roasting nibs

[pcm]

Hi,
Two roasting questions:

1-Is there any reason why I shouldn't crack and winnow raw beans and roast just the nibs? It seems like a better way to go. heat quicker, cool faster.

2-I have been roasting my beans then letting them sit for 24 hrs before I crack and winnow. I have no idea why but I have always been doing it. I read it somewhere I guess. Is there a reason to do that?

I know these are conflicting questions but clearly related. thanks

[Brad]

For the home chocolatier, roasting is the manner in which the meat separates from the shell. Large manufacturers use other methods that we aren't able to (such as steam) before cracking/fanning. If you tried to crack and fan the nibs without first applying heat which helps separate the shell from the meat of the cocoa bean, you'd find a lot of shell stuck to the nibs.

You also have to keep in mind the pathogens on the beans. The FDA and CIFA stipulate that cocoa beans are a 100% guaranteed commodity to be contaminated by pathogens such as salmonella and/or ecoli. Running a product such as this through your equipment PRIOR to sanitizing it is simply asking for trouble - whether it be in the dust you create that goes everyhere with those nasty bugs on them or the fact that your equipment is now completely contaminated.

Food for though.

Cheers.
Brad.

[pcm]

I would dedicate the equipment to raw material and keep the operation separate. It just seems like a waste to chuck 20% by weight of what I am roasting. It also is an attractive idea to be able to control the roast closer.
How about if I blast the beans with hot heat to pop the shell, then crack/winnow, then roast for real. Sounds like a pain in the butt.

[Brad]

Losing +/- 20% by weight is going to happen regardless of whether you roast nibs or beans. Shell is shell both before AND after it's roasted.

Having said that, we don't throw out the shell. For us it's a profit center. We package it and sell it as pot pourri, but can only do this if we roast the shell as well as the nib.

Cheers.

[cocoaffee]

Brad quite interesting that you sell the shells as well, how do you go about preparing it?

[pcm]

I am saying that if I exclude the shells from the roast, that is energy I don't have to spend roasting the shells...because they aren't there. Also, the roast would be more efficient because the heat is directly on the nib. If I am looking a 2000lbs of beans that is 400lbs of material that I didn't have to roast.

[Brad]

So, you're going to throw away 400lbs of shells because you can't make chocolate with them?

Send them to me!

I sell every lb of shell we use for $10 per lb, all wrapped up nicely in a cello bag with a bow and a label. It's called pot pourri, aka PROFIT. However that can only be done if the shells are roasted.

You can also sell the roasted shell to garden centers as mulch (great for rose gardens!) and at the very least recoup your costs, but again, ONLY if you roast them to get that nice chocolate aroma.

If you're thinking quantities like that which you've mentioned, then you're no longer a home chocolatier - you're a commercial chocolatier, and your mindset is NOW about one thing: making money. Roast the shell and sell it for a profit.

My two-bits for what it's worth.

[pcm]

strong points. Thanks.

[cocoaffee]

Hi brad ,same more info on how to utilise the shells? is there any thing that can be added to keep them smelling longer? do you crush them to almost powder form?
help
thankyou

[jeffray]

A chocolate company on the internet states the following "we roast the cacao nibs, rather than the whole cacao beans. This method produces a better chocolate and one that highlights the unique flavours of the premium beans."
My question: Is the chocolate better? Or again, is it a case of ....it's all subjective.
Any thoughts?

[Sebastian]

which is better, a pickup or a sports car?

depends on what you're after. same with roasting.

[mattmarion]

Anyone have any tips on roasting nibs?

As in, just ordered some raw nibs and though I've noticed a decent bit about roasting the beans (temperatures, times, etc) not so much regarding the nibs. I assume they won't be able to take as much heat and for as long given that they have lost their outer shell. I'd really rather not burn them.

I'm going to look for (or smell for) the smells when I do roast them (bit of chocolate to acidy to nice brownie or something on those lines, have to reference it again but from what I've read, smell is one of the better ways to figure out when they're ready).

What I'm wondering about are any immediate DO NOT DO tips and any DO tips as well? I'll experiment but it's nice to get a heads up.

[fatinawanis]

i wonder at what moisture content does the nibs start to separate from its husk

[Sebastian]

start to? probably 25%.

[fatinawanis]

at what power should the microwave oven be used to dry the cocoa bean?and how long does it take to be dried?