Founder of a Bean-to-Bar manufactory and agronomy consultant specializing in cacao genetics. With over 15 years spent between South American plantations and his roastery, he masters every step from fermentation protocols to the Maillard reaction.
Elias Thorne is a veteran Bean-to-Bar chocolate maker and cacao sourcing expert who has spent more than a decade visiting remote plantations in Venezuela, Peru, and Madagascar. Originally trained as an agronomist, he shifted his focus to the post-harvest processing of fine flavor cacao, helping farmers optimize fermentation boxes and drying techniques to preserve native aromatics. He currently runs a micro-batch factory where he consults for new makers on roasting profiles and particle size reduction using stone melangers. Elias writes to bridge the gap between agricultural reality and industrial processing, explaining how a difference of two degrees in roasting or a pH shift during fermentation can define a Grand Cru. His articles are essential for makers struggling with acidity control or seeking to understand the chemical precursors of flavor.