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Post by lyndon on Jun 10, 2013 16:20:24 GMT -5
I ended up cracking 500g using a tin of beans and a plastic bag. I entirely recommend this process for anyone who owns both plastic bags and tins of beans.
For the winnowing, a large bowl and a hair dryer worked pretty well I think, I just got stuck in with my hand, picking up handfuls and letting it drop back into the bowl again.
I should have done it outside.
I think this sort of manual approach is the most economically viable for me right now, since I'll not need to crack and winnow more than 1.5kg of beans at any one time, any time in the near future. I might invest in a little fan though rather than a hair dryer. And a bucket.
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Post by lyndon on Jun 10, 2013 16:12:09 GMT -5
I'm just glad the 2 of you have decided to be friends now
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Post by lyndon on Jun 10, 2013 15:50:42 GMT -5
Does anyone else have trouble with what appears to me to be "over tempering" with milk (soy flour actually) chocolate? I've been doing the usual, heating it up to 120ish, removing some and letting it cool slowly to solid, while the main batch drops down to 88. After adding the solid chocolate back in, a while after it melts the chocolate starts to become unworkable, even at 88-90, it's more like a paste. Am I leaving it too long before moving it into the moulds? Are too many beta crystals forming while in my melter which is causing it to thicken? or does my working temperature just need to be higher? Advice appreciated
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Post by lyndon on Jun 1, 2013 13:28:06 GMT -5
Do you have any polycarbonate moulds for making 100g bars?
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Post by lyndon on Jun 1, 2013 13:11:33 GMT -5
Ah I see, good to know. Density sorting sounds easy enough, but aspiration; I presume something a lot stronger than a hair dryer is needed
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Post by lyndon on May 27, 2013 16:36:18 GMT -5
I was just wondering, as someone who lives in the UK and doesn't have access to any of the hardware for sale on this site, what other affordable options are out there for cracking beans?
Can it be as simple as a bag and a big wooden hammer for 5 minutes?
What do other people here use apart from what's for sale on this site and the juicer?
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Post by lyndon on May 27, 2013 16:18:04 GMT -5
Sorry, when you refer to "your bean cleaning", what do you mean if not a quick wash as described?
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Post by lyndon on May 16, 2013 12:07:03 GMT -5
But what about those of us outside North America you can't ship to? So far the only place I have found that I can buy beans or nibs from in the UK is eBay and I am dubious about what sort of quality I would end up with. I've found other sites but I have no need for 1000KG of beans
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Post by lyndon on May 4, 2013 3:29:41 GMT -5
I've purchased some coconut palm sugar to use, but once it arrived in the post I realised it's not very sweet and it tastes sort of odd. I am not sure I will put it in any chocolate now in case it ruins the flavour, but it goes well on my weetbix
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Post by lyndon on May 4, 2013 3:26:17 GMT -5
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Post by lyndon on May 4, 2013 3:23:27 GMT -5
Thanks Brad, that was my thought too. But being new at this I didn't want to take anything for granted. The amount of information out there for making chocolate is minuscule this site is definitely the best source I have found.
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Post by lyndon on May 4, 2013 3:15:44 GMT -5
I'll have to make some chocolate worth sharing first
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Post by lyndon on May 1, 2013 12:21:53 GMT -5
I've been thinking about buying raw nibs rather than beans to skip that initial roast/winnowing part, as it seems like it will take up too much room. If that means I don't have to buy the £300 Champion that's probably a good thing, although money is no issue, wasting it is silly
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Post by lyndon on May 1, 2013 12:17:35 GMT -5
So other than taste quality it has no effect on the process of tempering etc?
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Post by lyndon on Apr 30, 2013 10:37:04 GMT -5
You say the champion is not needed, but in the Alchemists photos on his guide it shows a LOT of husk coming out of the champion. Surely you don't really want all of that in your chocolate? Is it more a case of the Champion is not essential but sure makes a better job of it if you have the cash?
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