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Post by danjmanning on May 4, 2020 8:50:48 GMT -5
Hi Everyone, About three weeks ago I was using my premier chocolate refiner and after finishing the batch in the machine I removed the metal tub and revealed that chocolate had worked its way up the center plastic tube, down the spindle (which connects to the screw--in top and onto the base of the machine. Afterwards I cleared up and set another batch going and 24 hours later I find that not only has it happened again but it has leaked into the grinder and all over the belt, motor and pretty much everything inside the machine! Sadly I decided it wasn't really safe to use after that so I bought a new refiner and set it to work, two days later and it has happened again! Fortunately only onto the base this time from what I can see but I can't understand why this is happening, I have been adding the same recipe and quantity of chocolate that I have the last two years and even reduced it slightly on the batch that ruined the first machine.
I haven't seen this before and I've been using both this machine and a premier spice grinder for the last two years.
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Post by Chip on May 4, 2020 9:02:40 GMT -5
danjmanning, Read this thread. chocolatetalk.proboards.com/thread/2083/premier-refiner-bleeding-metallic-substanceI experienced this exact same problem, as have many others. Contact DCM right away and they will send you a new roller holder and stones, which SOMETIMES alleviates the problem. Now, your 1st melange is NOT a goner. I have, many times unfortunately, taken the machine apart and washed it out with very hot water from a spray unit. Yes, the motor too. Then I used a hairdryer to blow it dry and let it sit for at least a week with a fan blowing on it to make sure it was really dry. BUT LEGALESE: realize that you are not supposed to immerse electrical motors in water, and that it may turn out bad. However, if you do it and make sure you really dry it, then run it for an hour without any bowl on it, just the motor unit somewhere safe, it most likely will be fine. I've done it at least a half a dozen times with my one unit, three times with my other. That's why I ended up going with the 20. Good luck. Feel free to ask me any questions you'd like.
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Post by danjmanning on May 4, 2020 9:41:03 GMT -5
Thanks Chip, That's really useful and after reading the other thread has helped me feel better about the situation and that it wasn't problem I had created! I'll have a go at reviving my old machine in this case - I was actually scared to reuse any of the parts as I wasn't sure what the problem was, even the bowl as I thought maybe the sealant had moved and caused suction. I initially contacted Indi Chocolate, are they the same company as DCM or are they just resellers?
Dan
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Post by Chip on May 4, 2020 12:24:22 GMT -5
danjmanning, They are a reseller for DCM. I would contact them, they are aware of the problem as well. It has to do with the older style center posts, etc. I know they've been working on it for some time. However, I have had it happen twice even with the new stuff they sent me. The only surefire way to not have it happen is to make sure your batch comes nowhere near the hole in the center post. That makes for a pretty small batch, but it's better than having to disassemble and reassemble it a lot. Also, keep a watch out because the tilting melanges LOVE to eat the belts. You will notice a black, substance gathering around the table the melange is on. When you try to wipe it up it leaves a back mark/streak. That means your belt is being eaten. The best way to get rid of the black marks on the table/surface is to use dish detergent and warm water.
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Post by danjmanning on May 4, 2020 13:26:20 GMT -5
It's really strange, I'll clean it all out and try a smaller batch but I don't want to reduce it too much as I'll have to do twice as many. It's odd that I haven't had the problem for a year and now it's happend 3-4 times with two machines! The only thing that I can think of is that I dropped some melted cocoa butter on the top of the refiner and under the bowl which may have caused a seal once hardened... But then again maybe its just coincidence.
Yeah, I had to get a couple of belts due to this issue alone but have managed to find a local source in the UK that do the correct size for £2 or so 👍
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Post by Chip on May 4, 2020 15:17:58 GMT -5
On my first tilting melange it took about a year for it to happen. On the second one it took a few weeks. I can assure you it is nothing you did. The tilting model is advertised at 4.5kg, and I would never attempt to come close to that. Once the chocolate goes above the wheels the grinding really diminishes a lot. Try to go no further than 3/4 to 4/5 of the way up the wheel. But it is not anything you did. I worked with DCM for months trying to figure it out: logging, taking videos, trying different stones and holders and the like.
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fred
Novice
Posts: 144
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Post by fred on Jun 28, 2020 12:08:39 GMT -5
This thread is really helpful - Chip I read the previous thread you pointed to above before buying a Premier and it almost threw me off the idea! Thankfully I forged ahead based on your positive feedback I have not yet had this happen but maybe the secret is that batch size - I never refine more than 2Kg (it's just for me, friends and family). This is with the basic model (not the tilting one). On a side note, is the belt only in the tilting model? The base model Premier melanger looks like it's "direct drive".
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Post by Ben on Jun 29, 2020 6:33:53 GMT -5
Unless it's changed recently, the base model does have a belt.
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Jim B.
Novice
Newbie
Posts: 118
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Post by Jim B. on Jun 29, 2020 8:02:58 GMT -5
I checked with DCM... They responded: "The Premiers models are still using belts, although they have been upgraded to a non-slip dented model. Larger models like our DCM 20 have a direct drive system in place."
Hope that helps... Jim
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fred
Novice
Posts: 144
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Post by fred on Jun 30, 2020 18:12:32 GMT -5
Jim B. - that's great info - thanks for looking into it!
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Post by Chip on Jul 1, 2020 10:10:21 GMT -5
fred, I measured my belts and tried some aftermarket ones I got from Amazon. Don't bother going that route. They lasted about 2 days before disintegrating. .
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