pcm
Novice
Posts: 75
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Post by pcm on Jul 6, 2011 22:19:05 GMT -5
I am running little batches in a Santha 10. No emulcifiers, just beans and cane sugar. I went to get my chocolate after a long conche and was surprised to see that one wheel was not spinning. It was not seized up, I could coax it to turn pretty easily but it would not catch. I think it might indicate over conche. Is my chocolate over processed to the point where there is not enough grit to make the wheel turn anymore? Maybe my load was too big?
I am interested in any comments about over conching or reasons why my Santha acted like that.
thanks
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Post by itsallaroundyou on Jul 7, 2011 11:05:27 GMT -5
The wheels would spin with just water in the bowl (no grit), so they should definitely be spinning with chocolate in the bowl. How long did you run the santha? sometimes chocolate gets on the wheel's shaft and gums it up, the longer you run it, the more likely that can be a problem. The tension nut doesn't let you exert enough pressure to overcome the drag between the wheel and the shaft.
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Post by Sebastian on Jul 9, 2011 15:45:29 GMT -5
You probably noticed that when you first used your unit, there was a grey lubricant coming out of the housing where the stone met the plastic bushing. My suspicion is that you've not replaced the lubricant, and that you may not be disassembling it fully to clean - meaning that it's now no longer lubricated AND there's gunk in there from previous batches.
Something else to consider, is that your belt may be losing tension as well.
I think it's almost impossible to over conche in the santha, to the point where your chocolate is physically defective, unless you've got a supplemental heating source.
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Post by cheebs on Jul 9, 2011 20:16:27 GMT -5
You probably noticed that when you first used your unit, there was a grey lubricant coming out of the housing where the stone met the plastic bushing. My suspicion is that you've not replaced the lubricant, and that you may not be disassembling it fully to clean - meaning that it's now no longer lubricated AND there's gunk in there from previous batches. Something else to consider, is that your belt may be losing tension as well. I think it's almost impossible to over conche in the santha, to the point where your chocolate is physically defective, unless you've got a supplemental heating source. We disassemble fully for every use, and lubricate with cocoa butter before starting. Sometimes late in the processing one of the wheels will stop spinning. Most of the time we wait to add a little of the recipe's cocoa butter in case that happens. It also helps to pour it directly on the sticky stone's bushing. BTW we replaced the cheapie and quick-wearing plastic bushings in the stones with Teflon. Now they last over a year before they need to be re-honed. And I totally agree with Sebastian in that it's almost impossible to overconche in the Santha.
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pcm
Novice
Posts: 75
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Post by pcm on Jul 12, 2011 13:51:00 GMT -5
Thanks for the input. Cheebs! you replaced the bushings with Teflon?!? Maddog! What did you do? bore the old ones out, machine new ones on a lathe? what adhesive did you use? I am impressed!
We take apart the whole thing between every batch. I will try a little cocoa butter on the stainless bolts this next round. That is what you are talking about as far as where the lubricant should go, right?
I thought the plastic Santha used was Delrin, which acts as a self lubricating polymer. (Not really but it is very slippery) Delrin is quite expensive and shouldn't wear out for a long long time. I have used it for woodworking applications that take a real beating and the stuff is amazingly tough.
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pcm
Novice
Posts: 75
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Post by pcm on Jul 12, 2011 14:09:29 GMT -5
Just for clarification, what are some characteristics of over conching? I thought a result of over conching would be a slimy mouthfeel and maybe a flat taste. I am not sure I have had over conched chocolate. I left a batch in my santha for 6 days around Christmas last year!!! I blame it on my mom but that is a different story.
It was a little slippery on the tongue if I recall, but I was searching for some tell tale sign of overconching so I might have made the slipperiness up.
Also, just for my deeper understanding of the subject, why would it be so hard to over conch in a Santha as opposed to a different machine?
Thanks for any input.
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josh
Novice
Posts: 56
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Post by josh on Aug 16, 2011 18:00:03 GMT -5
Yo,
You are not conching, you are melanging in a Santha therefore, you can't over conch. If the chocolate turns gummy then you have over done it- slippery is fine. Remember no chocolate develops it flavor profile until after you have tempered, molded it let it ferment for at least three days, don't get hung up on viscosity or slipperyness. If you want to be a bad-ass go to ACE hardware, buy a micrometer and see how long it takes to get your mixture to 25 microns. Then you are done. You can not over conch.
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