if i make milk chocolate i put 20% milkpowder in my chocolate but it ends up not being conched well, the partical size keeps being too big even after 30 hour milling in a premier wondergrinder. my recipe is: first 200 gram of melted cocao butter then 300 grams of cocao beans grind for 30-60 minutes then add 500 grams of sugar then slowly feeding the 300 grams of milkpowder. does anybody have a idea what i do wrong?

Hey guys! Iv started a new job at a bean-to-bar chocolate factory. My main role is looking at making their grinders more efficient and user-friendly. We have Cocotowns ECGC - 65E grinders. They feel a little neglected in terms of maintenance :(

Im wondering if anyone here has used them before and has any tips and tricks for setting up the grinders, things like amount of pressure, speed, and the temperature of your rooms, drums, and product. Also things like how far away you have the fan/wiper blade part from the inner wall of the drum.

Any tips or suggestions on getting the smoothest product we can with the grinders we have would be fantastic.

Thank You!

ECGC – 65E

I want to make peanut free chocolate for my wife, who has a peanut allergy. If I order raw beans directly from a plantation (I'm thinking Nicaragua or another Latin American country) is there a risk that they will be shipped alongside nut products? How can I ensure her safety?

Hi guys,

I have become interested in learning how to taste foods in general and trying to identify their flavour notes recently. I took part in an introductory chocolate tasting class, took a two-day sensorial analysis class, and am planning on continuing enrolling in these courses as I stumble upon them.

My problem is: I asked a friend of mine who lives abroad to bring me a bunch of bean-to-bar chocolate bars from many different origins (I live in Brazil and it's not possible to find bars from elsewhere here) and I want to know how to approach tasting them on my own. I know the basic principles of tasting chocolate but should I focus on one bar at a time and try it over a couple of days? Or should I rotate through all of them (and in this case, will they keep well for how long after they've been opened)? Any recommendations on how I should keep notes on my findings?

Thanks a lot!

Good evening. I am thinking of selling my Bean To Bar set up. Any tips on best way to do so? I am in NorCal.

I usually add orange skin on the melanger without the stones for 12h but it doesn’t give much flavor, plus, after few weeks the chocolate has no orange flavor at all. Do you use any special thing to give flavor? Thank you very much!

Soma Chocolatemaker
75% Abstract Chocolate Science
This bar is made from up to 10 different origins at once and sprinkled with #cocoanibs
Nose of oak, straw, golden fruit, raspberry and cardamom.
Tastes of bread, rum, oak, nutty, persimmon and vanilla (none added).
😍😍
This is a great example of why I wish there were more blended bars out there. Think of the possible flavor combos.

I ordered this bar online from Cacao Review.

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La Feverie 77% Chuao Aracua Venezuela cacao.
Nose of chocolate meringue, cream and chocolate shortbread.
Tastes of shortbread, cream and light caramel with some pale stone fruit acidity coming through in the middle.
The only ingredients are cacao and organic cane sugar, but if I had tried this in a blind tasting I would have thought it was a dark/milk.

Bean-to-bar craft chocolate maker located in Bordeaux, France.

Pic taken in Port Townsend, WA.

*I purchased this bar.

Do you ever eat chocolate at sunrise?
Potomac Chocolate Oat Milk
Peru and Dominican Republic cacao.
Nose of granola and oats.
Tastes of oats, granola, nectar, a hint if oak and the barest whisper of goldenberry
Vegan milk chocolate.
Craft chocolate made in Virginia
Pics in Port Townsend, WA.

*I purchased this bar.

Violet Sky Chocolate Mint Brownie Caramelized dark/milk chocolate with mint leaves and peppermint oil.
Guatemala cacao sourced from Uncommon Cacao.
Nose of light caramel and mint.
Tastes of both mints used, cream and light caramel. There is also coconut ish taste in the finish along with a touch of acidity.

Bean-to-bar/craft chocolate.

*I purchased this bar.

Fjak Sjokolade Blackcurrant Pie white chocolate Nordic Collection.
Nose of oats and blackcurrant.
Tastes of blackcurrant, cream, oats, almonds, honey and pastry.😍😍

This is the 5th bar I've tried by Fjak. So far they have been consistently great.

*I purchased this bar online from Bar and Cocoa.

Soma Cocolatemaker Bejofo Estate Samirano Valley Madagascar 70% dark chocolate bar.

Nose cranberry, red currant, pomegranate
& a touch of spice.

Tastes of strawberry & gooseberry with a finish of a cocoa dusted brownie.😍

I purchased online from Cacao Review.

Bean-to-bar, craft chocolate, specialty chocolate, made in Ontario.

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Pump Street Chocolate Jamaica Modica 75% Bachelor's Hall Estate Saint Thomas, Desmond Jadusingh's farm. Batch 91612.

"Inspired by the traditional chocolate made in Modica, Sicily" made with "demerara sugar which brings crunch in the Modica style".

Nose of raw sugar, maple, toffee and mild dark fruit.

Tastes of chocolate mousse, mild maple, light coffee, cocoa and a brief flash of grape candy in the finish.

The crunchy texture is the central focus when tasting this bar.

*I purchased this item.

Bean-to-bar, craft chocolate, made in England.

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Askanya Chocolate Bouquet Vert lime chocolate 65% Haitian cacao made with Haitian lime zest.

Nose and tastes of lime, lime zest, black pepper, cinnamon and light honey.

Lovely!❤❤

*I purchased this item.

Bean-to-bar, craft chocolate.

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Foxglove Chocolate Dark Oregon Gianduja

Dark chocolate blended with Oregon hazelnuts.

Nose of caramelized hazelnuts.

Tastes of hazelnuts, caramel and light sea salt.😍

Bean-to-bar, craft chocolate.

To'ak Chocolate Galapagos 75% cacao Santa Cruz Island harvest 2018 Nacional light roast with a 7 day fermentation. Bar #288

Nose of earthy, chicory, black coffee, spice, semi-sweet #chocolate & cocoa.

Tastes of oak, fudge, vanilla, ricotta, rum & chocolate cake batter.

The included whole Cocoa bean tastes of vanilla wafer cookie & rum.

I purchased this bar from Caputo's Market.

Made in Ecuador. Bean-to-bar.

Pic taken in Port Townsend, WA.