"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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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I make chocolate?

A: Well, that is THE question isn’t it? From the main page, on the right hand side, the is a list of steps; Cocoa beans, Roasting… Just follow those links in order and it will walk you through the process from Raw Cocoa Beans to Finished Chocolate.

Q: I have heard that cocoa beans have health benefit and that I can eat them raw.

A: I too have seen these studies and information about eating them raw. I also have seen documentation that raw cocoa beans (even organic) can be contaminated with molds, bacteria and other organisms. I would really recommended roasting to help minimize and potential problems. If you do decide to eat them raw, I would suggest peeling them of their husk, as this is where the contamination can reside. I do not suggest, or support eating raw cocoa beans. Please do your research and make an informed decision.

Q: Do I have to use a Champion Juicer to make chocolate? I have seen that other people say I can use a mortar and pestle, blender or coffee grinder.

A: It all depends what you want your finished chocolate product to be like. I am trying to give you the information needed to make good chocolate, indistinguishable from commercial. I don’t want you to have to reinvent the wheel. That is why I am here. When you give someone a piece of your homemade chocolate, I want the comment to be “WOW, that’s great”, not “that’s good FOR homemade”. Know what I mean? Through MANY tests, I have found that the Champion Juicer is the only readily available product on the market that will give you the very smooth cocoa liquer needed for making chocolate. All of those other pieces of equipment did not give me the product I wanted. If you find another piece of equipment that works, please tell me.

Q:  Can’t I use “just a little water” to dissolve the sugar and eliminate the refining step with the Melanger?

A:  In a word, no.  Go check out the Water and Chocolate FAQ for this question alone.
Q: I don’t see my question here. How can I get answers?

A: Either write me at the above e-mail address, or better yet, leave a question in the comments section on the main page (here). That way other people can see and learn also. The only dumb question is an unasked one!

23 Responses to “Frequently Asked Questions”

  1. Robert, on December 6th, 2008 at 12:05 pm Said:

    Do You have to use powdered milk? Would using warm milk work the same?

  2. Alchemist John, on December 8th, 2008 at 5:46 pm Said:

    Robert, If you have not, read the Water and Chocolate FAQ.

    The short answer is No. Not even close to the same. You can not use warm (or cold, etc) milk. It contains water that that will cause the chocolate to seize.

  3. Jan Kelley, on February 17th, 2009 at 4:57 pm Said:

    I’m the Activities Program Manager at a resort in Southern Oregon. Do you ever travel to do presentations? Our owners and guests might really enjoy meeting you and learning something about the science/art of chocolate making.
    Thanks for your response.
    Jan

  4. Daniel Fawcett, on February 20th, 2009 at 2:29 pm Said:

    Thank you for all the information. I live in Costa Rica and am beginning to make my own chocolate. I have a lack of equipment and would like your advice. Would you use a melanger-grinder to both crush nibs and conch. I really don’t need to be high production at this point and am trying to decide on which heavy item to have brought down to me first.

    Thanks again for all the great info.

    PS-I am an Oregon expat.

  5. Brook, on March 5th, 2009 at 5:32 pm Said:

    Super-Duper site! I am loving it!! Will come back again - taking you feeds also, Thanks.

  6. Warez Crack, on March 20th, 2009 at 11:53 am Said:

    Appreciate the info guys, thanks

  7. Patricia, on April 14th, 2009 at 2:01 pm Said:

    Hi!
    Is it specifically the Champion juicer, or would another high quality juice extractor, such as the Green Star GS 3000, suffice (http://www.greenstar.com/index.asp ?) I’d like to only purchase one for both my juicing and chocolate making needs!!
    Thanks…

  8. Alchemist John, on April 16th, 2009 at 1:13 pm Said:

    Patricia,
    So far, the Champion is the only juicer that I have found that works although any masticating juicer should work. Centrifugal juicers absolutely do not work. Twin gears (like the Greenstar) I doubt would work as it works as a press, and cocoa beans are not ready to press. They need to be ground.

    This is from your link:

    “(1) - Flat surfaces that triturate, that is press, the food and extrudes it over (2) a serial magnet surrounded by bioceramic materials that enhances the stability of the freshness of the food. This process occurs at (3) a low speed of 110 RPM, which means that there is virtually no heating, or shock, to the enzymes of any food passing through these gears. ”

    1) it is a press - not good for cocoa liqueur.
    2) NA
    3) Bad for grinding cocoa. You get a non-flowing paste if the grinding is too cool, i.e. nothing comes out and you have a mess.

  9. Van, on June 15th, 2009 at 3:00 am Said:

    1. I love this website!
    2. I don’t understand how to email you, so i’m using the faq instead to ask how much extra would it cost for you to ship 1lb of cacao beans to london, england?
    3.Thankyou

  10. Alchemist John, on June 15th, 2009 at 6:54 am Said:

    Van,

    The “Contact” link at the top of every page.

    http://www.chocolatealchemy.com/contact-us/

    Email is in there.

    For one pound of cocoa, I would recommend the Flat rate envelope at $11.

  11. Jeff, on August 12th, 2009 at 2:45 am Said:

    I request to ask , how much has been studied in using raw dried sugarcane juice sweet blocks known as Indian Jaggery, in mixing with the cocoa powder instead of sugar crystal granules.
    If not yet known of this mixture , give as an off the cuff opinion as to its possible end result. Many thanks.

  12. Alchemist John, on September 8th, 2009 at 10:37 pm Said:

    I think it might work fine. Moisture is the main issue you would want to watch. Generally though cocoa powder will not give you a great flavor or texture. It is usually heavily processed and not really meant for chocolate.

  13. Shannon, on January 5th, 2010 at 7:03 am Said:

    Hello John,

    I was looking for your email address to place an order, but on the contact page it just states “chocolatealchemy.com”. I’m sure I’m misunderstanding and apologise, but could you please let me of your email address? Thank you.

  14. Alchemist John, on January 5th, 2010 at 8:19 am Said:

    Shannon,

    1) You don’t need to order by e-mail, although questions are welcome. Just go to the Retail or Wholesale like at the top right of the page and that will take you to the online stores.

    2) The email is “Contact at (you know @) Chocolatealchemy.com” Does that make any more sense?

  15. Michal Young, on March 12th, 2010 at 10:31 am Said:

    The question about water says to look at the Water and Chocolate FAQ, but the link is back to this FAQ … and endless circle. Wasn’t it supposed to link off to a separate FAQ to answer questions about water?

  16. Alchemist John, on March 13th, 2010 at 12:44 pm Said:

    Michal,

    Thanks for that catch. No one in a couple years caught that. It’s all fixed now.

  17. Laurel, on March 22nd, 2010 at 11:21 am Said:

    ::grins::

    I did mention that I investigate and research things, right?

    ::hugs::

    great website, I love that you do this!!

    in peace,
    Laurel

  18. Chocoholic, on June 9th, 2010 at 6:54 pm Said:

    I’ve been researching home chocolate making for a long time. One thing that keeps coming up that I have issues with is the use of soy lecithin. I know not much is used and you can make chocolate without it. But soy lecithin is very controversial, people can be allergic to it, many soybeans are GMO and the lecithin is extracted from a waste product left over from manafacturing soybean oil with a chemical solvent. Soy lethicin doesn’t seem to be discussed much on your website or infact any website about making chocolate. It’s just taken for granted that it’s used and because it’s such a small amount it doesn’t count.

  19. Jennifer, on June 16th, 2010 at 6:04 pm Said:

    I want to make dairy free chocolate with a hard chocolate coating (like an M & M). I have searched on the internet but I haven’t found anything. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

  20. Alchemist John, on June 17th, 2010 at 8:14 pm Said:

    Chocolholic:
    Lecithin is completely optional. It helps bind water that can be very troublesome, and it is also a viscosity modifier that is cheaper than cocoa butter. Those points aside, it is completely optional just to repeat.

    Jennifer:
    Dairy free is easy - it’s just dark chocolate. The coating is a different story. M&M I believe is a shellac based sugar glaze. I’ve not played with those. Anyone else? You could try checking the forum - there might be more suggestions there.

  21. Jennifer, on July 6th, 2010 at 11:29 am Said:

    John: Yes, I knew to use dark chocolate to be dairy free but it is that coating that has be stumped. I will check out the forum, thanks!

  22. Nash, on July 29th, 2010 at 6:13 pm Said:

    Hello,
    I am an aspiring chocolatier hoping to produce chocolate from the bean commercially in the future. i notice you never use Nigerian Cocoa although it is a major exporter of coca. Is there something wrong with it?
    I ask because i plan to use it and dont want to risk it. what would be your honest professional opinion please?

  23. Alchemist John, on July 29th, 2010 at 8:58 pm Said:

    Nash, in general, and speaking very broadly, it is a mediocre commodity grade bean. Of course, there may be some quite good cocoa coming out of Nigeria, but my experience has been uneven preparation, over and under fermentation, and a lack of consistency. That isn’t to say it can’t be good, but I’ve not tasted it. Trust your tastes. If you’ve found a good source, then that is great.

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