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Post by chocojake on Dec 9, 2017 23:37:57 GMT -5
I made a DIY winnower based on John's design, and while it works well enough, I have found my shop vac slightly under-powered. I usually have to run my nibs through a few times, but I get about 70-72% recovery most times. Afterward, I take the whole thing outside, reverse the hose on the shop vac, and blow it all off. After running a whole bunch of beans through this thing, I'm thinking about something more eficient, especially since I'm considering a commercial venture. I'm not sure what I want to do, but I know I don't want to spend thousands of dollars on some of the rattrap contraptions I've seen at some places. What is everyone else using? Just curious..
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Post by chocojake on Dec 5, 2017 9:58:20 GMT -5
I'm having a similar issue with Peruvian beans.
- Jake L.
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Post by chocojake on Dec 5, 2017 9:52:18 GMT -5
Thanks, guys! I will consider these points. Not having a lot of experience, I've tried to rely on testing by the warehouse distributors, but I'm suspecting some fudging of the numbers. I know about differing roasting profiles, but even so... Yuck! I also think that sellers might dump older beans on the small guys because they might not recognize the difference. More research and roasting trials await!
- Jake L.
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Post by chocojake on Dec 5, 2017 9:45:14 GMT -5
I use a Kitchen Gizmo Sous Vide set to 93 degrees f for 24 hours, and using large canning jars, it works perfectly. It only cost $76 on Amazon, and I was worried that it wouldn't work, having only while degree accuracy, but it's not been an issue. My bars have set hard every time. I would only suggest that when you cast your silk in shapes for grating, use something long and thinner, rather than blocky and larger than your hand. It makes a real mess otherwise. Also, refrigerate the grated silk afterward to prevent melting.
- Jake L.
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Post by chocojake on Dec 5, 2017 9:37:48 GMT -5
I own a Premier and have logged hundreds of hours with no problems. I don't recommend heating the bowl or stones in the oven though, as it's too easy to damage the epoxy bonds. Use a hair dryer instead, and keep the temps under 150 degrees f. Also, preheat your mind and sugar in the oven, and it should work just as well as heating the bowl.
- Jake L.
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Post by chocojake on Dec 5, 2017 9:33:44 GMT -5
I have found that at least 32 weight paper works best, but I've decided to go the foil and box route after lots of experimenting with wrappers.
- Jake L.
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Post by chocojake on Dec 4, 2017 18:46:09 GMT -5
So, I've been making chocolate for about 3 months now, with great success, heading toward opening a small production facility next summer.
Before jumping in, I did a ton of reading and research, especially about beans and roasting. My first batch was a great bean from Belize that I could just eat roasted all day long; very fruity and smooth. The second batch was from Costa Rica and roasted well but made a pretty bland chocolate. The third is supposedly a fruity bean from Peru used by Choba Choba but was extremely bitter and astringent, even after some pretty heavy roasting.
At first, I thought I had screwed something up with my Behmor 1600, but I was able to duplicate my original results with the good beansagain. So, now I'm afraid I've gotten some "bad" beans that just aren't the quality I need.
Had anyone else run into this problem or see any obvious flaws in my process? I have a pretty simple roasting profile: roast on P1 until the beans start popping regularly (usually about 16-20 minutes) then cool for several hours. The last batch from Peru never did start popping though, and I pulled after a full 20.5 mins in the Behmor.
Any thoughts on what's wrong or how to fix it? I'm afraid to make chocolate with beans that don't smell or taste right after roasting. Some are still pretty astringent smelling, even though the shells separate easily. Could this be a problem with fermentation?
Thanks,
Jake L.
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