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Post by Chip on Mar 12, 2018 20:35:05 GMT -5
I am 68 years old, in great health. My doctor has suggested I add dark chocolate. I am looking at 80% plus Cacao with some added sweetness. So.... 1 piece daily or 1 ounce daily. Thanks, Bill 1 ounce would be good. Make sure you get a good chocolate though. Look at the label. You really want three ingredients (well, maybe four) and that is cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, sugar and maybe lecithin. I suspect there are a lot of folks on this site who may sell you some really good chocolate.
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Post by Chip on Mar 6, 2018 15:15:15 GMT -5
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Post by Chip on Mar 5, 2018 15:30:19 GMT -5
Indi chocolate out of Seattle and Iām still waiting š Where are you located?
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Post by Chip on Mar 1, 2018 20:38:18 GMT -5
So I went ahead and bought the chocolate refiner I am now waiting patiently for delivery You bought the Premier? Regular or tilting? From where? You are going to like it.
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Post by Chip on Feb 28, 2018 19:14:52 GMT -5
Yeah I had a similar issue and putting some clothes pegs between the brick and the jar did the job for me. I left it in for 72 hours, the last 24 with the clothes pins separating the brick from the top and the bottle resting on a cookie cooking grid. When I took the bottle out the cocoa butter still looked like some of it was still in the 'chopped' state, but as soon as I started stirring it turned as smooth as silk. . Thank you all for your help.
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Post by Chip on Feb 27, 2018 15:05:58 GMT -5
Hi Chip, Not sure whether it will make a difference for you, but it did for me: Make sure the jar is fully surrounded with the water that is heated by the sous vide machine. When I did this the first time, it didn't work because I also had a large object on top, and the jar sitting at the bottom. However, this formed a cold bridge to both sides, so the silk didn't form. When I used a steel roster to separate the jar from the bottom and had something else in between my weight and the jar that allowed water to flow around the jar on both the top and bottom, I got the silk I wanted. But again, this might not have been the reason for why you didn't get the silk you wanted. Thank you for this! I have a brick sitting on top of my jar, which holds it firmly to the bottom. Therefore it is as you say, no water is able to get to the top or the bottom of the jar! Brilliant! Thank you so much, I think this will make a big difference. I will put a cookie cooling rack on the bottom of the sous vide container and some form of washer or other 'thing' between the brick and top. I'll keep you posted!
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Post by Chip on Feb 25, 2018 16:14:48 GMT -5
Hi all, I have tried making silk for the first time following John's instructions to the letter. I had my Souvia sous vide set at 92.4 (it "settled" on 92.6) and left it for 24 hours. The chopped cocoa butter in the middle still held it's granular shape, but when I took it out is mixed in pretty well. I put it in a container to get hard, and when it did solidify it seemed a bit "lumpy." I could see some very small but distinct white spots of cocoa butter that did not seemed mixed in. This is the jar I am using, and it is filled top to bottom with chopped cocoa butter. It was chopped in a food processor. The jar is held in the sous vide bath with a brick on the top, so the entire jar is immersed. So, my question is: should all of the chopped cocoa butter in the container in the sous vide become that pasty consistency or will you have some lumping occur? Can I leave it in the sous vide for 36 or even 48 hours so it all becomes that pasty consistency? Should I turn up the sous vide to 92.8 or so? Or even 93? Should I break up the amount of cocoa butter and use smaller containers? Thank you all very much.
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Post by Chip on Feb 25, 2018 14:13:55 GMT -5
I'd love to hear about how people clean up melangers, tools and other equipment after doing a batch of chocolate. Any tips or techniques in making this a less messy process? Brian Brian, My chocolate making area is in my basement. A nice basement, but still, a basement. I have put in a "slop sink," this one to be exact, and have put some white plastic wallboard on the walls, all around the sink and all around the area where I have my stainless steel tables (2). I also put in a pull out utility sink faucet. This particular faucet does a single stream or has a button on top to do a powerful spray. Now when I need to clean, I just put my stuff in the sink, rinse it off in really hot water and scrub them down with these, and then fill the sink with dish liquid and water and wash them off with a sponge, rinse them and set them off to dry for about a day. It really contains the mess to just the sink area. HTH.
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Post by Chip on Feb 24, 2018 21:06:40 GMT -5
Still for sale?
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Post by Chip on Feb 23, 2018 22:28:23 GMT -5
Thanks chip The Tilt version is a 10 lbs you must have the upright version So after reading what was is available on this subject I've come to the obvious decision to Buy The chocolate refiner For the money I could buy 2 and it is pretty parent that the customer service is not up to Snuff with Cocoatown Actually I bought mine on Amazon and the customer service was superb for the Premier melange. I had a problem with it on setting it up and they got back to me immediately and got me up and running in no time.
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Post by Chip on Feb 23, 2018 11:27:27 GMT -5
The Premier Chocolate Refiner is an excellent machine. The main difference between it and the ECGC 12 SL is capacity and cost. It just depends on your needs. I own the Premier. You can search this forum for comments on both refiners. I also own the Premier Chocolate Refiner. It states 8lbs. It is a fantastic melange. Runs and runs, easy to clean, well made. And no, I don't work for or get any money from whomever makes the Premier.
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Post by Chip on Feb 22, 2018 21:21:32 GMT -5
To me those look like molding marks not a question of tempering. How long did you leave the bars to set up? Did you leave at room temp or put in a fridge?
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Post by Chip on Feb 8, 2018 22:07:54 GMT -5
Volumes 1, 2 and 3. Volume 1: The Basics of Successful Tempering Volume 2: Techniques of Chocolate Molding Volume 3: Various Techniques with Chocolate
All original in original DVD cases. I have viewed them and taken copious notes. Now time to pass them on to someone else.
$50 shipping in CONUS included.
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Post by Chip on Feb 6, 2018 20:01:35 GMT -5
Other than quite a bit of chocolate in there, it looks pretty normal to me. You are not going to see a lot of chocolate ON the wheels, because the pressure on the wheels forces the liquid to the sides, hence the buildup on the sides of the wheels.
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Post by Chip on Feb 6, 2018 19:56:49 GMT -5
I agree, its definitely louder than I was hoping for. However, I also live in an apartment building but I don't think my neighbours can hear it downstairs? At least I hope not, cause I have had it running for 3 days! This made me, literally, laugh out loud!!! . Thank you!
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