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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

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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

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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 __________________

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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

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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

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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

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5. Dehumidification & Moisture Management

Especially critical for gummies and sugar confections.

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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

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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

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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: ____

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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)

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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.

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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 ☐ ☐ ______

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9. Final Sign-Off

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

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