Bean to Bar

A friend and fellow chocolate maker asked some questions about scaling a chocolate factory. The questions were so good that we decided to use the answers as an opportunity to make this episode. Whether your Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Factory does 500 kg a year or 20 tons, there are certain features we feel are essential for long term success.  Watch the video version of this podcast on Craft Chocolate TV.
• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.

Dan O'Doherty introduced Dylan into the world of chocolate over a decade ago. He is one of the world’s leading experts in cacao and partners with Dylan on their Hawaiian cacao farm, Kamananui Estate. Watch the video version of this podcast here.
• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.

Dylan answers another 5 questions today in the second edition of Chocolate Maker Q&A. They are:
•Where should I get a grindometer?
•Packaging? (Multiple questions answered for this one)
•How did we decide on the shape of our moulds?
•What kind of wrapping do you use to seal your bar?
•What are the different funding options for my chocolate business.
Watch the video version of this podcast here.
:) Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
:) Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.

In this episode we welcome back our good friend Greg D'Alesandre of Dandelion Chocolate. Once again we have a wide ranging conversation, but this time we focus in on various business models of chocolate making. Watch the video version of this podcast here.
• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.

Introducing our first ever edition of Chocolate Maker Q&A. In this episode Dylan answers five questions from our viewers: 

• How do you know when it’s time to harvest?
• Have you ever purchased equipment from China?
• Sugar substitutes?
• Why don’t you use powdered sugar?
• What can you use besides a grinder to make chocolate? 

If you have questions you’d like to be answered in the next Chocolate Maker Q&A make sure to comment them on our YouTube video.
• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.

Today we are joined by Greg D'Alesandre (@gdalesandre on Instagram). He is the "chocolate sourcerer" and co-owner of Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco. Greg is an expert in all things chocolate but specializes in traveling the globe in pursuit of the best cacao beans in the world. In this episode we cover many different sectors of the craft chocolate industry, including: ingredients in chocolate, making an impact in the industry, scaling a chocolate business, what is craft chocolate, and more! Watch the video version of this podcast here.
• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.

In this episode Dylan discusses the flavor profile and manufacturing process behind some of the most distinct and fruity chocolate he’s ever tasted. This batch of cacao and chocolate from Mililani, Oahu exemplifies what we see the future of chocolate being here in Hawaii and around the world. If you'd like to taste this chocolate you can get it here. You can watch the video version of this podcast here.
• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate: https://www.instagram.com/manoachocolate/
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate: https://manoachocolate.com/

In the beginning of Manoa Chocolate we would analyze beans and be overly impressed by notes such as forest floor, earthy, mushroom, etc. Over the last ten years we’ve come to learn that these flavors are usually the result of poor harvesting, fermentation, and or drying protocols. In Hawaii we are lucky to live in a place where we can grow and make chocolate. This proximity to farming has allowed us to understand how a flaw on the farm translates to flaws in finished chocolate. In this episode Dylan discusses signs of poor quality cacao and why it’s difficult to make fine chocolate from it. You can watch the video version of this podcast here.
• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.

In this episode we discuss the concept of aging cacao and chocolate. Dylan shares his opinion and Manoa Chocolate's take on this process. You can watch the video version of this podcast here.

• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.

In this episode we explain why the super market candy “chocolate bar” costs $1 and why the average craft chocolate bar costs $10. Make sure to listen until the end to understand the main reason your chocolate should cost more. If you liked the video we hope you'll share it with a friend! You can watch the video version of this podcast here.
• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.