pcm
Novice
Posts: 75
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Post by pcm on Jan 6, 2011 19:37:55 GMT -5
hi, I have asked about general cleaning issues but now I would really love to know specifically about cleaning the Spectra 10. I cry every time I do it for two reasons: 1- I feel like with every 5 lbs batch I end up wasting good ounces. I lick until I want to barf but I can't even come close to getting all that tasty chocolate out of there. Maybe I will have my tongue replaced with a bear's tongue. 2-I cannot figure out a way to clean it without making a GIANT mess. Pulling the stone assembly out is crazy messy. I can't figure out a way to do it without fully committing both of my hands to a chocolate bath. I don't really mind but I wonder if everyone is going through the same thing.
Several times I have simply dumped what I could into an aging pan and put a new batch in right away. If I were to do continuous production, would I just never completely clean the bowl and stones? What do I do when I get the Grindeur?!? Or larger? Are there any tricks? Thank you so much.
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Post by Ben on Jan 7, 2011 8:46:46 GMT -5
I always make a mess when cleaning the Santha. I have one Santha and two of the Ultras and the Ultras are so much easier to clean. The Ultras' center wheel assembly can be lifted out by the center post without getting your hands dirty. They also come with a stone scraper that holds the wheels above the bowl and makes getting the chocolate off of the wheels very easy. It's the last item on this page: www.innoconcepts.com/grind+parts.htmOnce you pull out and scrape the wheels, you're left with just a big bowl of chocolate that's very easy to dump and scrape clean. Also, since there's no bearings in the bowl itself, it's a lot easier to clean without having to worry about getting the bearings wet. For the Santha, I've thought about making a similar scraper just out of angled metal to make cleaning a little easier. Another thought I've had is a three-pronged hook to lift the stone assembly, with one hook for each of the wheel axles and one for the scraper arm. I'm interested as well in how people clean the larger santhas and grindeurs.
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nat
Neophyte
Posts: 19
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Post by nat on Jan 10, 2011 17:00:58 GMT -5
This is a good time to "hire" all those people who have volunteered to be tasters for your startup chocolate company, which I'm sure you've had hundreds of, and put them to work cleaning after each batch! Seriously, the Santhas are always a mess not to mention breaking down constantly. I'd move to the Cocoatown Grindeur as Ben suggests. I had similar dire thoughts when I found out to manufacture 1000 lbs of chocolate at a large facility, 250 lbs gets lost in the machines and washed out. Wasting 250 lb of delicious chocolate feels like clubbing baby seals to me! -Nat ____________________ Nat Bletter, PhD Chocolate R&D Madre Chocolate madrechocolate.com
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