I have 5 pounds of roasted nibs; how much sugar do I need to add to make a 74% dark bar?
When I was asked this question recently and I responded “28.11 ounces,” the new maker replied: that can’t be right, because 80 oz (5 x 16oz = 80) + 28.11 oz = 108.11 oz!
I’m asked this “how much” question often. It’s understandable, but also, a wee bit concerning: if this maker did what I think he planned to do (ignoring me isn’t the issue, but ignoring the math is :) then his batch would be this: 80 oz cacao + 20 oz sugar = a 100 oz batch weight. But the batch weight isn’t the same as bar %, and it wouldn’t be a 74% chocolate, which is what he said he wanted to make. It’s an 80% bar. Here’s the math:
80 (weight of his nibs) divided by 74 (the cacao %) = 108.108 (rounds up to 108.11)
108.11 x 26% (% of sugar in a 74% bar) = 28.11
80 oz nibs + 28.11 sugar = 108.11, our total weight of a 74% dark batch we’d make if we used 80 oz of nibs
Here’s why.
Our entire batch, whether dark or dark milk or a classic not-so-dark milk = 100. Whether it’s a 40% or a 100%, or any % in between: 100% is the “pie.” But this 100 does not give us the pie’s total weight. Or tell us how much pumpkin is in the pie. If I have a whole pumpkin pie I have 100% of the pie; but how much of the pie is pumpkin and how much is sugar? If I tell you ¾ of my 4-pound pie is pumpkin and ¼ is sugar, you can figure out using the %s (math!) how much pumpkin + sugar you’d need to bake a 13-pound pie.
Remember: in chocolate the bar % reflects the cacao in relation to the other ingredients.
We choose the %, then to make our batch we have to create our formulation. This includes the breakdown by % of each ingredient, and our calculation of the amount (weight) of each ingredient—which varies depending on the size of the batch we want to make.
Here’s a quick review. And I promise you! once you look over the download I’ve included, you’ll see it’s pretty straightforward.
Since the maker told me they planned to use 80 oz of nibs for a 74% bar, I could do some quick math (using my smartphone calculator, the single best invention ever). They didn’t mention cocoa butter, but I wouldn’t need that info anyway to calculate the sugar, as cb is always included in the %: a 74% dark bar can only be:
74% cacao + 26% sugar
IF they wanted to use cocoa butter, that doesn’t change the amount of sugar.
73% cacao + 1% cocoa butter + 26% sugar = 74% bar
72% cacao + 2% cocoa butter + 26% sugar = 74% bar
64% cacao + 10% cocoa butter + 26% sugar = (you know the answer by now) 74% bar.
I use + teach batch formulations that have two different starting points: one is handy for when we have a specific weight of nibs we want to use, and the other is useful when we have a specific batch weight we want to make. Small increments can be rounded, esp if your scale works best that way.
Here’s a link to a user-friendly printable/downloadable pdf that explains how to use both of these.
There’s another question the discussion of % and formulations brings up:
Since cacao and cocoa butter = the %, if I use cocoa butter in my dark bar do I have to list it on my ingredients label?
(I’ll save my answer to that piece of the pie for a later post)
Happy chocolate making!
Mackenzie
ps. oz vs grams: yes, grams are more exact. Use whichever suits you.
Thanks for the pdf. I have it written down so many times but I trust it more when I know it came from you.
This post is so funny for so many reasons!