About Chocolate | Production

Many of the web-site readers have expressed an interest in knowing a little bit about the nature of the processing of the bean to chocolate. I have compiled a brief description of the process that should give you some more information than you presently have. The information used is primarily provided through the Cocoa Barry Institute – a leader in chocolate development and research – particularly the French masters P. Bertrand and P. Marand. The institute is a part of Cocoa Barry, one of the major French manufacturers and an innovator in chocolate manufacturing and processing. As a result of a global company merger, the company is now named Barry-Callebaut.

The processing of the bean is usually carried out in two stages – at the plantation and at the factory.

Once the fruit is harvested, the fruit must be opened within 4 days from picking. The pods are broken; the beans are removed by hand, and are separated from the mucilaginous pulp. Within 24 hours of the opening the pod, the 4-7 day fermentation process begins. The grains are placed in baskets or wooden boxes where the temperature naturally rises to 45-50 C. (113-122 F.) The containers are regularly shaken allowing aerobic fermentation which is witnessed by the faint odour of alcohol during this time. The fermentation eradicates any excess pulp and prevents germination. After the fermentation is complete, the beans are placed on mats or trays and are exposed to sunlight or put in dryers to lower the humidity in the beans thereby halting fermentation. The resulting product, bulk cocoa, is generally brown in colour and is ready to be sold or shipped to a factory.

Upon arrival at the factory, the beans are thoroughly cleaned and the shell removed. The beans are then given an alkaline treatment to reduce bitterness. The beans are then roasted for about 30 minutes at 100-140 C. (212-284 F) to develop colour, flavour and aroma, and to eliminate any humidity and bacteria. The roasted beans are placed in a cocoa mill at a temperature of 94 C (194 F) and are ground down to form a cocoa paste or mass. Some of the cocoa mass is sent to be pressed, and the rest is reserved for chocolate production. The mass that is pressed separates the solid press cake from the liquid cocoa butter. The solid press cake then is ground down to produce cocoa powder which may then undergo a process of treatment with an alkaline solution to raise the pH from 5.5 to 7. (This results in a darker coloured powder, makes the flavour lighter, and somehow improves the dispersion of cocoa particles in the liquid: they clump together less easily.)

As for the cocoa butter, it is added to the cocoa paste in a mixer for blending. The ingredients vary according to the nature of the desired chocolate: dark – some sugar is added; milk – sugar and powdered milk. As for the white coca butter, sugar and powdered milk are added. The mixture then undergoes a second grinding to result in grains of about 30 microns. (European chocolate is generally much smoother than American production as the grains are finer.)

Do you remember Mr. Lindt and his conching process in 1875? Well, this process is now begun for the newly ground mixture. Conching is a process by which the ground mixture is placed into a container in which a heavy roller moves back and forth continuously, grinding, mixing and slightly heating the ingredients. The primary purpose of conching is to evaporate moisture and volatile acids, and mellowing the flavour. It may also smooth the edges of the sugar crystals, making the chocolate less grainy, and thoroughly mixes the milk, sugar, and chocolate particles in the cocoa butter medium. At this point the emulsifier lecithin is added to improve the dispersion of the solids.

The resulting mixture is now chocolate and is ready for tempering and completion of the chocolate product.

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