,Patented Feb. 14, 1933 Q I g I

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

GEORGE DEIFREN, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS PROCESS OF PREPARING CHOCiOLATE

No Drawing. - Application ?led April 11, 1930. Serial No. 443,629. 4 This invention relates to improvements in and supervision are utilized to attain a smooth the manufacture of . tasting piece of goods, free from grit. Mostv Cocoa, or cacao, beans occur in commerce coatings on the market are ground to pass mainly as whole beans. They maybe con- at least a one hundred mesh sieve. When 5 sidered as composed of three parts: shells, 90% of the solid particles will pass a two 55 “nibs”,—or the meaty portion of the bean——, hundred mesh sieve, the coating is considered and the germs. ' ‘ ' _, very, good. The tongue seems incapable of According to the present practice of mak- distinguishing any grit when the coating will ing chocolate, raw cacao beans are roasted for ‘pass a three hundred vmeshv sieve. 10 a sufficient period of time to develop their It has been the practice in the ?ner qualities 60 ' ,_ ?avor. Incidentally, roasting the beans also of coatings to treat them further in machines removes some of the moisture and some of the called “couches” for from one to one hundred volatile acids that are naturally inherent in or more hours. appears to elimi- ' 15 the beans as they appear in commerce. After nate some of the volatile acids and other sub roastino- the beans, they are cracked and stances which have disagreeable, harsh odors 65 “fanned” which loosens and separates the and ?avors, which were not entirelywemoved shells from the nibs and germs. The germs in the roasting of the beans. Conching also are dil?cult to grind and are considered un- appears to disintegrate some of the and n desirable; and they are separated from the cocoa mass. . ‘*9 nibs byasuitable device. My process for making coatings dilfers _ The nibs of the beans contain about 50% to radically from any other process heretofore 55% which butter melts at ap- employed as I eliminate the roasting of the proximately 32° C; The nibs are ground be- raw bean, if desired; do not grind any sugar, tween burr stones, or grooved, revolving discs, etc.; and I accomplish the effect of conching I until the required degree of ?neness has been with simple equipment, producing a ?ne ‘ attained. Grinding evolves heat, which heat quality of coating at a much lower cost. melts the-cocoa butter, the quantity of which In ‘accordance with my process I form a is sui?cient to make the reddish brown ?uid chocolate liquor from ray cacao beans by mass which is called “chocolate liquor” or grinding the shell-free nibs in more or less the simply “liquor”. The liquor ‘is mixed with usual manner and by the usual or suitable ap- 8° 1 a solid sweetening or modifying agent, as paratus. ‘Preferably, although not essential sugar, generally sucrose, commonly called ly, the raw beans, prior-to grinding, are given _ granulated sugar, or sometimes dextrose, an initial treatment to remove some of the " 35 lmvulose, zylose, milk sugar, powdered dried acrid and bitter soluble constituents of the milk, or other carbohydrates, etc, and ground bean and to loosen the adherency of the shell 85 until the sugar crystals, or the other solids, are to the kernel by soaking the beans in water 7 sufficiently comminuted, or disintegrated. In that is a solvent for the undesired constituents some factories, the sugar is ground separately, and also for the mucilaginous adhesive which 0 the ?nest particles being removed from the binds the shell to the kernel. The beans are coarser ones by air ?otation, or screens. The allowed to soak for a period of time which by ?nely divided sugar is then added to the de- experience is found satisfactory to loosen the sired quantity of liquor to produce a palatable shells and remove enough of the undesired article. Any needed cocoa butter is generally. constituents to obtain a desired characteristic added at this stage of manufacture. This of the ?nished product. It is considered un sweetened liquor is called “chocolate” or “coat- necessary to describe the soaking process in 95' ing” since a large proportion of the chocolate further detail as the process and the advan so made is used for the coating of confections. tages thereof are set forth fully in my Patent ’ Fine grinding of the liquor and the sugar No. 1,750,’? 95, dated March 18,1930. 50 are considered desirable features in a good The beans are then allowed to dry, or are coating. Much expensive machinery, power, dried,'thoroughly and then are ground in the 2 . above-described manner to produce chocolate the sugar solution and liquor are mixed due to the drop of about 10° C. The sugar starts liquor. ' 1 A sweetening or modifying agent is then to- crystallize immediately in microscopic added to the liquor. Whereas, heretofore, it' crystals which is further enhanced by pres to has been the practice to add such agent, as ence of the minute particles of cocoa mass in sugar, in a solid state to the liquor, in. accord the liquor, by the quick volatilization of the ance with my present method I add the agent water present clue to the latent heat of crys as a liquid, from which the solvent is subse tallization, and the ‘further action of the quently removed, .with the result that the re blast of air in the act of spray drying which. 75 ' maining solid matter isin a very ?ne state of practically eliminates all of the moisture division, so that a smooth, coating is produced from the sugar and the liquor, now combined without the extensive grinding and conching to form a coating. . processes heretofore found necessary. The production of ?ne crystals’ and the To this end, the ?nely ground liquor, to ' elimination of excess moisture may also be .80 which any necessary cocoa butter may be accomplished by passing the mixture modify added, is heated to any suitable degree, say ing solution and the coating between heated to about~90° G. to 100° C. and then is mixed rolls, discs, or similar devices, but I prefer, with the desired amount of liquid modifying however, the spray drying method. ' agent as, for instance, sugar syrup at, say, I have found that equally good results may about 110° C. The mixture is then spray» be obtained by utilizing an alcoholic or other dried by subjecting it quickly to the action of solution of the sugar or other carbohydrate, a blast of air or inert gas, preferably hot, in in conjunction with the liquor, in the process‘ substantially as outlined. . a a more or less usual manner. - The resulting mixture or coating ‘is then I have found that equally good results may treated to develop its ?avor, by maintaining be obtained by utilizing higher or lower it at elevated temperatures, say, at 130° C. to temperatures for the liquor and sugar syrup 100° C. for a period of time, say ?fteen min as well as the coating'produced therefrom, utes to two hours or more, or until a desired as stated, and do'not limit this application to ‘ ?avor is attained. It is then cooled quickly the example indicated. . . 95 ' to storage temperatures and maintained cool I have also found that dextrose hydrateor dextrose anhydride can be utilized to advan until needed. . I have found it desirable, in treating the tage inlmy process, replacing all or part of mixture to develop its ?avor, to maintain the ‘the sucrose.‘ Dextrose hydrate possesses the coating in constant agitation by suitable stir property of melting at comparatively low 100 ring devices which are also capable of closely temperatures in its own water of crystalliza scraping the coating from the retaining walls, tion. This, when sprayed with the chocolate if at elevated temperatures, preferably ac liquor,'as described, at any convenient tem- ' companied by a stream of air bubbling there perature above its melting point, quickly re . through, to prevent overheating, burning or verts to the crystalline ‘form of dextrose hy 105 ’ over-caramelizing any of the coatlng at the drate, or even dextrose anhydride if 'insu?i sides of the'heating vessel, andto eliminate cient .water remain to combine with all of the ‘moisture which may not have been re dextrose to form dextrose hydrate. _ movedany when the coating was sprayed. This I have found that a coating made as de'-_ heat’treatment may be carried out in any con scribed using dextrose hydrate in conjunc 110 venient apparatus, either as a batch or a con tion with chocolate liquor has a lower vis cosity than a coating made with a like wei ht ' tinuous process. a " The process, as outlined, produces a coating of‘other sugar due to the presence of less ee milder in ?avor, and smoother in texture than moisture. Such a coating seems to require one made from equal materials ' by present a less percentage of cocoa'butterfor equal 115 purposes. / ' methods.A coating possessing, a ?ne caramel-like' I have found that a solution of a mixture _ ?avor may be obtained by this process, if de of carbohydrates, such as sucrose and dex sired, by suitable time and temperature con-. trose, or sucrose and invert sugar when mixed trol of the ?nal heating step of the process. with the chocolate liquor, ‘and subjected to 120. ~ The . liquor, when brought spray drying, for instance, gives as good. re into contact with the hot water in the sugar sults as was the case in which a syrup of com solution has a tendency to become thick, like mercial granulated sugar was utilized as de a heavy emulsion, very quickly. It is there: scribed. ' - > ' fore desirable to spray the mixture as rapidly Any mixture of carbohydrates, such as an 125 as possible, preferably before the mixture has acid converted starch product, consisting ofv had an opportunity to become thick. ' various percentages of .dextrine, maltose, and The difference in temperature between the dextrose, as at present understood, hkewise gives good results when spray dried with ' sugar solution, in the instance ~mentioned, and heat treated as indi at 110°C. and the liquor’at 90° 0., causes chocolate, liquor, 130 I supersaturation of the sugar solution when cated. - 1,897,242 The method of heat treating, as outlines, produces aromatic ?avors, etc.,‘formerly ob have been soaked in the manner previously tained in the method of roasting beans, in described. . which temperature and time of roasting are Quickcrystallization of the sugar, other functions. Being ?uid, or semi-?uid, every carbohydrate, or other modifying material in particle of the mass is brought into intimate solution, by lowering the temperature, or by 70 contact with the heating elements, the whole spray drying, or by both methods combined, mass assuming uniform temperature and roduces desirable microscopic crystals. moisture conditions. Such uniformity_ 1s low crystallization on the other hand pro 10 impossible in the present method of roasting duces macroscopic crystals, which are unde beans, where the surface of a bean 1s neces sirable for my purpose. Should any macro 75 sarily subjected to different heat condltlons scopic crystals form, due to some error or inequality of manufacture or procedure, than, for instance, the center of the bean. such macroscopic particles may be disinte 15 My process, as outlined, eliminates entlrely the necessity of roasting beans as‘ at present grated in any well known manner, without - understood and practised. detriment to the process as outlined. I pre v80 It will be appreciated that the determina fer, however, to have operations proceed so tion of the desired ?avor is left to thejudg that microscopic particles only are produced. he process as outlined above eliminates 20 ment of the operator, skilled in the art, in the same manner as now applies to the process of the expensive methods of grinding sugar, etc. roasting cacao beans. , s - heretofore employed. ' 85 I have found that sugar, or other carbohy - . Quick crystallization [of the sugar, other carbohydrate, or other modifying material in drate, in the presence'of undetermined con solution, in conjunction with the spray dry: 25 stituents of chocolate liquor, produces agree able ?avors ‘at elevated temperatures as in ing producesv a cloud of vapor which. removes dicated. This production of agreeable by volatilization the undesired volatile con 90 ?avors becomes more noticeable as the per stituents inherent in the nibs and the liquor centage of moisture islessenedyand is'has made therefrom. 'l‘hese volatile constituents have heretofore been removed more or less in 30 tened at an elevation of temperature. . Such agreeable ?avors are not produced to the processes of roasting the cacao beans and in the conching of the coating. ‘ A 95' as pronounced a degree when heating choco It is obvious that this process is much sim late liquor alone under like temperature and pler and far less expensive than’ conching as . moisture conditions, if the sugar, or other car now practiced. ‘ 35 bohydrate, or modifying agent, be absent. he process as outlined above by removing I have also found it feasible to spray-dry more moisture than ' is the present practice 100 a solution of sugar, or other carbohydrate, or produces a coating ofdesirably greater ?uid mixtures thereof, separately from the choco ity, and hence of lower viscosity, than one of late liquor, obtaining by this means, ?nely di~ equal cocoa butter content made from roasted 40 vided material which can be mixed subse beans and ground sugar in the usual manner. ' quently with the desired amount of chocolate I'am aware that ?nely divided sugar has 105 liquor made from nibs obtained from raw, un been made heretofore by quick crystallization roasted, cacao beans, keeping said mixture 111 of supersaturated sugar solutions. ' a ?uid state, and heat treating it at elevated am alsoaware that chocolate coating ha's ~ ' 45 temperatures so as to obtain a good coating. been sprayed but the spraying was done at But this method of procedure isneither v‘as comparatively low temperatures to produce 110 simple nor as satisfactory as my preferred chocolate in ?nely divided form, such as. process outlined above. small hard pellets. Finely ground sugar, or other modifying / I am aware that coating made from roasted 50 material, obtained by any other process, may cacao beans has been heat treated. be utilized instead of the spray dried sugar I claim: ' , , _ . 115 referred to in the immediately preceding 1. The process of making chocolate which paragraph with similar results. ‘ " I comprises preparing a chocolate liquor, mix While I prefer to perform my process by ing intimately therewith a solution of a solid 55 making a chocolate liquor from raw, or un ‘modifying agent in a solvent, and removing roasted, beans, a smooth coating can be made the solvent from the mixture so rapidly that 120 by the use of a liquor made from roasted beans the solution of the solid modifying-agent be in the usual manner by adding the modify comes supersaturated and the solid modify ing agent, in a solution, to the liquor. Then ing agent is caused to exist mainly as micro 60 the ?nal heat treatment of the coating, after scopic particles which are dispersed intimate the evaporation of the solvent, need only be ly throughout the chocolate. ‘ 125 carried out for a few minutes, or omitted en he process of making chocolate which tirely, if the ?avor of the;coating be ‘su?i- A consists in preparing a chocolate liquor, mix-' ciently developed. ~1ng' therewith a solution of a solid modifyi 65 The same is true if- the liquor be prepared from raw beans which agent in a solvent, and removing the solvent so rapidly from the mixture by spray-dry» 130 . 4- ' ’ 1,897,242

‘ing the mixture that the solution of the solid modifying agent becomes supersaturated and the solid modifying agent is caused to exist mainly as ‘microscopic particles which are 5 dispersed throughout the chocolate. I 3. The process of making chocolate which consists in preparing a chocolate liquor, mix . ing therewith a-sugar syrup, and then imme diately removing the liquid from the mixture - mibefore the mixture thickens and so rapidly that the sugar syrup becomes supersaturated and causes the sugar to exist mainly as micro scopic crystals which are dispersed through out the chocolate, ' \ 15- 4. The processlof making chocolate which ' consists in preparing a chocolate liquor from raw‘unroasted cacao beans, mixing therewith a sugar syrup, spray-drying the mixtureto remove liquid from the mixture and to form 201' the sugar mainly into microscopic crystals which are dispersed throughout the chocolate liquor, and subsequently heat-treating the \ mixture to develop the ?avor thereof. \ 5. The process as de?ned in claim 4 where 25'1 in air is forced through the mixture during the heat-treating thereof‘. ' . > 6. The process of making chocolate which consists in preparing a chocolate liquor from raw unroa'sted cacao beans from which asub , gglvs'stantial part of the soluble acrid and bitter constituents have been removed, mixing-a so lution of a solid modifying agent with the liquor, and removing the solvent from the ’ mixture. ' ‘ {35? 7. The process as de?ned in claim 6 which includes the step of heat-treating the ‘solvent free mixture to develop the ?avor thereof. ' In tesimony whereof, I have signed my ‘name to this speci?cation. ‘ 1.3, _ __ GEORGE DEFREN.

65