Text version for 'Making chocolate'

The following stages take place during the primary processing of cocoa beans needed to turn them into various chocolate products:

  1. Harvesting of the cocoa beans by the grower
  2. Fermenting or curing of the beans by the grower
  3. Transportation of the beans to the cocoa bean processing factory (Chirk)
  4. Sorting and cleaning the beans at the factory
  5. Roasting the beans in a continuous roaster at a temperature of 135°C
  6. Kibbling of the beans into nibs
  7. Winnowing to remove shells.
  8. Grinding the nibs into cocoa mass

After primary processing, secondary processing takes place. Different secondary processing is needed to make different chocolate products.

The following secondary processing stages take place to make cocoa powder and drinking chocolate:

  1. Removal of about half the cocoa butter from the cocoa mass in heavy-duty presses leaving a solid block of cocoa (the cocoa butter that is removed is not wasted – it can be used to make chocolate)
  2. Pulverisation of the solid block of cocoa remaining into a fine, high-grade cocoa powder
  3. Addition of sugar and natural flavourings to make drinking chocolate
  4. Addition of malt extract to make malted drinks such as Bournvita

The following secondary processing stages take place to make dark chocolate:

  1. Addition of sugar and cocoa butter to cocoa mass to make a paste
  2. Drying of the paste
  3. Grinding of the paste with cocoa butter
  4. Special mixing and cooling finishing processes (conching and tempering ) take place, developed to reduce the thickness of the liquid and make sure that the fat settles in a particular way to make sure the chocolate has a glossy, smooth texture and appearance
  5. Liquid chocolate is poured into bar shaped moulds, shaken and cooled before continuing along the production line to high-speed wrapping plants.

The following secondary processing stages take place to make milk chocolate:

  1. Transportation of cocoa mass to Marlbrook, the milk processing factory
  2. Cocoa mass mixed with liquid full cream milk and sugar, condensed to a rich, creamy liquid, and dried to produce chocolate crumb
  3. Transportation of chocolate crumb to Bournville
  4. Grinding of the chocolate crumb with blended with cocoa butter and flavourings.
  5. Special mixing and cooling finishing processes (conching and tempering ) take place, developed to reduce the thickness of the liquid and make sure that the fat settles in a particular way so the chocolate has a glossy, smooth texture and appearance
  6. Liquid chocolate is poured into bar shaped moulds, shaken and cooled before continuing along the production line to high-speed wrapping plants.

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