Forum Activity for @Paul Picton

I have no further information. I am continuing to use the stones as they are - 15,000 hours since new. 

I have been thinking about one, but with a different design than the one you linked to. My version would have a U-shaped tub with stirrers that would agitate the balls and chocolate. More or less, it's the same idea as a vertical ball mill, just turned on its side. 

My reason for this is that (if it works) I think you could make a small scale one using a meat mixer. Also, I make a U-shaped conche that could be used for this with by swapping out the conche scrapers for the stirrers.

I think you need to be able to heat it. For the rolling-can design, that's going to be a little more difficult since you can't attach a heating element. You could just heat it with a heat gun, of course, but that's probably not going to be particularly efficient. A ceramic heating element could be better. If it's small enough, too, you could just preheat the whole can, nibs, sugar, etc. in the oven first.

Hi, just came across this discussion and was wondering, if you could get some new information at the Festival?

thank you clay. we are attempting smaller batches. I appreciate the response. 

Right off, I would look at how much oil you are adding as even small amounts can affect the development of the proper crystal structure - depending on the type of fat.

If this is the case, you'll want to start playing with time and temperature. The dosed chocolate may need to get colder at the bottom of the curve than the un-dosed chocolate and you might not want to warm it up as much. 

I might also add the oil in after the cooling cycle has started, assuming that there is enough time to mix the oil in completely so dosage is consistent throughout the chocolate.

Likely it's a combination of time, temperature, and when you add the oil. Less to do with the tempering machine itself. However, with 200lb batches, experimentation takes a while and could get expensive.

FOR SALE - CHOCO TT MADE IN USA USED ONCE - MACHINE IS

IN SAN FRANCISCO- SHIPPING WILL BE ADDITIONAL- PRICE FOR MACHINE  $1,900

EMAIL- INFO@NEWTREE.COM FOR MORE INFO

Hi, I am new to the chocolate life forums and hope I am posting this in the correct area. I am new to large scale chocolate tempering, and was curious if anyone out there has had any experience or information of where I can acquire information. 

The machine is 200lb temperer, 3 temperature temper program, adding cannabis oil  at melting stage (pretemper) for bar products/into molds for bars.... we are using a milk chocolate which provides its own temper temperatures (118F, 83F, 87F) which are plugged into the Savage Brothers machine.

We cannot seem to retain consistent results. We are encountering soft chocolate, which I believe is in part to undercrystallation/undertemper. 

Room temp at 68F. The bars are then taken to a walk-in which sits at 55F. 

I wonder with the amount of chocolate being tempered, if we need to adjust these temperatures or if the cannabis oil needs to be added at a temper stage versus melting stage. 

Guitar cutter still available?  If so, could you send me pics or just a model so I can look it up?

Did all of this already sell?  I'm interested if not

Hi Beth,
the Santa C40 is made to fill up to 40lbs, not 40kg...

Hi holguinbock,
I have a friend who wanted to open a very small bean to bar manufacture in Colombia last year. But, in the last moment decided otherwise. Would be nice to know what your plans are and where in Colombia you wanna do it. If you wanna share here, great. I you wanna share more private, I can give you my email.
If you don't want to share at all, respected as well

Best,
Andy

Thanks a lot

Hi- just wanted to introduce myself. I'm part of a natural products company in Colombia and chocolate is one of our main products. We're currently looking into purchasing the chocolate bean-to-bar line to produce directly ourselves and interested in hearing ideas, tips, and more.

I have used previously made ganaches quite often. I don't think it is wise to try to soften them in the bag as it would lead to very uneven melting and possibly separation. I slit the bag open and spoon out the ganache in fairly small pieces into a pot placed over hot water. Stirring constantly and mashing it a bit, I let it melt. I use an immersion blender if there is any separation. I am careful not to let it get over 80F. Then I spoon or pour it into a new pastry bag and pipe into shells. I have never had any problems with a ganache using dark or milk chocolate. White chocolate requires more care: a gentle heat and definitely an immersion blender to keep it from separating. Good luck.

Hello 

I'm interested on the Chocolate melters.

Could you send me the details and pricing at jma@jmauboinechocolates.com

Thank you

My contact is Kathy Freihoff at Abbott Blackstone. Her Email is kathy@abbottblackstone.com. She may have a way to contact them directly.

First, amateur here (with aspirations for more, of course!)  I am making several kinds of truffles for a fundraising event at my church this weekend, and I made three different ganaches yesterday with the hopes of piping them into molds last night.  I missed my target and ran out of time.  I'm ready to pipe them tonight, but the ganaches have set and are quite stiff.  Is there any way to soften the ganache in the bag so that I can pipe, or must I start over?  (My hunch is that if I try to "micro" the mass, it will upset the fat content and lead to separation, correct?)

Any feedback is much appreciated!

Dear Carl, Could you share the email adress of your contact at villa adina? info [at] garcoa.ch - we were trying to vaccum seal as well but the bags always got damaged, even when using gas. It would be interesting to know how they do exactly. Thx a lot, Andreas

Do any of you chocolatiers or chocolate makers have a specific inventory management software/system you use to track your production and inventory for sales/accounting?

I am selling 18 wire handle Clear PVC Chinese take out boxes. They are ne.

They were originally purchased from Papermart in a 24 piece pack # 830820.

Asking price is $5.50 plus shipping. Location is New York City

to see photos and purchase click below

http://www.ebay.com/itm/132141273936?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

I don't know about all the debate about hermetically sealed, but I do know that Villa Andina ships me 15 kg boxes of beans with 3 5kilo bags vacuum sealed. There are no problems with moisture, mold, moths, or shipping damage. I also dont have to worry about attracting moths at my facility as the beans stay sealed until I use them. I am sure any inquiries as to how this is done or works "scientifically" could be directed to Villa Andina at https://www.villaandina.com/

I attached a pic of the sealed bag with my hand for scale.

 IMG_20170124_110029046_HDR.jpg - 3.5MB

There is no need to post the same question in two different forums. I am closing this one down and linking to the other post .

Our company is moving into another production facility that already has ample chocolate production equipment in place. We are selling all of our own equipment and it is available for local pickup after 2/20/2017. Check out the other postings for the other equipment that's available. 

Norlake 2-Door Roll-in Refrigerator
new price $6,000, selling for $2,200 incl. racks
purchased in 2012
great condition
clean inside and outside
currently used for chocolate cooling
59.5" (w) x 71" (h) x 31(d)
Top Mount Compressor
stainless steel interior and exterior
115v/60/1
NSF and UL listed

 IMG_3724.JPG.jpg - 459KB

Our company is moving into another production facility that already has ample chocolate production equipment in place. We are selling all of our own equipment and it is available for local pickup after 2/20/2017. Check out the other postings for the other equipment that's available.  

2x Selmi One
Tank capacity: 26.5lbs. Perfect for smaller operations.
purchased new in 2009. great condition and well maintained. 
3-phase machine
Reg price: $8,995 - selling for $5,250 each

 IMG_3701.JPG.jpg - 967KB

Our company is moving into another production facility that already has ample chocolate production equipment in place. We are selling all of our own equipment and it is available for local pickup after 2/20/2017. Check out the other postings for the other equipment that's available.  

2x Ben Moore Chocolate Melters (sold individually)
400lbs capacity each
Simple but solid and easy to maintain.
Water jacketed
110V

$1,600 each

 IMG_3721.JPG.jpg - 1.1MB

Our company is moving into another production facility that already has ample chocolate production equipment in place. We are selling all of our own equipment and it is available for local pickup after 2/20/2017. Check out the other postings for the other equipment that's available. 

Selmi Top
purchased new in 2012
Tank capacity: 132lbs. Perfect for larger runs or coating applications.
Reg price: $26,825 - selling for $20,900
3-phase machine

Great condition. Comes with vibrating table.
Local pickup only. Freight elevator and loading dock available!

 IMG_3700.JPG.jpg - 976KB

Hi Danielle2,

I did not receive an email 

williams.tim1(at)gmail dot com

or timw(at)qoqolat dot com

regards,

Tim

or phone

three 14 753 563 three

It's the difference between what occurs in a perfect, highly controlled scenario, vs what one knows they're going to get (less than perfect) so having to be practical.  If 3rd world post harvest practices evolve to the point where modern drying technologies, measurement techniques, and transportation mechanisms are controlled to single percentage point accuracy - then I'd anticipate no moisture issues.  Until such time, practicality dictates alternate considerations.

Hi

Any ideas on making butter ganache but with Butter substitutes?

Thank you

Raanan

Hi

Any ideas on making butter ganache but with Butter substitutes?

Thank you

Raanan

Hello everyone – 

Just curious if anyone has experience building/using a DIY/home-made ball mill, along the lines of  this (links to YouTube video).

I'm currently investigating the subject strictly for small scale production (no more than 10 kg at a time).

Any experience, thoughts, opinions welcome! Thanks. 

Thanks, Sebastian.  You're right, the challenges in cocoa-producing countries are enormous.    Agreed.  I took issue with your characterization that dried cocoa beans in a hermetic environment need to be exposed to "airflow" - if this is what you were suggesting?  The reason hermetic bags work so well in a damp, wet, hot container that is in port/at sea for 2-12 weeks is precisely because the hermetic environment protects the beans from air and moisture ingress. 

Technology only works when it's accessible and properly used. For hermetic storage to work properly, the bean needs to be dried to the correct moisture content, the hermetic bag needs to be closed (sealed) properly, and the bag cannot be damaged by a loading hook.  Agreed.  These are real issues in producing countries. But as buyers demand better quality beans and the producers hope to link to these markets - they are seeking to improve their practices.  And they are.  Once they do - hermetic is outstanding for controlling infestation and preserving quality.  No "airflow" needed!

Jordan - i have no intention of getting into an argument, and I'd classify my comments as being exceptionally well informed, from a few decades of experience with statistical, primary peer reviewed research with global organizations that have been replicated over many geographies, at the hundreds of millions of tons scale.  I respect your business and have nothing against either it (or you).  I'm certainly open to reviewing new research, and routinely welcome (and am asked) to review experimental designs, analysis, and conclusions.  I also routinely find that there are those who have strongly held conclusions without having the data to back them up; or have acquired data in a way that is effectively useless due to flawed experimental design - one ends up collecting data that they believe is something other than what it actually is. If the data is in question, then of course the conclusions that were drawn from it are in question as well.

If one is able to dry every single cocoa bean to precisely 7.5% moisture, and vacuum out the atmosphere from the contents (and it's moisture) - then the risk of moisture related problems may be mitigated.  In any given bag of agricultural commodity prepared in a 3rd world rain forest environment, i can assure you that not every single bean is precisely 7.5% moisture, and there is far more bean to bean variation than one realizes. I can also assure you that most moisture testing tools are not routinely calibrated for accuracy in that 3rd world environment (meaning their results are quite variable), and that even if they were, post testing moisture migration from the environment changes the actual moisture content of the beans once the testing has been completed anyway (it may rain on them.  they don't sit in environmentally controlled warehouses, so condensation may form during transit from one storage vehicle to another.  when they're moved they may be tarped to prevent rainfall contacting them, but the tarps are torn. how many cargo ship holds have you placed data loggers in to understand the RH conditions as the vessel transits from a subequatorial location to an equatorial to a northern one to understand the localized environmental changes that are occurring below the water line, while assessing how intact your sheathing material remained after being moved by numerous dock workers with a hook/crane configuration?  What if the rest of the material in the hold is high moisture, and by some chance of fate all your beans were exactly 7.5% moisture, but the hook that placed them into the hold scraped the sheathing and tore a hole?  etc. )

I humbly offer my knowledge - folks here can do accept it, reject it, or challenge it.  What I will not do is argue or attack the knowledge of others.

Dear Sebastian, I'm having trouble following the conversation, but a couple of your comments about hermetic storage and dried commodities are completely uninformed - or I'm misinterpreting what you are saying.  Properly dried commodities - whether coffee, cocoa (7.5% MC) or grains - do NOT NEED airflow.   The point of hermetic is to restrict both airflow and moisture ingress. Yes, the temp and RH of a container - or a bag - go up and down over the course of a trans-oceanic journey.  When packed in jute, commodities take on this moisture.  When packed hermetically in GrainPro SuperGrainbags, they do not take on significant moisture.   Many studies have been conducted on this issue (here's a recent one ).  Please read it's findings about moisture migration. 

What you are saying - that dried cocoa beans need airflow - is exactly what many in the specialty coffee sector argued 8-10 years ago.  After they tried hermetic - they realized they were  wrong and this has also been widely documented.  Please see Flavio Borem's work in Brazil.  Please see the millions of bags of specialty coffee and cocoa that are shipped hermetically every year.  

You are clearly highly knowledgeable about cocoa - but your comments on hermetic storage/shipping are off-base.  Again, I apologize if I'm misinterpreting your last post. Cocoa exporters/traders are using hermetic GrainPro bags to ship their beans across the globe - and the hermetic environment does control infestation and does maintain the quality, color and aroma of the bean for an extended period.  Those are just the facts.  There are no "alternative facts" - as Kellyanne Conway believes!

I see what you mean. Rainforest just don't belong into the containers at sea
Thanks for the clarification.

very important.  If you've hermetically sealed your beans at origin, you've trapped both the moisture in the beans and the moisture in the air (humidity) inside the wrapping.  When you ship that material, they are likely to experience significant temperature drops, either from being in the hold of a ship, or via the transit route the ship takes, resulting in the dew point being reached, and that moisture condensing.  I've literally seen it rain inside a shipping container that was not vented.  The story ends, as you can imagine, with a green, fuzzy, moldy mess.

Airflow is important because, as with airflow in a solar dryer, it prevents a localized accumulation of moisture by sweeping it away.

That sounds fun, Kerry. And I checked the itinerary again and the cruise is available only for the summer holidays. I wish to book the trip for summer. 

Hi I sent an email to the email above. 

Hello!  

After 2 years of living and working in Colombia, I finally have access to some cacao and an affordable way to ship it.  

I have a small chocolate factory in Medellin.  We are origencacao.com.

I have 4 different beans that I am working with right now, all are available on a regular basis in small and large lots. I purchase directly from the farmer, indigenous tribe, or co-op.  I pay above market prices for quality beans.  

Tumaco:  These beans are from a small Co-Op of 20 families.  The beans are all processed in one fermenting station supervised by someone trained at the university and Fedecacao in the art of fermentation.   The beans arrive clean and presorted.  These beans are a wonderful true chocolate flavor, well balanced with a hint of tree nut.  I use these beans for all my cacao products (nibs, nut clusters, etc) and for a 74% chocolate bar, and a 55% chocolate that I make filled bars and barks with.  

Santander:  These beans come from farms bordering the Rio Carare, in what was very dangerous territory not long ago.  Most are brought to market via mule and river boat.  I find these beans to have notes of red fruits and a hint of floral.  I use these beans for a 67% chocolate bar that is a best seller.   These beans come from a mix of old and new trees.

Antioquia:  These beautiful beans are new to me from a wonderful farmer in Maceo.  He has an old farm where you can find trees as old as 60 years.  He is currently working with Fedecacao to create new hybrids for this particular region.  With a high percentage of porcelana beans, these beans are very delicate.  Max of this bean is 100 kilos a month. 

Sierra Nevada:  I have been working with friends from the Arhuaco Tribe of the Sierra Nevada to develop their beans for export.  While still a bit rough, these beans are grown with beautiful intent, lovingly cared for by indigenous people.  They believe in protecting the earth and sharing their beliefs through their crops and crafts.  

Cocoa Butter:  Raw, unfiltered, un-deodorized. 

Please note that all the cacao I use is Organic.  However, it is not certified as no one in Colombia can afford those certifications.  I have been to all the farms and know their processes.  The cacao is grown naturally, as it always has been.  

You can find more information on the website.  I also host folks for bean to bar private classes in my home and factory, and can facilitate farm visits for all my origens as well as others.  

Cacao available raw, roasted, or as nibs.  I can make some coverture, but my capabilities are not huge at the moment. 

I should have the webstore at origencacao.com up and running this week, you will be able to buy beans, and all my cacao products via the website or amazon.  

Shipping is via FedEx, 2 days to the US.  

Please email me with any questions.  

Danielle

No, thank you. 

Hello 

Sorry if i did not responded before.

Are you still interested with the tempering machine?

Ah my mistake, I'm not sure why I thought it was shell.