Processing of chocolate The processing of chocolate includes the first nine stages as for the processing of cocoa and involves further stages. Mixing or Mélangeur The chocolate mass is thoroughly mixed with powdered sugar in the mélangeur. A mélangeur (French mixer) of traditional design consists of two vertically positioned rotating heavy rollers standing on horizontally heated beds. During loading the mélangeur should be heated to 40o C the mixing operation is carried out at 50o C to 60o C. Mixing should not be longer than 20-25 minutes. During the mixing process the chocolate mix becomes homogeneous. Refining This is done by passing the mixture through a series of five heavy steel rollers to reduce the size o f the individual non- fat particles further, So that the chocolate will be very smooth to the palate. The most widely used refining equipment is the 3 or 5 roller mill. Each roller operates at different speeds, arranged to cause the chocolate to flow from the lowest vertically upwards to the top roll. The lowest roll is operated at the slowest speed. Feed rate and temperatures should be kept constant. The latter may be fixed within the range 20o C to 40o C. Refined chocolate should be removed from the top roll by accurately positioning the scraper, blades and discharge into containers. Conching This final stage is concerned with producing a standard quality of chocolate. Conching is the mechanical agitation of the chocolate mass with additional cocoa butter. This stirring process takes place in large drums or conches, from the Spanish conch meaning shell in which the chocolate is heated and kneaded with rollers at a temperature of 60 - 70o C Tempering The final process is called tempering. Uncontrolled crystallization of cocoa butter typically results in crystals of varying size, some or all large enough to be clearly seen with the naked eye. This causes the surface of the chocolate to appear mottled and matte, and causes the chocolate to crumble rather than snap when broken. The uniform sheen and crisp bite of properly processed chocolate are the result of consistently small cocoa butter crystals produced by the tempering process. This process is a method of inducing cocoa butter to crystallize in a stable 08
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