Refining Chocolate

Anyone who prepares their own chocolate knows that the key to making great chocolate is in the refining and conching process. What not everybody knows is the difference between those two processes and how to execute them well.

Refining chocolate is the process of smoothing out the chocolate, or making it less grainy. This is achieved by grinding the chocolate and sugar for an extended period of time, until the particles of the cocoa and sugar become indistinguishable from the chocolate itself. This happens when the chocolate is reduced to about 20-30 microns. More, and the chocolate is too grainy. Less, and it is too gooey.

Conching chocolate is the process of mixing and heating all of the ingredients in your chocolate. If refining is the process where the grains disappear, blending into the chocolate, then conching is the same with the flavors and other ingredients. During conching, the chocolate loses its sharp cocoa taste, blending in with the rest of the flavors.