Check out this video from another Chocolate Life member:
CSV -- Winnowing Cocoa Beans with the Dust Deputy.wmv
[ Moderator: I added the video here on TheChocolateLife. ]
Forum Activity for @Kane Dijkman
Hands-on Bean-to-bar Chocolate School: Curriculum, Cost, and more
Posted in: Chocolate Education
I agree. I am sure there are plenty of issues that come up when you scale to a production level that a hobbyist would not be worried about. Everything from storage of the beans and completed chocolate to efficiencies you can leverage when making large batches and even wrapping choices.
Hands-on Bean-to-bar Chocolate School: Curriculum, Cost, and more
Posted in: Chocolate Education
Seems to me (as a beginner/hobbyist) that multiple classes might be good.
One class that focuses on the "art" of making chocolate from bean and another that focuses on the business side of things.
As a hobbyist I am currently most concerned with making good chocolate. So roasting profiles, winnowing tools and techniques, refining approaches are all big questions on my list. My goal would be to learn and improve my technique before developing bad habits. Then I can continue to refine my skills until I am ready to take the next step.
At that point I would be interested in the business side. Where I am going to have a whole lot of other questions about bean sourcing in volume, equipment to use, costs / revenue / money stuff, marketing / promotion, etc...
Having said that, the price I would pay for each half is quite different. There are a lot of sources online for getting started with the art side. A little reading and an open mind for experimenting has got me making bars that get a favorable review. So unless it could help me get to the next level in quality I would not look to pay too much. Certainly under 1,000 USD. However for the valuable business insights I would happily pay a lot more. After all, if I am going to invest tens of thousands in equipment and rent 5,000 USD for hard to find knowledge is well worth it, as Brad covers above.
Creating Detailed Moulds
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques
Any idea then how the folks Graeme links to can do this so cheaply?
Creating Detailed Moulds
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques
Graeme, did you ever figure out what they are doing? Care to share if you have?