inter cellular transport of materials is responsible for much of the flavor development reactions that occur (or the precursor reactions). metallic compounds participate in a number of flavor reactions.
The other thing that comes to mind would be to focus on the impact of alcohol soluble micro-nutrients and self-reducible metals in the fermentation heap.
Can you elaborate on this? Googling for self-reducibility doesn't really enlighten (and gets me a lot of computer science results)
Raw honey (Do your own research on GI of this, what I've read and am convnced of is it's the same as coconut nectar, 30-35) and raw coconut nectar rather than sugar. Stevia of course, though I don't enjoy the aftertaste
Are these still for sale? Please email me at souleverchocolates@gmail.com if so.
I own a small chocolate business in Seattle. Currently I use the two-piece silicon molds to make ganaches, and then I double dip them in the basic Chocovision Revolations. I'd like to grow my business and need to invest in an enrobing machine with an attached temperer. Can anyone offer advice about what machines are best at the lowest price, and how user friendly they are?
I am planning a trip to Southern India in early September and would like to connect with chocolate professionals and growers.
Does anyone have contacts?
Steve:
Post-harvest processing of cacao happens at many different scales, from very small to very large. Ironically, it is the smallest producers who might benefit most from improving the consistency of fermentation and drying ... and they are the least able to afford it. However, one way to figure out how to drive down costs is to start somewhere and put the equipment and techniques into production.
I'm a big fan of the Fuji - www.fujispray.com - they are putting together a chocolate system these days after I started referring a lot of chocolatiers there. They do go through the cocoa butter - but they are fast - and time is money.
I've been making some of my own coloured cocoa butters using the IBC Power Flowers - you can get consistent colours using their palette to mix.
Steve:
Post-harvest processing of cacao happens at many different scales, from very small to very large. Ironically, it is the smallest producers who might benefit most from improving the consistency of fermentation and drying ... and they are the least able to afford it. However, one way to figure out how to drive down costs is to start somewhere and put the equipment and techniques into production.
Grapes used to be grown on the hillsides of farmers in Israel 3000 years ago, and crushed by stepping on them by farmers who were subsistence level. Today they're processed in state of the art industrial complexes.
If the demand is there, and it comes with either an improvement in quality, control, or cost - sure.
HI, I want to buy a Used Firemixer 14 Table Top, I am Ohio, but looking all over for it, thank you for all replies,
Or can contact me at giveme153@yahoo.com
Thank you again, Brian
Did you find a Firemixer? Are you still interested?
I would say that the chemistry and microbiology of fermentation is very, very well understood. It may not be public knowledge that is freely available, but it's quite well understood. If you are looking to do something that has not yet been done, I'd not focus here.
Where I see the industry eventually moving to is an industrialized modernization of fermentation, much like how wine is produced. Stainless tanks, controlled oxygenation and headspace, temperature control via jacketing, etc. Some in the industry are already thinking in this direction, but to my knowledge no one has begun the work on it on a large scale. That might be something to begin exploring.
I love the idea of introducing controlled, modern fermentation techniques (along with drying and storing), but can/will the market support the added costs of equipment and training in the poor rural communities where fermentation occurs?
I thought I would share this.
I needed a vibration table and didn't want to spend $200 for a small one. I also like to apply technology in unique ways to solve problems, especially when I have the tech laying around!
I was trying to see how I could build an inexpensive vibration table, when I remembered I had a couple of old transducers (bass shakers) on the shelf in my garage. A bass shaker is basically a sub woofer without the speaker cone. It's specifically designed to vibrate something! Typically you mount it in a chair or couch and hook it up like a subwoofer to your home theater system. Then you feel the bass without shaking your whole house and waking up the kids.
You can buy these from Parts Express and they run them on sale pretty regularly. The ones I used are 25 watt rms. They don't sell these anymore but they have a 50 watt one that should work even better and you'd only need one. This one is $29 and here's the link http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-bst-1-high-power-pro-tactile-bass-shaker-50-watts--295-244
I mounted the two I had to a board and a $3 cookie sheet. I then bought $10 worth of springs from Home Depot and a small amp from Amazon. I would recommend a slightly larger amp than what I used. I might upgrade mine to this one: https://www.amazon.com/DROK-TPA3116-Amplifier-Adjustment-Potentionmeter/dp/B0177F614Y/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1468344981&sr=8-15&keywords=100+watt+mono+amplifier and this can be set to 100 watt mono to run the above shaker nicely! They have a bunch of different ones in the $20-$40 range. To power the amp I used a computer power supply that is 12v, 5 amp. Don't use the little 2 amp one they try to sell with it.
Finally, you have to use a signal generator to feed the amp to drive the bass shaker. To do this I found a bunch of free apps for your phone. The one I got is called "Sound Check" and you can flip through different frequencies. The 40 and 50Hz frequencies give the most vibration. Although it's seriously funny to play a song with some bass and watch what happens!
You can see a couple videos here: www.dschocolateco.com/Vibration
Hi Kerry,
I think this may have been the source of my problem! What I was provided was .5mm . I now have a 1mm needle and it is working better.
I noticed some colored cocoa butters are more difficult to airbrush. For example the white cocoa butter is easy to pass through the airbrush and other colors are more challenging. The purple is a color I have to struggle with.
Have you used any other methods of spraying colored cocoa butter? Have you used any of the larger machines? My main concern is wasting expensive cocoa butter.
Thanks for all your contributions! I have learned so much from you!
Daniel
Hi,
recently I start ponder what are the limits of the santha 11.
Heavy load (e.g thick spreads with 30-31% fat) cause to fast degradation of the engine? How machins can handle thick spreads? bigger machine are meens stronger even if the load is increased?
I think maybe to put on the side the spreads until I will have bigger machine (Santha 20 for example).
Small question about the power-twist belts: is it possible to attached it to tight?
What do you think? how long the small Santha are keep going on heavy loads?
We are getting rid of a large collection of chocolate molds that we no longer use.
The other thing that comes to mind would be to focus on the impact of alcohol soluble micro-nutrients and self-reducible metals in the fermentation heap.
Curtis:I'm interested. Would you contact me off-line at rgholmes@w-c-c.com. Thank you
Lightly used Choco TT. Chocolate tempering machine. Unit can be seen on Bakon USA website. Semi - automatic wheel tempering machine/table top. 25 lb capacity. I have a Selmi 50 lb and don't need this machine. Was used for milk chocolate a few times. Approx 2 years old in perfect condition.
Shipping is from New Mexico and is additional. $3400 Contact 808-557-5358
Our company makes 8 flavors of Vegan chocolates using interesting ingredients. We have multiple established whole sale customers in the Austin TX area year-round and seasonal online whole sale customers during the 4th quarter. Also included are multiple URLs which all direct to the same online store which does about 90% of our annual revenue.
Heavy equipment includes 2 AC/MC table top temperers with 6 bowls, 1 Santha 40Melanger, 1 Savage Brothers 50lb temperer and 2 wine fridges. Also included are various bar- and seasonal moulds.
Company also comes with all branded materials, logos, certifications and in-stock packaging and labels. We have a dedicated kitchen just outside Austin (Liberty Hill) TX where we have been for the last 3+ years.
We would prefer buyer in the Austin, TX area but will consider other offers. Price negotiable.
If interested, please call 408-832-0496 or email dfdelicacies@gmail.com for more information.
Thank you both for those responses! That is a lot of useful information and I appreciate it.
Cait
I would say that the chemistry and microbiology of fermentation is very, very well understood. It may not be public knowledge that is freely available, but it's quite well understood. If you are looking to do something that has not yet been done, I'd not focus here.
Where I see the industry eventually moving to is an industrialized modernization of fermentation, much like how wine is produced. Stainless tanks, controlled oxygenation and headspace, temperature control via jacketing, etc. Some in the industry are already thinking in this direction, but to my knowledge no one has begun the work on it on a large scale. That might be something to begin exploring.
Caitlin -
Congrats on your journey of discovery ... though I do have to disagree that no one is teaching this stuff. The project I am working on in Mexico includes Zoi Papalexandratou, who has a PhD in cacao fermentation from the University of Brussels. You can go see the results of her work at the Ingemann post-processing center in Las Maderas, Nicaragua. Ingemann offers six different fermentation protocols from the same varietal (Chuno).
There is growing understanding of the contribution of the base chemistry of the bean and the pulp, and how that interacts with the species of yeasts, acetobacter, and lactobacillus that dominant in the region.
I would recommend searching for Zoi's name for research papers she has (co-)authored and then look for papers published by the other cited researchers. You'll see that there is a lot of work being done in this area and that some of that research is being put into production around the world.
In my experience, bean-to-bar chocolate makers need more training on what "properly fermented" truly means ... as the accepted standard of "80% well-fermented probably only applies to bulk varietals destined to be be made into chocolate for mass-market chocolate candies.
:: Clay
Alan -
Cocoa butter is deodorized using one or more of the following methods:
If you have a way to get the butter hot (over 70C), agitate it, and blow a lot of hot air over the surface, you may be able to drive off some of the aroma. Using the diatomaceous earth will make it lighter in color, but as I point out you need a filter.
A colleague of mine is trying her hand at cosmetics, however shes using a non deodorized cocoa butter. She says she can stand the smell, but has 50# of the stuff (I gotta agree with her, it smells like...not something Id put on my face, if I put stuff on my face...). She asked me to ask here... how do you deodorize it? Is it something she can do herself? heat or???
cheers
alan
For sale, chocolate shop, located Norwalk CT.. Includes chocolate making equipment- tempering machines, Moulds and Display cases. Email me with any questions.
Hi all,
I'm new to Chocolate Life but very excited to have found it.
I work at bean-to-bar maker Nuance Chocolate in Fort Collins, Colorado, and in addition to that I am doing graduate work in the Fermentation Science program at Colorado State. My goal is to pursue cacao fermentation as a specialty and as a career.
I have read everything I can find about cacao fermentation, but there is much that is still unknown and even more that is unpublished. If anyone wants to talk fermentation, I would be very, very eager to engage. No one is really "teaching" this stuff, so I'm on the lookout for any type of contact, resource, or information. I am beginning to form some ideas about the direction I'd like to take my studies, but I'd really like to hear from people who know more than I do. What are the "big holes"? What information do we most need? What about the fermentation process is being missed or overlooked? What are some potential research projects? What would you bean-to-bar makers like to study yourselves, if you could, but don't have time to? What have you wondered about? What connections would you like to see made? What connections have YOU made, or guessed about, but can't prove?
Hope there is some reaction this--I know what I think about some of these things, but would really like to hear from others in the business.
Can't waiit to dive into all the good info that's on this forum!
Cait
Cacao Pods
Our family owns a cacao plantation located in the Valley of Cerecita, Ecuador. Our quality cacao has the possibility to boost and potentiate the flavor and smell effects of the finest recipes.
We are proud to offer the most extravagant and exotic Fruit on Earth, The fruit of Chocolate, cacao pods from Ecuador carefully pack in a box *9 pods ideal to represent the process to produce chocolate in your shop or home. An educational experience and considered a unique gourmet ingredient.
Shipping from our farm in Ecuador, direct to your door in USA.
Form more details, please contact us
Hello mark you can try having a quote from sri vinayaga http://www.vinayagaindustries.com/
I am presently purchasing a machine from him lets see how it will be.
this is his machine video linkCommercial Tilting Wet Grinder by Sri Vinayaga Industries, Coimbatore
Can you post some images or sent an email at sehgalbalpreet@gmail.com
Hello mark you can try having a quote from sri vinayaga http://www.vinayagaindustries.com/
I've found Belcolade cocoa butter to be equivalent to Cacao Barry/Callebauts product.
What size needle do you have on the Paasche?
Hi Clay,
Do you know how much will be the new FBM 10kg batch tempering machine? Thanks.
Omar
Excellent.
Thank you peter but this problem has been solved!
Hi Mark,
If I understand correctly you are just planning your process.
This is a good moment to ask questions.
I will start with what I understand of your idea.
1. You will make chocolate in 25kg batches using refiner (what kind of refiner as this word can have many meanings in chocolate world?).
2. You will need to create some sort of tempering process.
3. You are going to make a finished product using this chocolate.
You will need to look both at point 1 and point 3 before deciding on point 2.
1. What will be the temperature of chocolate out of refiner? Can you control this temperature? If chocolate will be very hot or very cold tempering will be affected.
2. How will you control viscosity? Adding cocoa butter in different quantities to each batch will affect tempering.
3. What are you planning to do with your chocolate? Mould plain bars? Add inclusions? Use it to enrobe centres?
4. Critical question: how fast you will be producing? How much time it will take you to use the 25kg of chocolate? If you can use the whole batch within 30 minutes you can look at tempering whole batch, if you will use only a few kg per hour you will need to temper in smaller batches. Once correctly tempered chocolate needs to be used within a short time, it will not remain correctly tempered if just held in a tank.
5. How good are your hand tempering skills (on a cold table), have you tried tempering a few kg at a time? Do you have a room with suitable conditions? Do you have sufficient cooling for both tempering and for cooling/setting the finished product?
I think that all of these questions will need to be considered.
Peter
Hi everyone, i been silent for a while (working hard). I just wanted to tell you that i´m in the process of getting the equipment for the lab. I took into account most of your comments and suggestions.
As soon i have everything set up and workin i´ll post the details.
Cheers!
Price reduced! Now $700 as of 7/23/16. Used Martellato double cutter with base, 4 frames, scraper, tools. We purchased this used 8 years ago and didn't take the time to incorporate it into our production processes. Would like to free up the counter space it has occupied! 
Asking $950 plus shipping. Pick up would be better than shipping as it is large and heavy.
Dear Friend,
I imported panning machine from China. But I have problem when I put sugar syrup peanut become a small ball. Please where I can learn sugar panning on peanuts
I am a professional chocolatier; however, I really struggle with airbrushed molded bon bons. I do mostly enrobed confections, but I need a few really pretty molded pieces to balance things out. This morning I was fighting with our airbrush. It sprayed cocoa butter for the first mold or two and then it would not cooperate after that. I took it apart. I heat gunned it. I shook it. I prayed over it. I heat gunned it again. It just would not spray!
I have a Paasche airbrush. It is a simple one. I have an Iwata compressor. It was saying 60 PSI . My compressor is from 2008 so maybe that is getting a bit old.
Even though I make my living making chocolates, I am completely confused. Should I buy a new airbrush? Should I buy a new compressor? How can I make this process more efficient and fool proof?
I have seen a lot of members with beautiful molded pieces. I would love to hear from you!
Daniel
