Batches 85–87: Patience, Persistence and Progress in the Garage
There’s something about starting a new round of batches that feels both exciting and humbling. Each one brings lessons — some small, some big — but all move me closer to the perfect balance between flavour, function, and indulgence.
This week, I began the next three: Delight (Batch 85), Charge (Batch 86), and Balance (Batch 87).
They build on what I’ve learned from the last round — especially after that setback with the rancid seeds.
Review of Previous Batches and Objectives for These
After the last mishap, I decided to start completely fresh. The old seeds were thrown out, and I made sure the new ones were clean and in good condition. Rancidity is not something you want anywhere near your chocolate — it destroys all the work in an instant.
Each of these batches serves a different purpose:
- Delight – The indulgence-driven one. The main ingredients remain the same, but I increased the monk fruit slightly for a softer sweetness. I also kept the chia and flax below 3% to prevent them from dominating the flavour. The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio now sits just under 4, which feels like a good balance for something that’s meant to be enjoyed rather than analysed.
- Charge – My personal go-to before cycling or walking. No changes this time; I just needed to make more. It’s smooth, nutty, and gives that calm, steady energy.
- Balance – This one needed more work. It’s meant to help with inflammation and post-meal insulin stability, but it was borderline before. To fix that, I removed almonds and pecans — both heavy in omega-6 — and replaced them with macadamias. That shift lifts the nutritional value and adds creaminess, though macadamias can make the product softer. I’m expecting a different flavour profile this time, hopefully richer and more rounded.
Roasting
Roasting day always fills the garage with warmth. The chia, macadamia, and coconut each give off their own distinct aroma. The challenge is knowing when to stop — a few seconds too long, and the flavour tips over.
When I reached the seeds, I hesitated. Up to now, they’ve added little to the flavour — earthy, yes, but not nutty or warm. Even the packaging describes them as “earthy and nutty,” yet I get very little nuttiness. Still, they serve a purpose, so I roasted them lightly and moved on.
Loading the Melangers
By late afternoon, everything was ready to load.
Batches 85, 86, and 87 — Delight, Charge, and Balance — side by side.
As soon as I started grinding, the air changed. The hazelnut aroma came through beautifully, followed by the softer scent of coconut. Those two together are magic. The seeds, on the other hand, still had that same earthy smell, but I decided to trust the process.
Once everything was in, I left the melangers to run through the night. That gentle hum is now part of my routine — it feels like progress in motion.
After about 18 hours, I checked them again.
- Charge had a clear coffee aroma with a nice hazelnut base.
- Balance smelled richer, deeper.
- Delight still had traces of the seeds, but less dominant.
At that point, I added the sunflower lecithin to smooth the texture before tempering.
Tempering and Moulding
The next morning, I took all three batches out. First up: Delight.
It smelled clean — no trace of rancid seeds. There were still subtle hints of chia and flax, but they blended rather than stood out.
I poured a small batch to temper and mould, adding a row with whole hazelnuts for texture and visual appeal. The smell alone felt like progress.
Chocolate making is a strange kind of patience. You can’t taste and adjust like cooking — everything takes time. You roast, refine, temper, mould, and only after a few days do you really know what you’ve made.
It’s a slow relationship between you and your ingredients.
Tasting and Review
After the bars rested, it was finally time to taste Batches 85, 86, and 87.
Delight (Batch 85)
The texture was noticeably softer — almost like toffee or mousse. Beautiful on the tongue, but too soft to stand alone as a bar. The monk fruit didn’t add much sweetness yet, though a faint aftertaste appeared later. The seed influence was lower than before, which is progress.
Still, Delight is meant to be enjoyed — a small trophy at the end of a long day. It’s less about function and more about pleasure, so I’ll need to decide whether to keep pushing for more omega balance or accept it as an indulgent, feel-good product.
Charge (Batch 86)
No surprises here. Still smooth, still that comforting coffee-hazelnut taste. It’s slightly runnier due to the macadamia oil, but it works well for my morning routine. I had some before a ride and it turned into one of my best sessions in weeks. Maybe psychological, maybe not — either way, I’ll take it.
Balance (Batch 87)
The biggest reformulation of the three. Removing the almonds and pecans paid off — the flavour is rounder, with less sharpness. The chia and flax come through more than I’d like, so I’ll likely adjust that again. My next step might be to reduce the total seed content slightly, increase the flax for better omega-3s, and tone down the chia for smoother flavour.
Balance remains the most functional of the three. It’s meant for daytime — a butter rather than a bar — something that supports satiety, fights inflammation and lower insulin levels while tasting genuinely good.
Reflection
Developing these products teaches me the same lesson every time: you can’t rush flavour.
It takes time, patience, and a willingness to fail a few times before you get it right.
Chocolate is alive in a way. It changes as it rests. A batch that tastes one way on day one can mature into something entirely different by the end of the week. That’s both the challenge and the reward.
So far, Delight still needs the most work, but each batch gets me closer.
The key words for this week — and maybe for life in general — are patience and persistence.
Closing Thought
Progress isn’t always visible.
Sometimes it happens quietly — while the melangers turn through the night, or while a tempered bar cools on the bench.
Each small adjustment builds on the last. Each batch brings a lesson.
And that’s what keeps me coming back to the garage.
