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Post by chrisg on Oct 26, 2016 14:02:21 GMT -5
Thanks for those Gap.
I don't want to use any of the sugar alcohols (Maltitol, etc) as they give tummy upsets.
Quoting from the Conching thread, suggested above, is this suggestion:
"Another good option is to use isomalt, sucralose and acesulfame potassium. You can purchase DiabetiSweet which is acesulfame potassium and isomalt blended, and LorAnn sugar free hard candy mix, which is isomalt and sucralose."
This might be what I'm looking for.
The "Any suggestions regarding Maltitol?" thread gave a fantastic summary of various approaches, from nearly 10 years ago!
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Post by chrisg on Oct 25, 2016 16:26:31 GMT -5
My dad is diabetic and would like some chocolate. He has said that Diabetic chocolate is expensive and causes tummy upsets. So it is now my job to try to get him some chocolate.
I have read about the sugar alcohols (maltitol, sorbitol, etc) but they have a reputation for giving laxative effects. It seems that these are the standard sweeteners used in diabetic chocolate which might explain one of my dads complaints.
So I'm now thinking of just using a brand name sugar substitute such as:
Canderel - aspartame based, a measure for measure sugar substitute Splenda - a modified version of table sugar with maltose and glucose to bulk out
Both of these are available in the local shops.
So, has anyone given either of those a try?
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Post by chrisg on Sept 26, 2016 17:25:57 GMT -5
As title.
I recently gave a short talk on my chocolate making hobby. Then I got asked by the local Boy Scout group if I could tell them about chocolate making. Then the Guides asked. I was pleased to do this as my kids have had a lot of fun at Scouts and Guides over the years.
I'm wondering if starting a chocolate making class and/or chocolate making club could work. So far everyone I mention my hobby to thinks its an interesting thing to do.
I had a go at costing out how much I'd have to spend on basic equipment and premises for a small weekly class and I'd end up charging something comparable to other courses and activities in my area (art, bread making, stained glass, gym club membership etc)
So has anyone done it? Did it work?
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Post by chrisg on Sept 21, 2016 17:47:42 GMT -5
Rosen, Do try the Santha or Premier Grinder for chocolate making. The results are really good. The first bar I ever made was a mixture of cocoa, cocoa butter, milk powder and sugar. The results were a bit grainy and didn't really taste the way I wanted. My first experiments using cocoa beans and nibs convinced me that I was on the right track. The only problem is that you will become very judgemental over shop bought chocolate. You can order beans and cocoa butter from HB Ingredients on their Bean-to-Bar website.
Oh, I thought I recognised your name so I looked it up. I may well take a look at your chocolate book!
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Post by chrisg on Sept 20, 2016 13:58:33 GMT -5
Hi Rosen!
I'm also in the UK, making chocolate as a hobby in Gloucester. Perhaps a UK group/subsection would be an idea?
Regards Chris
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Post by chrisg on Sept 17, 2016 6:21:28 GMT -5
As I live in the UK I can't get the tube sizes used by CA so I've been looking at several designs of winnower to see if I can make my own.
I've noticed that they fall into three designs
Long drop tubes Short drop tube with baffles like the Realseeds design Short drop tube with a discriminator as seen only on the CA designs
Long tubes and baffles seem fairly straight forwards but I'm trying to understand what the CA does. Does anyone know what the discriminator does that a long tube or baffles would not do? Has anyone tried just leaving it out or replacing it with baffles?
If I make my own winnower and it works I'll post up the design.
Regards Chris
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Post by chrisg on Aug 2, 2016 9:32:07 GMT -5
As title.
CA suggests a high start temperature (400F 200C) reducing to a "hold" temperature (i.e. 300F / 150C)
HB (the UK bean supplier) recommends 265F / 130C until done, no higher starting temperature.
What purpose does a higher temperature start have? Has anyone done any experiments?
The reason I'm asking is that I recently followed the HB roast for their Non-Pariel Grenadan beans. I liked it but the kids found it overly sour, one of their friends didn't like it at all, complaining about the "vinegar".
So if there are any roast experimenters out their please give your thoughts and results.
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Post by chrisg on Jul 9, 2016 13:38:56 GMT -5
This post sort of follows on from my earlier "Tempering fails again and again" but I've started a new thread as I've noticed something a bit odd.
I made a batch of 75% dark, 75% cocoa nibs and 25% sugar. I gave this a go for no other reason than I was low on cocoa butter and wanted some chocolate. Plus I wanted to try out my new chocolate tempering thermometer and making this batch gave me a reason to do that.
So the first temper failed. But read on because something a bit odd happened.
The temperature slowly dropped towards the low eighties. One thing I think I've learned since my last thread is that this needs to happen a bit faster as chocolate can and will set at higher temperatures given enough time. The chocolate started to get thicker and thicker and I realised that this temper was doomed unless the temperature dropped a bit quicker. So I stood outside in the cool evening air and gently stirred while keeping an eye on the temperature. The chocolate started to set at around 82F and then... it was at 83F. A few minutes later and feeling a bit cooler as dusk began it read .... 84F. In the end it set into a thick paste at around 85F. Odd.
Half an hour later I started again and stood outside in the even cooler air gently stirring as the chocolate fell to 80F. More gentle stirring over warm water brought it back to 88F and I poured it. An hour later it was set into perfect bars.
Despite it being a bit too dark and intense for me I've nibble away at the pile. It was hit with friends. They weren't just being polite, they came back for seconds and thirds and made comments about it being as good as the best bars in the local big shops. It seems they liked it more than I did!
So after "tempering fails again and again" I've now had a strange rising temperature during which the chocolate actually set. Then I had what I assume is a text book temper.
I'm curious if anyone else has noticed a premature setting with a temperature rise?
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Post by chrisg on Jun 7, 2016 16:55:49 GMT -5
It's interesting that you think 25% WMP is high, Beantobar, the UK supplier that I use, give recipes on their website for milk chocolate and all three are 25% WMP. However this is presumably based on 26% fat WMP (which they sell) which would give a WMP fat content of 6.5%. The 28% fat WMP that I used would give 7.0%.
How did you get to your guideline on fats? Is your guideline for WMP fat content based on personal experience or a source that I can go and read, such as a post on here somewhere?
I'm currently making a batch of 60% milk chcolate, so at the very low end of WMP, it'll be interesting to see how that sets as the weather here has actually got even warmer.
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Post by chrisg on Jun 3, 2016 12:35:32 GMT -5
Can anyone spot a flaw in my recipe?
Gap mentioned "free" fat and how he normally used less. Am I missing something here?
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Post by chrisg on Jun 2, 2016 13:54:23 GMT -5
Thankyou for helping, the answers are as follows, hopefully you can spot something.
I allow the chocolate to cool in a bowl. I stir regularly and check the temperature with a digital thermometer. When it reaches 27.5C (81.5F) I warm it over warm water. I know that its easy to overshoot so I take it off the heat and keep checking. It typically reaches 29.5C (85F). The room is certainly warmer than 18C, my thermometer says 22C (72F).
Well I checked the tin of milk powder and guess what, 28%, so that would make the total fat content of the batch 43%. You refer to "free" fat, am I missing something here? I don't know what free fat is!
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Post by chrisg on Jun 1, 2016 16:18:55 GMT -5
I've recently started making my own chocolate and the first two dark chocolate batches tempered well.
I cooled from 45C (113F) to 29C (84F) and then briefly raised the temperature to 31C (88F)
This worked fine for my first two batches.
I then made two milk chocolate batches which I cooled from 45C (113F) to 27C (81F) and then briefly raised the temperature to 29C (84F)
The temper fails again and again. The chocolate is almost mush, no snap at all.
I have repeated the tempering process several times and keep getting the same result.
Can anyone help?
Just to filter out the obvious questions, yes I did regularly, gently and thoroughly stir the chocolate as it cooled and warmed. I also took readings with a digital thermometer that I have checked by putting it in boiling water (correct).
My milk chocolate recipe is a 45% milk with 8oz cocoa nibs, 10 oz cocoa butter, 12 oz sugar and 10 oz whole milk powder. My fat content, based on 54% for the nibs and 26% for the milk) is 42% for the whole batch.
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Post by chrisg on Jun 1, 2016 16:02:11 GMT -5
..heating chocolate to 45C, cooling to 28-29C and then reheating to 31C all within a closed system... That is exactly what I did for my first batch of dark chocolate and first batch of milk. I stirred regularly and used the thermometer often.
It worked for those two batches but everything since then has failed.
I'm starting my own thread as a plea for help on this very subject!
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