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Cannabis Kitchen Cooling Environmental Control Planner

Refrigeration system interior representing temperature-controlled storage and environmental management in a compliant cannabis kitchen supported by Aldevra.

Aldevra | Gummies, Chocolate & Packaging Climate Planning Tool

Cannabis edibles are sensitive to heat, humidity, and airflow, especially gummies and chocolate. This planner helps operators:

  • Define target temperature & humidity by room
  • Decide where they need extra cooling, dehumidification, or zoning
  • Plan blast chilling, walk-ins, and staging
  • Document monitoring, alarms, and SOPs

1. Operation Profile – Climate Needs Snapshot

Business Name: _______________________________
Location / Climate: ___________________________ (e.g., “Arizona desert, high ambient temps”)

Primary Products (check all that apply):
☐ Gummies / jellies
☐ Hard candy / lozenges
☐ Chocolate
☐ Baked edibles
☐ Beverages
☐ Infused oils / butters

Daily Batches Per Product Type:
Gummies: ______ batches/day
Chocolate: ______ batches/day
Baked goods: ______ batches/day
Other: ______________________

Cooling-Intensive Steps (check all):
☐ Rapid cooling of gummies in molds
☐ Tempering & setting chocolate
☐ Blast chilling baked goods
☐ Cold storage of finished goods
☐ Controlled packaging area

2. Target Temperature & Humidity by Room

Use this table as the core planning matrix.

Room / Zone Primary Use Target Temp (°F) Target RH (%) Priority Notes
Gummy production Cooking, depositing 68–72 35–45 ☐ Low ☐ Med ☐ High Avoid high humidity (stickiness)
Gummy cooling room Setting & curing 65–70 30–40 ☐ Low ☐ Med ☐ High Dehumidification may be required
Chocolate room Tempering & molding 65–70 40–50 ☐ Low ☐ Med ☐ High Very sensitive to temp swings
Baked edibles cooling Post-bake cooling 68–75 30–40 ☐ Low ☐ Med ☐ High Avoid condensation on products
Packaging area Weigh, seal, label 68–73 40–55 ☐ Low ☐ Med ☐ High Comfort + seal integrity
Finished goods storage Short-term storage 65–72 40–55 ☐ Low ☐ Med ☐ High Stable shelf conditions
Cold storage Walk-in cooler/freezer Per product N/A ☐ Low ☐ Med ☐ High As needed per spec

3. Room Zoning & Separation

A. Do you need dedicated climate zones?

For each product, check if it needs its own room or zone:

Product / Process Separate Room Needed? Why?
Gummy cooling ☐ Yes ☐ No __________________
Chocolate tempering ☐ Yes ☐ No __________________
Packaging ☐ Yes ☐ No __________________
QA / retained samples ☐ Yes ☐ No __________________

B. Airflow & Cross-Contamination

☐ Hot kitchen air does not blow directly into cooling or chocolate rooms
☐ Doors between hot kitchen and sensitive rooms self-close or have air curtains
☐ Packaging area does not share air with dishwashing area
☐ Walk-in doors seal properly and gaskets are intact

4. Blast Chillers, Walk-Ins & Cooling Equipment

A. Blast Chiller Planning

☐ Blast chiller needed for:
☐ Gummies
☐ Baked edibles
☐ Other: _____________________

Batch Size vs Capacity: _____________________

Product Batch Size (lbs or pans) Target Cool Time Blast Chiller Capacity Adequate?
______ ______ ______ ☐ Yes ☐ No
______ ______ ______ ☐ Yes ☐ No

If “No”, note adjustments:
☐ Stagger batches
☐ Add additional chiller
☐ Reduce batch size

B. Walk-In Coolers & Freezers

Walk-In Use Setpoint (°F) Volume (cu ft) Shared or Dedicated? Notes
Cooler 1 Ingredients 34–38 ______ ☐ Shared ☐ Dedicated ______
Cooler 2 Finished goods 34–40 ______ ☐ Shared ☐ Dedicated ______
Freezer Frozen storage 0–5 ______ ☐ Shared ☐ Dedicated ______

☐ Racking designed for airflow
☐ Evaporator fans unobstructed
☐ No raw ingredients stored over finished products

5. Dehumidification & Moisture Management

Especially critical for gummies and sugar confections.

A. Moisture Risks Checklist

☐ Facility located in high-humidity region
☐ Gummy trays have been sticky or slow to set
☐ Chocolate has shown sugar bloom or texture issues
☐ Condensation on walk-in doors or floors
☐ Packaging seals sometimes fail in humid weather

B. Planned Controls

☐ Dedicated dehumidifier for gummy room
☐ Dedicated dehumidifier for chocolate room
☐ HVAC system sized for latent load (moisture removal)
☐ Floors sloped to drains in washdown areas
☐ SOP for keeping doors closed on walk-ins and cooled rooms

6. Monitoring, Sensors & Alarms

A. Monitoring Points

For each critical room, define required sensors:

Area Temp Sensor RH Sensor Data Logged? Alarm Thresholds
Gummy room ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Yes ☐ No Temp: ____ / RH: ____
Chocolate room ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Yes ☐ No Temp: ____ / RH: ____
Packaging ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Yes ☐ No Temp: ____ / RH: ____
Walk-ins ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A ☐ Yes ☐ No Temp high alarm: ____

B. Alarm Strategy

☐ Text/email alerts for high temp in walk-ins
☐ Alerts for humidity out of spec in gummy/chocolate rooms
☐ Backup power or generator for critical refrigeration
☐ Documented response SOP (who responds, how fast, what to do)

7. Layout & Airflow Notes

Use this section as a design narrative (great for plan review).

Airflow Principles:
☐ Hot kitchen and hood exhaust areas are physically separated from cooling and chocolate zones
☐ Makeup air is introduced away from gummy/chocolate work surfaces
☐ Sensitive rooms have balanced supply/return to maintain stable conditions
☐ No direct supply vents blowing on product surfaces

Design Notes:
Gummy room kept slightly cooler and drier than general production to ensure proper set and prevent stickiness.
Chocolate room separated with tight temperature control; no shared airflow with dish or hot kitchen zones.
Packaging area located downstream from production but upstream of dishwashing and waste zones to maintain cleanliness and climate stability.

8. Environmental Readiness Self-Check

Rate each area:

Area Ready Needs Work Notes
Temperature targets defined ______
Humidity targets defined ______
Separate zones planned ______
Blast chiller sizing ______
Walk-in layout & capacity ______
Dehumidification strategy ______
Monitoring & alarms in place ______
HVAC engineer engaged ______

9. Final Sign-Off

Operator / Project Lead: ____________________________
Title: ____________________________
Signature: ________________________
Date: ____________________________

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