Micronizing

Micronizing is the process of breaking the beans into pieces. This step may occur at one of two points: when the beans are already roasted, if whole-bean roasting is employed, or before roasting, when nib roasting or liquor roasting is used. Once broken, the bean consists of two parts: nib and shell. During micronizing, it is important that the shell be completely detached from the nib so that the two parts may be sifted apart. For the manufacturer, it is also desirable to have all of the nibs a homogeneous size to ensure even roasting, particularly if nib roasting is employed. Micronizing the cocoa beans permits the next steps in processing.