Forum Activity for @Brad Churchill

what cacao butter should/should NOT look like ...

Posted in: Chocolate Education

As far as I can tell, the first and third photos look like normal alkalized cocoa butter. Not all cocoa butter will arrive "in temper". In fact none of the cocoa butter I use arrives "in temper". This means that it will often exhibit ALL of the characteristics of improperly tempered chocolate. After all, improperly tempered chocolate is exactly that - cocoa butter which hasn't crystalized properly - just like what you received in the bags.The cocoa butter in the second photo (#80), I'm not sure about, but looks to me as if it's natural pressed, non alkalized and non deodorized cocoa butter - which is why it still has a darker tinge to the color. Again, it's probably not tempered.Without tasting or smelling it, all I can really tell you is that it looks pretty normal.Hope that helps.Brad

what cacao butter should/should NOT look like ...

Posted in: Chocolate Education

can those experts who KNOW their cacao butter explain what this cacao butter looks like ... why it looks like this > how it may have been proccessed properly or not? i have posted the pics of thebutter whole / chopped and bag it comes in ( along with what the bag looks like after taking the butter out) for hopes of understanding why it looks this way.

i have received butter from other sources that look solid white/smooth with shine and this is definitely not looking that way ... does it mean something is not right or???

mahalo in advance for the guidance!

updated by @deedee devi: 04/15/15 21:54:34

An Invitation from Rev. R. M. Peluso

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Iwould like to invite friends atThe Chocolate Life to visit my Facebook Group: Chocolate Tasting Meditation (CM) tm. The group page is to promote meditation through tasting, to improve tasting skills through enhanced focus and to discuss additional benefits that can be achieved through this conscious approach tochocolate. I share with Clay and others the view that chocolate consumption, and the cultivation and production of chocolate, have spiritual and ecological implications that can benefit humanity in many ways. What begins as "indulgence"can elevate to an experience that raises the tasting bar, deepens inner peace,and aids local economies and our fragile ecosystems.

Gratitude & blessings,

Rev. R. M. Peluso

Facebook Group: Chocolate Tasting Meditation (CM)tm

www.artoftheceremony.com click on Meditation

updated by @Rev. R. M. Peluso: 03/11/26 06:20:34

Chocolate without Soy Products

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Hi, Danielle - I am a coffee roaster and chocolate maker in Washington State. I roast cacao beans and make chocolate bean-to-bar. I never put soy lecithin in my products. Origins available are Ecuador, Madagascar, and Tanzania. Let me know if you'd like more info!

Chocolate without Soy Products

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Greg:I've been following the company and Alexander Black, its founder, for many years now and will likely seem in at the Fancy Food Show in a couple of weeks. I don't see how any of the company's products are a fit for what Danielle is looking for. FF does not make or sell chocolate - just fudges and sauces.What Danielle is looking for (I interpret from her post) is couverture chocolate without soy that can be used to create ganaches and to enrobe.

Chocolate without Soy Products

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Try www.fudgefatale.com

Chocolate without Soy Products

Posted in: News & New Products Press

From a purely technical perspective, commercial grade soy lecithin is so processed that it's devoid of soy protein, which is the component your friend would be allergic to. Sort of akin to eating french fries cooked in soy oil - there's no real risk of soy protein in RBO (refined, bleached oil). Lecithin is a highly purified extract, essentially, that is most commonly derived from soybeans. The extraction and purification process it goes through eliminates the allergen concern.However, I do understand the concern and can relate to wanting to stay as far away from anything with the word soy in it, if you've got that allergy 8-)

Chocolate without Soy Products

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Hi Danielle,Coppeneur Chocolate produces dark and milk couverture without soy lecithin sourced from an organic plantation in Ecuador that grows Nacional Arriba beans.You can order it on-line at coppeneurchocolate.comAll Coppeneur single-origin bars are made without soy-lecithin.

Chocolate without Soy Products

Posted in: News & New Products Press

I agree with Mark Heim - most manufacturers will make chocolate with PGPR (polyglycerol poly ricinoleate). However, a chocolate does not have to include lecithin - it is added to a chocolate to reduce the amount of cocoa butter used - a cost saving. There is a synthetic lecithin used by some companies, generally referred to by its Cadbury code-name 'YN'.If your customer is seriously allergic to soy products, make sure the company that manufactures chocolate with PGPR does not make chocolate with soy lecithin on the same equipment as there could be a risk of cross contamination.RegardsChris Taylor

Chocolate without Soy Products

Posted in: News & New Products Press

My site lists the ingredients for all the chocolate bars and chocolate goodies.You'll be able to find out right away if soy is included. www.drexeliuschocolates.com

Chocolate without Soy Products

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Patric, Amano, Domori and Amedei all are delicious choices with no lecithin.

Chocolate without Soy Products

Posted in: News & New Products Press

As far as I know, De Vries is also lecithin-free. Personally I make a 70% that's just cacao and sugar, but it's processed in the same machinery as chocolate containing lecithin.

Chocolate without Soy Products

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Was checking that - assumed the same, but I see there is some lecithin in some of Art's bars.

Chocolate without Soy Products

Posted in: News & New Products Press

I don't believe that Art Pollard at Amano Chocolate uses Lecithin, and his chocolate is fabulous. www.Amanochocolate.com Hope this helps.

Chocolate without Soy Products

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Michel Cluizel reformulated their chocolates years ago - 2002? - to remove the lecithin. Not just because of allergies but because of concerns in the EU over GMO foods. A great deal of soy is grown from GMO seeds and there are few sources of lecithin from soy grown from seeds that are not GMO.

Chocolate without Soy Products

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Pretty sure that Patric chocolate products don't contain soy lecithin.

Chocolate without Soy Products

Posted in: News & New Products Press

There are makers who use PGPR (polyglycerol polyricinoleate) instead of lecithin. Usually from castor beans.

Chocolate without Soy Products

Posted in: News & New Products Press

I am seeking a chocolate with no soy products added (including soy lecithin). Can anyone recommend a maker? Can be either dark or milk. I know someone who is allergic to soy and would like to make some truffles for him. Thanks.

updated by @Danielle: 03/11/26 06:20:34

Box labels

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Yes, they can - if it's part of the design. There are a number of on-line barcode generators. If you need real UPC codes and numbers you have to purchase the UPC codes. One you have them (they are supplied digitally), any printer can print them.

Box labels

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Thanks so much for this info Clay and Deanna! I am also struggling to figure out how to proceed with labeling for my product and will definitely explore this possibility.

Box labels

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Do the label printers also print bar codes? I'm starting to work with a few corporate clients, and I think they're going to want some sort of bar coding to enter my product into their systems.

Box labels

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I agree with Clay. By printing your own labels you get much more control and flexibility as you are starting up. Here are two of the higher-end label-printers I know of:Primera: http://www.primeralabel.com/ Labeltronix: http://labeltronix.com/ There are probably more though.We print some of our own labels in black & white from a regular canon printer, and get our blank labels from onlinelables.com. Using a good "regular" printer works too.Should you go a different route, you can get an online quote for short-run printed labels from lightninglabels.com. They are cheap (for short runs), easy, fast & great quality. As long as the labels are the same size, you can have several variations with very little additional costs since they do everything digitally and there are no plate fees, etc...hope this helps.Best!

Box labels

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Thank you Clay. Do you have any suggestions for high quality label printers?

Box labels

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Although the up-front costs can be higher than getting someone else to print labels for you, consider a label printing machine.You can get label stock that fits your boxes and literally print only exactly the quantity you need. Zero waste.You can create a basic template that you use over and over again, and then make variations for specific boxes.In the end, you can save a lot of money this way and even open up corporate/gifting options with custom labels with your customers' logos. Most machines are not too much larger than a multi-function printer/copier/fax machine.

Box labels

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I'm getting close to launching my chocolate brand and I'm struggling with labels right now. Are there any tips for accommodating differing ingredients and weights by box? I'd like to print the labels in bulk to save on cost, but I don't want to be stuck into a certain flavor combination dictated by my ingredient label, and while my boxes fit a standard number of pieces, depending on what those pieces are the weights vary. I'm in MA and have tried reaching out to the state's regulating authority on this, but haven't been able to get through. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

updated by @Valerie: 04/11/25 09:27:36

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

We sell our chocolate bars wholesale to stores across the country. Shipping costs are a sensitive issue for a lot of stores. I've ordered excellent shipping containers from a company specializing in warm weather shipping materials. The containers (which can hold 130 of our bars) cost $15. Then the cost to ship them to me is almost $10 per box because they take up so much empty air space. Passing along $25 in a container fees is rarely an option. A few days ago I noticed disposable Styrofoam coolers with a lid for sale at the local grocery store. They cost $3.50 each. They stack up really well. Also, I don't have to pay expensive shipping costs to get it to me. I plan on putting our bars in one of these coolers than taping the lid shut. I will then put this cooler in a corrugated box and ship out.The quality of these coolers is not perfect, but with some added ice packs I think they just might do the job.

updated by @Daniel Herskovic: 06/18/15 09:25:22

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I'd like to add a little something to the hot weather shipping conversation. I'm not quite at the stage to do shipping (especially hot weather), and this thread is extremely valuable for it's tips and tricks (thanks all!).

Anyway, here's my little tip in regards to worrying about condensation and the chocolate with using any kind of cold pack. If you add a small dessicant dry-pack (they come in all sizes / a bunch are available on Amazon, just get one that is about the volume of your shipping box), and throw it in there, they do a great job of absorbing moisture, and could reduce if not eliminate any possible moisture build up from the cold pack as it warms up. Also, if you buy in bulk, the unit price is quite reasonable. I use dry packs in all my air-tight storage containers for the chocolate, and for any molded chocolate I finished setting, and they do a great job of keeping the moisture away.

Hope this helps.

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Justin -

This is a very good idea and one I never thought of before. It's a way to give customers a reason to remember you by giving them something they can reuse. Prices are a little high for many items until you get into the thousands of pieces, but when you consider the cost (and no recyclability) of polystyrene foam inserts I think that things really balance out.

:: Clay

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Call me all the names in the world you want. I'm not the jack wagon using medical industry trash to package my customer orders, and if I did I certainly wouldn'tpublicly advertise thatI did regardless of whether it had stickers or not!

I LOVE donuts, but please don't send me any.

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

i especially like the containers that shipped hearts for transplants. fits right in with our valentines gift theme.

maybe you'd like to have a heart, i'll bump you up on the priority list.

these are little coolers that were used to ship packaged meds you jack wagon.

i was kidding about the stickers.

go have a donut already.

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Does anybody else findScott Moore's first Fridaypost incredibly disturbing???

My little inside voice is screaming "A guy has to be a real special kind of stupid to take styrofoam coolers used to transport biologically hazardous products to an from a medical facility - coolers that were destined for the dump FOR A REASON - package their customer's food into it and ship it to them."

Are you kidding me?

Wouldn't YOU just love to get your order of chocolates shipped in a container like this?????

WOW WOW WOW....

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

These look really good. They may have other issues though depending on where you live. I am in Australia and Australia Post is incredibly expensive AND they weigh pretty much everything. Hence I have to watch every gram (ounce?). A 500gm (about a pound) prepaid satchel is $8:25 normal post or $9.55 "Express Post") and the next size up (no pack options in the middle) is 3Kg (about 6.6 pounds). If they catch you out there is an "administration fee" plus the extra to pay. Hence cooling gels are pretty much out of the question for smaller items.

Colin

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Another Idea for an insulated bag are these little lunch coolers... https://www.halo.com/custom-personalized-bags/personalized-lunch-bags.aspx

As a bonus you can put your logo on them for further marketing. Simple pack the cooler in peanuts and put your ice packs inside the cooler with your chocolate!!

Just another way to combine marketing with the expensive shipping cost...

Justin

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Did a little longevity comparison on two one pound gel packs. The one that is thicker with a smaller width and length footprint remained cooler. Less surface area for hot air to radiate inward makes a difference. It might be worth paying attention the dimensions and lean towards thicker packs with the same weight. Here is a link if it will work.

vine.co/v/bL1UrJUgaE3 < link no longer works

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Does anyone have experience with Thermo Pod? http://www.thermopod[.]net/ < now apparently out of business.

Their insulating material is reclaimed cotton fiber. It's bound by a polymer that is solid outside and perforated inside so the cotton can wick any moisture that may occur. Thicknesses from 3/4" - 1 1/2". The gentleman told me also that Koolit and Polarpak (600 series) were superior gel packs in testing they conducted. The cooling longevity for a 1 pound gel pack is nearly twice as long as 2 8 oz gel packs. Total mass of the gel and surface area for warm air to radiate heat inward makes the difference. Makes sense when you think about it. Don't have pricing as of yet and their products are not off the shelf. They are made to order with a 2 week lead time. It's supposed to be 100 here next Thursday so its time to get our coolness on. We've been using second hand foam coolers from a twitter follower who works at the Medical Center. Those insulated containers were headed for the dumpster anyways, so it's nice to get another use out of them. You just have to tape over the BIOHAZARD stickers if you don't want to disturb the client. The supply of these is no longer enough for us so its time to find another solution.

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Colin:

Thanks for the link. Helpful tips many people can learn from and use.

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Here in Sydney we have had some really hot weather of late (some really cold days with a lot of rain too - pretty weird really).

Of course I want to be able to mail chocolate out and don't want people put off buying! So with this thread in mind I wrote up what I actually DO when I mail chocolate and made it into a page on my web site.

As The Chocolate Life members in the US and Europe are now heading towards warmer weather again (yes - really - even if looking at snow doesn't bring "hot" to mind yet) some of you might be able to use this, and now is surely a good idea to get ready!

Hope this is useful to some of you!

www.captaincoffee.com.au/delivery-info/hot-weather-shipping.shtml

Colin

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Old newspaper print or heavy Kraft paper is an excellent and cheap way to provide extra insulation inside of the mailing carton. Freezing the product prior to putting it in the shipping carton also helps. And if there is time prior to pick-up time put the whole package into freezer. This will extend the time that the package will be below point of melting. All shipping trucks and mail cars are metal boxes just like a convection oven (frozen items take longer to cook than refrigerated or room temp).

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Clear == clarify?

When I was working with the US distributor for Cluizel, everything was kept in a cold storage facility at about 34F (1C). The packing was done in the same room the chocolate was stored in. Once the box was taped and foam peanuts were poured in, the chocolate to be shipped was wrapped in one or more plastic bags before being put into the boxes. Gel packs (if needed) were added to the box and the empty space was filled with more peanuts.

The plastic bags prevented any condensation that formed from wetting the boxes the chocolate was in.

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Is styrofoam box a good option instead of insulator bubble wrap or inserting thermocols on sides / tops / bottom serves the purpose?

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hi! Clay!

Can you please clear this

and the product being shipped was wrapped in plastic bags to protect it from condensation.

Summer shipping tips & tricks?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

That will be great Clay! I can wait - my email id is devika.kandhari@gmail.com. Or you could just post it here so that everyone can benefit.