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Post by mark on Oct 25, 2021 23:41:03 GMT -5
I think this is an excellent and also very interesting question. I recall Dylan from Manoa Chocolate covered this a bit in one of his Craft Chocolate TV episodes that you can find on You Tube. From their experience foot traffic was key for sales but there were other factors to consider (e.g. logistics of getting supplies delivered).
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Post by mark on Sept 23, 2021 21:01:19 GMT -5
I don't have any experience with this brand. I have some Spectra and DCM melangeurs and my first impression looking at their site is that it looks a bit dodgy as we say here in Australia. Those Electra 11 and Santha 11 models look like slightly lower priced rip offs of the Spectra 11 melangeurs that John sells. That Electra Pro 5 kg machine only costs a few hundred dollars less than a made in USA DCM 20.
Key question for me when investing in equipment is always how does their customer support look like. If something breaks, I need the ability to get parts for it quickly. Both Spectra and DCM have provided excellent support to me and any issues have been resolved quickly and professionally. If you decide to order from these guys make sure you're confident they'll provide you with an adequate level of support for your circumstances.
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Post by mark on Sept 6, 2021 8:38:18 GMT -5
I’d suggest you start around 10g per kg (assuming use of whole quills broken up and added to the melangeur).
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Post by mark on Aug 9, 2021 20:32:43 GMT -5
Your chocolate is very viscous due to the low cocoa butter content. Assuming your cocoa beans have 50% cocoa butter, your total cocoa butter content is only around 30%. Add more cocoa butter or nibs and it will become less viscous.
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Post by mark on Jul 4, 2021 19:28:57 GMT -5
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Post by mark on Jun 26, 2021 8:52:21 GMT -5
I also mold dark 2 ingredient bars at 92. I go straight to refrigerator after vibrating and I use the thick polycarbonate molds.
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Post by mark on Jun 15, 2021 19:27:57 GMT -5
There is a whole series of “Ask the Alchemist” articles on roasting. Go and read those, they should answer your questions.
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Post by mark on Jun 11, 2021 8:18:06 GMT -5
Yes, a lot of that machinery is not worth investing in if you can find a good print shop nearby that has appropriate equipment in house. We printed many thousands of labels on an inkjet and cut them on a manual guillotine. I don’t regret doing that, worked up to a certain scale and gave us excellent flexibility of course.
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Post by mark on Jun 10, 2021 4:17:35 GMT -5
Wow that sounds like a cool setup you had running there Ben!
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Post by mark on Apr 26, 2021 8:34:51 GMT -5
I know some makers who use the Olde Tyne to pre-grind. Yes there are a lot of them available second hand in USA. Of course those second hand USA ones are made for USA electrical supply, so 110 V / 60 Hz. So unless your country also has 110 V / 60 Hz you can’t use those second hand units (been there tried that). If you search for Olde Tyme peanut grinder on Alibaba.com you can find Chinese peanut grinders, one of these might work for you. I purchased one of those a while back and it works well but the build quality is a bit dubious. You get what you pay for of course.
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Post by mark on Apr 22, 2021 23:01:36 GMT -5
Due to the complex thermodynamics involved in the roasting process I think you'll get very unpredictable results if you attempt to do this. I'm not sure how you're roasting but if you have the opportunity to taste beans during the roast that will let you extend the roast if you feel they need some more time.
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Post by mark on Apr 15, 2021 20:58:49 GMT -5
I'm no electrical engineer but I very much doubt the motor is running slower. I've found that wear to the granite rollers or their bushes can also lead to reduced refining efficiency over time. The slow speed sounds odd. As Ben mentioned, belt might need tightening. Also, maybe a bearing has worn out depending on how old your unit is.
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Post by mark on Apr 9, 2021 21:41:18 GMT -5
Yes melter will maintain stable temperature but once your chocolate is in temper you need to stir it regularly. If you’re tempering and then molding right away this works fine. But it’s not set and forget like a tempering machine where you can walk away and come back a few hours later.
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Post by mark on Apr 9, 2021 20:42:40 GMT -5
Nibs also add crunch
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Post by mark on Apr 9, 2021 20:40:48 GMT -5
When tempering with silk you just need to hold the chocolate at a certain temperature and then add around 1% silk. So for example you can have a 10 kg melter and just add 100g of silk to temper.
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