How to Make Chocolate

Making chocolate from the bean isn't easy. Chocolate companies invest millions of dollars into tools and machinery to turn bitter cacao beans into delicious chocolate bars. But with many hours -- or possibly days -- of hard work and dedication to detail, along with some equipment of your own, you can turn your kitchen into a miniature chocolate factory! By following these instructions and techniques, you'll be able to make your very own brand of chocolate.

Steps

1. Roast the cocoa beans. The process is similar to roasting coffee beans, except with gentler requirements: 5-35 minutes at temperatures between 120-160 degrees C(250-325 degrees F). You must generally expose the beans to an initial high temperature, lower the temperature gradually, and stop roasting when the beans start to crack (but not burn). The first image shows the cocoa beans before roasting, and the second image shows the after-result. You can accomplish this in your oven or by using a store-bought roaster.
   
   • If roasting in your oven, you will need to do a bit of experimenting because roasting times depend on the type of bean you're using. Lay the beans in a single layer across a cookie sheet. Start off with an 18 minute roast in a preheated oven at 120 degrees C (250 F). They'll be ready when they start to crack and when they actually taste like chocolate (let them cool before tasting!).
     
   • For roasting larger quantities of cocoa beans, you may want to invest in a drum, which is rotated over a gas grill.
     
   • See the Tips and Warnings below about roasting.
     
2. Crack and winnow the beans. After roasting, the beans must be cracked into nibs and winnowed, whereby the husks (chaff) are removed.
   
   • You can crack the beans with a hammer and remove the husks (which should be loose after proper roasting) by hand if you are working with a small batch.
     
   • For larger batches, you can use a very coarse, Corona type mill or purchase a specialized mill (shown here, also see Citations below) to crack the beans into nibs. (In case you were wondering, a meat grinder doesn't work.)
     
   • To winnow the nibs, stir them gently with your hands or a spoon as you blow on them with a hair dryer or small shop vac until the husks are blown away.
     
3. Grind the nibs into a cocoa liqueur. You will need equipment strong enough to liquefy the nibs and separate the remaining husks. General food processors, Vita-Mix, coffee grinders (burr and blade), meat grinders (manual and electric) mortar and pestles, and most juicers will not work. You may need to experiment to find equipment that gets the job done. Many home chocolatiers find success with a "Champion Juicer" . Feed the nibs into the juicer one handful at a time, being sure to push them in gently (not forcefully) or else the motor may overheat. Cocoa liqueur will come through the screen and a mixture of husks and liqueur will find its way through the spout. Feed this mixture through the juicer again until only the husk comes through the spout.
   
4. Conch and refine the chocolate. By definition, conching affects the characteristic taste, smell and texture of the chocolate, while refining reduces the size of the cocoa solids and sugar crystals. Both processes can be applied at the same time with a powerful wet grinder (success has been reported with a Spectra 10 melanger, also called the "Stone Chocolate Melanger"; see Citations below). How you conch and refine the chocolate will depend on what equipment you use, but here are guidelines for the Spectra 10 melanger:
   
   • Melt the chocolate and the cocoa butter in the oven to about 120 degrees F.
     
   • Combine with non-fat dry milk powder, sugar, lecithin and a vanilla pod (split and soaked in the cocoa butter 1 hour; this is an optional flavoring).
     
   • Pour the chocolate mixture in the grinder, periodically pointing a hair dryer at it for 2-3 minutes to keep the chocolate melted during the first hour (until the friction created by grinding keeps the chocolate liquid without additional heat being needed).
     
   • Continue refining for at least 10 hours and no more than 36 hours, until the chocolate tastes smooth and balanced, but be sure not to over-refine (or it will get gummy).
     
   • To take a break from refining (e.g. at night while you're sleeping, see Warnings), turn off the grinder, put the covered bowl into an oven that's preheated to 150 degrees F but turned off, and leave it there overnight. It shouldn't solidify but if it does, take the cover off and turn the oven on to about 150-175 degrees F until the chocolate melts (be careful not to let the bowl itself melt, though).
     
5. Temper the chocolate. This is likely the most difficult part of the process, but it ensures that the chocolate will be shiny and have a "snap" to it, rather than being matte and soft enough to melt in your hands. However, the great thing about tempering is you can do it as many times as you like and the chocolate won't be ruined. Alternatively, you can purchase a tempering machine on the Internet for $300-400 (US). The most important thing is that you do not let any moisture in the chocolate, or it will be ruined.
   
   • Melt your chocolate carefully. You can accomplish this in the oven if you are using larger quantities of chocolate, or you can use a double broiler on the stove. It's your choice, just make sure that the chocolate does not burn (keep stirring) and you melt more than 1.5 pounds of chocolate. Any less and tempering could prove difficult. When the chocolate is melted to a temperature of around 110 or 120 degrees F, transfer it to a dry, cool bowl and stir until the chocolate temperature drops to about 100 degrees F. Use a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature. The chocolate in the bowl should remain at the same temperature while you work with chocolate outside of the bowl.
     
   • Pour about one third of the contents of the bowl onto a hard, non-porous counter top or other surface (granite or marble works best). Spread the chocolate out with the spatula, and then bring it all back together.
     
   • Continue doing this (for about 10-15 minutes) until the chocolate is about 85 degrees F. By the time the chocolate cools down to that point, the chocolate should be a thick, gooey mass.
     
   • Add some of the 100 degree F chocolate from the bowl to get the chocolate workable again. Gently work the chocolate around.
     
   • Return the chocolate back into the bowl with the 100 degree chocolate. Stir it gently, and try not to create bubbles.
     
   • Check the chocolate's temperature. You want it around 90 degrees F, but never over 92 degrees F. Anything higher than this and you may need to temper the chocolate again.
     
6. Mold the chocolate while it is still at about 90 degrees F. Pour the chocolate into the molds, careful not to spill. Some people find it effective to use a large syringe to place chocolate in the mold, but it is all about personal preference. When all of the chocolate has been added to the molds, you may either freeze, refrigerate, or let them harden at room temperature. Again, it's all about personal preference, and there is no right way to do it.
   
7. Remove the chocolate from the molds when the chocolate is hardened. The molded chocolate should have a glossy appearance and should snap cleanly in two. If you are unsatisfied with your chocolate, you may re-temper the chocolate as long as the chocolate remains dry and you haven't burned it.
   

Tips

• There are many things you can do with your chocolate when you're done. You could sell it, give it as gifts, or even enjoy it with friends and family. Homemade chocolate makes a great gift -- experiment with it to make a variety of chocolate-based gifts. Give it for a holiday or birthday and expect it to be enjoyed. Any way you choose, the process will be rewarding and fun.
  
• Making chocolate is a learning process. Don't expect your very first batch to be absolutely perfect. If you make chocolate several times, you'll find what works for you and what doesn't. You might even consider adding ingredients of your own, or using your own methods of roasting or tempering that work well for you. Do research about different techniques and see what you can find, and experiment with your own.
  
• Don't skip the roasting. The beans need to be roasted in order to sterilize them and reduce the risk of infection, as well as trigger the chemical reactions that make chocolate taste like chocolate.
  
• It is possible to use a grinder or food processor to refine the chocolate, but this is strongly discouraged as it doesn't work nearly as well as an actual refiner.
  
• It is likely that a mess will be made when you grind the cocoa.
  
• There are many different chocolate-making tools, it may just take some searching. Look around in different stores and online. You might be surprised what you find!
  
• There is a way to make chocolate by hand, but it produces chocolate cruder than that found here.
  
• There are also many more guides about making chocolate on the internet and also try asking some of your friends who knows how to make chocolates.
  
• If you are using white colored chocolate and want to add coloring to it, never use regular food color or food color paste since this too contains water and your chocolate will the have artificial colors or flavors. You should only use powdered or gel varieties.
  
• If your melted chocolate is too thick to paint, add some parafinflakes until you get the right mixture. If you don't have this, you can also use vegetable shortening or cocoa butter.
  
• Some people paint the chocolate after it has been taken out of the freezer. To do this, you must hold the mold over you head so you can see it from the right side. If there are any air bubbles, tap the area where they are using your fingers until it pops.
  

Warnings

• Always supervise your children when they make chocolate.
  
• Some of the machines you will be working with are dangerous, so always take safety precautions and use your common sense.
  

Things You'll Need

• Oven or store-bought cocoa bean roaster
  
• Cocoa mill/grinder
  
• Blow dryer
  
• Food processor or an electric cocoa grinder
  
• Concher/refiner (A food processor could be used as a substitute, but this is not recommended. The concher/refiner is preferred over the food processor due to ease and functionality.)
  
• Bowl
  
• Spoon
  
• Candy thermometer
  
• Cocoa beans
  
• Chocolate mold
  

Click Here To Get More Tips About Different Types Of Chocolates!