Bean to Bar Project

The Bean to Bar chocolate is 65% dark chocolate with 47% fat content using the beans from the Dominican Republic and Vietnam.

Selecting the Blend

We chose the beans from the Dominican Republic and Vietnam. The Vietnam's cacao beans have a fruity and acidic flavor, while the beans from the Dominican Republic have more of an earthy and chocolate note that balances out the acidity and fruitiness, creating a delicious chocolate blend.

Sorting the Beans

We sorted through the beans and removed the foreign organic objects.

Roasting

We measured 3.5 Kilos of the selected beans onto a sheet tray and loaded them in a combi oven for 27-30 minutes. The oven was preheated to 129 C and lowered to 107 C for 10 minutes with 70% humidity once the tray was added into the oven. The humidity helped to pull the husks off of the cacao beans. Then, we continued drying the beans at to 115 C for 8 minutes and then 148 C for 9 minutes. Once the surface temperature reaches 125-130 C, the roasting process is done.

Cracking

Since every bean is covered by a thin shell called a husk, it is necessary to get rid of it. First, we cracked the beans to separate the cocoa nibs from the shells. We divided the beans into 2 sheet trays to efficiently crush the beans with either a rolling pin or a wooden dowel. The beans were finely crushed to prepare for winnowing.

Winnowing

After cracking and crushing, the next step is to remove the husks. We used a blow dryer to blow away the husks, which are lighter than the cocoa nibs. Then, we placed them in a winnower to remove the rest of the husks.

Grinding

Grinding or refining winnowed nibs produces cocoa liquor by breaking down the nibs, releasing cocoa butter, and refining particles for a smooth texture. We used a food processor to initiate the process and finish with a melanger.

Conching

The conching process uses air, friction, and heat to eliminate unpleasant flavors and create a smooth texture in chocolate by oxidizing volatiles, rounding out particles, and evenly distributing fat. We used a melanger to achieve this.

Tempering

After 4 days of conching, the chocolate is tested for viscosity and grittiness with a grindometer. If the number in the grindometer is 28 or less, it is ready to temper. We poured our chocolate in a metal bowl and used the ice method to temper.

Molding

When the chocolate is in temper, pour it into a piping bag, then fill up the chocolate bar mold with 60g on each cavity. When the mold is all filled, tap the mold on the table a couple of times to ensure the chocolate sets in all the crevices and all the air bubbles are gone. Then let the chocolate sit in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes.

Chocolate Bars

Packaging

We chose to wrap each chocolate bar in gold and silver foil sealing it with a round sticker with our logo. Then, we designed a box that represents our brand, we printed, cut out, and assembled it to fit the wrapped chocolate bar inside.

Recipe

65% Cacao Dark Chocolate

Cacao Nibs

Cocoa Butter

Sugar

Salt

Vanilla Beans

1200g

300g

500g

12g

4 each