Forum Activity for @LLY

I had a quick chat with the UK representatives, they said that the temperature inside the blast chillers is around 12C but the ventilation is very good; therefore, it works only in small-medium size fridges.    

Anyhow, they are more suitable for micro-batch. The highly recommended one is the 71 choc fridge that could accomodate up to 80 moulds at a given moment, I will go for it🙂

As far as I'm concerned they are adapted to chocolate, i.e. higher temp and different air flow, aren't they?

The generic term 'blast' might be confusing.

Clay, what do you say about the blast chillers?

https://www.vantagehouse.com/chocolate-equipment-results/BLAST-CHILLERS/Blast-Chillers

Should generate very quick cooling times; but, does it create a thermal shock?

Cheers

picture..

the taste is milk powder but not burning taste whatsoever.

Its not burned, so, it's moisture condensation?

 20170723_200002.jpg - 704KB

The case above is for white chocolate.

Is it possible that it burns but without "burning taste"? 

Absorb moisture is also a possibility but the viscosity was fine so I assume it was not moisture. 

Hi everyone,

Sometimes it's more convent to me the leave some chocolate totally untempered and temper it when needed. When I try to melt it there are many clumps that doesn't melt no matter what I do and those clumps have really bad effect on the final product, i.e. far from smooth-very gritty although from the outside it looks fine (in contrast to temper chocolate from the same batch which tempered right after conching).

An important factor is that the regular temperature is usually 28C so it takes days to harden when untempered.

What is the reason for this? It means that under-tempered chocolate cannot be smooth again?

Thank's

I used the round power twist 3/8 and it goes for about 500-600 hours in my santha 11. Is it a decent amount of time running on the same belt? I'm now upgraded myself to the V one, as I concluded according to forum members that it will work better both for santha and premier.

I will be happy to hear other options for belts too.

Hello,

I own two small grinders at home, santha 11 and premier grinder. Recently I started to ponder if despite the wonderful texture of my chocolate (according to numerous judges opinions in the last international chocolate awards competition) it still non-comparable to several bean-to-bar producers I tasted in UK.

to what extent you really fill the difference even if the chocolate is smooth?  

How significant is the grinding time factor? invariably around 3.8kg of white chocolate is grinding for about 40-42 hours (and don't worry, the viscosity is OK, adding lecithin in the last several hours etc...)

 I will be happy if you share some of your knowledge and experience:)

Hello,

I'm using the 3/8'' round belt to my Premier Grinder and Santha 11. 

I did not understand if I need the V or the round belt or it doesn't really matter? The round belt was relatively reliable and bare hundreds of hours of operation. As I recall the poly is more rounded than V shape.

Thank's!

Someone has some extra that I can buy (2-3 meters). Shipping to England.

Thank's

Thank you!

I will read that. always happy to learn more..

yes. very. it took me hours to get rid of them.

some of the big particles cause the engine to stop when they stuck under the wheels. There are more smaller particles in the chocolate, most of them taste like burned milk powder and a few like caramel (from sugar). 

It is plausible to assume that the milk powder burned, however I would expect to see that from the first moment and not after a few hours when the particles are smaller and they need to stick to each other randomly to create clusters..

I assume you right and the secong option make sense.

The real question is why after a few hours and not in the beginning, moreover, it seized when grinding..

Hello,

In contrast to previous two tries, the following had terribly failed:

I carmelized sugar separately. I mixed cacao liquer and some cacao butter with non-fat milk powder (as grainy stage or dry stage) and baked in the oven for 1.5 hours. I put the temperature on 75C but assume that it was 30C higher.

I grained everything (including the sugar) in my Santha 11 - it worked well for the first couple of hours but then seize and stick to the wheels (attached).

I tasted them and it feels like milk powder and not something else.

What had happened? and why it took couple of hours? the temperature of the chocolate was no over 50C.

 20170101_152409.jpg - 1MB

I read some of the threads about tempering machines,but still, I have to ask:
1. The definition of the tempering machine, namely, "semi-auto" means that it needs seed, but what avoid me to have a tempering plan of cooling to 2-3C below the working temperature and than to rise it again?
2. I'm looking for a 4-8 kg tempering machine that needs to be reliable and in reasonable price, I found that the "ChocoVision Delta" will satisfied the demands.
Any other suggestions? I heard that the Chocovision machines are very good, is it?

Appreciate any help!

thank you,
I didn't fully understand the process..
I just put the cocoa liquor in my Santha 11 and let it grind. Undoubtedly, the temperature inside can not rise over ~60C because of the epoxy.
I can put the chocolate in the oven but what does it mean "before liquifying the chocolate?"

Yes. Precisely.
You mean making regular milk chocolate and then heat it to 75C? it will not burn the chocolate? I suppose that this process caramelized only the milk powder because caramel stage in sugar is higher than 160C.

According to "Hotel Chocolat" recipe for the "caramel" bar, there is barely 10-15% of caramelized sugar. I tried my caramel milk chocolate recipe:
20% cacao nibs
28.6% cacao butter
15.4% caramelized sugar
27% skim milk powder
9% Cashew nuts
0.37% lecithin

What I found is just a slight hint for caramel flavour.
I carmelized the sugar on a pan, the color changed to caramel color and the temperature was higher than 160C. By all parameters it was a good caramel.
I also think to caramelized the milk powder but its time consuming and the flavour is approximately the same (according to previous experience).
I is noteworthy to mention that I mix 50% of Hotel Chocolat caramel with 100% dark chocolate and I could still sense the caramel.

So, What is the secret?

Hello everyone,
It was my first time in an event in a scale like this, consequently, plenty of chocolate tasting from different origins.
There are two main trends that I paid attention to:
1. Most of the products are around 70%, I was very disappointed because of the sugar mask the taste of the chocolate.
2. more importantly, almost all the chocolate taste among the world winners in the last years were very acidic, fruity and has citrus aftertaste.
I'm not a bean to bar producer but make it from the stage of cacao liquir, cacao butter, stone grinder and so on.
The point it that the "commercial chocolates" (big producers) has no sign of sour taste at all but the best chocolates in the world does have.
Even though I taste Peru origion (the same as I use) the taste was different.
I do know that is a lot of parameters controling the final taste:
1. beans origin
2. degree of roasting
3. time and temperature of counching
etc'..

My questions are, why are the majority of the international chocolate awards winners has this sour taste, regardless the origin of the cacoa?
Why they are considers as the best ones according to the judges?
Is it the "real" taste of chocolate and it's just my lack of knowledge?

Tried it once and it seems to help, thanks.

Hi,
Perhaps this is a stupid question but very important, how do you prevent from the rubber to fall off when you draw chocolate? my chocolate is not too thick.
I use 150 ml syringes that I order from ebay.

Thank's

Hi,

I assume that your theory is correct sometimes and not always, when I mold 1 kg of chocolate to flat aluminium vessel (thickness of approximately 1 cm or a bit less) no releasing marks..

Hi Daniel,
I tried in the last two weeks couple of things, namely, heating the moulds, trying to mould single cube and so on, nothing helped.
I have 1mm and 0.5mm thick, but the moulds are too big, i.e 25*25cm so they won't be rigid anyway.
I should assume I need to learn to live with that?

I read the whole thread, I have the same problem (see attached), namely: weird circle that can't be avoided, happened in all the chocolate colors always, and of course doesn't exist in polycarbonate moulds.the dimentions are: 5*5 cm.

Bottom line: I have to live with that? I'm currently make an "internet research" to try to find out if there is something I can do...

Very sad to invest 600$ and to get not a perfect item:(

 14125568_1168485699888299_503840712234621402_o.jpg - 117KB

interesting... of course that I can shave cocoa butter and not to buy, I can try soon.

But is there still one point I don't understand: how come that you have 1% V crystals in properly tempered chocolate on working temperature, what about the remaining 99% cacao butter crystals?

Hi Sebastian,
You have very useful answers, so thank you.
There is another aspect that I don't fully understand, it is well known that in order to properly temper you need around 1% of V crystals in working temperature in order to cause an cascade reaction during crystallization. What inhibit for the rest of the cacoa butter to form V crystals (I assume that I'm close to equilibrium)?
If there are to many lumps in low temperture (~34C in dark chocolate) so overcrystallization is unavoidable?
recently I saw this method of tempring with cacao butter:
http://www.callebaut.com/usen/techniques/tempering/tempering-with-mycryo
or other source:
https://www.google.co.il/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjFjKiX0L3OAhXHvBoKHcMQC3oQFggkMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chefeddy.com%2F2010%2F03%2Ftemper-or-pre-crystallize-chocolate-using-cocoa-butter%2F&usg=AFQjCNHaQzADb6p0Vcs8Fx1rgynkP2G7IA&sig2=at-gtBT1-QlqhmS8MhB9eQ&bvm=bv.129422649,d.d2s
What do you think about this method?

Thank's!

I had two failures yesterday:

1. white chocolate that I finished grinding and add tempered solid cocoa butter and the chocolate cool to around 34C, then it keeps cooling but it became very very thick and in ~30C it was almost solid so I add untempered liquid cacao butter that should help to equalized the amount of V crystals, I add around 5-6% and it dosen't helped, the chocolate was thick and the temperature was just below 31C.

2. Two dark chocolate mixing in order to achieve different cacao percent, I used the seeding method, when the chocolate cools to 32C there were still lumps of solid inside, so I used stick blender - it eliminate the lumps, the temperature was more or less the same but it was very thick, after moulding grey sticks were forms (typical phenomena to overcrystallized chocolate).

It's important to mention that I used those formulas before and the viscosity was perfect.

I suspect that in both cases large amount of seeding and strong agitation (by hand or by the grinder) cause to over-crystallized chocolate that was impossible to work with and the liquid-solid transition was around the working temperature.

Hello,
Today I had a problem that I couldn't understand, the recipe was the same as usual and the viscosity should be OK.
After finish grinding, I added the cacao butter the reduce the temperature, and I saw that the chocolate (white one) becoming very very thick and it was impossible to mould, so I add untempred cocao butter and it dosn't help at all, although I add around 5% and its a lot. The transition temperature to solid was high because it was thick.
One option is that the chocolate absorb water from the air, despite that it was in liquid state less time than usual (sometimes I leave him outside for 12 hours to cool down), second option in overcrystalization.
The phenomena of overcrystalization makes the chocolate very thick? why the problem dosen't solved when I add untempred cocao butter?
It's important to mention that the weather is very hot and humid.

The final result chocolate that is almost solid when moulding, bad apperance, no contraction but solid like temper chocolate.

Can someone help me what is the problem?

Thank you!

Wow, thank you for your answer.
I agree to all what you mentioned above.
But, you allege that chocolate continue to crystallized month after and not couple of days, as I recall it contradict books that I read. (I know that there will be always 5%-20% of liquid cacoa butter depand if it's grow very close to the equator or not)
Secondly, the taste not evolve also from chemical reactions? it's hard to believe that the changes occurs solely because of the cacao butter solidification.

Hi,
First, thank you for your answer.
I didn't found and scientific facts about this phenomena in "Minifie, B.W.-Chocolate, Cocoa and Confectionery Science and Technology" for example.
The fact that is takes around 2 months is interesting..
I observed more pronounce aging in the white chocolate, probably because of the very high milk powder content.
Now, after you shed some light on the subject: I assume that the chemical reactions takes weeks to achieve equilibrium, the kinetics in the chocolate is slow because is solid state diffusion (except for the 5-20% of liquid cacao butter in room temperature)..
Hence, in high room temperature ~28C (in my house) the diffusion is faster and it takes around 10-14 days.

Interesting issue..

Hello,
There is no doubt that the chocolate continue to crystallized couple of days after moulding, hence, the texture will change, this is obvious.
The strongest taste changing is in my white chocolate, after two weeks the sweetness decreased.
I tried to put 1% of coffee in my white chocolate, couple of days after the taste was strong coffee with aftertaste. After 10 days the coffee taste is almost unnoticed.

So I wondering, how long do I need to keep my chocolate in order to evaluate his real taste?
And why it is all happen, is not 100% clear?

Thank's

what about dried fruits like goji berries?

Hi,
recently I start ponder what are the limits of the santha 11.
Heavy load (e.g thick spreads with 30-31% fat) cause to fast degradation of the engine? How machins can handle thick spreads? bigger machine are meens stronger even if the load is increased?
I think maybe to put on the side the spreads until I will have bigger machine (Santha 20 for example).
Small question about the power-twist belts: is it possible to attached it to tight?

What do you think? how long the small Santha are keep going on heavy loads?

Thank you. Great answer.

Hi,

I'm started to use now the Santha 11 after I used the Primier grinder for non-commercial purposes.

I guess in the Santha it will be around 15 (4-4.5 kg) hours for chocolate and 20 per thick spreads (30-31% fat, 3-3.5 kg).

The Santha seems to work in low RPM and grind slowly easpecialy thick spreads (similar to Nutella for example) compared to Primier.

How many hours do you find it optimum to reach to smoothness? How many kg in total?

I ponder if the grinding in larger machines like Santha 20 or bigger takes even days?

Last questions about the life time of the motors: it takes couple of years until you see change in RPM or power?

Thank you

Hi, 

I'm living in Israel.

In a regular process I add no more then 0.5% lecithinm and add it in the last quarter of the grinding. As I mentioned just when I have no other choices I regrined it.

The question is: Regrinding is bad for my chocolate? or in other words: once you finish to produce chocolate, you can't just grined it again and again to see the difference?

Hi,
I'm now in a process of reaching to final recipes. So, many small changes are taking place.
I'm living in a very hot and humid country (almost 40 C outside - around 27 C inside), is it possible to regrinding the chocolate with the lecithin inside and combined with more ingredients?
I found that maybe the lecithin and the humid enviroment cause the chocolate to thicken (maybe more then usual and increase the lecithin from 0.3 to 0.5 didn't help).
Am I right, the lecithin trap the humidity inside?

Thank's

Hi,

I tried to grind in the Santha black sesame (not whole grain) I add a little bit of oil. It runs almost 10 hours and it's still grainy, another thing is that is to bitter.

To make "raw" nut butters you need days of grinding? how come that the tahini is not as bitter as I get (by far)?

I planning to make unroasted coconut butter and I just want to know if and where I go wrong..

Thank's

The Lorann oils doesn't seem to be cheaper, they sell it in a tiny amount of 1/8 oz

Thank you, helpful advises.

1 ml per kg is a lot less from what I would guess.

Do you know this product: http://il.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Essential-Oils-Peppermint-2-fl-oz-59-ml/21127

And from your point of view, how was the taste?

Hi,
Did anyone try to mix essential mint oil in chocolate?
It's a popular taste recently.
Which oil do you use?
how much oil approximately you need to 1 kg of chocolate?
boiling point to avoid from evaporation while in the grinder?

Thank you