|
|
|
|
|
LOIZA DARK CHOCOLATE FACTORY
At the Loiza Chocolate Factory many scrumptious chocolate creations take shape every day as the team plays with one of the most interesting foodstuffs in our planet: chocolate! But not just any chocolate. Our chocolate is made using the finest ingredients on the market, and that's easy to say. But what's not easy to say is that it's made using the cacao seeds from the trees we ourselves cultivate in our own farms. The great majority of chocolate makers from across the globe depend on the cacao seeds that others grow. This is taking "single-origin" to an exclusive level where our product"s uniqueness can be appreciated by those who really care about such facts. Having an agricultural product and adding value to it by processing into finished marketable products makes our business a vertically integrated one. From the farm, to the factory, from bean to bar or from the tree to the tablet it is an extremely rewarding entrepreneurial experience, One in which we would like you to be a part of every time you take a bite from one of our products.
The Process:
Before we begin explaining the process at the chocolate factory, we want to let you know that every single step involved has its own particular smell different from the other. This is quite interesting to us because even though they all pertain to cacao or chocolate, within the similarities and dissimilarities of these aromas a captivating sensation is invoked through our olfactory system. A sensation not unlike the anticipation of pleasure that happens in your brain before you eat chocolate. So no matter which of these smells you experience, if you like chocolate, a smile will come to your face.
The first step in the process that takes place at the chocolate factory is the arrival of fresh cacao seeds from the farms. As we have explained on the previous page, these have been properly harvested, fermented and sun-dried with the utmost love and care. By the way, there is a lot of hand cleaning of unwanted parts and pieces that goes on at the sun-drying tables before weighing and sacking the seeds. By doing this we save precious time later at the factory. At the factory, the sacks filled with cacao enter through to the storage area where all raw material is kept away from the rest of other production areas. Then, an initial seed selection step is done for quality control.
Roasting:
Next step is roasting of the selected seeds. We roast our cacao seeds in a drum roaster especially made for cacao. The slow roast goes on for some time before we decide the seeds are ready according to time, temperature, type of seed and even smell of the batch. This a critical stage in the process involving one of the most important variables in the chocolate industry. The individual parameters for the roasting of cacao seeds as per chocolate company has usually been kept quite private. They all strive to develop their own unique flavor characteristics using different methods to achieve this. Roasting cacao seeds is really not that complicated as some might want you to believe, It is extremely important though not to over-roast the seeds, and to know a few things like the type of seed you are working with, how dry it is, the flavor you are looking for and the method or equipment you are using. This will help determine the temperature profile you will use as well as the duration of the roast, and any slight alterations here will greatly affect the final product.
At the Loiza Chocolate Factory many scrumptious chocolate creations take shape every day as the team plays with one of the most interesting foodstuffs in our planet: chocolate! But not just any chocolate. Our chocolate is made using the finest ingredients on the market, and that's easy to say. But what's not easy to say is that it's made using the cacao seeds from the trees we ourselves cultivate in our own farms. The great majority of chocolate makers from across the globe depend on the cacao seeds that others grow. This is taking "single-origin" to an exclusive level where our product"s uniqueness can be appreciated by those who really care about such facts. Having an agricultural product and adding value to it by processing into finished marketable products makes our business a vertically integrated one. From the farm, to the factory, from bean to bar or from the tree to the tablet it is an extremely rewarding entrepreneurial experience, One in which we would like you to be a part of every time you take a bite from one of our products.
The Process:
Before we begin explaining the process at the chocolate factory, we want to let you know that every single step involved has its own particular smell different from the other. This is quite interesting to us because even though they all pertain to cacao or chocolate, within the similarities and dissimilarities of these aromas a captivating sensation is invoked through our olfactory system. A sensation not unlike the anticipation of pleasure that happens in your brain before you eat chocolate. So no matter which of these smells you experience, if you like chocolate, a smile will come to your face.
The first step in the process that takes place at the chocolate factory is the arrival of fresh cacao seeds from the farms. As we have explained on the previous page, these have been properly harvested, fermented and sun-dried with the utmost love and care. By the way, there is a lot of hand cleaning of unwanted parts and pieces that goes on at the sun-drying tables before weighing and sacking the seeds. By doing this we save precious time later at the factory. At the factory, the sacks filled with cacao enter through to the storage area where all raw material is kept away from the rest of other production areas. Then, an initial seed selection step is done for quality control.
Roasting:
Next step is roasting of the selected seeds. We roast our cacao seeds in a drum roaster especially made for cacao. The slow roast goes on for some time before we decide the seeds are ready according to time, temperature, type of seed and even smell of the batch. This a critical stage in the process involving one of the most important variables in the chocolate industry. The individual parameters for the roasting of cacao seeds as per chocolate company has usually been kept quite private. They all strive to develop their own unique flavor characteristics using different methods to achieve this. Roasting cacao seeds is really not that complicated as some might want you to believe, It is extremely important though not to over-roast the seeds, and to know a few things like the type of seed you are working with, how dry it is, the flavor you are looking for and the method or equipment you are using. This will help determine the temperature profile you will use as well as the duration of the roast, and any slight alterations here will greatly affect the final product.
Winnowing:
Once the seeds have cooled down after the roast we proceed to the next stage in the process which is winnowing. Here, we use a professional winnower to do the critical job of separating the nibs from the husks. What this machine does first is basically break the entire cacao seeds into small pieces. The pieces, which are comprised of both cacao nibs and the skin of the seeds, or husk, fall into a series of meshed trays by gravity where the particles are divided according to size in relation to the mesh holes. A vibrating unit causes the particles to move and slide slowly downwards on the slanted meshed trays en route to the collection trays. Just before leaving the vibrating meshed trays a series of vacuum shoots suck away the lighter husk particles leaving the heavier nibs to fall clean into the collection bucket.
Once the seeds have cooled down after the roast we proceed to the next stage in the process which is winnowing. Here, we use a professional winnower to do the critical job of separating the nibs from the husks. What this machine does first is basically break the entire cacao seeds into small pieces. The pieces, which are comprised of both cacao nibs and the skin of the seeds, or husk, fall into a series of meshed trays by gravity where the particles are divided according to size in relation to the mesh holes. A vibrating unit causes the particles to move and slide slowly downwards on the slanted meshed trays en route to the collection trays. Just before leaving the vibrating meshed trays a series of vacuum shoots suck away the lighter husk particles leaving the heavier nibs to fall clean into the collection bucket.
|
|
Nibs:
Ok, so now we have clean nibs ready for making chocolate. In another area of the factory the next step in the chocolate making process takes place, and that is the grinding of cacao nibs. The cacao seed is roughly composed of equal parts of cacao butter and cacao solids, the latter referring to the brown particles. Although this ratio may vary greatly from seed to seed, type of seed, seed origin, season and other factors. Cacao butter being solid at room temperature is thus considered part of the cacao mass in formulations and represents some of the percentage of the cacao content in any given chocolate. Next, a little inspection is done to remove any leftover husk from the winnowing process in order to minimize possible off flavors derived from shell particles. The nibs are then classified, weighted and slowly introduced into the powerful grinders well known as Melangeurs.
.
Grinding:
The Melangeur is basically a cacao and chocolate grinding machine. It's a vintage system originally from the 18th century which involves two heavy granite rollers running over a revolving granite slab. This creates tremendous shear, heat and pressure which easily breaks down the cacao nibs into cacao "liquor". This liquor or liquid has no alcohol but it's refereed to as such in the industry. Cacao liquor is the mixture of liquified cacao butter and the brown solids of the shelled cacao seeds. Once we have cacao liquor we can proceed to make chocolate. The good thing about the melangeur is that you can make the entire batch of chocolate inside of it. It's just a matter of adding your chocolate formulation to the running liquor and after some time, viola! Depending on the batch, the conching cycles in the melangeurs may extend for periods of 72 hours or up to 96 hours. Using a micron meter we verify that the particle size has been lowered to less than 30 microns. At this particle size the human tongue is incapable of feeling the grittiness of the components of the chocolate mixture, which would be mostly sugar and cacao solids.
The Melangeur is basically a cacao and chocolate grinding machine. It's a vintage system originally from the 18th century which involves two heavy granite rollers running over a revolving granite slab. This creates tremendous shear, heat and pressure which easily breaks down the cacao nibs into cacao "liquor". This liquor or liquid has no alcohol but it's refereed to as such in the industry. Cacao liquor is the mixture of liquified cacao butter and the brown solids of the shelled cacao seeds. Once we have cacao liquor we can proceed to make chocolate. The good thing about the melangeur is that you can make the entire batch of chocolate inside of it. It's just a matter of adding your chocolate formulation to the running liquor and after some time, viola! Depending on the batch, the conching cycles in the melangeurs may extend for periods of 72 hours or up to 96 hours. Using a micron meter we verify that the particle size has been lowered to less than 30 microns. At this particle size the human tongue is incapable of feeling the grittiness of the components of the chocolate mixture, which would be mostly sugar and cacao solids.
Making Chocolate:
There are other ways of making chocolate of course, and not all chocolates are made using the same grinding media or equipment. For example, hardened steel balls is another method that has been utilized throughout the chocolate industry for many years. In our factory we also have a machine that uses this method to make chocolate. The great thing about this equipment is that the conching cycles are much shorter than in the melangeurs, Conching refers to the mixing and agitation of chocolate done to release the volatiles that create off flavors and acidity, resulting in an overall better flavor and texture. For example acetic acid created during the fermentation process and other substances produced during roasting. The word conche comes from the original machine invented by Rudolphe Lindt in 1879 in Switzerland which resembled a conche. The effect of conching can also be achieved by applying hot air to the chocolate mass as it turns, It is the result of oxidation of the acids as they evaporate and leave the mass. In the melangeurs that we use conching occurs at the end of the cycle and it is done by releasing pressure from the granite rollers and working the chocolate mass at certain speeds for calculated periods of time. In our Chocolate Maker pictured here, conching is done by directing hot air to the mass via a hose. When the chocolate is done from either of these equipments, it is then ready to be taken towards the next step, one which is critical in the production of chocolate, and that is Tempering.
There are other ways of making chocolate of course, and not all chocolates are made using the same grinding media or equipment. For example, hardened steel balls is another method that has been utilized throughout the chocolate industry for many years. In our factory we also have a machine that uses this method to make chocolate. The great thing about this equipment is that the conching cycles are much shorter than in the melangeurs, Conching refers to the mixing and agitation of chocolate done to release the volatiles that create off flavors and acidity, resulting in an overall better flavor and texture. For example acetic acid created during the fermentation process and other substances produced during roasting. The word conche comes from the original machine invented by Rudolphe Lindt in 1879 in Switzerland which resembled a conche. The effect of conching can also be achieved by applying hot air to the chocolate mass as it turns, It is the result of oxidation of the acids as they evaporate and leave the mass. In the melangeurs that we use conching occurs at the end of the cycle and it is done by releasing pressure from the granite rollers and working the chocolate mass at certain speeds for calculated periods of time. In our Chocolate Maker pictured here, conching is done by directing hot air to the mass via a hose. When the chocolate is done from either of these equipments, it is then ready to be taken towards the next step, one which is critical in the production of chocolate, and that is Tempering.
Tempering:
Tempering is the process by which the chocolate is manipulated at the molecular level with the use of temperature. It involves the heating, cooling and reheating of the mass in order to create and keep the desired fat crystal obtained from cacao butter. When the chocolate is melted and running the fats are in soluble form. But when it starts to cool fats begin to crystalize. There are six different ways in which cacao butter may crystalize, but only one is the right one for tempering chocolate. The Beta fat crystal is the one we are looking for to obtain a correct temper. So, as the chocolate mass is intentionally cooled during this process, all of the six different fat crystals are created. Once these crystals have been made by taking the mass to the correct lower temperature, the mass then begins to thicken. It is at this stage that the mass is reheated to another specific temperature, depending on the type of chocolate, in order to remelt away the other five undesired fat crystals but at the same time leaving the desired beta crystal intact. This entire process is critical because if done incorrectly the chocolate will not shrink properly when cooled thus making the de-molding step very difficult if not almost impossible. Also, untempered chocolate will eventually fat-bloom. This means that the fats go through a process of separation leaving the chocolate to crumble away easily and to melt quickly at the slightest touch of even one second. When chocolate is tempered correctly it carries a nice shine and the characteristic snap we all recognize when breaking a piece of a chocolate bar. It should also hold for at least five seconds before beginning to melt at the touch of your fingers.
Nowadays though, many poor quality chocolates are made using cocoa butter alternatives, know as CBA's. These are lab made fats that have a higher melting point than cocoa butter, thus increasing a chocolate products' versatility because of a higher melting point. Palm oil and coconut oil are commonly used to make many chocolate products as they are very stable fats at room temperature and also have a higher melting point than cacao butter. But even though these latter two are natural oils, a lot of deforestation is happening throughout the tropics to increase the number of hectares of these plantations, thus contributing to species extinction and climate change. Also, the inclusion of oils other than cacao butter in the manufacture of chocolate is frowned upon by most of the chocolate industry, especially the gourmet, artisan and good quality chocolate makers, and it is not accepted in international chocolate competitions.
Tempering is the process by which the chocolate is manipulated at the molecular level with the use of temperature. It involves the heating, cooling and reheating of the mass in order to create and keep the desired fat crystal obtained from cacao butter. When the chocolate is melted and running the fats are in soluble form. But when it starts to cool fats begin to crystalize. There are six different ways in which cacao butter may crystalize, but only one is the right one for tempering chocolate. The Beta fat crystal is the one we are looking for to obtain a correct temper. So, as the chocolate mass is intentionally cooled during this process, all of the six different fat crystals are created. Once these crystals have been made by taking the mass to the correct lower temperature, the mass then begins to thicken. It is at this stage that the mass is reheated to another specific temperature, depending on the type of chocolate, in order to remelt away the other five undesired fat crystals but at the same time leaving the desired beta crystal intact. This entire process is critical because if done incorrectly the chocolate will not shrink properly when cooled thus making the de-molding step very difficult if not almost impossible. Also, untempered chocolate will eventually fat-bloom. This means that the fats go through a process of separation leaving the chocolate to crumble away easily and to melt quickly at the slightest touch of even one second. When chocolate is tempered correctly it carries a nice shine and the characteristic snap we all recognize when breaking a piece of a chocolate bar. It should also hold for at least five seconds before beginning to melt at the touch of your fingers.
Nowadays though, many poor quality chocolates are made using cocoa butter alternatives, know as CBA's. These are lab made fats that have a higher melting point than cocoa butter, thus increasing a chocolate products' versatility because of a higher melting point. Palm oil and coconut oil are commonly used to make many chocolate products as they are very stable fats at room temperature and also have a higher melting point than cacao butter. But even though these latter two are natural oils, a lot of deforestation is happening throughout the tropics to increase the number of hectares of these plantations, thus contributing to species extinction and climate change. Also, the inclusion of oils other than cacao butter in the manufacture of chocolate is frowned upon by most of the chocolate industry, especially the gourmet, artisan and good quality chocolate makers, and it is not accepted in international chocolate competitions.
Molding, Cooling and de-Moulding:
So, if the chocolate has been properly made and tempered we can proceed to mold or use it in whichever ways we need to knowing that it will not fat bloom. Now, the chocolate can be molded into bars, bonbons, blocks or made into truffles, nut clusters, bark, and many other forms: the possibilities are endless! Once the chocolates are created or molded they must then be put inside a chocolate cooling equipment. Inside the cooler, the temperature reaches 52 degrees Fahrenheit. This quickly causes the well tempered chocolate to shrink away from the molds facilitating the de-molding step. Cooling the tempered chocolate is extremely important in order to compact more the fat crystal structures and the mass. A well cooled chocolate will eventually be a better and more stable product with a longer shelf-life. From here on the chocolate products are ready to be packaged in various ways depending on their size, shape and style.
So, if the chocolate has been properly made and tempered we can proceed to mold or use it in whichever ways we need to knowing that it will not fat bloom. Now, the chocolate can be molded into bars, bonbons, blocks or made into truffles, nut clusters, bark, and many other forms: the possibilities are endless! Once the chocolates are created or molded they must then be put inside a chocolate cooling equipment. Inside the cooler, the temperature reaches 52 degrees Fahrenheit. This quickly causes the well tempered chocolate to shrink away from the molds facilitating the de-molding step. Cooling the tempered chocolate is extremely important in order to compact more the fat crystal structures and the mass. A well cooled chocolate will eventually be a better and more stable product with a longer shelf-life. From here on the chocolate products are ready to be packaged in various ways depending on their size, shape and style.
