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Post by karthikeyan on Jul 18, 2015 23:38:20 GMT -5
I am just started to make bean-to-bar chocolate, and current only make 2 ingredient chocolate. When compared to commercial corveture (Callebout 811) I notice that my chocolate becomes soft and melts much quicker than the commercial corveture. Why? What causes this? Going by the ingredients list the only additions in the commercial chocolate is vanilla extract and soy lecithin. Do they create this difference in melting tendency?
Note - I live in India, with average temperatures of approx 28'c to 36'c.
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Post by rehmann on Jul 19, 2015 2:40:11 GMT -5
Hi Lecithins usually change viscosity of a Couverture at an equivalent of approx. 3% of cocoa butter. But I don't see why Lecithins should change melting properties of a Couverture. The reason must be elsewhere. Can you make a Statement regarding particle size of your home made Couverture? Fabian Rehmann - www.schoggikurs.ch
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Post by karthikeyan on Jul 19, 2015 3:16:57 GMT -5
Hi Lecithins usually change viscosity of a Couverture at an equivalent of approx. 3% of cocoa butter. But I don't see why Lecithins should change melting properties of a Couverture. The reason must be elsewhere. Can you make a Statement regarding particle size of your home made Couverture? Fabian Rehmann - www.schoggikurs.chHello Rehmann Thanks for the reply. Tried to reply earlier but couldn't see the post... The particle size of my home made chocolate is of course coarser than the commercial chocolate. I am waiting to get a grindometer to measure the particle size, will get back to you over the next few days..
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Post by Ben on Jul 20, 2015 7:29:54 GMT -5
Hello. There's nothing inherent in 2 ingredient bean to bar chocolate that should make it become soft and melt quicker than commercial couverture--assuming it's properly tempered, of course.
Also, you say that your chocolate is 'of course coarser than the commercial chocolate', but again, there's no inherent reason that home made chocolate can't be ground just as smooth as commercial.
Can you tell us more about your process?
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Post by karthikeyan on Jul 20, 2015 9:53:38 GMT -5
Hello. There's nothing inherent in 2 ingredient bean to bar chocolate that should make it become soft and melt quicker than commercial couverture--assuming it's properly tempered, of course. Also, you say that your chocolate is 'of course coarser than the commercial chocolate', but again, there's no inherent reason that home made chocolate can't be ground just as smooth as commercial. Can you tell us more about your process? Hello Ben Both the chocolates are not tempered. I am trying to make and sell covertutre chocolate hence its in tempered. My process is fairly simple. I use a spice roaster to roast the beans (in this case it was 90'C at 30 mins. The cracking is using a crankandstein, and winnowing is done manually. I use a blender to pulverise the nibs to a coarse powder (its not liquidized) and slowly added to the Santha melangeur. I allow it refine for 24 hrs before I add the sugar (pulverised in a blender) and refine further for another 24 hrs. It's then removed to a large cambro storage container. I currently don't add any extra cacao butter or lecithin. The temperature during refining run at approx 50'C. With the above process I feel that the particle size reduction is not equivalent to a Callebout 811 level. Will try to refine further and check in my next lot. My immediate concern is that my chocolate seems to get soft much quicker when left at room temperature compared to commercial corveture. I am trying to figure out why?
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Post by Ben on Jul 20, 2015 10:11:32 GMT -5
What temperature is your room? Neither chocolate should get soft (as in beginning to melt) at what I'd consider 'room temperature' (around 70F). Also, are you sure the Callebaut is untempered? The callets come already tempered, but I'm not sure about the blocks.
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Post by karthikeyan on Jul 20, 2015 10:26:39 GMT -5
Hello Ben
I live in southern India, so our room temperatures are approx 28'C to 32'C...
I am comparing the chocolate to Callebout callets.. Didn't know that they were already tempered!
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Post by Ben on Jul 20, 2015 11:30:42 GMT -5
That is a very hot room temperature for chocolate. At those temps, all chocolate will eventually melt (or at least soften), tempered or not. Ideally, you'd store chocolate around 65F (18C).
Untempered will definitely soften/melt quicker and at lower temps than tempered.
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Post by Sebastian on Jul 22, 2015 19:11:35 GMT -5
It likely has to do with the details of the ingredients used (different fats - even cocoa butters - have different melting profiles). If fats other than cocoa butter are used, that range will be exacerbated.
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Post by karthikeyan on Jul 22, 2015 20:09:39 GMT -5
Thanks Ben & Sebastian ... I have 4 more batches running simultaneously now. Should have more info in the next few days.
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