What are the functions of conching process?

To get a well processed chocolate it is normally desirable to let it pass through three stages:
*Dry conching
*Pasty phase
*Liquid conching

Some of the benefits of conching are:
*Improve rheology or reduction in viscosity
*Elimination of harsh volatile for a mellower taste
*Removal of moisture and reduces lumping and graining
*Improved mouthfeel

During the conching, the small briquettes are comminuted step by step, and humidity and acid vapors are evaporated from the surface of the briquettes. Conching is the last opportunity for a manufacturer to obtain the state required for a particular product.

It is the function of conching to remove the more distasteful of flavor and yet retain the more desirable ones. The actual required flavor and hence the conching time, will depend initial cocoa flavor intensity and the product in which it is being used.

The final function of the conche is to ensure that the chocolate has the correct flow properties for the next processing stages.
What are the functions of conching process?

Chocolate conching

After refining, the mass is transferred to large shear mixers called conche. Chocolate powder in conche machine is liquefied by adding 1-2% cocoa butter and kneading strongly.

This period is called ‘dry conching’ and takes some hours. With traditional longitudinal conche conching, period were generally very long compared with present-day practice, 96 hr was not uncommon.

With the changed to more powerful conches and the introduction of dry conching, the times have been considerably reduced.

Conching times will vary depending upon the formulation and final product desired, but can vary from 10 to 12 hr up.

Dry conching is followed by ‘wet conching’ in which a 1-2% amount of cocoa butter is added to the chocolate mass again. It will give more richly textured chocolate.

Half an hour before the end of the process, 0.3-0.4% of lecithin is added to the chocolate mass to emulsify the residual water content of the mass in the suspending cocoa butter phase.

Conching process will benefits the products by:
*Improved rheology and reduction in viscosity
*Elimination of harsh volatiles for a mellower taste
*Removal of moisture (reduced lumping and graining)
*Improved mouthfeel (smoothes sharp particle edges)

The process of conching is invented by Rodolfo Lindt in Switzerland in 1879; conching gives finished chocolate its melt in the mouth smoothness.
Chocolate conching