Forum Activity for @Eric K. Meredith

Seeking Co-Manufacturing Partner

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

Hello Julie,

I am an U.S. Citizen that married a Ghanaian woman over FIVE (5) plus years ago, so i have been living here with her before we gotten married. We both fell in love with CHOCOLATE & We just purchased a SMALL COCOA FARM here in Ghana. we have over TEN THOUSAND (10,000) TRESS at present.

Ghana ONLY EXPORTS TWO (2) products & these TWO (2) items are HIGHLY REGULATED!! #1) GOLD #2) RAW COCOA BEANS!! In fact the ONLY people/Group that the FARMER can legally sell their COCOA BEANS to ate the GHANA COCOA BOARD (CocoBod) or its Licensed Agents at a FIXED price determined by the Government. The ONLY EXCEPTION to these LAWS are if you PROCESS the COCOA BEANS here in GHANA!!!

So we invested my LIFE'S savings into all of the equipment needed to PROCESS approx ONE HUNDRED FIFTY (150 KG) Kilograms Per Hour. Our Mid Crop Harvest was just completed by mid May, 2017. This was our FIRST (1st) Harvest. We have already Fermented & Sun Dried our Quality Ghana on Bamboo Mats for over TWO (2) weeks with a SIX (6) day fermentation. We have over FORTY (40) SIXTY FIVE (65 KG) Kilogram Bags of Quality Cocoa Beans!! In order to QUALIFY as PROCESSING under Ghana laws to EXPORT. We MUST at the very least ROAST our COCOA BEANS!!

 We are waiting for our last FIVE (5) more pieces of equipment to arrive at port before we can be up & running!!. We have just Finalized our LOGO & our Web Site is currently parked. GHANA GOURMET CHOCOLATE & our WEB SITE ADDRESS IS. WWW.GHANAGOURMETCHOCOLATE.COM Everything should be up & running & starting business for the 15th July, 2017.

We are in the process of starting the CERTIFICATION for ORGANIC COCOA FARMING & PROCESSING & JOINING Sustainability Association!! But as you know with the conversion to ORGANIC CERTIFICATION it is a THREE (3) year process.

We would be very happy to do business with you. If this sounds like something you would be interested in then please contact me. This is the list of COCOA PRODUCTS that we plan on selling both local & exporting!!

#1) ROASTED GHANA COCOA BEANS

#2) NIBBS

#3) COCOA PASTE / CHOCOLATE LIQUOR

#4) COCOA BUTTER

#5) COCOA POWDER CAKE (GROUNDED INTO FINE POWDER 100 MESH)

#6) CHOCOLATES (DARK, MILK & WHITE CHOCOLATES)

All of our COCOA BEANS ARE ONLY GHANA TOP QUALITY BEANS. I have also purchased SEVERAL OPTIONS on the PURCHASE of THREE (3) more existing COCOA FARMS with another ONE HUNDRED THIRTY (130 ) ACRES of TEN (10) to FIFTEEN (15) year old COCOA TRESS. 

I hope to hear from you soon.

Respectfully,

Eric K. Meredith

Growing Cacao Trees

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Hello Brain,
The average per tree is approx 1 KG of Dried Beans per tree. Wee use a SIX (6) day ferment in heaps wrapped in Plantain leaves. Turned Twice a day. Then Sun Dry on bamboo mats. I will send pictures.

Growing Cacao Trees

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Hello,

This is our FIRST (1st) harvest in approx ONE (1) month. I live in Ghana. But everything I have read says up to 15 degrees each side of the equator under 8,000 feet above Seal Level & approx 3,000 MM per year of rain. We have TWO (2)  rainy seasons per year & the harvest is after the rainy seasons. This June is the smaller Harvest & the main Harvest is around December. They recommend TWO (2) separate methods of planting #1) Open clear field. Start with a Cover Crop at first Plantain Every 3 meters square & a primary shade tree like Coconuts every 12 Meters. After approx Six months plant your seedling Cocoa Plant approx 1 meter from the Plantain. Again your Cocoa Trees should be in a row of 3 meters square. The Plantain corp for the FIRST (1st) THREE (3) years to protect your Cocoa Trees from the sun. You will start your first harvest in between your THIRD (3rd) & FOURTH (4th) year. Then you can harvest the coconuts also about the same time.

#2) Existing forest, keep the bigger shad trees & partially clear & plant our Cocoa Seedlings Trees every 3 meters square. keep a good eye on your seedling Cocoa Trees the 1st THREE (3) years. Your 1st harvest should be between your third (3rd) & (4th) year.

In Ghana the CocoBod or Ghana Board of Cocoa will help you a lot & in fact you can even get FREE seedlings from the CocoBod if they have them in stock?? Good Luck.

Eric

Yes, Virginia, There is Such a Thing as White Chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Hello Clay,

You really know just about everything about Chocolate & especially the law, I am really hoping that you can give me some advise to understand this. Yes, I fully understand that you have the Cocoa Butter & temper the pure FILTER COCOA BUTTER to get white chocolate. This Press for Cocoa butter is driving me crazy.

I purchased a Hydraulic Cocoa Butter Press. now I purchased it from a Chinese company, which is part of my problem. They (the manufacture) sent me TWO (2) separate videos & both of the videos used (NIBBS) everything I have read & even the sales person said it is best to use COCOA PASTE/CHOCOLATE LIQUOR. But please let me explain, the videos used (NIBBS) & I can understand why.

Video #1) They put the (NIBBS) into this White Cloth bag tied & a felt pad on top of the cloth bag full of (NIBBS). Then they put a metal Plate on top of the Felt Pad & closed the lid & started the press. The Bag & felt Pad help to filter the SOLIDS out of the oil/butter. Still leaving a little bit of the solids in with the butter/oil. A dirty Creamy White oil/butter!!

Video #2) They (the manufacturer) Didn't use nothing (NO BAG & NO FELT PAD) the put the (NIBBS) STRAIGHT into the Press Chamber. put the metal Plate on top of the (NIBBS) & turned on the press. This time a WATERY CHOCOLATE came out of the press into the collection bowl.

Video #1) looked like most of the Cocoa Butter you see. But NO WHERE as clean as WHITE CHOCOLATE!!! Video #2) looked like DARK BROWN Oil/Butter. IT MUST BE FILTERED!! I can understand that the Cloth bag & felt pad help to filter the (NIBBS) oil. But if you put Chocolate Liquor/Cocoa Paste. into a bag & felt pad. I picture a CHOCOLATE MESS. IO can not even imagine putting Cocoa Paste into the press without anything. I see a real big mess.

Please, Clay, can you explain to me on how to filter the Cocoa Butter in VIDEO #1) that looks like normal Cocoa Butter. But I keep thinking, if you use the Cocoa Paste instead of the (NIBBS) in Video #1) you are going to get the same color oil as video #2) . Please, can you explain to me on how to filter the Cocoa Butter/oil?? Thanks,

Eric

WTB Bar Molds and continous Tempering Machine

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

Hello,

They all are pretty much the same. You will HEATER Existing Temperature & then you have THREE (3) Separate setting for the THREE (3) types of Chocolates, from the HOTTEST #1) PURE DARK CHOCOLATE to the COLDEST #3) COCOA BUTTER/ WHITE CHOCOLATE & #2) The Middle MILK CHOCOLATE!!! They will run for 2 to 3 hours with the heater between 40 to 45 Degrees C.  Then after it is thoroughly MELTED You start the wheel & select the type of Chocolate you are Tempering. Then when it reaches the correct temperature it is ready to stop & mold!! 

The question is how much of each type of chocolate do you plan on tempering per batch?? Also you can ONLY TEMPER WHITE CHOCOLATE with WHITE or COCOA BUTTER. DARK CHOCOLATE with DARK & so forth. But how many KILOGRAMS will you be tempering per batch?? 8KG, 15KG, 30KG or more. You can get some quality Tempering Machines from www.alibaba.com. 

Do you want a bench top Tempering Machine, A Table Tempering Machine with Vibrating Table for your molds With Belt??? You can buy some real good Tempering Machines That will do almost everything for under $5,000 Dollars. You can get some Real Nice Tempering Machines with Vibrating Table for around $3,000 Dollars. But, if you are going to make the investment. get something with everything you need & big enough that you don't grow out of it in THREE (3) months. 

The ONLY problem from purchasing the equipment online or from China. Is what I found out with ONE (1) item a bought a Hydraulic Cocoa Butter Press. I had received TWO (2) separate videos of the company making Cocoa Butter with the Machine!! #1) with a White Bag & Felt Pad. & #2) They put everything in the chamber without anything. Also, they (Manufacturer) used (NIBBS) & not COCOA PASTE/Chocolate Liquor as I have always read about!!. Video #1) The oil look like a DIRTY CREAMY COLOR. Like it still needed filtered. Video #2) Looked like WATERY CHOCOLATE!!! Almost DARK BROWN in color. This NEEDED FILTERED REAL BADLY!!! Both of these were with the (NIBBS). So the Bag & Felt Pad Filtered a lot of Solids out of the oil./ Cocoa Butter.

But, I can imagine putting the COCOA PASTE/CHOCOLATE LIQUOR into the Bag & add the Felt Pad on top, then as it press the PASTE/LIQUOR being SQUEEZED THROUGH THE BAG & FELT CLOTH & MAKING A TERRIBLE MESS??? Just putting is into the CHAMBER as VIDEO #2) SHOWED without anything!! I IMAGINE A SUPER CHOCOLATE MESS!!!

I beg anyone out there, who has used a press & made cocoa Butter to please, explain the PROCESS to me?? I can understand it with the (NIBBS), but with the PASTE/LIQUOR either way I imagine a BIG MESS. Please, can anyone help me to understand this PROCESS of COCOA BUTTER & especially Filtering out the solids?? Please help me.

Eric

 

Working with Tempering Machines

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Hello,

I have a Chinese Tempering Machine That works real well & was in expensive. This Machine will TEMPER all types of chocolate 8KG of chocolate for only #1,210 Dollars including shipping. The ONLY DIFFERENCE that I have found was the Temperature to the Type of CHOCOLATE!! Melt your Chocolate for 2 to 3 hours from 40 to 45 Degrees C regardless of the Type of Chocolate before you turn on the wheel. Then rest your Temperature to the TYPE of Chocolate. Your machine should have THREE (3) separate Temperature Stetting!!! Each Temperature Setting is Dependent on the type of Chocolate you are making!!!  The HOTTEST is for#1) PURE DARK CHOCOLATE 31 to 32 Degrees C #2) MILK CHOCOLATE is 29 to 30 Degrees C #3) COCOA BUTTER / WHITE CHOCOLATE 27 to 28 Degrees C.

If you are adding Seed Chocolate use 20 to 30% of the amount you are making. For example my machine 6KG of Un-tempered melted chocolate, add around 1.2KG to 1.8 KG of Chips. The optimum quantity will depend on the ambient room temperature and the characteristics of your chocolate.

Let the machine run until you get the desired temperature is reached.

The chocolate will now be ready to use.

I hope this will help you. I just wish someone would or could help me understand THIS COCOA BUTTER MACHINE!!! I just picture a BIG CHOCOLATE MESS all over the place. Please, if someone knows how to use a Hydraulic COCOA BUTTER PRESS & especially with the recommended Cocoa Paste/Chocolate Liquor instead of the (NIBBS) I would be VERY, VERY GRATEFUL. Thanks,

Eric

F/S - Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Making Set - San Francisco

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

Hello,

I am hoping that you might give me some advise. I used to buy my Cocoa Butter online to make my chocolate. I now live in Ghana & purchased a COCOA FARM. Because the ways the laws are, The only way to EXPORT your products are to PROCESS all RAW COCOA BEANS here in Ghana!!! So I have bought all of the equipment to process approx 150 KG per Hour. One piece of equipment was a Hydraulic Cocoa Butter Press from China. The problem is the instruction Manual was only (4) pages & nothing about making Cocoa Butter. Please, tell me if you have ever made Cocoa Butter before?? If you have, could you please help explain the PROCESS to me?? If you need any GHANA QUALITY CHOCOLATE LIQUOR, COCOA POWDER & COCOA BUTTER once I get the process down. I can help you with TOP QUALITY GHANA PROCESSED COCOA PRODUCTS at GOOD PRICES. Please help advise me on the making of COCOA BUTTER. Thank you for your time & hopefully your assistance.

Eric

Colombian cacao and cocoa butter.

Posted in: The Cocoa Exchange (Read-Only)

Daniel,

Please tell me about how your people are making their COCOA BUTTER??? With metal screw press placed in the fire. Like the farmers here in Ghana make Palm Oil or Shea Butter/ Oil??? I know what you mean by certification. It is a THREE (3) year process & very expensive with detailed record keeping & inspection. In Ghana you MUST sell your Cocoa Beans ONLY to the Ghana Government, the CocoBod or Ghana Board of Cocoa or one of its Licensed Buying Companies. The Government FIXES the price & it is ILLEGAL to sell RAW COCOA BEANS to anyone who is not LICENSED by the CocoBod. The only EXCEPTION is if you PROCESS the Cocoa Products here in Ghana. So from making my own chocolate from a Behmor 1600. I then purchased a Cocoa Farm & all of the Equipment to PROCESS ALL FORMS of COCOA PRODUCTS & Chocolate on a medium scale level, approx 150 KG per hour. I would love to know how to list into this group, but I am still learning how to reply. But not how to add. If someone can give me some help & direction I would be very grateful. Thank you for all of your help & you are doing a good cause.

Eric

Experience With Flow Wrapper?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Hello,

A real good Web Site for Chinese Equipment is Alibaba.com. They have a good number of companies that make equipment for the Cocoa Processing Equipment & Chocolate makers equipment at real good prices for pretty good & well built equipment. The only thing bad is the LACK of Instructions. Example I purchased the Behmor 1600 Plus that came with very detail instruction, So if you are a beginner you can pick it up very quickly. Also where I purchased it from had very detailed direction on how to work it & support. But with some of the Chinese companies. The Instruction Manual is VERY THIN. Example I used to purchase my Cocoa Butter to make Chocolate. But I had just bought a Cocoa Farm here in Ghana & wanted to start Processing Cocoa Products & of course making Chocolate. But I bought my FIRST Hydraulic Cocoa Butter Press from a Chinese company. I MUST SAY it is a VERY GOOD Machine & the PRICE was GREAT!!!! But since I have NEVER MADE COCOA BUTTER BEFORE I am TOTALLY LOST!!!. I received a FOUR (4) page instruction manual that dealt with the Press. But nothing about Cocoa Butter. I did get 2 separate videos of the press with (NIBBS). So I have a REAL GOOD Cocoa Butter Press & now I MUST try to find someone who has made Cocoa Butter to show or explain on its use. That is the ONLY problem purchasing some of the Chinese Equipment are the Support in the use of their machines.

If someone could help me learn to use my Press I would be very GRATEFUL.

Eric