Chocolate Manufacturing: Intense Practical Course – Chocolate and Fillings (3 weeks, Part I and II )

• Cocoa qualities, cultivation and post-harvest
• Raw materials and recipes
• Mass production of cocoa
• Production of dark, milk and white chocolate
• Standard and alternative procedures
• Casting and coating techniques
• Fillings & centers: praline, fondant, truffles, fat-based fillings, etc.
• Alternatives to cocoa butter: CBE, CBR, CBS and fat fillings
• Hollow figures, high-quality confectionery chocolates
• Quality control: viscosity, yield, allergens, etc.

• Employees in the chocolate and confectionery industry
• Production personnel, product development, quality assurance

WEEK 1 CHOCOLATE

Monday, July 19, 2027

09:30 Welcome

Theory: Cocoa

• Cocoa tree, types and history
• Harvest, fermentation and drying
• Quality criteria

Lunch

Theory:

Manufacturing of chocolate (tbc)
Vertical ball mills for the production of chocolate, spreads, and compounds from dosification to finished products

Practice:
Chocolate manufacturing

• Bühler group – Mixing, refining (5-roll refining), conching – Milk chocolate
• McIntyre Refiner/ Conche—Dark chocolate
• Packint—Ball mill—Milk chocolate
• Tasting: Milk chocolates, ZDS e.V.

Final discussion and end of the first day – Dinner

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Tuesday, July 20, 2027

08:30 Theory: Raw materials: Cocoa butter, cocoa powder, sugar, milk ingredients, flavor ZDS e.V.

Theory: Cocoa bean processing

• Cleaning, Roasting (bean, nib, liquor)
• Breaking, Winnowing
• Grinding to liquor
• Cocoa butter and powder

Manufacturing of chocolate

• Recipes
• Manufacturing of chocolate (mixing process, refining process, conching process) ZDS e.V.

Theory: Manufacturing of chocolate (tbc)

• Recipes
• Manufacturing of chocolate (mixing process, refining process, conching process) ZDS e.V.

Lunch

Theory: Milk ingredients for chocolate and fillings

Theory: Cocoa bean processing

• Cleaning, Roasting (bean, nib, liquor)
• Breaking, Winnowing
• Grinding to liquor
• Cocoa butter and powder

Practice: Cocoa bean evaluation and processing

• Evaluation of different cocoa beans
• Debacterisation
• Breaking and winnowing
• Nib roasting
• Pre- and fine grinding of Cocoa Nibs
• Tasting: Dark chocolates & cocoa mass ZDS e.V.

17:15 Final discussion and end of the day – Dinner

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Wednesday, July 21, 2027

08:30 Practice: Liquification of chocolate and finishing chocolates ZDS e.V.

Theory and practice: Netzsch Rumba System Netzsch-Feinmahltechnik GmbH

Lunch

Practice: Chocolate tempering (manual tempering, seeding method) ZDS e.V.

Practice: Netzsch Rumba System Netzsch-Feinmahltechnik GmbH

Final discussion and end of the day – Dinner

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Thursday, July 22, 2027

Visit of Sollich KG, Bad Salzuflen

6:45 Departure ZDS Arrival at Sollich

Theory:

• Tempering of chocolate
• Enrobing
• Cooling

Factory visit and demos

Lunch

Departure Visit of Ludwig Weinrich GmbH & Co.KG, Herford

Factory visit and demos

Departure to ZDS

Dinner at the ZDS

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Friday, July 23, 2027

08:30 Practice: Chocolate tempering exercise by hand, production of seasonal chocolate hollow figures

Practice: Coating inlays with chocolate ZDS e.V.

Practical exam of course topics – Part I

Lunch

In the afternoon visit Chocolate Museum in Cologne!

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WEEK 2 CHOCOLATE

Monday, July 26, 2027

08:30 Theory: How to Measure Viscosity and Yield Point of Chocolate Thermo Fisher Scientific

Theory: Flow properties of chocolate – Practical application PGPR Lunch

Theory: Particle Analysis Technology Sopat GmbH

Practice: Particle Analysis Technology Sopat GmbH

Theory & Practice: Sugar-reduced chocolates, dairy-free alternatives, specialty chocolates

Final discussion and end of the day – dinner

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Tuesday, July 27, 2027

08:30 Theory: Allergen management R-Biopharm AG

Theory: Emulsifier Lecithin Bunge Loders Croklaan B.V.

Theory: Cocoa butter alternatives

• CBE
• CBR
• CBS Bunge Loders Croklaan

Practice: Elaboration of compounds Bunge Loders Croklaan / ZDS e.V.

Lunch

Practice: Elaboration of compounds Bunge Loders Croklaan B.V. / ZDS e.V.

Final discussion and end of the day – Dinner

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Wednesday, July 28, 2027

08:30 Theory: Sensorial evaluation of cocoa beans and cocoa mass (part 1), Infopoint Kakao und mehr

Theory: Crystallisation of cocoa butter

• Composition of cocoa butter
• Temperindex • Multitherm – Bühler Crystallization Index
• DSC Infopoint Kakao und mehr Practice: Crystallization of cocoa butter
• Temperindex • Multitherm – Bühler Crystallization Index

Infopoint Kakao und mehr

Lunch

Practice: Crystallization of cocoa butter

• Temperindex
• Multitherm – Bühler Crystallization Index

Infopoint Kakao und mehr

Theory: Fat bloom and sugar bloom, Infopoint Kakao und mehr

Final discussion and end of the day – Dinner

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Thursday, July 29, 2027

08:30 Theory: Sensorial evaluation of chocolate (part 2) Infopoint Kakao und mehr

Lunch

Theory: Elevating quality & efficiency CHoNova AG

Practice: • WDS Chocolate bar plant, production and cooling

Final discussion and end of the day – Dinner

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Friday, July 30, 2027

08:30  Theory: Chocolate panning, ZDS e.V.

Practice: Chocolate panning

• Precoating
• Engrossing
• Smoothening
• Polishing
• Sealing

ZDS e.V.

End of the seminar Part 1

Lunch

Departure at ZDS

Visit at Schloss Burg Solingen

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WEEK 3 CHOCOLATE FILLINGS

Monday, August 02, 2027

09:00 Welcome and presentation of the programme

Theory: Fondant raw mass

Practical: Production of fondant raw mass Molding technology

• Traditional moulding
• Book moulding
• Cold stamping
• One Shot

Aasted Germany GmbH

Lunch

Practice:

• Fondant deposited in starch or silicone moulds
• Fondant for chocolate shells
• Fondant for extrusion

Final discussion and end of the day – Dinner

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Tuesday, August 03, 2027

09:00 Theory: Fat-based fillings and creams

• Fat chemistry
• Raw materials
• Fats for fillings and creams

Practical: Production of fat-based filling

Practical: Traditional shell production

Lunch

Practical: Production of fat-based filling

• Fillings with different texture
• Aerated fat filling
• Filling and sealing

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Wednesday, August 04, 2027

9:00 Theory: Praliné (German Nougat) ZDS e.V.

Practical: Praliné

• Basic praliné with different methods
• Praliné as filling
• Laminated praliné

Lunch

Practical: One Shot and Cold stamping technology with different fillings

Final discussion and end of the day – Dinner

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Thursday, August 05, 2027

08:30 Theory: Truffle and ganache

• Raw materials
• Production methods
• Shelf-life

Practical: Truffle and ganache methods Part 1

• Deposited
• Extruded/ piped
• Cutted
• Rolled
• Comparison Kitchen Aid, Stephan mixer and Stephan mixer with vacuum
• Short, middle, long shelf-life

ZDS e.V.

Lunch

Practical: Truffle and ganache methods Part 2

• Deposited
• Extruded/ piped
• Cutted
• Rolled
• Comparison Kitchen Aid, Stephan mixer and Stephan mixer with vacuum
• Short, middle, long shelf-life

ZDS e.V.

Final discussion and end of the day – Farewell Dinner

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Friday, August 06, 2027

08:30 Theory: Croquant and brittle

Practical: Croquant

• Hard croquant
• Laminated croquant
• Caramell: molded and cut

Practical: Finishing all products

Final discussion and end of the seminar

– subject to changes –

• Course documentation (digital)
• Transportation and visit to machines and raw material suppliers as well as the chocolate museum in Cologne
• Refreshments: Snacks and drinks
• Accommodation in the ZDS (optional)
• Lunch and dinner in the ZDS canteen
• ZDS Diploma “Chocolate/Sugar Confectionery”

• Sie sollten bequeme Arbeitskleidung, lange Hosen und Schuhe tragen.
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• Bitte bringen Sie Ihren Laptop mit, um vor Ort auf die Kursunterlagen zugreifen zu können.