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Post by tonym on Nov 16, 2014 15:53:37 GMT -5
Hi guys I invested in a Premier wonder grinder and used it for the first time yesterday to make some milk chocolate following the recipe on this page, part 3 under "Refining Chocolate with your Melanger". I used the turbo tempering technique discussed in other parts of the forum and was very pleasantly surprised by the outcome, the only issue being the aforementioned bitter aftertaste. I let the grinder run for about 6 hours and I'm now wondering if I should perhaps let it run for longer. As its difficult to get hold of beans here in the uk I used the Organic Madagascar cocoa liquor that I bought from here. It smells absolutely wonderful, is it possible that the aftertaste is coming from the cocoa mass itself?
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Post by kevin on Nov 16, 2014 16:42:55 GMT -5
Six hours is very short. Most guys let it run for days.
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Post by Thomas on Nov 29, 2014 17:27:22 GMT -5
I use the premier grinder and I have only made chocolate from beans that I have roasted and turned into nibs. I also put the nibs straight into the grinder but I always run it for a minimum of 24 hrs. Try that on your next batch. Also, taste the chocolate before you stop grinding. If it's bitter, run it longer.
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Post by tonym on Nov 30, 2014 10:04:09 GMT -5
Thanks, I'm going to try making a 50% dark chocolate over the next few days, I will let it run for about 16-24 hrs. Thanks for advice guys.
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eg
Neophyte
Posts: 47
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Post by eg on Feb 15, 2015 10:46:52 GMT -5
Glad I found this. I'm going on 20 hours with my first batch and the bitterness is reducing very gradually. I'll keep it going into this afternoon and see if it gets better. This first batch is under 1 pound and I've been wondering if the 2L premier is less effective refining this small amount. I am also wondering if I under-roasted. Are there clues that will help me sleuth out which steps I should adjust?
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Post by smoothchocolator on Mar 29, 2015 7:37:01 GMT -5
Hi, guys I thought this might be the right thread to post ...I'm very new in chocolate making and I'm having a problem with bitter aftertaste as well. I made 73% ivory coast and it tasted really nice..but after eating that, there was a lingering bitter aftertaste. Same with 75% Nicaragua I made a few days ago.. They were roasted in Behmor and conched in the Premier for 32-36 hours. I was a bit worried about running the Premier longer than 36 hours as I was happy with the smoothness of the chocolate and didn't want to loose too much flavours.. Does anyone know where this bitter aftertaste might come from? And..how do I fix this problem? Lots of help needed! ?
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Post by refined on Jun 12, 2015 15:05:42 GMT -5
Hi smoothchocolator, I have exactly the same problem, but only with certain cocoas. (I am also very, very new to chocolate making!) My ghana comes out great, but for some reason venezuela ocumare and carenero superior both tend to have this very bitter aftertaste.
I believe it has something to do with the roasting. I did a test where I roasted the ocumare in 5 minute increments (at 300 deg) for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 min. The bitter taste was much more pronounced on the 10 and 15 minute roasts and seemed to be tamed by a bit longer roasting. But I'm still not completely satisfied.
Perhaps it has something to do with the quality of the beans? Wish I knew more... Can anyone out there throw us some suggestions?
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eg
Neophyte
Posts: 47
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Post by eg on Jun 15, 2015 21:40:01 GMT -5
I'd love an update with advice on sleuthing out the cause for bitterness. It's not a pleasing bitterness - a bit acidic. My second batch was made with Venezuelan Ocumare - made in February, and on tasting it just this week it seems much less bitter. Could it be that the flavor has "settled" a bit in the 3 months since I made it?
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gap
Apprentice
Posts: 390
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Post by gap on Jun 16, 2015 17:55:20 GMT -5
Chocolate does "age", so it is possible. Check the forums for information on ageing (aging?) for more details.
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Post by smoothchocolator on Jun 19, 2015 2:42:12 GMT -5
Thanks for the replies! I haven't stopped roasting cocoa beans ever since (turning into a bit of obsession! ) and I think the strong bitter aftertaste was coming from under roasted beans. Also aging took some bitterness away but when the beans were not fully roasted, even aging couldn't fix it..It also depended on the type of beans as well. I would love to hear other people's opinions and experiences as well
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Post by tonym on Mar 10, 2016 18:29:22 GMT -5
Having made quite a number of batches since my original post, and having tried various beans, nibs and cocoa liquor, I am fairly sure it was down to how long I left it in the grinder. I have let various batches run for various amounts of time, including a batch of Jamaican I bought from the Alchemist (which was utterly amazing)and the longer it has run for the less of an aftertaste I notice. I have even let one batch of Jamaican run for 96 hours and although very smooth with a very pronounced "rum & raisin" taste I didn't notice any significant difference when compared to running for 48 hours. The smallest amount I have successfully managed to make was 600 grams (200 grams of nibs, 200 grams of caster sugar and 200 grams of cocoa butter). Hope this helps.
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