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Post by benoit on Jan 19, 2011 14:28:44 GMT -5
Dear Chocolate lovers! I am a chocolatier from Belgium. I am considering buying second hand equipment and would like to get your advises and recommendations on the models I found. First precision, I want to start slowly..but surely a small bean to bar process. So, here are the machines : First one is a BONNET 3 cylinders refiner Second is a lab-size conche made by Petzholdt WHo knows how these conche works? Thank you in advance for your kind collaboration Benoit [ Attachments:
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Post by benoit on Jan 19, 2011 14:29:18 GMT -5
picture of conche Attachments:
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Post by Sebastian on Jan 19, 2011 18:55:29 GMT -5
What is it you want to know? The refiner has stone rolls, which is very unusual, and would make me nervous (how to replace when chipped?). I also do not see the ability to attach a water cooling package to it.
The conche could be a very good conche. It appears to have a variable speed drive. I'd want to know if it has a spin cycle and a reverse direction. It appears to be modified some sort of venting or heat delivery, which i'd want to know about. You'd want to have it descaled as it appears to be jacketed.
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Post by benoit on Jan 20, 2011 3:09:14 GMT -5
Hello Sebastian, Thanks for your comments! I could get this refiner for 2900USD. So I guess all options wouldn't be available for that price.. The question is: does this machine replaces a cocoatown refiner/conche? Is one passage of the paste enough through these rolls?
Concerning the Conche: I see many people using a cocoatown for both refining and conching...does it then make any sense to have both a cocoatown and a conche? The price of the conche is 10400USD. What do you think? It is a 100kg model.
Last question: There are many conche designs: Macintyre, Buhler, Petzholdt...is ther one better than the other? How to chose?
Thank you very much in advance for your advise
BEnoit
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Post by Sebastian on Jan 20, 2011 6:30:17 GMT -5
I'd ask to do some trials ont he equipment, as there's no way of determining what it's capable of from a picture. how many passes will it take? depends on how fine you want your chocolate and what condition the rolls are in and how tight it holds it's gap. I can't answer the question by looking at a photo. All this equipment would do is turn large particles into smaller particles. It will not perform any conching like duties. If you went with this setup, you'd want a conche of some sort.
Who would you be buying this equipment from? Wolf?
The petzholdt conche you picture can be a very good conche, but again i can't answer specific questions about the equipment from a photo - you'd need to verify what i said above is true and ask to test it.
Which conche design is better? that's a huge question - all have their pros and cons, and it depends on the type of chocolate you want to make, your target physical properties, and target flavors. If your conche holds 100 kgs, remember that you'll need an appropriately sized particle size reduction system (ie refiner) to feed it. to make 100kgs of chocolate on an old stone refiner without any water cooling i think would be difficult.
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Post by benoit on Jan 24, 2011 14:44:07 GMT -5
Dear Sebastian, I have other questions about those equipments. I hope you will be able to help me:
-If stone roll refiner is too small and has no cooling system...for what volume is designed? -Concerning the conche: will it refine normal sugar or do we have to refine sugar separately? Thank you
Benoit
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Post by Sebastian on Jan 24, 2011 20:19:24 GMT -5
The refiner appears to be a small pilot / lab refiner, meant for purposes of creating 2-5kg testing batches. it's not going to handle larger quantities well.
The conche will not refine anything. it's dedicated purpose is only to conche.
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