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Post by krzysiastevens on Mar 19, 2006 7:36:33 GMT -5
or even, link...
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Post by Alan on Mar 19, 2006 10:27:16 GMT -5
I don't know if the link will work, but if so, the photo of your chocolate should show up here:  I guess not then.  Well it is molded like a flower and it looks nice! Alan |
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Post by chocomania on Apr 3, 2006 11:13:48 GMT -5
ive already roasted 3 batches of cocoa beans with 3 different results. how does one determine the peak flavor or the 'perfect' roast? (my last roast has the best smell and the taste is more prominent) however i dont know if that is its peak roasting time.
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Post by Alchemist on Apr 3, 2006 12:06:08 GMT -5
Well, that is the crux of it. I find it usually takes 2-3 test batches, pulling beans along the way and tasting them (the next day).
Traditionally, when I evaluate a bean I roast it until it cracks, target time around 15 minutes, just as a baseline. I then go from there. If it has to many acidic notes, I lengthen the time (while reducing the temperature). If it is bitter, I tend to pull the beans before they crack. Once I nail down whether it will be a short (15 min) roast or long one (30-35 min), I roast it and start pulling samples every couple minutes once I am near the end and go for the one that taste the best.
In the long run, there is no "perfect" roast. It is up to you what tastes right. Just like coffee, some people like City roast, some like burned cinders. It is up to you to define the perfect roast. But I think the above will help you evaluate and zero in on a roast.
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Post by Alan on Apr 4, 2006 22:29:33 GMT -5
For any who are interested, I did the following experiment today:
1) I cracked 1 lb. of Ocumare and winnowed it.
2) I spread it out over a very large baking pan so that it was evenly distributed in one very thin layer.
3) I pre-heated the oven to 225 F.
4) I place the beans in the oven and pulled a sample at 5 minute increments starting at 20 minutes and going up to one hour.
The best results were achieved at somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes.
Tomorrow I will roast 1/2 lb. in the same fashion, pulling 1/4 of the total amount of nibs at 15, 20, 25, and 30 minutes to see which result is best.
My guess is that it will be the 20 or 25 minute roast. I'll keep you all posted.
The best that I tasted today was hardly bitter at all, only slightly, and pleasantly acidic and highly nutty, like almonds almost. Anything over 35 minutes was very bitter and unpleasant.
I have come to realize that I over-roasted the batch I made a week or two ago, as the finished product has more bitterness and almost none of the subtle and pleasant acidity of the nicely roasted samples from today.
I'll keep you posted.
Alan
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Post by Alan on Apr 5, 2006 11:51:06 GMT -5
As an added bit of clarification, I have just tested my oven. When I set it at 225 degrees Fahrenheit, it actually ranges from 204-248. It is not a convection oven. I am sure that both having a convection oven, and having an oven that more carefully controls heat would make a difference to the end result.
As for the Ocumare I'm roasting today, I have just roasted nibs at "225" F, and have pulled at 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 minutes. I'll keep you posted on the results.
When I find the best results, I'm going to roast 3 lbs and experiment with sugar levels.
Alan
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Post by Alan on Apr 5, 2006 17:09:55 GMT -5
As an added bit of clarification, I have just tested my oven. When I set it at 225 degrees Fahrenheit, it actually ranges from 204-248. It is not a convection oven. I am sure that both having a convection oven, and having an oven that more carefully controls heat would make a difference to the end result. As for the Ocumare I'm roasting today, I have just roasted nibs at "225" F, and have pulled at 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 minutes. I'll keep you posted on the results. When I find the best results, I'm going to roast 3 lbs and experiment with sugar levels. Alan The 20 minute sample won the day. I then roasted 3 more lbs of the nibs at the same temp for 20 minutes in 1 lb. batches to make sure that the layers were sufficiently thin. Now I'm doing a 75% bar with that liquor with no added vanilla or lecithin. I'll refine for between 15 and 24 hours, and then conch to make up the difference up to 72 hours. I'll keep you all informed regarding the finished product. I'm feeling pretty good about this one though.  Alan |
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Post by chocomania on Apr 8, 2006 22:03:22 GMT -5
thanks, john. im doing progress with your advice. seems like my roasting skills is getting better. the taste of the nibs and smell are far better than my first 3.
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simi
Neophyte
Posts: 3
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Post by simi on Aug 15, 2006 14:46:04 GMT -5
hello the two of you...
as i am also an absolute beginner i found it very nice to see that you can try to do chocolat even without any of the equipment... i will buy my cacao today and start trying... thanks to that post... i know that to get real good chocolate you need to buy stuff but i think it is as much as fun to just try... and after it you can still buy the machines... thank you very much and i hope to get to present some sort of chocolat the next time i am here...(sorry for my english it s been a long time since i have not used it)
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Post by aureole on Oct 10, 2006 3:48:29 GMT -5
I am another newbie and have not yet made my debut into chocolate making but have been looking for some time for how to. Some Forastero beans and nibs are on the way and I am reading as much as I can of this site (I am so glad to have found it), however there are some things I have not yet got a handle on - 'tempering' is one and another is 'conching' any help with this?
Joy
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Post by Sebastian on Oct 10, 2006 18:44:21 GMT -5
Those are both pretty big topics i'd recommend a search on them in this forum, as i believe the basics of both have already been covered. Tempering is a heating, cooling, and agitation process you'll put your finished product through to get it to properly behave. Conching is a term given to a certain step in the industrial processing of chocolate that does a number of things: alters flavor, changes morphology of some of the ingredients, reduces moisture, and improves emulsification... if you're unable to find more thorough descriptions of these things, let me know and we can cover specific questions.. |
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Post by ripvanwinkle on Mar 1, 2008 7:31:45 GMT -5
Krzysiastevens - I trust that your adventures in chocolate making are all positive.
I was disappointed to see that the snapfish link is no longer open. :>(
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Dec 17, 2018 10:33:41 GMT -5
Dec 17, 2018 10:33:41 GMT -5