The Rescue Grinder saga takes another step forward with the first test batch in one of these old dogs finally completed, and yes that is a hairdryer....
Before we could start grinding the cacao nibs into a paste we needed to warm the grinding bowl before loading the nibs. This heat helps the nibs release their natural cocoa butter which helps lubricate the granite wheels as they turn. (This step is extra important in our two-ingredient process as we don't add cocoa butter, we only add unrefined sugar to cacao nibs).
But these old machines don't have built-in heaters like some of the newer designs . . . so it's time to bust out one of the essential tools of every craft chocolate maker - the hairdryer.
As the cacao nibs gradually break down by passing underneath the granite wheels, they become smoother with the final aim of making a bar that melts uniformly, with no discernible sugar crunch.
Like most things, there's a trade off in achieving a smooth texture as longer grinding times usually involve a greater 'conch effect'. This changes the chocolate's flavour through the constant aeration of the paste as it's being ground. Essentially, the smoother the texture you aim for, the more rounded (but potentially blander) the chocolate. We generally push things one click shorter on the grind than makers of the smoothest bar, as we're flavour-first kind of people.
Anyway, the expected gremlins reared their predictable heads. We got an uneven pressure of the wheels onto the base (see the stripe of uncovered granite on the outside edge of each wheel?) which meant that to achieve our target micron took a whole twenty four hours longer than we aimed for. Also, there must be something wrong with either the motor or the gearbox because when the bowl speed is cranked up, it sounds like a Cooper 1275 with a straight cut gearbox. We can't live with either problems so Leo is spending another one of his "days off" tackling these for us. That guy 🤜🔥🤛
The good news is, at least the chocolate that came out of it was easily as good as that out of our regular grinder. Thank Christ for that 🙏😍
