ultravista
Well-Known Member
sleewok - did you roast the nibs or use them as-is?
Are the bins of cacao (not bags) roasted or not?
Are the bins of cacao (not bags) roasted or not?
sleewok - did you roast the nibs or use them as-is?
Are the bins of cacao (not bags) roasted or not?
I heard once, and mind it could be urban legend... Chocolate in the U.S. (especially companies like Hershey) are actually allowed a certain amount of food grade wax in their chocolate. I may be crazy but I have noticed that plain chocolate in Canada (Quebec) actually tastes better than in the U.S. apparently for that reason. Allegedly they are not allowed to use such ingredients in Canada...
It is indeed an urban legend. I've never seen chocolate listed with wax as an ingredient. Over refining can give chocolate a waxy texture, but it's not wax.
As for the sour milk. Another urban myth. The 'distinct' flavor is often from very poor grade beans, over roasted and over refined. That may well be the sour taste you note. I know I have. They have to use dry milk powder like everyone else, and to my knowledge, there are no soured dry milk powders...unless you could dry butter milk. But I can't see them using that as it is so much more expensive.
Supporting article here. 4th and 5th paragraphs from the bottom.The process is a trade secret, but experts speculate that the milk is partially lipolyzed, producing butyric acid, which stabilizes the milk from further fermentation. This compound gives the product a particular sour, "tangy" taste, to which the US public has become accustomed, to the point that other manufacturers often add butyric acid to their milk chocolates.
I still don't see anything in this entire thread that says how long nibs should be left in the secondary. What happens if they are left too long?
Chemist here. Sadly, that's the rub. I've not found a great way. It's that whole oil and water not mixing bit.
But I would like to ask for clarification of what you want. Do you want to know how to keep the cocoa butter out of your beer or how to properly extract the flavor contained therein?
Enter your email address to join: