perfect flavour and idea
Posted in: Opinion
Satish -
There's not enough question here for us to know (me to know) what you are looking to do. "... in this field" covers a lot of ground.
:: Clay
Forum Activity for @Clay
Posted in: Opinion
perfect flavour and idea
Posted in: Opinion
this is my first post and just started as a hme made concept and found very interesting and innovative. I just want to know about the best options and ideas in this feild.
updated by @SATISH AGNIHOTRI: 04/16/15 17:48:22
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Give me another year using the Spectra before I can comment with any authority. I guess at this point it is flip a coin.
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
If you were purchasing an entry levelmelanger, based on your experience, which brand would you buy?
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
The cylindrical stones of the spectra or premiere wonder grinder do seem to accept the nib a little easier than the cocoatown's conical stones. That being said, I used Cocoa Towns for several years with no problem.
Thomas: I'd highly recommend replacing the CocoaTown's belt with the fiberglass link belt. It's so much better than the stock one. I never had a problem with the belts in my CocoaTowns in the years I used them.
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I have used a small Cocoa Town and put nib straight in the melanger. After 30 or so batches, it took longer and longer to get the nibs in the machine without freezing. I recently ordered a new belt and will see if it gets back to old form. I also purchased a new small Sprecta recently and it took the nibs with no problem. Let's see if it still handles it after some use.
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
You can skip pre-grinding on any of the melangers that are discussed here and on Chocolate Alchemy. The key is to add the nibs slowly to the melanger. Also, heat helps the process. You can prewarm the nibs, and the bowl and roller stones, or just use a heat gun for a while when adding the nibs.
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi Ben,
What type of melanger are you using that allows you to skip pregrinding?
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Ben -
These commercial machines have 5 hp motors and are designed to work with viscous ingredients. The nib will turn from powder to paste once enough heat has been generated as you learned. However, having a powder and not a paste is not a bad thing, necessarily.
Robot Coupe does make VMCs and they also are expensive - new. The Hobart that you can buy used for <$5k costs over $13,000 new.
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
When first starting out with making chocolate as a hobby, I used a food processor with a similar blade arrangement to a VCM to pregrind nibs into liquor. It worked pretty well until I burned up the motor. 
I tried a different food processor, but it only could get the nib to a powdery state. I looked into a Robot Coupe, but decided they were too expensive at the time.
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Thanks Ben! I appreciate it.
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Thanks, Clay. Awesome.
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Madeleine:
One model of vertical cutter mixer (VCM) is from Hobart (link to Hobart web site page for the HCM 450). They tend to be expensive when new, but you can get them for under $5k used through eBay or Union Equipment. In fact, it was a conversation with Jim Greenberg at Expo East that brought using a VCM to my attention. You should be able to process ~20lbs of nib into liquor in about five minutes or so. If you start with smaller quantities of nib, after grinding it into liquor you should be able to add sugar to it and pre-refine in the VCM.
Many schools and colleges with food service operations have VCMs. You should be able to find one locally and run a test before going out and buying one.
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Yep, the newer model is the PN2.
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Thank-you both!
Ben- Do you know if the newer model is called PN2? If so, I will probably do that- there's one on craigslist in my area.
Clay- very interesting about vertical cutter mixers- I had never heard of them. If the meat-grinder machines are in between peanut butter machines and vertical cutters price-wise I would love any other info that you already know. Otherwise, I'll call some meat grinder companies later today and ask around.
Thanks very much!
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Agreed on the Olde Tyme Peanut grinders having issues with lower-fat beans. I have an older model that would occasionally trip the breaker if I fed it too quickly. I've spoken with another maker who has the newer model, and they say it does much better in that regard.
I'd definitely be interested in learning more about any other options out there.
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
The Old Tyme peanut grinders work well for many bean types. However, if you have one that does not have a lot of fat in it, it does slow down.
There are machines I have seen that look like meat grinders, but have stainless steel grinding burrs that are specifically designed to handle oily nuts, seeds, and beans, including cocoa. Throughput is over 20kg/hr and the fineness is 80-100 microns. If you are interested I can look into them more closely.
Another alternative I have been looking into is vertical cutter mixers. You could probably process about 30 pounds of nib into coarse liquor in under five minutes. You can find them used for very good prices, especially for the capacity and throughput. Also, you can add sugar to the liquor to pre-refine before putting into the grinder.
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi Madeleine. One option is an olde tyme peanut butter grinder. I used one for a while, and know of some others who use them, too. These days, though, I skip the pregrinding step and just put the nib straight into the melanger.
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I think the realistic next step will be a chocolate batch size of 60 pounds. As for budget, at this point I'm a bit flexible. I want to know some options so I can figure out what makes sense.
I guess I'm interested in learning about the smaller possible steps up first. Maybe <5k for a grinding solution. But if it made sense longer term to invest in something more expensive, I'd like to be aware of that.
I'd like grinding to take less time than it does now. Again, I'm not sure what a reasonable expectation here is.
Thanks Clay!
Madeleine
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Madeleine -
What's your budget and what batch size are you contemplating (not what you're doing now) and how long do you want it to take?
:: Clay
Upgrade from Champion Juicer for making cocoa liquor
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hello fellow chocolate-lovers.
I'm wondering if anyone could offer guidance on which machine/ system to use as a step up from grinding clean cocoa nibs into cocoa liquor with a Champion Juicer.
I have a (very) small from-the-bean choco business and my current system for getting from nibs to liquor seems like it would be untenable on a larger scale.
Thanks!
Madeleine
updated by @Madeleine Siegel: 04/11/25 09:27:36
I was wondering if anyone can tell me what is in this picture and how it affects bean to bar
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi Tom,
Thank you very much for answering my question. I will remove them with some sort of strainer. I didn't even think of that.
As for the beans, I purchased them from Chocolate Alchemy and had them roasted and winnowed. I know I am doing things backward but I am building a winnower and since I had the beans and the refiner, I wanted to experience what a finished bar would be like. I will study the comments on here and the forum on Chocolate Alchemy in regards to tips and reference points for roasting.
Thank you again!
I was wondering if anyone can tell me what is in this picture and how it affects bean to bar
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
This is just the germ, true it is more bitter and harderbut don't bother taking themall out.You can get rid ofquite a few of them by using a fine kitchen sieve, when I crack my beans I push everything through a 1/4 inch sieve (to remove whole beans so I can crack them again and have a uniform size) and then use a kitchen sieve to remove dust and quite a lot of the germ.
As for the bitterness I don't think the germ here is responsible. More likely the beans inherent bitterness, I have found this origincan give that lingering bitterness especially if roasted too long and esspecially if the batch you have is not well fermented. Also with a 90% formulation you will notice it more, go for something more like a 70% and see how that goes. A good way of using beans that are a bit too bitter is to make milk chocolate with it.
I was wondering if anyone can tell me what is in this picture and how it affects bean to bar
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi,
This is my first post. Thank you in advance with any information you can provide me with.
I just made my first batch of chocolate from bean to barthis week. I originally started out making an 80% with beans ordered fromChocolate Alchemy(Belize being the origin).
After using Chocolate Alchemy's excel spreadsheet to calculate ingredients, it turned out to be a 90%.
Anyway, the initial taste was great and texture was very smooth but there was a lingering bitterness at the end. I read some posts and came to the conclusion that it could be a few factors: either my refiner (premier wonder grinder) was brand new and I didn't run any sugar through it before grinding beans or there was residual husk left after the winnowing process. I refined/conched for 48 hours.
So for this next batch, I am shifting through the nibs and am coming across what look to be stems (picture attached).
I am correct? And do these affect the end taste. The problem is that this amount is just from 3 handfuls of nibs so to take these out from even a 2lb batch would take a few hours.
Can these be left in or do i need to be patient and take out all the stems?
Sorry to be so long winded.
updated by @Trimaniac: 04/11/25 09:27:36
Tempering problems again.
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi there this is my first post 
I am a home chocolate maker, I have been doing it for coming up to a year now. I haven't yet joined any forums but I chose this one as it looks like its full of nice friendly choccy people!
I temper using the seeding method. I heat 2/3 of the full amount to 111 degrees, add half the remaining 1/3 till it melts, then the last of the remaining 1/3, and hope that the temperature is around 80 degrees.
I have done this with an excellent success rate until the last 2 weeks when I have started encountering problems 
My chocolate is streaking and blooming. Some is perfect, some is not, and I do the same thing every time. I have seen a lot of conflicting information regarding temperatures etc so tend to stick to the ones I have just quoted.
I realised today that the last twice, the chocolate has not cooled down quick enough, therefore must have been too warm as the seed melted very quickly. Today I seemed to rescue a large batch by weighing out another 1/3 of the total yield, melting to 111 degrees again, then adding the seed, and it worked.
I have figured that if I can recognise while the chocolate is still melted, that it isnt going to work, that I have a chance of rescuing it rather than realising this when its set.
I need my chocolate mojo back! My confidence is getting lower. I know I CAN do it! I am having a hard time at the day job just now and I am thinking the bad vibes are rubbing off when I come home and do what I love.
Sorry this is so long-winded, some tips and a confidence boost are much needed.
Love & Peace
Carolx
Tempering problems again.
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I agree with Chocotoymaker.
Keep in mind that with the seeding method, you have to stir the heck out of it to get the tempered chunks to melt, and even then if you need a smooth couverture quickly, you may still have lumps.
One method (dangerous but quick) is to hand temper by heating to 45, and then use a cold water bath to bring the temperature down to your bottom target. I can hand temper 10-15 lbs of chocolate in a few minutes this way. Keep in mind however, that a few drops of cold water can potentially ruin all of that chocolate. You have to be VERY careful.
Most large commercial (continuous) tempering machines work using cold water - kind of like running the chocolate through a radiator just like coolantin a car. The difference obviously is that the water never has the potential of touching the chocolate, and it's a continuous flow of chocolate through the radiator.
Tempering problems again.
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Brilliant... thanks... will try it this weekend.
Tempering problems again.
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Julie, If you are seeding you DO NOT need to bring chocolate down to 27 and then back up. Cool it down to 30-31 for dark (WHILE SEEDING) or 29-30 for milk/white (WHILE SEEDING)
Cooling it to 27 then raising to 30-31 is for tempering without seeding.
Most couvetures available in distribution(That I have worked with) will not solidify at 27 in their untempered state.
If you want to follow the 45-27-30 guideline then STOP SEEDING.
Tempering problems again.
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Thanks Brad,
That is the answer I am hearing from the experts, that the temperature is actually just a guide. Pancake batter consistency, sounds like a far better description.. that is what I had at 29C.
The thermometer is accurate, but since I am working with tiny amounts of chocolate, it is incredibly easy to overshoot on the way up.
Tempering problems again.
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Julie;
The process of tempering your chocolate can be confusing. There are so many unclear methods out there explaining how to do this. I believe in keeping things simple, so here is my suggestion:
Melt ALL of the chocolate you are going to work with to 45C.
Then cool it all to approximately 27C (if it starts to get thick like pancake batter you have gone far enough)
Gently reheat it to 31C.
Stir it all the time, and you will be fine. It's really that easy, keeping in mind that you may not need to go as low as 27, and you may even need to go as low as 26.5. The pancake batter comparison seems to work for those people I train.
You may also need to go as high as 32 or 33 depending on the accuracy of your thermometer, and how thick your chocolate is. 31 is a good start though.
Hope that helps.
Brad
Tempering problems again.
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Yes. Remember cooling and re- heating creates seed, so be careful how much you add. The seed should slowly melt with stirring. If it melts too quick, the chocolate is too warm, if it doesn't melt the chocolate is too cool.
Tempering problems again.
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Thanks Robert,
So the temperature profile given by the maker is only a guide?
Tempering problems again.
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Julie- It sounds like you are cooling the chocolate too much. You are simply over tempering. If it is dark chocolate the coolest temperature to come down to could be 30-31C. For milk chocolate 28-29C could be cool enough. Remember that if you have an efficient way to cool and then re-heat the chocolate you might not need to add seed. Adding seed is to help form the correct crystals, cooling and re-heating does the same thing. If you are doing the tempering by hand, I would cool to about 32C add seed and you should be good to go. Every chocolate is different but once you find what works for you it should be easily repeated.
Tempering problems again.
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Sorry to bring up this issue yet again, but I cannot find any reference to the problem that I am having.
I am trying to produce simple chocolate bars from commercially provided couverture.
The instructions from everywhere I read, basically say to melt the chocolate at around 45C, cool whilst adding seed chocolate to around 27C then raise again to 30-31C
My problem is that as the chocolate cools, at around 29C it becomes so stiff that it is almost impossible to stir, and I simply cannot get the temperature to drop further without is solidifying.
What am I doing wrong?
updated by @Julie Fisher: 04/11/25 09:27:36
Bar Codes
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
You can purchase UPC bar codes from some third party sellers. One I've used is ez upc:
They just give you some image files (.jpg & .eps, I think) of the bar codes that you can add to your packaging, print on labels, etc.
Bar Codes
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
You can generate barcodes with GS1datadriver
https://datadriver.prod.gs1us.org/dd2/auth/Login.action
You will have to purchase a membership and there is an annual renewal fee.
Bar Codes
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
We need some help. We have a few markets interested in our product but require bar codes. What do you use? We have a Mac and it looks like everything is PC based. If we need to get an inexpensive PC, we will. Appreciate the help.
Corey
updated by @Corey Meyer: 04/11/25 09:27:36
A question everybody can contribute to...
Posted in: Opinion
Slightly off topic. But you said that customers use credit cards, even though they are being charged an extra 5%, without noticing. I have a small shop and normally we avoid stocking items that the big supermarkets stock... simply because they will normally be cheaper.
However some products we simply have to have, and even though we can be 20% more expensive, people will still buy them... not everyone, but enough. And I would say that over half the customers never look at the price, at least not in detail.
My conclusion: People are strange......
A question everybody can contribute to...
Posted in: Opinion
Andy;
Thanks for the feedback.
Hard core arguer eh? I resemble that comment! LOL
The credit card fees are low (about 1.9%). However there are lots of other "fees" involved when it comes to accepting credit cards, and all of them add up to almost 5%. My system is 100% web-based, so I pay a merchant fee (to Visa) for each transaction, then a gateway fee, then a monthly service fee, plus the cost of connecting to the Internet. If it were just paying Visa I wouldn't complain.
Last year I paid $20,000 in "fees" to accept credit cards and subsidize people's desire to collect airmiles. At $20 per average transaction, over 1,000 people would have to walk out out my doors without purchasing anythingbefore I break even with my losses in fees. That's a lot of people.
The challenge I'm faced with is that with multiple stores, consistency in the eyes of the consumer is very important. Accepting cards at one and not others pisses people off. One of my stores is in a marquee financial building in Calgary, and EVERYONE uses their corporate cards to buy things. It's crazy!!! You wouldn't believe how many people buy their $2morning Starbucks tea with their visa!! That's just ridiculous!
My manager at that store is getting pushback, and that is the reason I'm exploring the option.
Now having said all of that, I have given my staff the green light to begin accepting cards again, and have designed the cash register so that it just adds 5% to the total when the person chooses to pay with plastic. You know what? Nobody even looks at the invoice or cares about the increase! (at least not yet). Sales have gone up at the corporate location significantly (we put a 6 foot high sign up saying we now accept visa and mastercard), and at our other stores, revenue has remained flat, but the split has become about 50/50 between cards and cash.
My conclusion: People are strange......
Brad
A question everybody can contribute to...
Posted in: Opinion
The real question is whats your split? We see only 10% cash here the rest is all CC, so is your demographic a huge cash basis or real even split? CA may be different than the US I dunno.
Making up lots of rules confuses customers. I educate card goers on fees from time to time but otherwise they just want their product and no one cares.
If you are also paying 5% for your fees you really need to find another provider. You have more power than you realize if you stick with traditional merchant services. You're a hard core arguer so you should really battle them. Or go with a one size fits all like Square, Paypal, Fee Fighters, etc.
Lastly I wouldn't raise your rates unless you felt that you weren't doing 5% more business by accepting the cards. I educate a lot of people at farmers markets. If you don't accept cards you have nothing to lose. If you accept cards and you do 20% more business, is it worth paying them 5% for that? They don't call it Cost Of Doing Business for nothing. 
Again though you should be able to get a much much lower rate.
A question everybody can contribute to...
Posted in: Opinion
I live in Germany and everyone uses debit cards. There are plenty of business with "cash only" signs. I used to use the credit card very often but these days, I really have gotten use to cash and debit cards. I really find it easier to keep track of what I'm spending. If it is impacting your business, why not try and implement a scheme with just debit cards and cash and see if it pays off? If not, you can always revert to the way it was.
A question everybody can contribute to...
Posted in: Opinion
The underground economy in Europe is not about credit cards, it is about TAXATION! LOL!