Forum Activity for @The Slow Melt

Hello all,

I wanted to share the latest episode of The Slow Melt - the only podcast focused on the full story of chocolate. T he majority of chocolate we know and love - 70 percent - comes from West Africa, and in the last few weeks, the price these farmers receive for their cocoa has plummeted to historic lows. We decided to wedge this program into our podcast schedule to make clear this is NO cause for celebration - and to help everyone who loves chocolate understand the economics behind what they are buying and how their decisions can help farmers who are earning less than $1 a day.

Guests include:
Laurent Pipitone , director of the economics and statistics division at the International Cocoa Organization, on the impacts of historically low cocoa prices on subsistence cocoa farmers in West Africa.

Antonie Fountain , managing director of the VOICE (Voice of Organisations in Cocoa in Europe) Network, on how the money consumers pay for chocolate is allocated.

Sako Warren , global executive secretary of the World Cocoa Farmers Organization, on what farmer empowerment in cocoa really means.

Please listen and share if so moved. https://theslowmelt.com/portfolio/the-high-price-of-cheap-chocolate/

Also, here is an article you chocophiles may enjoy: The Many Benefits of Making (and Eating) Chocolate Right Where It Grows , written by our host, Simran Sethi.

That, my friend, is probably a 2 week long discussion involving a great many details.  The old adage of 'believe none of what you hear and half of what you see' probably applies here.

Thanks, Sebastian, I appreciate your comments.

What roast time/temp would you recommend as a ball park for lower end forestero type beans? Long and relatively low temp?

I am working to improve things at my end I promise, but my grower is very receptive to feedback and often complains that the Malaysian Cocoa Board offer him little guidance on best current practice. Having heard comments out of Camino Verde along the lines of 'there is no such thing as a bad variety, just inadequate /unsuitable fermentation' makes me wonder as to possible adjustments on the farm end too.

Bitterness can be coming in from many, many reasons - i'm afraid there's no quick and easy answer to your question that one can answer briefly on a forum.  I suspect it's a combination of genetics, pod age (maturity), fermentation protocol (too short), and how he's drying.  washing the beans is likely providing no material benefit.

Remember you can influence bean flavor by processing on YOUR end as well.  Roast time/temp/grind conditions/formula all are part of the equation.

Hi all,

I am looking to amass as much detailed information on post-harvest/fermentation techniques as I can get my hands on. I am particularly interested in any stages of the process that might be used to reduce bitterness in the processed beans.

I am currently sourcing my beans from a grower in Sarawak, Malaysia. He grows a range of high yield genetic strains in his sun plantation (over 10 types from places all over the world including Ghana and Brazil). He harvests pods on day 1 of his cycle, splits pods on day 2 and leaves in baskets, he begins a 3 box fermentation on day 3 (shifting beans from box to box after 40 and 80 hours). He halts fermentation at 120 hours, briefly washes in a  bucket and then sun dries over 3-4 days if the weather is good.

Would more frequent aeration in the later stages of fermentation reduce bitterness? Would a longer period of pre-drying before fermentation be useful? More pod storage? Better insulation of fermentation boxes to reach higher peak temperatures? Should the microbial fauna be kickstarted with additions i.e. sourdough starter etc?

I have read some vague descriptions of an interesting bag fermentation process being used by the Camino Verde farm in Ecuador. The sources imply that it yields very good flavour results from basic high yield varieties. Does anyone know the details of this approach?

Any assistance at all with these questions would be greatly appreciated!

Best regards

Matt

The boy with the machete is watching us. We’re sitting in an SUV in the middle of a rugged, red-dirt road about 10 miles outside the city of Abengourou, in eastern Ivory Coast. It’s just after 8 a.m. on a Saturday, and the early morning haze hasn’t yet burned off, so a mist hangs over the fields around us. We’ve been slowly bumping along on our way to meet some farmers in a nearby village called Appoisso but stop for a moment to take in the scene. Suddenly the boy is standing right next to us. He looks curious, but wary too.

Around 1500 AD, a Spanish soldier who was part of the conquest of Mexico and who had observed the emperor of the Aztecs, Moctezuma II, stated that he took no other beverage than chocolate, served in a golden goblet and flavoured with spices like vanilla; his chocolate beverage was whipped into a froth that dissolved into the mouth. Sounds yummy doesn’t it? That was the first introduction of cocoa to the Europeans and became a very popular beverage by the mid 17^thcentury; the rest is history as we say. Cocoa comes from the Theobroma cacao tree which is native to Central and South America, grows the fruit and inside the fruit; there are about 20 to 50 beans.

Hi please let me know your asking price for the equipment.

My direct email is vrubini@chocostyle.ca

Thanks.

Selmi 400kg Melter A13-75 (2011) Never Used

Selmi Top Ex Tempering Unit (2011) Used Very Little

Business is being Closed.  Please inquire for pricing or make offer.  Equipment located in Vancouver, WA

Hi Deb.

It was made in 2008.

FREE SHIPPING within US and Canada.

DESCRIPTION:

-melter temperer

-capacity :75KGS (220 pounds)

-permanent circulation of water

-electronic thermostat :

for melting temperature

for chocolate temperature

for keeping temperature

-stainless steel construction

-automatic control of inlet water and temperature

-drain valve

-agitator

-220Vpower

-security switch

Hi there - Is this still for sale? If yes, please contact me at:

bunkburger@yahoo.com 

Thanks, Sue.  I have had several custom molds created and will add you to my list of vendors.  My thought on this particular one, however, was that because there are so many promotional companies using it, it may be a mold I can purchase.

@luv-ice-cream I have uploaded pictures and a copy of the spec page.  It does not have a separate depositor.  It only has a side valve dispenser.

What would the freight be to 55109?

I am assuming each sack is 50 lbs?

Thanks!

This is a great bean that comes from Uncommon Cacao. We are changing direction and no longer have use for them. We are letting them go for cheaper than you can get them from the source! Super clean nice rich bean..

$ 2.50lb

FWIW,

LUV Ice Cream now makes sugar-free, organic stevia sweetened bean-to-bar using direct trade Nicaraguan beans. 

Hi,

Does this unit have a depositor?

Also, any pics would be appreciated.

Thanks!

We make chocolate molds. You supply the graphics and we can make the molds. If interested email me at sue@sasquatchchocolate.com

I'm looking for a chocolate mold of a small shovel.  I've seen the finished piece on numerous promotional item websites, but have looked through all the typical places I search for molds and am coming up with nothing.  Anyone have any suggestions?

 shovel.jpg - 91KB

I can’t resist its siren calls.  Whether it’s dark, white, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate – I answer every time.  I try and be polite that way.  Whether in cake, brownies, fudge sauce, candy bars, cookies, ice cream, mousse etc., chocolate makes the blissful world of desserts go-round.

Here is a list, by state, of the American small-batch, craft chocolate makers who make chocolate from bean-to-bar. They roast the cacao beans, crack and winnow them, grind them into chocolate, conche and then add their own unique spin while tempering, molding and packaging the chocolate. Many of these chocolate makers sell on their website, through retailers or at their own chocolate shops and cafes. I understand that there are many more large manufacturers, but this list is specifically about the craft movement.  If you see that I have missed any, please feel free to add it to the Comments below and I will then include it in this list, which will be updated regularly.

Mercedes Farm is located at an elevation of ~3600 feet, in Peñas Blancas within the Isabelia Range, a protected forest area. Lushly green forests surround the coffee trees, and large hardwood trees provide shade and animal habitat throughout the farm. Several beautiful streams flow through the farm and provide natural irrigation, helping to contribute to the plump sweetness of the juicy-ripe beans.

Well one would certainly think so, and if you’re buying real coffee beans let’s hope they are not artificial, but that does not mean they are natural….processed that is.  You see when we refer to a coffee as natural we mean it is natural vs washed or semi-washed in the processing.  Originally, all coffee was processed naturally, allowing the cherries to dry on the beans, but inconsistencies in this method led to bad,  over fermented, and sometimes downright nasty coffee. Eventually the washed method became more popular.

Jesús Emilio and Arley’s visit to the UK was organized with support from the human rights organization, Peace Brigade International. PBI has been working with the Community since their foundation in 1997, with the aim of keeping the eyes of the world on the dangerous human rights situation in Colombia. They regularly send volunteer observers into the field to show solidarity, and these international observers are able to bear witness to the threats the Community faces. This international presence is also a form of protection.

“Without this, we would have been massacred,” explains Jesús Emilio. Lush has played a significant role, too. “Lush has accompanied us on the recent pilgrimages that we have made to different settlements within the Community, where there has been an enormous paramilitary repression,” says Jésus Emilio. “We feel that Lush has joined our daily struggle.”

Hi, we sell new table top panning machinery. If you would like info please send an email to jim at unionmachinery.com

Thanks, Jim Greenberg - Union Confectionery Machinery Company

Looking for a used or new table-top panner - not a kitchen-aid attachment. Something like a Chocolate World machine. 

Thanks!

CAT

Practically new 200 pound Savage Bros chocolate Temperer with digital display.  Bought 12/12  (New) for 9380.00.  $7500.00 or best offer.

 image.jpg - 438KB

I am interested cmatice@gmail.com

packmachine.steven@gmail.com is the email of my rep. His name is Steven Cui. Please tell him Daniel from Wisconsin, USA referred you. Thank you,

Daniel

Thanks - I'll take the contact info!

Hi there!

I just purchased a flow wrapper from a Chinese company called Shanghai Goldsen. The machine just arrived to us in our facility in Wisconsin, USA. It was a very good price -- around 5,000 USD  . It appears to be a very high quality machine. The American and European Machines are definitely very nice, yet they were around$25,000 - 40,000 and that was too much for us.

I would be happy to introduce you to my sales rep in China if you wish.

We're looking to purchase a flow wrapping machine - looking for suggestions and recommendations. We've been talking for nearly a year with a UK company (Loynds) and hoping someone has specific experience with this company. Thoughts greatly appreciated. Thanks,

Hi - Could you tell me when was it made, how much does it hold and where is it located?

You might consider contacting the governments of Trinidad/Tobago, or Jamaica as they both fund activities in this area.  There's a few in grenada as well (although i've not had them for some time).  A great deal of cocoa grows in the DR as well, and i'd suggest you speak with Max at Rizek cacao.

Alternatively, give my family a room for a week and i'll teach you how to do it yourself

You will not be able to affect the softness change with your processing only.  IF (and this is a really, really BIG IF) you can control your bean sourcing to ONLY source beans (including the cocoa butter) from very high altitude trees, then you have some hope.  But i know of 3 people in the world (two who aren't typing at the moment) who can do this, and I suspect you're not one of them.

If you want to avoid milk entirely, you can get a similar affect by using small amount of liquid vegetable oil (or semisoft vegetable fat).  Note: doing so may result in your chocolate loosing its standard of identity (it's legal in some countries, but not others), and the more you use the more difficult it will be to temper (if not impossible.)

If you undertemper your chocolate, you can also achieve a textural softness, but you're playing with fire here, as, well, it's not really tempered any more, and you're likely to get bloom along with your softness (depending on your degree of temper, your bloom may  not show up for a week or longer, but it will show up).  Given the amount of information we have at this point, this is likely what happened in your first batch.  It will be very difficult for you to replicate consistently.

Edited to add: or my personal favorite, add some hazelnut paste and make it a gianduja.  Ranks high on the delicious-ometer, and it definitely softens it.

I'll definitely give the milk fat a try as a learning experience and to keep all my options open - thanks for the suggestion. But I'm still hoping for non-milk suggestions as there's milk allergies in my family (there's probably not enough protein in the milk fats to trigger an allergy, but that's not something I'll take a chance on), and having a 3 item ingredient (beans, cocoa butter, sugar) really calls to me.

I'll plan on changing one variable on every batch to see what happens. I'm hopeful I can figure out whatever I did in my first batch that made them so much softer.

Good morning everyone -

I am Pete, the Food & Beverage Director of the soon-to-be opened Park Hyatt St. Kitts resort. One of Park Hyatt's values is to integrate our brand into the communities we are located. We try to provide an authentic experience, embracing local customs and products.

To this end I am searching for a high quality chocolate bar to place in our minibars. I haven't been able to source anything suitable in St. Kitts and Nevis, so am expanding my search to neighbouring Caribbean islands. As the product will be in the minibar, a longer shelf life is preferable.

If you have a suitable product, or know of a product, please get in touch here.

That's true Sebastian 

To crackedcitrine - I would recommend trying it as a side by side comparison next time you're making a batch. When you're done grinding the chocolate, take half out and add 3-4% milk fat to the other half and continue grinding for 20-30 minutes. Mould the two batches up and taste them side by side.

You're spot on Gap! No reason to be intimidated at all  -  I'm not *that* terrifying....

I arrived in Amsterdam on the Wednesday of Chocoa and went directly from Centraal Station to the venue - the Beurs van Berlage.

My Thursday and Friday were spent moderating The Chocolate Makers Forum, and because I had taken on the moderator role, I told the organizers that I would be happy to jump in and take over tasting sessions if a presenter did not show up, but I did not want to commit to doing tastings of my own.

Somehow this was interpreted as my giving permission schedule tasting sessions for Saturday and on Sunday.

To make things even more fun, I did not learn about this until Friday after the Chocolate Makers Forum ended, when I just happened to pick up a copy of the program. Which is when I also learned the topic for my sessions:

How to taste the impact of soil conditions, climate, and the care and attention of the farmers and chocolate makers …

Really? Seriously? This was not a topic I would normally even begin to try to attempt without a lot of preparation and I would want a lot more than 45 minutes to present, especially when presenting to an audience of 100 non-professionals. And, of course, by the time I found out what I had been signed up for, it was impossible to change because it was in the printed program and on all the signage. 

If I had the time to prepare, I would have liked to have worked with raw and roasted beans, liquor and chocolate, but I would still have started with an industrial chocolate. But, I had less than 24 hours to come up with an approach and find whatever I needed before the first tasting and no facilities to do anything from scratch. 

So, what to do? Fortunately, I was at a chocolate festival … and one where, luckily for me, there were be a lot of raw cocoa beans, even if there were no roasted beans or liquors.

I decided to make my entry point into the session what I perceive to be the difference between craft chocolate makers and industrial chocolate makers. In my mind, industrial producers are defined by the requirement to be consistent and craft producers not so much. I seem them as the flip sides of a coin.

Using an unidentified dark chocolate from Callebaut - a Chocoa sponsor that sampled liberally so I was able to get my hands on many bars - I explained the process of how industrial chocolate makers can create chocolate with a consistent flavor profile despite the fact that the beans are an agricultural product and can vary. Through blending and the use of vanilla - which is a masking aroma - consistency is achieved, though at the expense of interesting varietal nuance in the beans.

From there I had the great good fortune to be able to taste some chocolates and the beans they were made from. I was able to sample a 100% Madgascar from Chocolats Madagascar/Chocolaterie Robert following it up immediately with the beans so that the audience could get a glimpse of the evolution of flavor from bean to chocolate - with both in their mouth at the same time.

I followed that combination up with two chocolates made from beans from Java. One was from Van Dender in Belgium and the other from Morin in France. Because I also had the (unroasted) beans - which were passed around in a bag - the audience got to smell and taste the beans and then taste the differences in the two chocolates which are actually quite different, with one preserving a strong smoky character that is common in Javanese beans (with smoke normally considered to be a defect) and the other with a more delicate smoky note. Two chocolate makers, each with their own aesthetic, producing recognizably different chocolates from the same beans.

[At this point I do need to give a shout out to Daarnhouwer – Albert and Maria – who graciously and unhesitatingly agreed to give me the beans from Madagascar and Java and the chocolates from Chocolaterie Robert, Van Dender, and Morin for me to use.]

As the beans and chocolates were being passed around I was able to talk a little bit about fermentation and drying and their contributions to flavor as well as take questions from the audience. I did get several really brilliant questions, including one from a teen who asked about the chemical neutralization of acidity which meant I could talk about Van Houten and a key Dutch innovation in chocolate making.

Regal Chocolate (Soklet) from India was offering two different ferments of the same bean with chocolate made from one of them, so that would have been an interesting choice, and Mava was offering beans from six different farms in Madagascar’s Sambirano Valley, none of them the two best-known - Millau or Akesson. One farm, Ottange, has flavors that remind me of the Madagascar chocolate I would have eaten when I first started out nearly 20 years ago.

It would have been really interesting to work with the beans from two or more of the farms (Mava had chocolate from these beans made by Chocolaterie Robert) and then to also taste beans and chocolate from Chocolaterie Robert made from beans from one of the two main sources. Throwing Valrhona’s Manjari into the mix would have been a real eye-opener, I think, as tasters I know claim that Manjari has drifted away from its original flavor profile.

I also know it would be interesting to work with Friis-Holm chocolate and the beans from Ingemann in Nicaragua. The double-turn and triple-turn Chuno for example would demonstrate the impact of fermentation on flavor, and there are other people working with Chuno to provide a counterpoint.

But I don’t know how interesting a deep dive into liquor tasting would be for a general audience and I certainly don’t know how I would accomplish for 100 people in only 45 minutes. I do know, after doing the tastings, that it is possible to introduce the concepts in an approachable and understandable way as long as both beans and chocolate can be tasted and compared.

Thanks

Del Ward - Fiddler's Chocolates

This is geared completely to dark chocolate. I use a commercially made ghee that is 99.9% fat.