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Post by Chip on May 4, 2018 8:40:38 GMT -5
Subrosa, I have had WONDERFUL experience dealing with Diamond machines. I am gob-smacked that you are having such a time getting answers. Every time I had an issue it was resolved within 24 hours or less. Their direct website is http://www.melangers.com It might be worth a try to contact them directly and cut out the middle person. Explain to them the trouble?
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Post by Chip on May 4, 2018 8:36:54 GMT -5
Hi there, First time poster long time reader. Was not sure where to post. My question is if I buy 3lbs of 100 percent dark chocolate. How much honey powered or sugar would I add to make it 70% chocolate. How would I know when the chocolate becomes 70% percent? I’m buying %100 chocolate and simply melting it and tempering it. I want to turn the chocolate into %70 percent chocolate. Thank you Is the chocolate you have a bar of chocolate liquor or is is cocoa powder? if it is a regular bar of chocolate liquor then you will treat it in formulations just as you would if it were nibs and read this: chocolatealchemy.com/blog/2016/09/01/ask-the-alchemist-174
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Post by Chip on May 2, 2018 13:00:20 GMT -5
Brad, Spot on. There is a HUGE chasm between the home user and the professional. For instance, I make chocolate for my church. For Easter I made 40 pounds of chocolates. For Mother's Day, 50 pounds. For me, the Premier tilt melange was fine. But to be honest, if I was going to do 50+ pounds a week, I would not be such a happy camper.
From what I see, there is nothing for the "tweener." There is professional and then not so professional. Someone needs to come up with a $1000 to $1500 solution and make a "tweener" for the 100lbs a week/bi-weekly user.
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Post by Chip on May 2, 2018 9:14:11 GMT -5
I think Brad makes some cogent points. To be honest, I think the stone melange is truly an entry level machine, a way for someone to explore the art of making chocolate at home. I rate this melange in the category of ACMC tempering machine or the small chocovision tempering machine. Also buying most of the ingredients instead of roasting, cracking, winnowing, grinding, melange/conche, tempering, pouring.....and on and on. There is a BIG difference from using a heating pad and a glass bowl to using (from the looks of it) newest prototype temperer.
Have I had trouble? Lots. Has Diamond made good on it? Absolutely. The one thing I have to say about Diamond is the FANTASTIC customer service and their willingness to listen, help and RESPOND.
With that said: Brad, how much is an entry level melange from you? I think $$$$ is the big factor in buying a Premier or buying a Choklat. I think that's what it boils down to. Once I make the leap it totally makes sense to spend a little more for a lot more efficiency and lot less headaches and time spent repairing.
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Post by Chip on Apr 24, 2018 20:47:42 GMT -5
I’m looking at upgrading my glass bowl, thermometer, hair dryer setup to a manual tempering machine. Its mainly for the creation of pralines etc from polycarbonate moulds – with fillings. Has anyone used the Krea Swiss machine? Is it strong enough to withstand the banging of the moulds? Also it looks it, but is it big enough that the moulds will fit over the container when emptying the chocolate back in? Other suggestions of machines to look at welcome. This is purely a hobby, albeit a pretty involved one, but I don’t want to be spending any more than 900. Thanks! I found a used ACMC tempering machine on Craigslist and love it. I paid $200 and had to spend another 140 because I got a new bowl and mixer bar, and some other parts. Is it professional grade? Definitely not. Does it work great? Yes. I use two thermometers, the one that comes with it and then a separate one with a probe and then take the average between the two (usually 2 degrees). I use the silk method of tempering and this machine does it just great. It also keeps the chocolate stirred and at a constant temperature for pouring, etc. I would say I you could fine one of them cheap like I did, go for it. It has really helped me a lot get my chocolates properly molded, e tc.
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Post by Chip on Apr 24, 2018 15:46:27 GMT -5
Someone selling a competing product impugning the warranty of a competitor surely is in poor taste? I don't sell competing equipment. I own a chocolate company, and I started that chocolate company 13 years ago with one of the first "home melangeurs" ever made. When it comes to the knowledge of this equipment and its history I have a huge headstart on all of you here. That absolutely makes me uniquely qualified to provide my advice as I have done in MANY MANY other posts in this forum. A select few people who have had good luck with their home machines does not nullify the fact that the little counter top melangeurs are not designed to be run for two days straight. Nor does it nullify the fact that up to this date, NONE of those machines are CSA/UL approved. If they burn your house down or electrocute someone, good luck getting insurance to pay. As an FYI, as an aside from owning a very successful chocolate company, having published a book on the business of craft chocolate, and having more experience than most of the people on this site, I am also the North American dealer for COMMERCIAL machines that small business grow into. I have nothing to do with the home machines. However in the spirit of transparency, I have been working for some time on a machine that is in fact purpose built to make very small batches of chocolate (10lbs +/-). It's not ready, but when it is, I certainly won't promote it as something it isn't. I am simply stating facts, whether you want to hear them or not. Whether good or bad, or right or wrong, you are buying a lentil grinder to make chocolate, and any time you purchase equipment for an application that it's not designed to do, there will be challenges. Like me or hate me, I could care less. I'm simply keeping it real. Brad I quite agree with Brad that he is in fact a professional and, IMHO, was not impugning a competitor. I also agree he has been more than helpful to those of us newbies who are making mistakes left and right. As I said in my previous post, the equipment Brad sells is waaayyy beyond what I need for a making very very small amounts of chocolate at home. That being said, do I want it? Absofrigginlutely. Can I afford it? No. But I still want it. Now, after reading his post, I am extremely intrigued at what he's coming up with for "us" home brewers. .
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Post by Chip on Apr 24, 2018 12:33:31 GMT -5
I think it's important to reset some expectation here. These machines are NOT designed to make chocolate, regardless of how they are promoted. They are light-use seed mills, originating in India to grind chic peas, lentils and other soft seeds. The grinder is made for light duty cycles over infrequent periods of time, not to be run for 24-48 hours at time. That's why they break down all the time. You can use a soup ladel to dig a swimming pool, but don't expect to get warranty for breaking it while doing so. If you insist on using machines like this to make chocolate, then the best thing you can do is learn how to take it apart by yourself and repair it, because you will be doing it often. I promise. Brad, I know I am new to this, but I do at this point disagree. For the average home user these machines are quite robust and adequate. I run mine 48 hours with no problem. I even have an extra bowl/stone set and when I take one off I immediately put another on and run it for another 48 hours. Now, if I was a professional like you and making more than 1 to 4 kg at a time every day or even a couple of times a week, then I would consider spending 2k plus for a machine like you sell (heck even if I made small batches I'd still LOVE to have one of your machines!!). But for home, non-production purposes I find that these machines are quite adequate.
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Post by Chip on Apr 23, 2018 14:11:07 GMT -5
I don't feel like it should be my responsibility to repair a brand new device under warranty, so instead of trying to take the repair into my own hands I'm speaking with Indi about what should be done. Ah, it's new! Then yes, I totally agree with you. It should be covered under warranty. Good luck!
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Post by Chip on Apr 23, 2018 11:34:30 GMT -5
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Post by Chip on Apr 21, 2018 18:45:35 GMT -5
When it gets "stuck" is one half of the bushing getting pushed out of the wheel? I'm having that issue. Do you mean the actual wheel bushing that is glued into the wheel? It is actually in two halves but is supposed to be permanently glued into the center hole (hub) of the grinding stone. That should never be coming out.
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Post by Chip on Apr 18, 2018 14:30:39 GMT -5
Take the drum off of the motor then turn the unit on. If it is still making noise you will need to remove the motor cover and see if any foreign material got in to the motor area. Once I found some chocolate in there because my melange sounded like a chicken. Really, actually like a chicken!!
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Post by Chip on Apr 18, 2018 14:28:28 GMT -5
Hi Chip, it’s not the stones that are making the noise it a tapping clunking sound from the base of the unit. 😊
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Post by Chip on Apr 18, 2018 13:22:09 GMT -5
Hi, I have the premier chocolate and it makes noise as well. The stone on stone nature of the melange is inherently noisy, and the tighter you make the stones, the more noise they generally make because you are increasing the pressure/tension on the stones.
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Post by Chip on Apr 18, 2018 13:16:34 GMT -5
I have tried allulose in many recipes, and have found that many people have the same unfortunate gastric responses to allulose as to most sugar alcohols. I have gone all sucrose now. Allulose is also only about 70-80% as sweet as sucrose, so you have to use more to get the same sweetness level, which also may trigger some indigestion. Just some thoughts from someone who really, really wanted it to work. Hi Chip, I made one batch with allulose as well, what I got was a not so nice tingly aftertase in the back of the throat, did you get that as well or were you able somehow to get rid of that? Always had a fairly tingly/bitter aftertaste. I tried subduing it with soy mild powder, but it remained.
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Post by Chip on Apr 16, 2018 19:17:16 GMT -5
I'm getting into chocolate making as a low carb dieter who likes chocolate and would like to continue eating it while on a low carb diet. The commercially available low carb chocolates have a premium price and often use absolutely terrible artificial sweeteners like maltitol. So it makes sense to make my own how I want it. I'm going to sub allulose for sucrose and goat milk powder for cow milk powder (as I think I have a sensitivity to A1 beta casein), and I will certainly have a bar of chocolate that I am allowed to have on my diet. Still, though, my personal ideal low carb diet is low carb, moderate fat, high protein. So how can I effectively make chocolate higher protein? My first thought goes to whey protein powder. It is a milk derived powder, so may it partially substitute for milk powder? I presume I would need to up my cocoa butter since whole milk powder is part fat and whey protein isn't, to make sure everything is fluid and so on, but otherwise, would this work? Anyone tried it? I have tried allulose in many recipes, and have found that many people have the same unfortunate gastric responses to allulose as to most sugar alcohols. I have gone all sucrose now. Allulose is also only about 70-80% as sweet as sucrose, so you have to use more to get the same sweetness level, which also may trigger some indigestion. Just some thoughts from someone who really, really wanted it to work.
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