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Post by hotcakes on Feb 8, 2015 16:50:11 GMT -5
I am just getting into/researching chocolate making. I think I have a decent understanding of the process. To keep the costs of entry down if I were to purchase just a spectra and not the roasting/juicing/etc equipment. I could purchase chocolate liquor/unsweetened chocolate and refine/conche in my spectra. I know I would be limiting myself on quality and a lot of the process/work but would this be a good route to go if I were interested in getting my feet wet into the process?
Thanks Hotcakes
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Post by Ben on Feb 9, 2015 8:11:44 GMT -5
Hi Hotcakes. Yes, you could definitely start out that way. But, if you're getting a melanger and your goal is to learn the process, my recommendation would be to start with nibs. Chocolate Alchemy sells roasted nibs of all of the origins he sells. You can feed the nibs straight into the melanger--you don't necessarily have to pregrind them in the juicer first.
-Ben
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Post by Thomas on Feb 11, 2015 0:53:31 GMT -5
Here are my thoughts on getting into chocolate making. This is what I have and I can make a lot of chocolate. I make way more than I can eat. Needless to say, I have many more friends now. The three major items cost less than the Spectra. However, the Spectra has a larger capacity. The items were all purchased in the US were I live. Premier Wonder Grinder $200 + shipping - Will grind nibs and other ingredients to make chocolate (2 to 6 pound batch of chocolate). As Ben stated, you do not need to pre-grind. Cacao Crankandstein $195 + shipping - Makes it very easy and quick to crack roasted cacao bean. Marble Slab (16" x 24") from Crate and Barrel $50 + shipping - Used to hand temper chocolate. - This is a good size based on the Premier Grinder batch size and has rubber feet. Miscellaneous: - Hair Dryer for winnowing. - knife and spatula for temperaing. - molds for the chocolate bars or whatever shape. - pan for roasting Hope this help. -Thomas
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Post by Brad on Feb 11, 2015 3:11:11 GMT -5
You don't need a marble slab. An 8 litre stainless steel bowl and a spatula is all you need. Heat the chocolate in the bowl over boiling water. Set the bowl in your sink in about 2 inches of cold tap water and stir until the chocolate is at it's lowest tempering temperature, and then set the bowl back over the steaming water until you're at your target temperature. STIR ALL THE TIME. That's it. Super easy. Absolutely no need for making a mess with a marble slab. My staff can temper 10lbs of chocolate in a matter of minutes using the method I've described.
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Post by Thomas on Feb 11, 2015 9:56:54 GMT -5
I mentioned the hair dryer for winnowing. This is ok to start with but not a long term solution if you are making chocolate on a regular basis. It's slow and messy. You will want to use one of the plastic tube or wooden zig-zag type winnowers. At least those are the two types that most people making chocolate at home use. There are lots of discussions about winnowing on this forum.
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Post by hotcakes on Feb 11, 2015 20:58:56 GMT -5
Thanks y'all. I had no idea I could start from nibs. I would think this just adds to a longer refining time. This adds for a lot more experimentation with blends thanks to the large library and grinding offered here. Once I pull the trigger I'll be sure to share the results here.
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Post by Thomas on Feb 15, 2015 0:03:30 GMT -5
I just want to post a quick reply to Brad tempering method. That is, using a stainless steel bowl, a double boiler, and a sink with 2 inches of cold water. It works great. At least it did for me tonight with some 70% dark that I made. Looks like I won't need my marble slab any more.
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boca
Neophyte
Posts: 15
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Post by boca on Jun 12, 2015 9:55:20 GMT -5
Hello Brad,
Just a quick question: you say place the bowl over the boiling water until your "target temperature" is reached. Do you have some parameters for this "target temperature" that work best? Thank you
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Post by Thomas on Jun 12, 2015 19:42:59 GMT -5
The target temperature Brad is referring to is the warm up temperature of the tempering curve for chocolate. It varies based on the type of chocolate. See thecookinggeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/comparitive-tempering-chart.png for reference. I switched from the tabling method to Brad's method and it work great for me. However, once tempered, I pour the chocolate into a Mold'art chocolate melter to maintain the temperature while I am molding. Hope this helps, Thomas
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