PERFECTINGTHE PROCESSAlabour-intensiveprocessfol-lows whereby the pods are split byhandandthebeansarere-moved from the shell. This pro-cessisundertakenwithintwo days of harvesting.Once all the beans have been removedfromthepodstheyareplacedinsideporouswoodenboxes madeofquila.Woodhasgoodinsulatingpropertiesandcanholdthe natural yeast necessary to trigger the process of fermentation.Fermentationtriggerschemicalreactions,whichcreateflavourpre-cursorsinthecocoa,eventuallytransformingintobeautifulchocolate aromas.Ifthisisnotmanagedcarefully,thechocolatewillnothavea good flavour profile despite the quality of the cocoa beans used. During thisprocess,thecocoabeansgetanidentity.Theperceptionofcitrus tonescorrelatetoaciditylevel,andflavoursofberriesandfloralnotes come from alcohols produced by yeasts during fermentation. These fla-vour notes affect the final product. Due to seasonal temperature changes, the challenge is controlling the rate offermentationtoachieveconsistentresults.DaintreeEstatesisstudying different processes to maintain consistency in the fermentation process. Ex-periments on procedures that allow them to control certain factors are per-formed at the post-harvest facility where they explore techniques and process-es that are practised in cheese and wine making that may have parallel results. THE DRYING STAGEThe next step is the drying of thecocoabeans.Thebeans are dried in a natural process wherefermentedbeansare laid on steel trays placed in a purpose-builtshelterand gentlydriedunderthesun, allowing the remaining acids in the seeds to evaporate and producealow-acid,high-co-coa flavoured product. The whole process is dependent on ambient tem-perature and humidity levels, which can take up to 10 days. The rate of dryinghasanimportanteffectontheflavourandqualityofthedried beans: too slow and mould may develop, too fast and oxidative reactions are not completed thoroughly. Correctly drying the beans reduces mois-ture content and makes the beans resistant to spoilage. In high humidity regions, artificial drying methods are used. These methods, incorrectly performed, can create harsh, smoky aromas that contaminate the taste of the cocoa beans and inhibit the evaporation of acetic acid, resulting in beans with a sour flavour profile.READY FOR ROASTING At this point, the post-harvest process is finished. However, the next steps in cocoa processing are also performed in the facility. This first involves roast-ing.Thisdelicateprocessbuildsontheflavourprecursorscreatedduring fermentation and drying. The cocoa beans are roasted using a 20kg drum roaster. Various flavours are awakened due to the effect of the Maillard reac-tion where hundreds of dif-ferentflavourcompounds arecreated,whichinturn breakdowntoformyet morenewflavourcom-pounds,resultinginfla-vour precursors being con-vertedintorichcaramel and nutty flavour notes.The roasted beans then gothroughaprocessof winnowingwherethe shells are separated from the beans. The beans are cracked separating the nibsfromthehusks.Withmovementandtherightamountofairflow,the lighter weight husks are separated from the nibs. The nibs are then ground into cocoa mass along with other ingredients to produce chocolate where it will go through a process of conching. CREATING A PASTEConching is the process of grinding the co-coamassintoveryfinesmoothpaste.The facilityinMossmanhasasmall-scalepro-duction set-up where conching is carried out using a nib pregrinding cycle, followed by a stonegroundmelangercycle.Recipedevel-opment and testing are also performed on-site. Larger production quantities are sent to DaintreeEstates'contractedprocessing chocolaterefiners.Bothtypesofconching produce a final chocolate that has a particle sizelessthan18microns,whichthehumantonguecannolongerrecogniseas gritty. Prolonged conching time gentrifies the flavours in the chocolate. This is the final stage of flavour development. The fluid chocolate is then pre-crystallised and moulded into chocolate blocks or bars. 17June 2015|Food&Drink BUSINESSplant design & ftoutABOUT THE AUTHORElaine Young is a consulting pastry chef and chocolatier who provides expert advice and creative input for pastry and chocolate operations to the hospitality and food manufacturing industries. She can be contacted at elaine@ediblejourneys.com.au.Licence No. 216017C totalconstructon.com.auFit-out Specialists& BRCWQA