I have read about that volatile compounds are released and the acidity in the chocolate drops as it is refined.  I tried to test the changes in pH.   After 12 hours there was hardly any change in pH (7.1 to 6.9). It clearly tastes different even after 12 hours but the acidity didn’t change.  How can I measure and track and acidity?

I notice you advocate dropping your beans into a hot roaster.  I assume this is because you want Maillard reactions and Strecker degradation products.  Is there a certain temperature that works best for these products?

I have just finished up the details of Chocolate Alchemy’s first Profile Roasting Seminar.  It is for June 24, 2017.  There are currently 6 out of 15 slots left.

Finishing phase. 

This phase extends from a bean temperature of 232 F until you decide your beans are fully roasted, generally 245-270 F, and lasts 3-6 minutes with the temperature continually rising.

I am roasting to reduce acidity and boost chocolate flavor: I use a 3k drum coffee roaster. Would you recommend roasting a bit longer or hotter maybe 25 minutes building up to 290 degrees?  For the Ugandan I've been enjoying a 21 min roast at 275 tops. 

If you have not heard of it yet, I suspect you are going to start hearing about Allulose.  And remember you heard it here first.

How can I relate this (the roasting profiles) to what happens in my Behmor, where I cannot control the temperature in subtle ways? 

Is testing the moisture level of the beans before roasting needed? I thought it may help cut back on the dry phase stage to insure you don't over roast. It's just I've seen coffee roasters do it.

I’ve been roasting in my convection oven at 250 F but I can’t tell when the beans are done.  How do I tell?

Could I ask your opinion about how the Gourmia compare to the Behmor roaster? I'm thinking of getting either from you. I'm hoping to roast both cacao and coffee beans.

In one of your articles you mentioned you like silk tempering more than chocolate seed tempering because of the strength of type V crystals in tempered cocoa butter. Can a chocolate tempered with chocolate seed have a chance of blooming because of the seed? I'm not sure if my last question made any sense but all I'm trying to understand is why chocolate seed crystals are not as good as silk seed crystals?   

Here's where I am coming from. I made a batch of 73% chocolate using the Lam Dong beans from Vietnam. The tropical fruity taste and tangy hints are excellent in this chocolate. It peaks about 4-5 seconds after placing it in your mouth and lasts about 4 seconds - it was heavenly. However, I found this fruity tang peaked on the second or third day after making the chocolate and then declined in intensity after that. I had placed the batch in a plastic container and sealed it but there was a lot of air space. So, how do you preserve this little piece of heaven? Tighter sealing? Freezing? or just accept it does not last long? I checked your answers, and did not see anything on storage of chocolate.

I can’t get tempering down. I follow everything but no matter what my chocolate blooms.  Here is my last batch.  I am being super careful and using the syringe you recommend or a small ladle so it is perfect.  Could my nibs be bad or the cocoa butter I added be defective?

I am really sorry but I keep reading all the different ways I can temper and I am so confused.  I don’t know which way to pick.  It does not make sense that they can all work.  How should I temper my chocolate and do I have to do it right out of the melanger?  Will it be ruined if I don’t?

Coming from a coffee roasting background, it's difficult to get away from the roasting precision requirements and theory minutia.  I keep telling myself, its not as important with cacao beans, but I still get a little lost trying to plan out what I'm going to do.

These are the kind of announcements I live for.  Don't get me wrong, I like offering new beans.  But they are ephemeral.  Equipment though.  I love that because it gives you more arrows in your chocolate making quiver. 

What is your experience how the growers are treating their crops

with toxic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and low quality chemical

fertilizers? Like Avocados being one of the least sprayed and Tomatoes

one of the most toxic sprayed. And must be eaten as organically grown.

Where do you place yorr Cacao Beans?

Will you be selling cocoa butter silk after the weather warms up?