|
Post by chocomania on Feb 22, 2006 9:49:29 GMT -5
how do we know how much cocoa butter is in a certain batch? since cocoa nibs itself has cocoa butter and sometimes we add a few more during the final stage of conching, how do we now compute the percentage of cocoa butter in the chocolate? thanks.
|
|
|
Post by Alchemist on Feb 22, 2006 11:35:26 GMT -5
I use a rule of thumb of about 55% cocoa butter. It is pretty close and when I use that estimation, my chocolates match commerical chocolates that I am aiming at. At some point in the near future, I will be doing a fat content analysis on each bean and providing that information.
|
|
|
Post by chocomania on Feb 22, 2006 22:18:16 GMT -5
so 55% naturally and add up the additional cocoa butter (if needed) that is added during conching?
|
|
|
Post by Alchemist on Feb 23, 2006 12:43:14 GMT -5
Yes, and "needed" will be relative to your needs and desires. I have made many a chocolate without any extra cocoa butter. Oh, and if you are trying to match commercial chocolate, be aware that then they say "78 % cocoa" that is %liqueur +%cocoa butter, so if you see the fat contribution is over 55% (taking into the other ingredients), then you know they added cocoa butter and can figure out how much.
|
|
|
Post by Alchemist on Mar 15, 2006 18:57:47 GMT -5
This got me thinking that I have been using 55% as a default for the fat content of cocoa beans in my formulations, but I have the means to actually measure that value. So, of the beans I carry, here is the run down for cocoa beans
Ocumare 55.4% Cocoa butter Carenero Superior 53.5% Jamaican Grade I 56.0% Ghana Forastero 58.3%
Not to far off really. I am going to start making this a regular piece of data for the cocoa beans that I sell.
|
|