Forum Activity for @Tom

dri ice

Posted in: News & New Product Press

Make sure your chocolate is vac sealed, dry ice is around -80 degrees Celsius and will condense any moisture out of the atmosphere onto your chocolate. The length of time it lasts depends on how much you use and how insulating the packaging is. DHL should be able to advise you and should have packages you can use, some companies do top-ups if it is a long journey. From my experience most courier companies don't give a rats about your stuff though. I haven't tried shipping in hot weather but I would imagine that a good cold pack and properly insulated foam package would keep the choc below 25 degrees Celsius for quite a while. Personally I just ship when the weather is conducive, in bubble wrap, I just had a package of choc come in from San Francisco and it was fine, it is winter here but the height of Summer in San Fran. I find packages sit around much longer at the destinations than they do at the departure points. My brother sent me some stuff from Canada when it was Summer here and it sat on my doorstep on the hottest day of the year, 45 degrees Celsius, needless to say chocolate was melted.

Vanilla Beans

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

Personally I add the whole bean, it is a very small amount anyway I would only use between 1/6 to 1/3 of a bean to 1 kg of chocolate. The whole pod contains the flavouring so you would be throwing out some flavour - you just need to use more to get the same effect. The whole bean is fine to eat Askinosie is doing a rustic bar with pieces of vanilla bean embedded in the chocolate. I think for puddings and baking the reason you don't use the whole bean is because there is no way to micronise it as there is in chocolate making. I have made ice-cream from beans and some strands from the vanilla bean have been left in by accident - it doesn't ruin it but I personally don't like big bits in my ice-cream. Correct me if I am wrong but I would imagine that vanilla bean paste you can buy from the shop is whole beans ground up; pre-micronised for your cooking pleasure. HAve you ever made two batches one the way you do it and the other just putting the bean in and grinding - I would be interested to see if there was any difference in flavour profile.

Women and Chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

All other factors asside, what about statistics? Has anyone counted say the number of proffessional chocolatiers for example and split them by gender. If there are a lot less women than there are men in the field, not that I am saying there are....I haven't done the count, then there will be a lot less women at the top than men.

Haigh's Chocolate Video

Posted in: News & New Product Press

My local chocolate factory just released a promo video, full of the usual stuff.Go to www.haighschocolates.com.au and look for the link to the video in the bottom right corner of the page.
updated by @Tom: 05/21/15 03:34:54

Fermenting small batches of cacao in a controlled temperature oven

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

There is a good pdf download addressing this in the thread of a similar name in the HomeBrew group.

Australian Cacao Doco

Posted in: News & New Product Press

This documentary on the cacao situation on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi just aired in Australia. To watch go to http://www.abc.net.au/landline/ and click on the Bean Counters story. It covers Mars' involvement in the cacao industry there.
updated by @Tom: 05/21/15 05:42:37

Total Travesty

Posted in: News & New Product Press

I hadn't considered the insult but yes I can see that. With the huge budget they had they could have gotten a decent consultant on chocolate, right Clay.I think that showing the pod as it really is would have been more intriguing for the viewer, and a damn site less difficult that inventing and fabricating that piece of crap.

Total Travesty

Posted in: News & New Product Press

Watch the video at www.oldgold.co.nz this is advertising Cadbury's dark choc range for Australia and New Zealand. Aussies and Kiwi's are generally pretty uneducated in chocolate and this is doing no favours. Instead of trying to work out what is wrong with it, try and pick things that are right with it - nothing!
updated by @Tom: 04/18/15 10:52:03

Calling all Chocolatiers: What are YOU Making Special for Easter This Year?

Posted in: News & New Product Press

Wow they are spectacular!
updated by @Tom: 09/07/15 15:49:19

Ghana Roasting?

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

Hi Frank,I have worked with these ones too, I did about 30 min in 150 degrees C and then 10 min in the cooling oven with the oven door slightly open. I didn't have a lot of these beans and am not conviced that this was optimal but it is a point to begin with. I didn't achieve the chocolateyness I was hoping for but didn't have more to experiment with. As a reference I roasted pretty much the same as the the Papua (because of the large bean size of the Papua) and 5-7 minutes less than the Dominican which I found needed quite a dark roast. Perhaps I was a little light on the Ghana - I was erring on the side of caution and John mentions it does well with both a light roast and a dark roast, so perhaps you could go a little darker. Anyway you have done a fair bit of roasting now and tasting as you roast should hopefully get you where you want with these comments as a reference.Hope this helps, happy roasting.

4 hours to complete two molds?

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

This is how I temper.Put choc in glass bowl and melt choc in microwave until no solid remains - do this at intervals with stirring or you'll burn the choc.Put glass bowl with choc in it into a bigger bowl with cold water in it - this cools the choc down as you constantly stir it - I use ice in the water most times - not much otherwise it cools too quickly.When the choc gets to a 'toothpaste' consistency, put the bowl with choc in it back in the microwave and heat it to just fluid again. Do not overheat the choc otherwise you'll destroy the temper.Mould away.If the choc starts to get thicker again, give it a blast in the microwave for a few seconds but not too much.Make sure you cool your moulded chocolates to get a nice shine ie in the fridge for 5 mins - depends where you live and the ambient temp.I typically to 1-3 kg at a time and it never takes more than an hour - I make choc bean to bar and am just making bars, I am not making filled choc or anything but the tempering method should be fine for you.

Hose for Panning Chocolate

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

I believe Savage does a dripper for their temperers.

Molding Chocolate

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

I agree with Alan, I had a similar problem but just putting the filled molds in the fridge for 5 mins works a treat each time. Carefull not to leave in the fridge too long as it will condense water on the surface in humid places. Fortunately where I live is dry as a bone.

Chocolatiers = Re-melters?

Posted in: Opinion

Thanks Alan, I did know a few of them come to think of it - they are all pretty big companies though. I did forget one smaller one and that is run by Brad Churchill at Choklat in Canada ( www.sochoklat.com ).

Chocolatiers = Re-melters?

Posted in: Opinion

I agree that a nicer term could be used, I have huge respect for truffle makers, I have dabbled a bit but I am terrible at it and that is just physically following a recipe, let alone coming up with recipes, flavour combos, pairing with the type of chocolate. From what I can see it is as difficult if not more so to turn out a perfect truffle than it is to turn out a chocolate bar. You would have to have a considerable task going from bean to truffle commercially I would think - with any level of excellence that is (unless you are bigger and can have a choc manufacturing section and then a truffle manufacture section). I guess this is why there are bean to bar chocolate makers and then there are truffle makers, I don't know a lot that do both, does anyone? Actually Haighs here in Adelaide does both but they just make two basic chocolates milk and dark and then blend from there, no single origin stuff or anything. And their stuff ain't that great - hence my use of 'level of excellence'.

Cultivars and Related Species

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

The paper is titled 'Comparative study on the proteolytic activities and storage globulins in seeds of Theobroma grandiflorum (Wild ex Spreng) Schum and Theobroma bicolor Humb Bonpl, in relation to their potential to generate chocolate-like aroma' bit of a mouth full. This was published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture in 2004 pg693, the corresponding author is Christoph Reisdorff of the Institute of Applied Botany, University of Hamburg.

Cultivars and Related Species

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

There is an interesting fermentation paper regarding that of bicolor and grandiflorum I'll try and dig up the ref.

Mexican Tabasco ??

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

My process is to grind the nibs first until very fluid, then I add sugar, usually as powdered sugar (we can get that without cornstarch quite cheap in Australia), this does cause quite a bit of thickening. I alternatively add my cocoa butter with the sugar additions with a significant portion of cocoa butter added last. I have found that if I add the cocoa butter to the liquor and then start adding sugar it ends up thicker that when I do alternate additions. So perhaps that technique will work with your milk powder. After it has ground for a while it becomes fluid again it is just the initial additions that add the stress on the grinder.Thanks for the detail on your processing, I too found the bean very acidic which I find makes dark milk chocolate a little strange. Your lighter milk choc would have mellowed that out nicely I would think. Keep an eye on your dark choc batch with the roast I did ages ago it started to develope a 'blood orange' flavour note which was really nice - it had to age a while though.

Mexican Tabasco ??

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

Sorry not to reply earlier, I've had computer issues. That is my daughter helping with the winnowing.I too have worked my way through Johns offerings and want to try the stuff here, piss poor exchange rate and limited time are hampering that. The offerings have me salivating though. I am using a local supplier (Tava) I can get 15kgs for about $170 inc. shipping and their beans are incredibly different (from Vanuatu). They have a huge chocolate flavour note and if you let the chocolate age for a bit it tastes like chocolate pudding with a bit of booze in it - fantastic. It is my crowd pleaser chocolate.The formulations I suggested are just the ones that keep people happy here, I range my formulations from around 40% beans to up to 70% depending on what I want. The formulas I suggest give a texture and flavour release similar to Cluizel (the only decent choc available to me readily in Australia). I did try and emulate a 75% Madagascar from Pralus with what I thought was with some success I used 70% beans, 5% butter and 25% sugar - it packs a punch.Good luck with the date sugar, sounds interesting.

Mexican Tabasco ??

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

I have worked with them before, they are very acidic, I would suggest a roast a bit longer than I would for a Madagascar. As for formulation I think you will be ok with your dark (do a fairly long conche to drive off as much acid as you can) but for the dark milk choc you have proposed I would back off the cocoa and up the milk, I find that with the formulation I usually use (10% milk powder) it is too acidic for it. I would look at doing something like 40% beans, 15% butter, 30% sugar and 15% milk. Having said this I haven't tried this as I ran out but when I next get some I will try this formula. The previous one I used was 45% beans and 10% milk - very strange. I think my suggested formula will bring it more in line with say the Cluizel Madagascar milk choc. You may want to go even further. Keep us posted you might save me an experiment.

measuring cocoa question

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

Cool little scales! I had no idea, I just weigh stuff out at work in the lab - probably not that safe. Good find.

wine pairing

Posted in: Tasting Notes

The effect of single origin was something we looked at in our wine pairing study, I made two chocolates (70% dark) - in every way the same except for the type of bean and the roast I subjected it to. I chose Madagascar and Dominican Republic to make sure the difference was huge, we also tested against a dark, dark milk and milk chocolate from local manufacturer Haighs. I can't wait to see if there were any statistically relevant preferences relating to origin of the bean.

wine pairing

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I have been involved in wine and chocolate sensory studies and there is only really anecdotal evidence on the subject we were endeavoring to get some stats behind it we are number crunching at the moment. Anyway during the inital bench testing we found champagne or sparkling reds were ok (milk choc better), white wine was really bad (with everything), Aussie shiraz and other big fruity reds were a surprisingly good mix (with dark chocolates) but the big winners as Langdon has said were the botrytis wines, muscats and ports (with most chocolates).The problem with cold drinks ie white wine and champagne is they cool your mouth down so it is more difficult to appreciate the chocolate so steer clear of cold drinks.I would reccomend trying the full bodied red wine with a dark chocolate it is surprisingly good. Other than that go the higher sugar beverages. There are also exceptions to these rules so have fun experimenting. Pairing is different for everyone, the best rule for pairing is that if it brings a smile to your face it is a good one.

Oaxaca

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

I have heard of bicolour seeds sold as macambo, the seeds are skewered on sticks and roasted then served salted.I would probably have no chance of getting to the places you mention as I am in Australia. Know anyone that would ship? My interest would be in making the drink, I make a lot of chocolate drinks from the bean using a Spectra 10 to grind the beans.

Oaxaca

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Please tell more about the 'white cacao' drink I am very interested. Are the beans from bicolor washed or fermented? Where could I get some to try?

Oaxaca

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Any unusual spice mixes, or just the usual like cinnamon, chilli, vanilla, almonds etc? Did you have one?

Oaxaca

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

So is Mayordomo a cafe chain? If so do they sell chocolate drinks - what sort?

solid cocao liquor

Posted in: News & New Product Press

Thanks Joey, I have sent you an email so you have mine now.

solid cocao liquor

Posted in: News & New Product Press

Thanks that'd be great if you could get a number or something and some more info on the beans. My folks live in Brisbane but I am in Adelaide so I'd probably be able to convince them or my brother that it would be a good idea to do a road trip. I'll get you my email via a more direct method through your page.Cheers

solid cocao liquor

Posted in: News & New Product Press

Do you have the contact details for the shop? I am always interested in trying new bean origins.

Cocoa beans at great prices

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

Check out www.chocolatealchemy.com it has all the info there on grinders etc.

Cocoa beans at great prices

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

Thanks that is great.Do you ship to Australia? If not would you consider it? How much for shipping?

Cocoa beans at great prices

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

Clay I noticed that you are selling small amounts of beans. I make chocolate at home and am interested in trying some of the origins. I was wondering if anyone else here had used them to make chocolate and what they thought about them. A little speil about what flavours to expect, heavy or light roasting, why you chose those beans to sell would be great. I can roughly gather what they would be like by experience with tasting chocolate and making using similar origins and what I have read but I want something to draw me in and get me excited about choosing one and giving it a go.
updated by @Tom: 04/18/15 01:13:06

Is Xocai everything it's made out to be?

Posted in: News & New Product Press

I found this interesting article: http://www.businessopportunitywatch.com/BOW%20Review%20of%20XOCAI%20Make%20Chocolate%20Your%20Business.htm If the link doesn't work the article is titled 'Review of XOCAI MXI Corp Healthy ChocolateExtract from Business Opportunity Watch Rating ReviewsJuly 2008 Issue 17'

How to grow cacao at home

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

Hi Chantelle, where you have it in the shop it probably isnt getting enough sun. I have one on the window sil at work. It has been growing well for 2 years and is about 70 cm tall now. I planted one in Darwin at my sister in laws house and it was that big after about 3 months, so we do face issues here in Adelaide. On my window in never gers below 15 deg C and as the dappled sun (we have louvers) hits it the terracota pot warms to about 25 deg C even in the last week. This is helped by the large thermal mass of the building i work in, so ambient temp overnight doesnt drop low. Also i water well and use a high magnesium fertiliser. I sometimes water with warm water if it goes a few days where there is not much direct sun. I also spray it with water about three times a day but not on weekends. I found mine was very slow to grow initially but it seemed to reach a critical number of leaves in the last year and is growing super well now. Good luck

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Yeah, I saw that the other day too, don't know who those hippies are, I'll have to ask.

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Cocoa Australia nolonger exists there was some legal issues. However the plantations still exist and there are some exciting things hopefully to happen in 2011 up in FNQ. I can't say more as it is not my place, but I will when I can.