Part 12 (1/2)

As fineness is a very important quality of cocoa, the powder so obtained is very carefully sieved. This is effected by shaking the powder into an inclined rotating drum which is covered with silk gauze. In the cocoa which pa.s.ses through this fine silk sieve, the average length of the individual particles is about 0.001 inch, whilst in first-cla.s.s productions the size of the larger particles in the cocoa does not average more than 0.002 inch. Indeed, the cocoa powder is so fine that in spite of all precautions a certain amount always floats about in the air of sieving rooms, and covers everything with a brown film.

(_l_) _Packing._

The cocoa powder is taken to the packing rooms. Here the tedious weighing by hand has been replaced by ingenious machines, which deliver with remarkable accuracy a definite weight of cocoa into the paper bag which lines the tin. The tins are then labelled and packed in cases ready for the grocer.

CHAPTER VI

THE MANUFACTURE OF CHOCOLATE

Since the great improvements of the steam engine, it is astonis.h.i.+ng to what a variety of manufactures this useful machine has been applied: yet it does not a little excite our surprise that one is used for the trifling object of grinding chocolate.

It is, however, a fact, or at least, we are credibly informed, that Mr. Fry, of Bristol, has in his new manufactory one of these engines for the sole purpose of manufacturing chocolate and cocoa.

_Berrow's Worcester Journal,_ June 7th, 1798.

What I am about to write under this heading will only be of a general character. Those who require a more detailed exposition are referred to the standard works given at the end of the chapter. In these, full and accurate information will be found. The information published in modern Encyclopaedias, etc., concerning the manufacture of chocolate is not always as reliable as one might expect. Thus it states in Jack's excellent _Reference Book_ (1914) that ”Chocolate is made by the addition of water and sugar.” The use of water in the manufacture of chocolate is contrary to all usual practice, so much so that great interest was aroused in the trade some years ago by the statement that water was being used by a firm in Germany.

SPECIMEN OUTLINE RECIPE.

Ingredients required for _plain eating-chocolate_.

Cacao nib or ma.s.s 33 parts.

Cacao b.u.t.ter 13 ”

Sugar 53-3/4 ”

Flavouring 1/4 ”

------------- 100 parts

Since eating-chocolate is produced by mixing sugar and cacao nib, with or without flavouring materials, and reducing to a fine h.o.m.ogeneous ma.s.s, the principles underlying its manufacture are obviously simple, yet when we come to consider the production of a modern high-cla.s.s chocolate we find the processes involved are somewhat elaborate.

(_a_) _Preparing the Nib or ”Ma.s.s.”_

The nib is obtained in exactly the same way as in the manufacture of cocoa, the beans being cleaned, roasted and sh.e.l.led. The roasting, however, is generally somewhat lighter for chocolate than for cocoa. The nibs produced may be used as they are, or they may be first ground to ”ma.s.s” by means of mill-stones as described above.

(_b_) _Mixing in the Sugar._

Some makers use clear crystalline granulated sugar, others disintegrate loaf sugar to a beautiful snow-white flour. The nib, coa.r.s.e or finely ground, is mixed with the sugar in a kind of edge-runner or grinding-mixer, called a _melangeur_. As is seen in the photo, the _melangeur_ consists of two heavy mill-stones which are supported on a granite floor. This floor revolves and causes the stationary mill-stones to rotate on their axes, so that although they run rapidly, like a man on a ”joy wheel,” they make no headway. The material is prevented from acc.u.mulating at the sides by curved sc.r.a.pers, which gracefully deflect the stream of material to the part of the revolving floor which runs under the mill-stones. Thus the sugar and nib are mixed and crushed. As the mixture usually becomes like dough in consistency, it can be neatly removed from the _melangeur_ with a shovel. The operator rests a shovel lightly on the revolving floor, and the material mounts into a heap upon it.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CHOCOLATE MELANGEUR.

Reproduced by permission of Messrs. Lake. Orr & Coy. Ltd.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLAN OF CHOCOLATE MELANGEUR.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: CHOCOLATE REFINING MACHINE.