Chocolate Making 101 - Live and in Person

 

About This Course?

Starting with raw cocoa beans, you'll explore how different varieties affect the flavor of the chocolate. The process involves roasting the beans, separating the husks, and getting hands-on with various stages of chocolate making, including refining and tempering. Each step, from designing the recipe to tempering the chocolate, offers a deeper appreciation for the craft and results in a unique, handmade treat. By the end of the day, you'll take home fresh bean-to-bar chocolate, a sweet and memorable gift for Father's Day.

Menu:

 

Your impressions of the chocolate and what aromas occurred during the roast are the most important pieces of data that you can collect. Those impressions will heavily affect how you create and adjust a roast profile. - John Nanci, Instructor

We learned to smell and what those smells told us. something you can not learn by a book. - Peter Z.

What will you learn?

  • How different kinds of cocoa beans affect chocolate flavor, (yep, we are starting with raw cocoa beans),  

  • How to roast the cocoa beans,

  • How to separate the husk from the beans and you’ll get your hands dirty doing some yourself.

  • Recipes and types of chocolate

  • Making the chocolate in a refiner (more dirty hands)

  • Tempering (Yay, even more dirty hands)

and finally you will take home fresh bean to bar chocolate you tempered.

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John Nanci

Your Instructor

John Nanci, aka Alchemist John, aka The Alchemist, founded Chocolate Alchemy in 2004 supplying people with all the knowledge, equipment and cocoa beans needed to make chocolate and igniting the current Bean to Bar Chocolate movement. He is 13 parts scientist, 8 parts teacher, 5 parts innovator, 3 parts brewer, baker & chocolate maker, 2 parts puzzle solver, 1 part maths spotter, who loves a Fibonacci sequence and, last but not least, his daughter.

 

Recent Awards:

 

What others have said about john

One of the most important figures in the American craft chocolate scene” - Paste Magazine

The godfather of kitchen-counter Chocolatiering. -The New York Times

The pied piper of the New American Craft Movement -The C-Spot

Ready to book your space?

This day course is open to everyone and requires no experience, just an interest in making chocolate at home.

The seminar limited to 12 people.

Home and aspiring chocolate makers are welcome to attend. No Experience is required.

Tentative schedule

  • 12:45 - 1:00 doors open. Feel free to arrive, talk, etc.

  • 1:00-1:30 Overview of chocolate making at home

  • 1:30-2:30 Roasting methods

  • 2:30-4:00 Making Chocolate!!

  • 4:00-5:00 Tempering chocolate

  • 5:00 - ?? Q and A

Payment is non-refundable but is transferable.

 

Location Details:

Chocolate Alchemy

4065 West 11th Avenue, Unit 29
Eugene, OR
United States

 
 

Suggested Reading Prior to the seminar:

 Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any Refunds

There are no refunds but it is transferable.

  • 12 and over accompanied by and adult.

  • No, this is about spending time in person smelling, getting dirty and having fun. Touch grass.

  • You don’t need to bring anything other than curiosity.

  • If you’re super eager you could read our guide to how to make chocolate but you’re going to see each step of the process in person so why not wait.

  • You sure can, but please do not distract others from learning, be reasonable. And you cannot sell or profit from your video.

  • We do not make chocolate for sale but you will be able to taste some during the course and you get to take home the chocolate you make.

  • Of course you can, that is our main business. We’re here to help provide teaching and all the supplies and equipment you need to make chocolate at home.

  • Currently we have no other active classes, but we’re open to ideas if there’s something you want to learn.