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Post by tastybuds on Oct 16, 2014 2:43:18 GMT -5
Hi everyone.
I decided to make my passion a serious hobby - becoming a chocolatier. I have classical pastry training and have worked with chocolate professionally but I am embarking on new territory by making raw chocolate.
I am starting out making chocolate with cocoa butter, dry sweetener and cocoa powder (eventually I will try using cocoa mass with the butter). The equipment I have on hand: a 3 litter capacity melanger and a vitamix. I thought to try making bean to bar as well but am wondering if all I would need to get is a pre grinder for the cocoa beans or can I use my vitamix.
If making bean to bar, it is more cost effective than using the c. butter and c. powder or much more expensive?
Any tips would be graciously welcome.
Thanks so much! Li
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Post by Ben on Oct 16, 2014 13:39:45 GMT -5
Hi Li. I can't speak to most of your questions, but I can tell you that if you're doing bean-to-bar, you don't necessarily need to pre-grind the nibs before they go into a melanger. You can just add them straight to the melanger slowly and it will grind them up just fine. It helps to pre-warm the nibs and the melanger first. There are some threads in these forums that discuss this, if you need more info.
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Post by tastybuds on Oct 17, 2014 15:30:30 GMT -5
Thanks so much for that! It helps quite a bit
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Post by Brad on Oct 18, 2014 2:10:42 GMT -5
Li;
Learning to make chocolate can be both fun and frustrating, and it seems that time flies when you start. I've been doing it now for over 9 years...
Wow.... This venture has been an interesting journey for sure, now that I think of it.
Having said that, you will find there is a lot of misinformation in the chocolate industry - particularly around the misuse of terms. Your reference to "raw" chocolate isn't in fact raw. Cocoa powder is processed and already cooked. Just because you don't heat anything up doesn't mean you can call it raw.
Am I nit picking? Maybe. However even after being open for business for 6 years I still have people challenge me when I tell them my local competitors don't "make" chocolate. They just buy it, melt it, and sell it for more money. If we all make an effort to use correct terminology it makes things easier for everyone.
Cheers and happy chocolate making.
Brad
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Post by tastybuds on Oct 18, 2014 15:59:45 GMT -5
HI. Thanks so much for that! I do know a producer who actually taught the farmers how to ferment the beans and get a raw product out of them - he is only 1 person that has his hands on at both sides of it. Hi Brad. Thanks so much for your reply - it means a lot. My idea behind raw is that there is less processing with it. As long as I am not physically there controlling and monitoring the process, how could I really call my product raw. And yes I agree with that completely. I am just aiming for a less processed chocolate. Do you think raw products are sometimes minimally processed in general or could be just be hype to charge a higher amount for the same product? Oh so sad that people don't realise that coverture purchased and remelted makes up for most chocolate - so sad that people who actually make bean to bar or who make their own chocolate don't get enough credit for their efforts and passion. I wanted to try playing around but am curious if it is more expensive to use beans to bar. I have to try this just for fun. What do you think? How much beans should I invest in to play around? (I have a day job so I have the beautiful liberty to devote some serious play time with chocolate while creating a business simultaneously.) Li
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Post by Brad on Oct 19, 2014 0:24:39 GMT -5
Li;
The term "raw" is not the same as "minimally processed". Simply put, "Raw" means "the temperature of this product and its ingredients have at no time exceeded 120 degrees F". The minute even one ingredient is processed at a high temperature (such as cocoa powder), it is no longer raw.
You are also correct that in some cases, the term "raw" is just hype to charge a higher amount - ESPECIALLY in my opinion as it relates to chocolate. "Raw" chocolate tastes nothing like chocolate. It's bitter, acidic, and in general terrible tasting. THe chocolate flavour does not appear until the beans are roasted, just as is the case with coffee where the coffee flavour doesn't appear until the beans are roasted.
If you are playing around, I'd suggest buying 5-10lbs at a time and go from there. John Nanci, the owner of this site, sells beans in volumes that size, and is a good guy.
Cheers Brad
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Post by tastybuds on Oct 19, 2014 5:30:37 GMT -5
Thanks so much again for your insight and recommendation - it gives me a good idea / direction!! Lina
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