Hey everyone, currently revisiting my sop for making chocolates as improvements are needed.
So far i just use chocolate melts and microwave them down in the biggest bowl i can that fits my microwave, roughly 2500g batches at a time. I have just been heating up my disty really hot and pouring it in and mixing by hand with a spatula. Im looking to upgrade my mixing, i have read in the search bar people talking about “industrial wand mixers” however i cant find anything about this on google. would an egg beater be ideal or can someone let me know what would work well for homogenizing my mix? i have a cat x1000d that i use for carts not sure if that is viable for this operation. As well i have read about using lethicin as an emulsifier, i currently dont use it. should it be the liquid or powder form? and do you mix this with the distillate before adding to the chocolate or you add the distillate than lethicin? and how much should be used ratio wise to distillate?
i use dark city molds and flood and scrape currently, if anyone has any experience flooding and scraping chocolate let me know what the best type of scrapers/tek is to use please and thanks. Im trying to scale this op up alot and have seen mixers like the FM14 but i dont have water/drain hookups at the current spot where this is done. any help is much appreciated thank you all.
An example of the robots getting pretty good at problem solving. Took about 5-6 backandforths to get this on code interpreter.
Absolutely, let’s combine all of the refined steps into one final, detailed guide for your infused chocolate making process.
Materials Needed
Item
Quantity
Chocolate melts
2500g
Distillate
5.56g (for 100 servings at 50mg active ingredient each)
MCT oil (Carrier oil)
Same volume as distillate
Lecithin (powder form recommended)
25g
Industrial wand mixer or immersion blender
1
Dark city molds
100 cavities
Scraper (plastic or metal pastry scraper)
1
Large microwave-safe bowl
1
Thermometer
1
Hot water bath
1
Dry and cool work surface (marble is ideal)
1
Dosage Calculation
Desired active ingredient per serving
Potency of distillate
Number of servings
Total distillate needed
50mg
90%
100
5.56g
Steps
Preparation: Clean all your tools and ensure that your distillate, MCT oil, and lecithin are at room temperature. Prepare your work area with a dry and cool surface, preferably marble.
Melting Chocolate: Place 2/3 of your chocolate melts (approximately 1667g) in the large bowl and microwave at a low power setting. Stir every 30 seconds until fully melted. The chocolate should reach a temperature of 45-50°C (113-122°F) for dark chocolate.
Preparing the Infusion: Warm your distillate until it becomes a liquid. Combine the liquid distillate with the MCT oil in a 1:1 ratio. Stir well to ensure they are thoroughly mixed.
Adding the Infusion and Lecithin: Gradually add the distillate and MCT oil mixture to the chocolate, mixing continuously with the industrial wand mixer or immersion blender for even distribution. Sprinkle 25g of lecithin over the mixture and continue blending until well combined.
Tempering Chocolate: Add the remaining 1/3 of your chocolate melts (approximately 833g) to the bowl and stir until all the chocolate is melted. Monitor the temperature until it drops to 27-28°C (80.6-82.4°F) for dark chocolate. Then, place the bowl in a hot water bath and heat the chocolate back up to 31-32°C (87.8-89.6°F) for dark chocolate. Frequently check the temperature with a thermometer to ensure it doesn’t exceed this range.
Molding: Pour the chocolate mixture into your dark city molds, filling each cavity evenly.
Scraping: Use your scraper to remove excess chocolate, ensuring each mold is filled to the correct level.
Setting: Allow the chocolates to cool and harden. This can be done at room temperature or you can speed up the process by placing the molds in the fridge.
Unmolding and Storage: Once the chocolates have fully set, gently remove them from the molds. Store them in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to package or serve them.
Remember to carefully monitor the distillate dosage to ensure consistent potency for each chocolate piece. Always adhere to local laws and regulations regarding the production and sale of infused products. Enjoy your chocolate making process!
Have you considered a double boiler instead of a microwave? I do not recommend a homogenizer. A standard Hobart-style of mixer may work at this scale depending on the ingredients in your chocolate melts. They have various attachment heads. You will have to play around with speed. It also does not hurt that it is in a metal bowl… Just as @Shrimp said, be careful with the carrier oil for sure.
Hope this helps!
No, but it would make homogenization easier. I worked in a shared kitchen space and another group was doing chocolate bars and they added the warm distillate directly to the chocolate tempering machine and let it mix for quite a while before pouring into molds on a vibrating table to remove air bubbles. I’ve never made chocolates myself, infused or otherwise, so I can’t guarantee anything but they’re still in business 5 years later.
Gotcha. I did a stint at incredibles and thought they just added it in. Was mostly curious if choc melts had enough fat to bind to the thc like a milk chocolate.
