Forum Activity for @Ben Rasmussen

I've got some photos of the build process up here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.950484961659148.1073741833.124491320925187&type=3

awesome. would love to see what the design/end product looks like. thanks man. appreciate your time.

Some roasters use perforated drums for more direct roasting, as opposed to heating the air and blowing it through through drum. I'm using a perforated drum for the roaster I'm building partly because it's a simpler design.

Im actually thinking of using one of Toper's roasters to roast the cocoa beans.  I guess the standard ones will obviously have the temp output /temp control. what would the reason be for a perforated drum?

Are you asking if the position of the flame will need to be adjusted, or if the output/intensity of the flame? If the output, then yes, you'll need to able to adjust this to control the temperature. If the position,my guess is that it would depend on the roaster, where the burner is, whether the flame is directly heating the drum vs. heating air that is blown through the drum, whether the drum is solid or perforated, etc. etc.

Thank you for the response. Will the flame level need to be adjusted.  According to roasters back here they had to adjust the roaster's flame levels.  Any thoughts?  

@honest-chocolate: I've been using a drum roaster for several years and haven't noticed any fat buildup. I'm roasting whole beans--maybe nibs would have this problem.

You'll at least need to have a low enough drum speed to not break the cacao, but adjustable drum speed isn't absolutely necessary. That being said, you can affect the roast through modifying the drum speed, so adjustable drum is preferable.

Stainless steel is not a necessity. I did a lot of research into drum material for a roaster I'm currently building and most of the roasters I looked into use a mild steel drum. Apparently, stainless does not transfer heat as well as mild steel.

To your last comment about roasting at a low temp, I'd modify that to say 'at a lower temp than coffee'. I do not subscribe to the 'always roast cacao low & slow' philosophy. It works well for some beans, but very poorly for others. With regards to a roaster, you're going to want as much temperature/energy input control as possible.

Can anyone recommend a high-end fine Kosher Couverture? I know that Callebaut has, but anyone else?

Thanks

Ruth

anyone used us roaster corp cocoa roasters?  They have dedicated 3kg cocoa roasters (modified coffee roasters) for about 15k.  Anyone know how they perform?

Just a quick question on the coffee roasters being used to roast cocao.  Because of the higher fat content in the bean is there not some sort of build up that needs to be cleaned somehow? otherwise this can have a detrimental affect on the beans?  I have ben trying to get a roaster for 3 months now but opinions vary sooo much.  Hard to get to the facts.  from what i have gathered you need to have drum speed control, a stainless steel drum and obviously you needto roast at a low temp.

Making Cocoa Butter

Finally put together a YouTube video on extracting cocoa butter from chocolate liquor - a way for 2 ingredient bean to bar folks to produce their own cocoa butter so they can use the EZtemper!

I cant figure out PM either. My email is byrdeus(at)gmail.com.

Sorry guys, didn't see the updates until now.  I can't for the life of me figure out how to send you a pm here, perhaps you could message me and i'll give you my thoughts.

Hello which is the price of the machine?

send me a mail to marianohonduras@yahoo.com.ar

where are you located?

thnaks

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to say hello and introduce myself. I'm the co-founder of Choco Rush, a bean to bar craft chocolate subscription company. We've been shipping boxes for a couple months now, and growing. We're sourcing our chocolate from everywhere, and always welcome suggestions for new bars to feature.

check us out here: http://chocorush.co

Pashmina

FYI, ended up getting a good deal on a Chocovision Delta. Will use that for now till production demands require something more.

Sebastian,

I would be interested in learning the brand name of the z blade jacketed mixer, if you wouldnt mind sharing it. I am looking for a conching solution as well.

Thanks

Still Available

Still Available

Melanie,

the machines you need can be provided from our factory,causing we are specialized chocolate machines manufacturer over 20years.

also you can browse our websita with detailed info,www.chocolate-machines.com

Best ragards!

tony

email:cleopatra.tony@gmail.com

Melanie - 

Have you checked in with Union Equipment? They might have something. The FBM enrobers all come with bottomers so I don't think they are an option for you. You might try Hilliard as I know they make pre-bottomers for their belts.

:: Clay

@Lavinia -

The answer is ... it's not that simple. 

First off, whatever powdered sugar you get is probably going to have an anti-caking agent in it, often cornstarch. This will make it unusable for chocolate. If you do find a powdered sugar that is suitable it may still be too coarse (the particles are too big), and you will still be able to feel the sugar crystals as grit on the tongue. Another thing to consider is that adding powdered sugar into chocolate will make it very thick - especially if you add it all at once.

A better process would be to take your own sugar and refine it in a food processor and then grind it into the melted liquor in a grinder/refiner. You can add cocoa butter to get to the fluidity you need. How much will depend on the amount of sugar you add.

Any tempered chocolate that is left over can be poured into a pan to let cool and to use for later remelting and retempering. If you need seed chocolate, pour some of the tempered chocolate into a thin layer - making sure it stays in temper. You can break this up and use it for seed in future batches. The rest of the chocolate can be stored at room temps, just make sure no moisture condenses on the chocolate. In other words, you don't need to put it in the refrigerator or freezer.

Out of my scope there mate. I've actually seen the process that makes Bailey's (it's a robot, i forget her name...) that's very cool.  I know that's not a particularly helpful bit of info for your question, it just sparked the memory 8-)

Yes I can relate to that. I use the seeding method and sometimes it takes ages to get it right.  And I know what you mean about the lumps. Sounds ike the EZtemper is worth the money. Thanks for your insights

.

I am no expert, but i can tell you what my experience has been. I have used Mycryo for 8+ years, and the EZ for 5 months. Mycryo is very hard to get to mix in without lumps. The temperatures are more critical. With the EZ, the silk mixes in at a wider range of temps, and is so much easier to mix in. When I teach tempering classes, I do side-by-side comparisons and different methods of tempering: seeding with tempered chocoolate, Mycryo, and EZ. There is no contest!! The EZ wins every time. The Mycryo is certainly a cheaper method, but not as effective. I think some of the problem is that as the Mycryo ages, it turns into beta 6 and it doesn't melt as easily as it should. It is a little spendy, but anything that makes my life easier is worth it:)

There are several good ones offered.  Look at the PMCA and AACT websites.  Also once a year they have an excellent 4 week course at ZDS in Solingen, Germany.

Appreciate that this is an old post, but am quite excited by this cabinet. I was thinking of using a small wine cabinet but the good ones have dark doors and aren't really good for display purposes. So my question is whether the cabinet needs to have glass or whether  you could use some form of acrylic. Would it maintain the temperature as well? I am concerned to keep the weight down. I'm over filling the fridge with ice packs and constantly worrying about moving stuff around out of direct sun. 

Hi

This sounds a great alternative for artisan chocolatiers like myself. However I am wondering about the difference between using this and Mycryo? A visiting French chef showed us this technique a few years ago and I have used it a few times. Same percentage, just sprinkle it in and stir. I have found that it can take a bit of stirring to dissolve at times, and may be more expensive ( but the machine is $1000), so that's a Lot of Mycryo. Is it just the convenience of having the silk ready to go?

What about bottled liqueur that have cream (or the appearance of cream) in it? How does a cream liqueur like Baileys stay fresh without refrigeration? How does one keep the product emulsified?

That should do the trick!

It's most likely just a solvent extracted product, with that solvent being ethanol, maybe a little color or top noting flavors added.  A little heat, a little pressure, and ethanol's actually a pretty good extraction agent for many things.   It's also quite flammable, and may require a governmental accounting of it's use (depending on the volume), so tread carefully.

Can anyone recommend a fine flavor bulk chocolate that is certified kosher besides Callebaut. I'm interested in a high end chocolate.

I am not talking about a confection, but rather a bottled liqueur that could be sold at a liquor store. Godiva makes a version of this http://www.godivaliqueurs.com/ . I wonder how to go about formulating and processing a bottled product. I'm wondering if any special emulsifying equipment or homogenizing equipment is necessary. I would love to hear any input. Thank you!!!

Daniel

Are you talking about a soft white creme center, or a clear center (sugar crust liquor)?

Are you sure you're making a meltaway?  With enough off the coconut milk and agave syrup, you'll be making a type of ganache, an oil in water emulsion. 

Nibs are pre-roasted and the mass temp was 131. I'll look into more CB for fluidity. 

Can you be more precise? Does over 100 degrees mean 101, or 199?  I'd shoot for a chocolate mass temperature of 130-140.  Depending on if you have well fermented nibs or not (well fermented nibs = higher cocoa butter) - you may need to add more cocoa butter and/or lecithin to help fluidize.

I assume the nibs have been roasted?

Hello mark,

Can you tell me more about that course? where does it take place?

I have taught bean to bar courses, including hands on work, they take 2 weeks. 

It's 69 degrees in the room and the bowl has about 3lbs of nibs by the time it starts to become thick. The temperature of the chocolate is over 100 degrees.

Temperature of the room and of the mass inside the bowl?