jbr
Neophyte
Posts: 11
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Post by jbr on Jun 20, 2009 17:03:28 GMT -5
So, do the experts toss their butter/sugar/powdered milk/lethicin/vanilla into the microwave before adding it to the Santha?
Do you actually melt the cocoa butter or just warm it up for 30 seconds?
Do you add them all in at once to the microwave or do sugar first, then cocoa butter, etc?
Thanks -- putting it in the microwave, especially to the point where cocoa butter is melting or almost melts -- makes it so there is no seizing in the Santha.. but I was curious if folks have experimented a ton without doing that in terms of flavor profiles... (i.e. does it taste/smell different if you microwave everything other than the cocoa liquor rather than not)...
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Post by FeralOne on Jun 20, 2009 18:05:16 GMT -5
I usually put my nibs in the warmed santha without the tension nut tightened, and grind them until they become liquor, during that time I put my cocoa butter in a pot on the stove and while I'm heating it I add my vanilla bean(s) and allow it to soak in the butter for a while, then I scrape the marrow out and toss the bark part of the vanilla bean. I then keep the butter/vanilla on simmer and slowly add my sugar and any other dry ingredients to the liquor (nut tightened down) very slowly or it will put too much strain on the santha. I alternate between adding the butter and dry ingredients to keep it from stalling the machine. It seems to me that microwaving gives it a slightly plastic flavor, but I seem to be the only one that thinks so. Out of curiosity do others add the whole vanilla bean? I never thought to do that, it seems like it would make it taste like wood to do that. Andrea
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Post by Brad on Jun 21, 2009 2:20:57 GMT -5
Andrea;
Whether using my commercial refiners, or "frankensantha", I chop the whole beans up, and include them with the nibs.
I've also run the whole beans through a food processor with sugar in it.
No woody taste at all, and the bean also holds a significant amount of flavour.
Brad.
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jbr
Neophyte
Posts: 11
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Post by jbr on Jul 4, 2009 9:48:09 GMT -5
Andrea; Whether using my commercial refiners, or "frankensantha", I chop the whole beans up, and include them with the nibs. I've also run the whole beans through a food processor with sugar in it. Brad. Hmm, I didn't quite get that.. are you saying you put your vanilla beans through a Champion Juicer type thing along with your nibs? Also, do you actually melt the cocoa butter or just warm it up for 30 seconds in the microwave before you add it to the Santha?
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Post by cheebs on Jul 4, 2009 10:30:50 GMT -5
The cocoa butter should be melted.
You can add the vanilla bean pieces at basically any stage, but I usually add them with the nibs directly into the grinder. Haven't used the Champion to pre-grind for some time.
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Post by Brad on Jul 5, 2009 0:18:57 GMT -5
JBR;
I melt the cocoa butter with either a microwave or a stove top element, and heat it until it's about 140 degrees F.
I never use a Champion for anything.
What I do with the vanilla for my small refiner (santha), is to use a food processor to help chop the vanilla. I add the vanilla bean and about 1 cup of sugar, and pulse it until the vanilla is little black specs in the sugar. I add this sugar to what is supposed to go in the chocolate. It speeds up the process because I find that due to the soft nature of the vanilla bean, it takes longer for the Santha to grind it.
As a habit I also do the same with my commercial refiners, and the vanilla I put in them.
Hope this helps.
Brad.
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