Post by jas665 on Jan 27, 2018 5:23:55 GMT -5
Hi all, I'm interested if anyone has thoughts or experiment notes on the timing of ingredients and how it impacts (or doesn't impact) flavour, mouthfeel, general product. (Feel free to point to relevant thread if I have missed it)
Obviously intro chocolate making page it says to add the rest of the ingredients little by little once you've got a good chocolate liquor base, but I'm sure that timing of adding ingredients must change the flavor. Aside from energy costs, my guess is that there are a number of interacting issues to consider: 1. flavour, 2. particle size, 3. shear (?), 4. moisture (?). Looking for some general advice or thoughts on the below.
Sugar - I've read some say they refine nibs for 6, 12, 24, or even 36 hrs before adding sugar.. Thoughts? Is sugar likely to hold onto aromas that may otherwise evaporate off? Regarding uniformity of particle size, my guess has been that adding big sugar particles to already small cocoa mass particles means the sugar particles refine at a faster rate, no?
Soy Lecithin - seems the consensus here is to add it 1-2hrs before finish. At very least, split it between between early and end.
Cocoa butter - I gather there is difference between wet and dry conching (not that I am personally technically conching). Assuming your viscosity is ok for refining/conching, is the consensus here to add towards the end as with Lecithin? Is cocoa butter also likely to hold onto aromas that I/we may want to evaporate or hold onto? My concern in adding it at the end is that the flavor (if non deoderized) may stick out compared to the bean.
Obviously it's understood everyone has their own taste, depends on ingredients, and no way to know for sure without doing experiment yourself.
Personally, I've been experimenting with small 1-1.5kg batches of 65-70% dark -- nibs, castor or cane sugar, and 5% or less of reg. cocoa butter. I can't say I've experienced much graininess after 12hrs of refining (nibs and/or sugar) in a 1.5L Premier but perhaps that is because my batches are small. I do think the flavor improves in the 48-72hr range though. I assume as batch size increases, grind times to good particle size would lengthen as well in which case, I can see why you would want to add sugar earlier...
Obviously intro chocolate making page it says to add the rest of the ingredients little by little once you've got a good chocolate liquor base, but I'm sure that timing of adding ingredients must change the flavor. Aside from energy costs, my guess is that there are a number of interacting issues to consider: 1. flavour, 2. particle size, 3. shear (?), 4. moisture (?). Looking for some general advice or thoughts on the below.
Sugar - I've read some say they refine nibs for 6, 12, 24, or even 36 hrs before adding sugar.. Thoughts? Is sugar likely to hold onto aromas that may otherwise evaporate off? Regarding uniformity of particle size, my guess has been that adding big sugar particles to already small cocoa mass particles means the sugar particles refine at a faster rate, no?
Soy Lecithin - seems the consensus here is to add it 1-2hrs before finish. At very least, split it between between early and end.
Cocoa butter - I gather there is difference between wet and dry conching (not that I am personally technically conching). Assuming your viscosity is ok for refining/conching, is the consensus here to add towards the end as with Lecithin? Is cocoa butter also likely to hold onto aromas that I/we may want to evaporate or hold onto? My concern in adding it at the end is that the flavor (if non deoderized) may stick out compared to the bean.
Obviously it's understood everyone has their own taste, depends on ingredients, and no way to know for sure without doing experiment yourself.
Personally, I've been experimenting with small 1-1.5kg batches of 65-70% dark -- nibs, castor or cane sugar, and 5% or less of reg. cocoa butter. I can't say I've experienced much graininess after 12hrs of refining (nibs and/or sugar) in a 1.5L Premier but perhaps that is because my batches are small. I do think the flavor improves in the 48-72hr range though. I assume as batch size increases, grind times to good particle size would lengthen as well in which case, I can see why you would want to add sugar earlier...