Melanger experimentation

[Kerry Beal]

2 hours ago, Jim D. said:

I just received a micro-batch accessory kit for the Premier melanger.  Providing manuals and keeping instructions up to date are not a strong suit for the company.  There was no manual, and so far no one has answered my request for help.  I realize that mechanically inclined people would immediately know what to do, but I am not in that category.  Companies should realize they need to provide really basic instructions for all their users and make no assumptions.  A shorter center spindle was provided with the kit, so I realize that replaces the longer one, but the longer one is, so far, impossible to remove (with pliers or channel-lock wrench).  I don't want to do any damage, but does it take a lot of effort to remove it?

 

Next, does the small bowl replace the large bowl or sit inside it (as is the case with many food processors)?

 

Thanks for any help.

Yes - takes a lot of effort to remove it. Use a long wrench with the greatest torque (I got hubby to do it for me). Small bowl replaces the larger bowl. 

[Jim D.]

10 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Yes - takes a lot of effort to remove it. Use a long wrench with the greatest torque (I got hubby to do it for me). Small bowl replaces the larger bowl. 

 

Thanks for the information.  So how soon can hubby be in Virginia?

[Jim D.]

Just so we don't leave this dilemma unsolved:  After colleting every tool I could borrow without success in removing the center post and collecting the names of some local machine shops, I just spoke with Bhavani to see if there were any hints about removing the center post.  He acknowledged the difficulty and said sometimes the center post gets "welded" to other steel parts when it is initially screwed in, but he had the ultimate solution:  He is sending me the brand-new stainless holders for the micro bowl (I have the plastic ones), so I will not have to remove the center post.  I'm a little disappointed because I wanted to see how much force it eventually took to remove it (just kidding).

[Jim D.]

For the micro-batch accessory for the Premier melanger, the stated minimum is 0.5kg, but I could not find a maximum on the Premier website.  I did locate this statement:  

• This new optional economy-size drum and roller stone set are ideal for recipe testing or small batch sampling as yield is only 1.1 pounds/0.5kg.

It would seem odd if the maximum and minimum were the same (that is a rather tight specification to work with).  Does anyone know what the maximum is?

[jauhe]

I've been poking around the Chocolate Alchemy website and it looks like fun experimenting with different beans and recipes, but I'm curious. For those making their own chocolate, how do your results compare with couverture from the main brands? Does there wind up being a noticeable difference in quality or smoothness or fluidity maybe I saw someone mention?

[gap]

The biggest issue with making bean to bar chocolate at home is getting repeatable taste from your chocolate. You can tweak recipes to get whatever fluidity you need but buying small batches of beans from different suppliers at different times of the year means it's tough to make a consistent tasting chocolate (dark moreso than milk). It's been a few years since I was last doing it, but for someone living in Australia (as I do) it was generally more expensive to make my own chocolate using small melangers than buying in bulk (cost of importing beans and AUD/USD exchange rate).

 

That said, it was fun to do and I learned a lot about chocolate by doing it.

Edited September 23, 2023 by gap (log)

[Douglas K]

As Gap says, getting repeatable results using different beans is impossible. I have made batches from the same beans/year bought at different times with the same (or very close) results, it’s not an equipment or batch size issue, it’s a raw material issue. Making couverture and bean to bar chocolate are two different things. The fun of bean to bar is trying chocolate from different areas/farmers/years, kind of like with wine, and tasting different flavors. I’ve also made bonbons from my own chocolate, and really haven’t seen any issues with the performance of the chocolate, but I am also not a professional, and everything is difficult for me so I wouldn’t notice. 🤣 

[pastrygirl]

As mentioned in another confections thread, Valrhona Orelys has been discontinued.

 

I made a batch attempting to duplicate it a few months ago using India Tree dark muscovado sugar.  That was very molasses-y so I diluted it with an additional 50% Felchlin Edelweiss and came very close to the flavor of the original.  I just finished a new batch using India Tree light muscovado sugar, and it's pretty close without needing to be diluted (though I think the first franken-batch was even closer).  Mine is not as creamy, so it could be worth looking for full fat milk powder.   Though I may go back to version 1 next time, might as well get 3 kg instead of 2 if I have to wash the melanger? 😅

 

Cost-wise, assuming you already have a melanger and your labor is free 🙄 it might even be cheaper than Valrhona.  Yield approx 2.1 kg at approx $21/kg   (Assuming cocoa butter is $30/kg, milk powder was $11.50, muscovado sugar $5.  YMMV)

 

 

800 g cocoa butter

50 g browned butter (optional, especially if you can find full-fat milk powder)

450 g/1 bag India Tree light muscovado sugar

200 g C&H light brown sugar

22 oz/624g/1 bag nonfat dry milk powder

seeds from half a vanilla bean

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Helps to have everything warm, mix the melted fats and sugar first and get that going, then add the milk gradually over the first hour or 2 so the machine doesn't struggle. 

[Jim D.]

I used pastrygirl's recipe to make a batch of homemade Orelys (and I want to thank her for doing all the work to develop a recipe).  I used the same India Tree dark muscovado, but also used white sugar (as the recipe she gave me called for).  After much searching I found whole milk powder (from King Arthur Flour), so I  omitted the butter.  I had never made any sort of chocolate in the melanger, so was not sure what to expect.  It was very easy.  I put the melted cocoa butter in the melanger, then added the sugar, followed immediately by the milk powder (about 1/4 cup at a time).  The mixture thickened up with the powder, so I used a hair dryer for a little while until everything flowed smoothly.  I had the melanger in a room where I could easily regular the temp, so I managed to get everything quite warm.  Premier melangers has a recipe that is somewhat similar and calls for 3.5 hours of grinding.  I found my "Orelys" was smooth enough before 3 hours.  The taste is close to Valrhona's product, but it could use a little more of the muscovado taste, so next time I would use more muscovado and less white sugar (or maybe use some brown).  I think it is the muscovado that gives Orelys its slightly licorice taste, and I would like to have more of that.  I kept some actual Orelys for future taste comparisons.   In the recipes where I used Orelys (pecan gianduja, cinnamon bun ganache), the chocolate doesn't have to stand on its own, so I am content with something close to Valrhona's product.

 

My calculated price was about $60 for 2.5kg (compared to Valrhona's $87 price for the same amount).  Would I do it again?  Maybe, but given my uses of Orelys, I might be tempted to use Valrhona's Dulcey plus a little molasses powder.  Washing that melanger is not as much fun as one might imagine.