Cocoa Grinding
The dried and fully fermented cocoa bean contains about 50 % cocoa butter (fat) and 50 % solids. For cocoa powder production the roasted beans or nibs are ground to a cocoa mass or liquor and cocoa butter is extracted in a press. The solid cocoa press cake contains a residual fat content of usually about 10 to 12 % (in some cases up to 22 %). Cocoa powder, the ground cocoa solids, is produced by breaking the press cake into pieces followed by a grinding step to a fine powder in a Bauermeister Impact Mill. For compound chocolate or compound coatings, the lower cost and easily workable alternative to chocolate, the cocoa powder is mixed with ingredients such as sugar and often milk powder or lactose and ground to an even finer particle size. The powdered ingredients are then mixed with cocoa butter and other vegetable fats to create the compound mass used mainly as a coating or enrobing of pastries, candies or chocolate bars.
Universal Mills, Gap Mills, Double Acting Pin Millsand Air Classifiers
Bauermeister comes from a long history in chocolate and cocoa machinery. This knowledge and experience were used to develop a special plant setup and mill configuration especially for cocoa and compound chocolate powder grinding. Difficulties that were taken into account for cocoa grinding include:
- Existence of hard to grind and abrasive shell fractions
- Tendency of cocoa powder to stick (especially at higher fat contents)
- Necessity of a cooling / conditioning after grinding to achieve a free-flowing cocoa powder without the inclination to clump
Many Bauermeister mills are established all around the world for the grinding of cocoa press cake or compound chocolate recipes. For every application there is an optimal combination of mill parameters depending on the recipe, residual fat content, desired fineness and throughput. The right mill setup and integration of the mill into a production plant depend on the general conditions as well as on the individual requirements of every plant operator. For the evaluation of the criteria Bauermeister specialists are available for a competent consultation.
For machines for chocolate production from the fermented cocoa bean to the finished, conched chocolate mass, please visit our affiliated company HDM. With an equivalent long history and experience in chocolate machinery their portfolio includes roasters, presses, mixers, refiners and conches of the highest quality and modern standards.
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