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"It is dark as the AlChemist walks along the corridor, rough stone under his feet, air warmed from well smoldering hearth fires stirring his cowl. He opens a hewn timber door, worn smooth at the threshold over years of use. He breaths deeply the comforting smells of this laboratory. Hints of wood and smoke linger in the air from the last time he roasted raw materials for his elixirs. Another smell, heady and almost intoxicating, brings a smile to his face as he remembers the smell wafting up as he was last grinding his pastes and powders. He looks about. Everything is in place. The roasting drum is cool in the hearth. The mortars and pestles are laid out neat and tidy, only a small amount of deep brown paste marring their finish. The cracking mill is sitting ready, waiting for the next batch to be crushed fresh out of the roaster. It is time to begin his magic, his devotion, his passion, his Alchemy, yet again. He prepares himself for the work ahead. The roasting, the cracking, the winnowing, the grinding, the mixing. The transformation of base materials into something more than they were. The transformation of cocoa beans to chocolate, the work of Chocolate Alchemy."
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This is valid […]
Filed under: What's new & Updates | No Comments »
I have gone through and tasted all of the cocoa beans I have in stock and evaluated them as Brewing Cocoa. Where as, in my opinion, all have the potential to make great chocolate, not all translate into brewed chocolate well. Generally speaking, but very bright ones (Papua New Guinea and Madagascar) do not do […]
Filed under: What's new & Updates | 3 Comments »
Have a great one everyone!
Filed under: What's new & Updates, Alchemist's Musings | No Comments »
There has recently been a lot of buzz about various brewing chocolates. Choffy and Crio Bru are the two big ones that come to mind. I’ve received more inquires than I can count about what makes them so special, if my roasted cocoa beans will work and how one can make their own hot chocolate […]
Filed under: Products, Cocoa Beans, What's new & Updates, Alchemist's Musings | 12 Comments »
Sometimes I just can’t help myself. I don’t have the full size Aether readily available (although, it’s marching quickly closer), but I had to see if I could put together what I’ve wanted for years - a table top winnower.
And I did. May I present the Aether “Sprite” -
All the same basic features of the […]
Filed under: What's new & Updates, Cracking & Winnowing, Alchemist's Musings | 14 Comments »
I would like to officially announce the Aether Winnower.
50 lb capacity cracker. Dual air flow calibration. Clear sided husk trap. Stainless steel, aluminum, PVC construction. 1+lb/min winnowing rate.
And you can see the distribution of husk and nib. I just can’t ask for better than that. 80.7 % recovery.
I will be contacting those interested in beta […]
Filed under: What's new & Updates, Cracking & Winnowing | 18 Comments »
