Grinding and mixing edible fat-based slurries and emulsions using a vibratory media mill

Abstract

A vibratory media mill may be used to perform simultaneous grinding and intimate mixing of edible fat-based slurries or emulsions. The invention has particular applicability in the field of chocolate manufacture, where the vibratory media mill can eliminate use of traditional five-roll refiners and/or conches. The vibratory media mill is cheaper and simpler to operate and maintain than traditional grinding and mixing equipment.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of making chocolate from particulate chocolate recipe components, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a container;    (b) partially filling the container with media;    (c) introducing the particulate chocolate recipe components into the container;    (d) vibrating the container, the media, and the particulate chocolate recipe components to form a transformed chocolate mixture; and    (e) removing the transformed chocolate mixture from the container.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said vibrating step is performed such that the transformed chocolate mixture has smaller particle size and lower viscosity than the particulate chocolate recipe ingredients introduced into the container.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said container is a cylindrical drum oriented with its axis extending in a horizontal direction.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said container is a cylindrical pan.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said filling step comprises partially filling said drum with media in the form of cylindrical rods, with the axes of the rods in substantial alignment with the axis of the drum during said vibrating step.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said cylindrical rods have a diameter of about ½ inch (1.29 cm) to about 1½ inch (3.81 cm), and length sufficient to extend approximately the entire length of the interior of the drum.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing at least one partition having openings and positioned to divide the container into process zones.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said partition includes adjustable openings.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said filling step comprises filling each of the process zones with about 10 to about 50 percent by volume of cylindrical rods extending approximately the entire length of each of said process zones.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said filling step comprises partially filling said container with media in a form selected from the group consisting of balls, shorts rods, or random packing material.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said filling step comprises partially filling said container with media having a substantially similar geometric shape.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said filling step comprises partially filling said container with media having different geometric shapes.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said steps of introducing chocolate recipe components and removing the transformed chocolate mixture are conducted in batch mode.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said steps of introducing chocolate recipe components and removing the transformed chocolate mixture are conducted continuously.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising heating the chocolate recipe ingredients while they arc in the vibrating container.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising cooling the chocolate recipe ingredients while they are in the vibrating container.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising separately heating or cooling a plurality of the process zones.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a step of varying the vibrating frequency or amplitude while the chocolate recipe ingredients are in the vibrating container.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the maximum amplitude of said vibrating is a displacement of up to about 1 inch and the frequency of the vibration is a natural frequency determined by springs on which the vibrating container is mounted in a range of about 10 Hz to about 30 Hz.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a step of heating and a step of cooling the chocolate recipe ingredients while they are in the vibrating container.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transformed chocolate mixture is removed from the vibrating container, subjected to heat treatment, and returned to the vibrating container.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of removing the transformed chocolate mixture from the vibrating container comprises removing the mixture when it has an average particle size in the range of 5 to 100 microns.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of removing the transformed chocolate mixture from the vibrating container comprises removing the mixture when it has an average particle size in the range of 15 to 40 microns.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of removing the transformed chocolate mixture from the vibrating container comprises removing the mixture when it has a reduced viscosity in a range of about 5,000 centipoise to about 50,000 centipoise.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said chocolate recipe ingredients comprises fat, sugar, cocoa powder, and milk powder.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said fat comprises cocoa butter, and the chocolate recipe ingredients contain greater than 25 percent by weight fat.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising operating said container at less than atmospheric pressure to remove excess moisture and undesirable flavor notes from the chocolate recipe ingredients.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising pushing the chocolate recipe components through the container with pressurized air.  
     
     
         29 . A chocolate-making system comprising: 
 (a) a container mounted on springs;    (b) at least one chocolate recipe ingredient metering unit for metering chocolate recipe ingredients into the container;    (c) media carried in said vibrating container;    (d) a motor and tuned mass to vibrate the container and the media; and    (e) a separator having apertures for separating chocolate recipe ingredients from the media.    
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the container is a drum oriented with its axis extending in a horizontal direction.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the container is a cylindrical pan.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the media are cylindrical metal rods.  
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the media are balls or random packing material.  
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the media have substantially similar geometric shape.  
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the media have mixed geometric shape.  
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 29 , further comprising at least one partition having openings and positioned to divide said container into at least two process zones.  
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36  wherein said media are in the form of cylindrical rods extending approximately the length of each of the process zones.  
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 36 , comprising at least two metering units for delivering chocolate recipe ingredients to at least two of said process zones.  
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein said metering units provide different ingredients to different process zones.  
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 29 , comprising at least one heater mounted on a wall of said vibrating container.  
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 29 , comprising at least one cooler mounted on a wall of said vibrating container.  
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the drum is a horizontal drum and comprises an outlet at one end of the drum without media in it from which transformed chocolate mixture is removed and further comprising a conduit for reintroducing the transformed chocolate mixture at another location in the drum.  
     
     
         43 . A method for simultaneously grinding and mixing a particulate fat-based starting composition having a fat phase and a non-fat phase, comprising: 
 providing a container mounted on springs to allow oscillating motion of the container;    partially filling the vibrating container with inert media;    introducing the fat phase and the not-fat phase into the container;    vibrating the container and the media to simultaneously reduce the particle size of the starting composition and intimately mix the fat phase and the non-fat phase to form an edible product.    
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the step of vibrating the container results in an intimately mixed edible product with a lower viscosity and a smaller particle size than the starting composition.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein said fat phase comprises cocoa butter and said intimately mixed edible product is finished chocolate.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein said finished chocolate is prepared without using a dry grinding apparatus or a conche.