Post by Howard on May 4, 2006 15:00:30 GMT -5
I made my first batch of chocolate with the Santha. See chocolatetalk.proboards56.com/index.cgi?board=roasting&action=display&thread=1146365057 for notes on roasting the nibs.
I didn't use lecithin because, well, although I think it comes in the kit that John sent, I couldn't find it so I thought I'd see what happens without it. My formula was
22 oz liquor
11.25 oz sugar
4.5 oz cocoa butter.
I roasted the nibs for about 35-40 minutes at 250Deg F. Ground in the Champion and rinsed with melted cocoa butter.
Next day I melted liquor and added powderized (in the blender) sugar and started refining in the Santha. At 24 hours it was very smooth but there was an astringent aftertaste. At 48 hours even smoother with decreased astringent aftertaste. At 60 hours it was lovely. NOTE: although John's Santha equilibrates at 110 deg, mine was consistently 93 deg F, too low to temper.
I transferred the chocolate to a double boiler and gently heated and stirred to 110 - 115 deg. I transferred out about 1/3 to a plastic wrap covered baking sheet and left it alone. Within 5 minutes the smaller portion had hardened to a poorly tempered feel (not soft, no flow, but fragile) I waited until the main portion had decreased to 105-110 degrees and added the hardened "seed" chocolate. This did bring the final temp down to 89 - 90 deg and I moulded the chocolate using a catheter syringe.
There is a pretty good shine on the chocolate (it's only been about 2 hours or so and I tested a piece) but there are pale cocoa butter colored swirls on (in) all of the pieces. The one piece I tasted was delicious, easily as good as any gourmet chocolate I've ever eaten but the piece broke along tissue planes corresponding to the swirls.
I believe the swirls are the result of not having lecithin to bind the cocoa butter fat adequately to the chocolate liquor substances. This, in spite of 60 hours refining (tension screw on the whole time). Let me know if I'm off base here.
Anyway, superb chocolate. I never would have thought it possible without this site. I'll be ordering some more nibs from John very soon.
Howard
I didn't use lecithin because, well, although I think it comes in the kit that John sent, I couldn't find it so I thought I'd see what happens without it. My formula was
22 oz liquor
11.25 oz sugar
4.5 oz cocoa butter.
I roasted the nibs for about 35-40 minutes at 250Deg F. Ground in the Champion and rinsed with melted cocoa butter.
Next day I melted liquor and added powderized (in the blender) sugar and started refining in the Santha. At 24 hours it was very smooth but there was an astringent aftertaste. At 48 hours even smoother with decreased astringent aftertaste. At 60 hours it was lovely. NOTE: although John's Santha equilibrates at 110 deg, mine was consistently 93 deg F, too low to temper.
I transferred the chocolate to a double boiler and gently heated and stirred to 110 - 115 deg. I transferred out about 1/3 to a plastic wrap covered baking sheet and left it alone. Within 5 minutes the smaller portion had hardened to a poorly tempered feel (not soft, no flow, but fragile) I waited until the main portion had decreased to 105-110 degrees and added the hardened "seed" chocolate. This did bring the final temp down to 89 - 90 deg and I moulded the chocolate using a catheter syringe.
There is a pretty good shine on the chocolate (it's only been about 2 hours or so and I tested a piece) but there are pale cocoa butter colored swirls on (in) all of the pieces. The one piece I tasted was delicious, easily as good as any gourmet chocolate I've ever eaten but the piece broke along tissue planes corresponding to the swirls.
I believe the swirls are the result of not having lecithin to bind the cocoa butter fat adequately to the chocolate liquor substances. This, in spite of 60 hours refining (tension screw on the whole time). Let me know if I'm off base here.
Anyway, superb chocolate. I never would have thought it possible without this site. I'll be ordering some more nibs from John very soon.
Howard