Cocoa nibs alkalizing

The alkalizing process of the nibs includes various process steps, which can vary depending on the desired color and intensity. If the production of red tones is desired, this process is based on oxidation through the addition of atmospheric oxygen.

If, on the other hand, a brown color reaction is the goal, chemical reduction takes place in the nibs. This is mainly achieved by overpressure in the alkalizing plant. The intensity of the different color shades can be influenced by the choice of different cocoa provenances and the food-approved chemicals used in the process.

The alkalization process for the different colors differs fundamentally in the process. First of all, the product is heated to an appropriate reaction temperature and solid or liquid additives are added to trigger the chemical alkalization reaction. Depending on the desired coloring, the process then takes place under atmospheric or overpressure conditions.

At the end of the alkalizing process, the surface of the nibs is dried in a vacuum step so that, despite the high water content of the nibs, a free-flowing product is created that is fed directly to the roasting machine.