2 - 0.3% of total chocolate) with about (0.1% of the weight in real bean) - considering it is pure, is it too overpowering?
Lactose, by definition, is milk sugar. You can get it in two forms - anhydrous and alpha monohydrate.
It's far less sweet than sucrose (40% or so). It's much, much harder than sucrose (harder to mill). You willcertainlyget a sweetness reduction by using it, i'd not say you'd get an increased milkiness as a result. Historically, it's been added to help lower costs as it's less expensive than milk, and may be considered a milk ingredient in some countries (important distinction for standards of identity). You also may end up with a chocolate with a slightly harder texture as a result of it's use.
In my opinion, if used at the appropriate levels and in the appropriate process, you can produce a product that may be quite similar to your 'control'. I do not believe you'll make something that's better as a result. But 'better' is a tough thing to define 8-)
I have been getting encouraging results making milk chocolate and I'm looking to experiment with malt extract and possibly lactose.
Studying the ingredient list in several milk chocolates one can see lactose is sometimes included as in individual ingredient.Eg. see Lindt's Swiss Classic Milk Chocolate which lists sugar, cocoa butter, milk ingredients (?), cocoa mass, lactose, soya lecithin, barley malt extract, artifical flavor (?).
Does anyone know if milk chocolate has lactose added separately, in addition to that present in podered milk? If so, how much?
I am thinking it will contribute to less sweetness and added 'milky' flavor.
World Chocolate Master's rules - less than 50% can be sprayed.
I'm entering my first competition next week and my design has a lot of white in it - very little natural brown. The comp doesn't have written rules about the matter but I suspect there's a standard of when you've gone too far with color. Any thoughts?
Thanks.
Thanks for your replies. Like I said it is not for me, just trying to assist someone who called me.
The fellow is in the NY area and I am in Redondo Beach. Don't know why he called me but nevertheless wanted to help.
Cheers!
Hi Jeffray,
A store recommended by Adam G on a similar thread seems to carry what they call 'authentic' jute bags:
http://www.cocoapodshop.com/products/Authentic-Jute-Sack.html
Hope it helps.
