Godel Chocolates "From Beans to Chocolate" your new locally made chocolate brand

"Anything is good if it's made of chocolate." ~Jo Brand

I was once and will always be a chocoholic, well a little bit until now in a healthy side since, I am becoming health conscious with regards to my sugar intake, I have become a connoisseur during my 20's and 30's. I had my fair share of exceptionally good chocolate especially those with almonds, cashews, nuts, fruits, and my favorite with mints. But did you know that chocolate was used as a currency before? The early Mesoamericans valued chocolate to such an extent that they used it as a currency. I wonder if that’s why we still have chocolate coins today? And the first chocolate bar was made in England by Joseph Fry who created the first modern chocolate bar in 1847. Milk Chocolate was invented in Switzerland by Daniel Peter, who worked at the Nestle factory in Vevey, in 1887 adapted the original chocolate formula by adding condensed milk to the mix. Today the formula for milk chocolate is totally different.

If you are a chocolate lover then you know that cacao beans are needed to make chocolate but you probably haven’t given too much thought as to how it becomes the end product. I certainly hadn’t until I was invited for a tour at JCG Marketing Group, Inc., a factory on which the latest proud locally made chocolate is being made using Vesmach machine which they sell bakery equipment's.

Did you know that the scientific name of Cacao Tree is Theobroma Cacao, grown about 30 feet tall, it takes about 5 years before the tree gets the first fruit known as cacao pods The cacao pods take around 4-5 months to grow, then they need to ripen over a few more weeks. The pods are harvested by hand using a sharp blade. The pods are broken open within 10 days of being harvested. The beans take around 5 days to ferment in a special box and then they are left to dry in the sun for 1-2 weeks. During the process, they change from the purplish color to brown.

Godel is a Philippine-based cacao/chocolate solutions provider and bean-to-bar artisanal chocolate maker. A line of equipment for chocolate makers from sorting to packaging. Godel aims to uplift the Philippine cacao industry by distributing machines and wares from reputable brands specialized in cacao bean processing and production of craft chocolate as well as compound chocolate. With Godel cacao/chocolate solutions, small, home-based start-ups to industrial-scale factories will be able to produce good quality chocolate products for the local and international market.

Consist of the shell, pulp and the cacao bean. Usually red, yellow, orange when ripe.

Hold 40 to 50 cacao beans.

Let me give you a glimpse of the chocolate making process, including basic principles and the possible solutions/equipment utilized to manufacture it.

PROCESSING

Sorting

Identifying and segregating the cacao beans according to size and quality good beans vs. rejects).

Mixing beans of differet sies in a single roast will result in:

Different taste profile
Small beans will be over roasted
Large be as will be well-roasted or under-roasted

This process is usually done manually. For industrial-scale production, a multi-layer vibro sifter or specialized bean sorter may be used. Sorting by size, group beans according to size to ensure uniformity of taste during roasting.

Sorting by quality eliminate poor quality cacao beans from the batch before roasting.

Roasting

Roasting cacao beans process may be done using an oven or coffee roaster. Industrial roasters especially for cacao beans are also available.

For Godel chocolate they're using Godel 810N Coffee Roaster machine that has up to 8kg capacity for cacao beans. Cast from inner pot, hopper and air ventilation control. Strong cooling trough.

Roasting involves conduction and conviction (heat and air flow) to cook the cacao beans.

To further develop taste profile of the beans.
To help in debacterization of the beans.

Check bean temperature for a record of roasting profile. Cooling after roasting is important, so the beans will quickly stop bakingi n their own heat. well-roasted beans should be easy to crack. The husk should also be easy to separate from the nib.

Roasting profile is different per chocolate maker depending on the taste profile they wish to achieve. Final product may be bitter, fruity or nutty.

Cracking

Cracking of roasted cacao beans into smaller particles is helpful for easier handling of nibs and husks.

With the use of Cocoatown Power Cracker easy to operate and has speed controller, stainless steel rollers with hopper for easy feeding. Made of high quality stainless steel.

Manual cracking may be done by pounding the beans placed in aplastic bag. Depending on scale, cracking equipment.

Winnowing

The separation of the nibs from the husks. Manually winnowing may be done through a method called "pagtatahip" (shaking the grain to remove husks).

Winnowing is done with an improvised winnowers with vacuums, fans or blowers may also be used. Depending on scale, winnowing equipment may be used for this process such as:

Cocoatown Deluxe Winnower
PACKTINT Crack Winnower

Separates more than 99% of husks in a single pass. Hygienic system as dust/husks are contained. Comes with 750 watt vacuum cleaner. Best used with Godel Vibrating Material Feeding Machine Stand. Feeder saves manpower and improves production efficiency. Feeding rate is adjustable. Winnower provides maximum yield of nibs foe less wastage. Husks are placed in a separate container. The nibs may be consumed or refined into cocoa mass

Tip: The husks can be used as cacao tea

Refining

The process of smoothing the texture of the cacao nibs. During the refining stage, sugar and/or milk powder are added to turn the mixture into chocolate.

The process further improves the texture of the chocolate into a more edible form. It is done with refiners, grinders or melangers are commonly used for refining. The whole process could take 72 hours or more to finish.

An optional step called PRE-REFINING may be done to reduce the size of the nibs. Pre-refining lessens the time for refining significantly.

Pre-refining is done depending in scale, pre-refining equipment may be used for this process such as:

Colloid Mill
Nut Butter Grinder
PACKINT Prerefiner

Refining is done depending on scale, refining equipment may be used for the process such as:

Refiner
Melanger
Ball Mill

Ball Mill 20 is used for Godel up to 20lbs capacity. A ball mill grinds material by rotating a cylinder with steel grinding balls.

This results in chocolate with a silky, smooth finish If ball mill is used after pre-refining, refining time will take only a few hours instead of days.

Ingredients such as sugar, milk powder, cocoa butter, and/or soy lecithin are added to the cocoa mass. After a few minutes of initial mixing, remaining cocoa mass and other ingredients are added. After approximately 2 hours record the temperature, has a speed of 74 revolutions per minute (RPM).

Conching

The process of burning or volatilizing the acetic acid in chocolate. During this stage the flavor and texture of chocolate is further developed.

A temperature of 40 degree celsius and up should be maintained to control the flow and circulation of the chocolate. The process takes several hours to days depending on the chocolate maker and their equipment.

Refiners or melangers may be used for conching. For industrial scale production specialized conching equipment are also available.

DCM Melanger 20 is used for conching an all stainless steel, extra heavy duty frame. All-natural, high-quality granite stones. 0-120 revolutions per minute (RPM) - variable. Drum tilting mechanism to easily unload product.

Small Scale Refining

Refining and conching may be done using a single machine. The whole process takes about 2-3 days to finish depending on the chocolate maker. The process may become quicker if machine is used in a warm environment.

The refining to conching using the Premier Tilting Chocolate Refiner an all-natural, high-quality granite stones up to 10lbs capacity, drum and stones may be pre-heated in an oven.

Add a portion of the cacao nibs gradually. Loading it quickly will cause stones to stop and prevent machine from spinning. You can use a blow dryer or heat gun to apply heat. Turn the top lock knob to apply pressure. Once paste looks similar to chunky peanut butter add in remaining cacao nibs gradually. Close with lid and leave for a few hours, after a few hours of refining, paste appears shiny. Sweetener and other ingredients may be added. Cocoa liquor (or paste made from cacao nibs) should have at least 1% sugar to be considered chocolate. Thus, 100% chocolate is technically not possible.

The percentage in chocolate products refer to the amount of pure cocoa liquor in the mixture. the remaining percentage refers to different ingredients such as sugar, soy lecithin, etc, depending on formulation.

Using a micrometer, chocolate is at about 20 microns.

Conching time may take several hours to days depending ont he chocolate maker's preference.

Tempering

The process of aligning the fat crystals in chocolate.

A cacao bean consists of one-half cocoa solid and one-half cocoa butter. Cocoa butter, the fat in chocolate can crystalize in any one of 6 different forms. Only one of these 6 different forms, which is the beta 5 crystal (or Form V), hardens into the firm, shiny chocolate that chocolate makers want.

Tempering may be manually done on a cool granite countertop with spatula and IR thermometer.

Tempering is one of the most difficult steps in the chocolate-making process. Time, movement and temperature all have to fall into place in order to temper properly.

Constant movement is done bring down the temperature of the chocolate, using the thermometer to monitor it.

Moulds are often pre-heated in an oven before moulding. Temperature of mould and chocolate should be almost the same to prevent fat or sugar blooms.

When done properly, chocolate will have:

Smooth, glossy finish
Nice snap when broken off
Retraction, which refers to a slight shrinking for easier demoulding

When done poorly chocolate will appear dull and fat blooms may occur. These are the white specks that appear on the surface of chocolate. Usually mistaken for molds fat blooms do not mean that chocolate had expired.

Once placed in moulds, it should be tapped a few times to remove air bubbles.

However, these effect the appearance and appetite appeal of the product. Fat blooms are the result of a combination of:

Bad tempering
Improper storage

After tempering, chocolate is immediately placed in moulds to achieve the desired shape or design. Dosing is a term used to refer to the precise dispensing of chocolate into the moulds. This is achieved using tempering and dosing machines for industrial production.

Semi-Automated Tempering & Moulding

Tempering and dosing machines are recommended for commercial production of chocolate in order to avoid missteps in tempering.

Optional dosing unit for moulds with built-in vibrating table to remove air bubbles.

Using Gami Diva25-21, has circuit board for controls. Continuous operation tempering machine with 25kg bowl capacity. Chocolate flow is adjustable with a number of optional add-ons/accessories for increased functionality.

Through adjustable settings, accurate tempering and dosing/moulding is easily achieved with minimal mess or clean-up.

Cooling

Notes for Cooling

Don't leave chocolate in the freezer for too log. The chocolate will become too cold and will sweat or crack when brought into room temperature. The humidity level in the room, along with room temperature, can alter ideal conditions and results.

Example of Cooling Equipment:

Chiller (with humidifier)
Retarder proofer
Cooling Tunnel

After cooling, chocolate is demoulded using a small amount of force or twisting.

Purpose of Cooling

Removal of latent heat for chocolate to solidify
Retraction of chocolate so it can demould easily

Important Factors for Cooling

Low humidity
Avoid any condensation or moisture on the chocolate

Recommended Values

Time: 35 to 40 minutes (depending on size and thickness of chocolate)
Temperature: 5C / 41F
Relative Humidity: 30%

Packaging

Example of Industrial Packaging Equipment:

Electric Capping Machine
Delfin Auriga500 Flow Packaging Machine

Sakamoto Lime may be added to further prolong shelf life. An air-tight canister is sealed using an electric capping machine.

Purpose of Packaging:

To prolong shelf life of product
To not expose product to air ad microorganisms
To protect product from dust, moisture and anything that may degrade it
To make product presentable and incite customer purchase

Delfin Auriga 500 Flow Packaging Machine

Metal detector is another useful machine used for packaging.

Godel Chocolate Products

Godel is passionate in making Philippine cacao world class by investing heavily on time-tested, imported technology and making this technology accessible to Filipino individuals and businesses.

A line of bean-to-bar artisanal chocolates and cacao by-products:

Bean-to-Bar Chocolate: 70%
Bean-to-Bar Chocolate: 50%
Bean-to-Bar Chocolate: 50% Milk
Tablea – 100% Cocoa Liquor
Tablea – Sweetened
Cacao Tea
Cacao Nibs

SOON:

Couverture Chocolate for Bakers/Chocolatiers

Godel products are made from locally-sourced, fermented cacao beans. Cacao seeds that go through fermentation result in more flavorful beans that produce a distinctly fruity chocolate product.

Their chocolates are manufactured using the latest technology, resulting in consistent quality, fine texture and smooth mouthfeel. Also, by adhering to the fundamentals of chocolate making, Godel products are simple in formulation but packed with the flavors that make chocolate delightful and enjoyable.

With their expertise, reach and experience in the country, backed up by thousands of bakery equipment installations, the company hopes to help Philippine Cacao stakeholders advance the industry faster by using the right technology and employing a mindset to do things right the first time around.