Genesis
Primo Chocolab, nestled in the heart of Bali, Indonesia, was founded in the early 2000s by Italian architect Giuseppe Verdacchi. Driven by his love of chocolate and a commitment to the ethical treatment of farmers, Giuseppe established Primo Chocolab to produce the highest quality handcrafted chocolate. Raised near Perugia, a city renowned for its Perugina Chocolates, Giuseppe was inspired to create a factory that embodies excellence and integrity.
Innovation and Precision
At Primo Chocolab, our dedication to quality is evident in every step of our process. Recognizing that existing market equipment did not meet our stringent standards, Giuseppe took it upon himself to design and create bespoke machinery. This journey led to the creation of our stone roller grinder. Faced with the challenge of finding a grinder suitable for slow and low-temperature grinding, essential for preserving the quality of the chocolate, Giuseppe drew inspiration from olive grinding techniques. After years of meticulous design and development, the bespoke stone roller grinder was realised in 2011, becoming a cornerstone of our chocolate-making process.
Commitment to Quality
Our relentless pursuit of excellence drives us to continually innovate and perfect our techniques. Giuseppe’s latest achievement is our cocoa roaster, designed in 2020 and brought to fruition in 2022. This custom roaster ensures that we maintain complete control over the roasting process, adhering to our standards of gentle heat application to protect essential oils and maximise flavour development. Through innovation and meticulous craftsmanship, Primo Chocolab continues to set benchmarks in the industry, ensuring that every piece of equipment meets our exacting requirements for producing exceptional chocolate.
Collaborative Beginnings
In our humble beginnings, we were fortunate to receive invaluable guidance from renowned experts Will Goldfarb, Nuno Garcia, and Javier Guillen. Their insightful comments and constructive criticism played crucial roles in steering the ship of our chocolate-making processes. Their collaboration helped us refine our techniques and achieve the high standards we uphold today.
Our Production Process
Step 1: Receiving Cocoa Beans Cocoa beans are received with a maximum relative humidity of under 10% as measured by our staff. The beans are temporarily stored in a climate-controlled storage room.
Step 2: Sorting by Size The cacao beans are taken out of the storage room to be sorted into three different size categories: small, medium, and large beans. This sorting step is relevant to achieve a more consistent roast in the next step.
Step 3: Roasting & Cooling Our convection, indirect heat roaster is pre-heated until it reaches 10% above the desired temperature. The beans are then loaded into the drum of the roaster. The roaster runs at a below industry average temperature for roughly half an hour. The beans are then unloaded into our cooling bin, where they are mixed around and air is blown through them. Note that the weight of the beans will shrink by at least 5% as the water content evaporates.
Step 4: Crushing The cooled beans are then loaded into our three-roller adjustable crusher to de-husk the cacao as gently as possible and preserve as many cocoa nibs as possible.
Step 5: Winnowing The crushed beans and husks are then separated using our winnowing machines or in some cases by hand. The resulting cocoa nibs collected will be 75% of the weight of the original beans, with the remainder being cocoa husk and some inevitable dust (around 2%).
Step 6: Grinding The cocoa nibs are then ground using our bespoke stone roller grinder. This slow and low-temperature process takes around 90 hours, never exceeding 37 degrees celsius. This helps preserve the natural flavours and aromas of the cocoa, ensuring a high-quality chocolate liquor. This will then be made into chocolate with the addition of sugar and flavours. The cocoa mass is the basis for all of our chocolate products and bars.
Step 7: Tempering The chocolate liquor is then hand tempered to stabilise the cocoa butter crystals, giving the final chocolate a smooth texture and glossy finish. This process involves carefully heating and cooling the chocolate to our precise temperature protocols.
Step 8: Moulding The tempered chocolate is then poured into moulds to create bars or other shapes as required. The moulds are gently vibrated to remove any air bubbles and ensure even distribution.
Step 9: Packaging The finished chocolate products are then packaged meticulously by hand into their chocolate bar boxes or bulk chocolate wrappers before being transported into our cooled storage facility.
By adhering to this meticulous process, Primo Chocolab ensures that every batch of chocolate meets our high standards of quality and consistency. This dedication to excellence, combined with our bespoke machinery and innovative techniques, positions us as a leader in the craft chocolate-making industry.