Easy Chocolate made with FECO

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
Getting off my duff and doing a bit more 'making' this week. I have another crop of autos (Tangerine Dream x2 and Northern Lights x2) that will be harvested in the next week, so it's time to clear out some of the older stuff so I can keep going!

In this case, I made two batches of alcohol based tincture back a few months ago, one of which I evaporated down to FECO. That was done with 196 proof Polish vodka in a 'golden dragon' style... 4oz of booze with 7g of cannabis (times two). The cannabis was decarbed in ball jars in the oven, no mystery there. It was then frozen and the alcohol also sat at -5f for a week or so. They were combined, and I let them 'infuse' for way too long...3 days. Pretty much would have been fine at 1 hour, but whatev.

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Here's both jars, one half evaporated:
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That was in December or January. By the end of the evap, there was a small amount of thick sludgy oil remaining. I capped it and let it sit until last night, when I put in about a teaspoon of the 196p alcohol to make it easier to work with and mix. It took a few hours to dissolve the FECO, but a couple shakes and a 12 hour rest and all good:

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Boy does that look delicious! (ugh!)
...now here's the thing, melting/making chocolate you can't have any water hit your chocolate or it will seize up and become a grainy glumpy mess. I was betting that because my teaspoon of alcohol was 98% and only 2% I was betting that it wouldn't be enough water to kill the process...and it wasn't.

Doing chocolate can be fussy. Raise temp on a double boiler to ~115f, melt the chocolate, cool, then re-raise the temp up to 90 to temper, give it time for the crystal structure to build and expand, etc. The good news is that I can do it sous vide. For me that was dump all my source chocolate into a gallon ziploc freezer bag, pour my dilute FECO in, remove all the air, and submerge in the water bath. As it melts, squish it around in the bag (also remove any remaining air along the way) to help melt evenly and also distribute the cannabis oil.

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Bought four of these chocolate bar molds from Michaels, though I think most craft/food places have 'em and also places like Amazon. The problem with them was that they don't have ANY info about the volume of the mold. I used measured amounts of water to fill one of the molds and found that it was roughly 5 fluid ounces. I figured I'd use 3 of them, so really just over 15oz of chocolate. Calculated at 24 squares per bar times 3 for 72 servings. 19% THC in the total batch and if you do the math you end up around 15mg give or take (guessing 'take', meaning they're probably closer to 12mg all said and done).

I got some decent baking chocolate and a handful of dark chocolate with raspberries to work with. The chocolate bars are already 'tempered' so that will make re-tempering easier.
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Sous Vide ready to go:
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Chocolate and FECO into the bag!
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Starting to melt (115f degrees until fully melted)!
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Once melted, I squished the bag a bunch, put it back in the bath, resquished, etc. a few times. Probably about 45 minutes. At this point to temper properly, I needed to bring the temp in the water down to 81f degrees. I did this by resetting the temp on the sous vide and also removing a bit of water and adding a few handfuls of ice. Each time the ice melted, I checked the temp and added a few more until we hit 81. My chocolate recipe didn't say much about how long to keep it there, just that it needed to be cooled to 81 before the next step. I figured I'd give it about half an hour and also again squishy squishy a bunch of times. To get the choc. to pool in the bottom of the bag, I squeegee'ed it down using a dish towel and a french style rolling pin on the countertop.

Next up, raise the temp up to 90f degrees to build the 'correct' shape chocolate crystals for tempering. The good news is that you can keep the chocolate melted/tempered for 12 hours or more at this stage. I just left it for about 2 hours, but also squished the bag a bunch during that time. Any time I was walking by I'd pull the bag and give it a work over.

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LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
...next up Re-squeegee'ed the chocolate down to the bottom of the bag, snip a corner of the bag and pour into the molds. I used an offset spatula to help distribute the warm chocolate and try to 'flatten' the bars in the molds. Not the neatest job, but not horrible either.

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The little bumps you see are the dried raspberry pieces...the chocolate itself is smooth and glossy. Currently waiting a few hours for the molds to fully set up and harden.
 

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
Ok, I gave up on waiting. Seemed pretty firm and it was. I still need to get better at my 'removing from the mold' abilities though. I got one 95% out whole, and another pretty good, about 50% whole. then the third and last was a lost cause and just in blocks. No big deal...came out pretty well for a first time and I'm pretty happy with how they look.

I'ma wait a few hours before I try a block...I'm technically on the clock for work right now and don't want to hazzard if my calculations on how strong it is or not, so tonight I'll have one. Or two and see.

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LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
Feco matter chocolate, mmmmmm! Sorry not a chocolate eater so poking fun. Looks like a cool idea.
I'm looking for good ways for making edibles that are also convenient to keep and/or use. Having the strength right so you can have one square or two or whatever. I've been doing the 'crispy treat' thing (and will continue) but this is probably a good way in a much smaller package. I also make infused honey, but that involves either eating it with a spoon or finding something to put it on.
 

shredder4

Well-Known Member
We make quite a few chocolates. Anywhere from 17mg mj leaves to 200+mg chocolate bars. I use silicone molds for bars, leaves, and peanut butter cup type molds. They're popular with my patients.

I bought the mj leaf molds for gummies, but we like the chocolates much better.

My last batch was 6, 140mg dark chocolate cherry bars.

I added dried Bing cherries to the partially filled molds, and some cherry oil to the chocolate. They turned out great.

We've also added sweet orange oil to dark chocolate and that was nice.

And of course nuts, ground nuts, toasted coconut, rice crispies, and oreos to white chocolate (cookies and cream knock off).

Oh, before i forget, sometime try chocolate covered potato chips or bugle corn chips. Just be careful cause it's really easy to eat too much, lol.
 

Offmymeds

Well-Known Member
I'm looking for good ways for making edibles that are also convenient to keep and/or use. Having the strength right so you can have one square or two or whatever. I've been doing the 'crispy treat' thing (and will continue) but this is probably a good way in a much smaller package. I also make infused honey, but that involves either eating it with a spoon or finding something to put it on.
Thanks for all of the detail! Just a note, I read that the polycarbonate molds are easier when working with chocolate.
 

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
We make quite a few chocolates. Anywhere from 17mg mj leaves to 200+mg chocolate bars. I use silicone molds for bars, leaves, and peanut butter cup type molds. They're popular with my patients.

I bought the mj leaf molds for gummies, but we like the chocolates much better.

My last batch was 6, 140mg dark chocolate cherry bars.

I added dried Bing cherries to the partially filled molds, and some cherry oil to the chocolate. They turned out great.

We've also added sweet orange oil to dark chocolate and that was nice.

And of course nuts, ground nuts, toasted coconut, rice crispies, and oreos to white chocolate (cookies and cream knock off).

Oh, before i forget, sometime try chocolate covered potato chips or bugle corn chips. Just be careful cause it's really easy to eat too much, lol.
These all sound like good ideas...I was pondering dark chocolate with orange peel or candied orange peel last night. I may also do something with ginger.
 

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
Thanks for all of the detail! Just a note, I read that the polycarbonate molds are easier when working with chocolate.
I'll order up some and try 'em out. I think part of my problem was that some of the molds I could have filled a bit more to thicken the 'connective' bits of the bar.

After cleaning up and eating any of the hardened over-fill...I can say there's some potency in these. I did have an hour or so where I said to myself "whelp, I'm on the clock for work, but luckily things are slow this afternoon, I'll have a bit of a sit down".

Then before bed I ate half of a rectangle, and it didn't take me out of things, so tonight I'll try one rectangle and see what happens and go from there. I'm good with anywhere from 1-3 pieces being a reasonable dosage.
 

shredder4

Well-Known Member

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
I think I'm going to batch out a bunch more alcohol tincture/FECO in the next week or two. I'm sitting on a good portion of my October harvest still, and my current tentful is really due to be harvested in another week or so; so I might as well process down a bunch. In the making, it's easier than doing butter, and retains as much or more functionality.

...I've been entirely anti-social since COVID, so normally I'd just give a whole bunch of it away, but I haven't quite shaken the isolation vibe as of yet.

Then I can play with more chocolate, maybe try some gummies too. I also have marshmallows on hand as well as some cereals, so I can make more treats too (this time I have Oreo cereal & Reese's cereal to eff around with).
 

shredder4

Well-Known Member
Has anyone actually made chocolate? Like milk chocolate with cocoa / cocoa butter / ect? I've tried a few times, but it always came out gritty and not great.
We have but it's a little tricky. Good cocobutter and low heat is important. Google "tempering chocolate" for more hints.

We've found high quality chocolates work best, duh, lol.

Aldi's has high quality chocolate bars we use and most popular quality chocolate bars work pretty well.

For low cost easy chocolates almond bark works fairly well. We use bark for turtles, chocolate covered nuts or chips. And white chocolate bark for "cookies and cream" bars made with oreos.
 

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
We have but it's a little tricky. Good cocobutter and low heat is important. Google "tempering chocolate" for more hints.

We've found high quality chocolates work best, duh, lol.

Aldi's has high quality chocolate bars we use and most popular quality chocolate bars work pretty well.

For low cost easy chocolates almond bark works fairly well. We use bark for turtles, chocolate covered nuts or chips. And white chocolate bark for "cookies and cream" bars made with oreos.
In all honesty, I hadn't tried tempering chocolate for a handful of years...mostly because it always sucked (precision in heating and keeping heat at the right point on consumer cooktops kind of sucks...and while I'm fairly accomplished in the kitchen, I just could never get it quite right. The sous vide method of doing things totally works and is easy. Also, you can theoretically let your tempered chocolate cool and harden, store and bring it back up to 90f and it remains just as tempered. Which means I very well could do a big lot of it, and keep it on hand for infusions, etc.

I'll check out the Aldi thing...we have one in town and I've been in all of one time.
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
We have but it's a little tricky. Good cocobutter and low heat is important. Google "tempering chocolate" for more hints.

We've found high quality chocolates work best, duh, lol.

Aldi's has high quality chocolate bars we use and most popular quality chocolate bars work pretty well.

For low cost easy chocolates almond bark works fairly well. We use bark for turtles, chocolate covered nuts or chips. And white chocolate bark for "cookies and cream" bars made with oreos.
Tempering with other chocolate was one thing I didn't try. I may have heated it beyond 95 degrees too. Thanks, it's been a few years since my attempts, and this may be the motivation to finally figure it out.

I've been making chocolate e-liquid for around 8 years now, and I've been making cocoa every night this winter. I'm a chocolate fiend. I was actually looking up chocolate strains last night on here. I'm still unsure if any of them actually smell like cocoa. As I learned with the e-liquid, it's hard to get the taste down because a big part of chocolate is the melting buttery sensation that can't really be replicated through breath.
 

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
I use mostly feco in our food/candy type edibles. I've tried decarbed rosin and sift hash, but prefer feco because the strength and less weed taste.
Yes, the chocolate...you can't even taste it at all, and that's with the golden dragon method that I let go for a full three days (about 2 days and 22 hours more than needed). That might be different with a milder 'milk' chocolate though. Using a bit of alcohol to get it 'loose' did help me since that made it pourable and probably also helped it distribute a bit in the chocolate.

I know the bummer to it is evaporating off the alcohol, but I've got all the time in the world for this kind of thing so I'm not even heating to evaporate out, just letting it sit with a coffee filter covering the top until it naturally evaporates out.
 

shredder4

Well-Known Member
In all honesty, I hadn't tried tempering chocolate for a handful of years...mostly because it always sucked (precision in heating and keeping heat at the right point on consumer cooktops kind of sucks...and while I'm fairly accomplished in the kitchen, I just could never get it quite right. The sous vide method of doing things totally works and is easy. Also, you can theoretically let your tempered chocolate cool and harden, store and bring it back up to 90f and it remains just as tempered. Which means I very well could do a big lot of it, and keep it on hand for infusions, etc.

I'll check out the Aldi thing...we have one in town and I've been in all of one time.
I use a double boiler to melt the chocolate and reserve 1/4 of the chocolate. When the chocolate in the double boiler is melted I remove from heat and stir in the rest and the feco. Then stir the crap out of it. Then pour into molds.

If it thickens too much 30seconds or so back on the double boiler softens it back up.

Here is the double boiler we use
 
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