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Post by nawteeschocolates on Nov 14, 2008 12:50:48 GMT -5
I have not read on any websites about the issue of cooling your beans after roasting and before cracking. I understand that stopping the heat in the beans after you have brought them to a particular roast is advantageous. The beans will continue to cook as long as there is heat in them.
Does anyone cool their beans with a cacao cooler? I saw one on Ebay from the fella that makes the cacao roasting drums. I like the idea. I know as a cook that it makes sense, and, I think that there is a cooling tunnel that roasted beans pass through at the large cacao processing plants, or chocolate makers.
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Post by FeralOne on Nov 14, 2008 13:06:08 GMT -5
I take mine out of the oven and lay them out on a baking sheet, turn a fan on and blow cool air over the surface. May not be the best way, but works fine for at home use. Cools them down pretty quickly. Andrea
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Post by cheebs on Nov 14, 2008 13:26:24 GMT -5
For home use, what Andrea does is more than adequate. The Behmor has a cooling cycle built into the roasting profiles, makes it a little easier.
If you take a look at my cocoa butter video, the 50-lb roaster in use there has a cooling "carousel" with a fan blowing on it.
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Post by jamescary on Nov 15, 2008 21:38:02 GMT -5
I started cooling the beans for the sake of replicating similar conditions roast to roast. Maybe I'm a little too worried about allowing them to cool gradually. But, it seems to me that the fat in the bean holds onto a lot of heat that allows it to 'roast' after the oven is off. I guess if you account for carryover, it's OK.
I'm using a box fan and colander to cool the beans.
I have also heard that foods are often best cooled quickly after cooking. I heard it's too protect color and nutrient loss. I wonder does anyone know if there's a similar issue with cacao?
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