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Post by Sebastian on Nov 8, 2015 15:36:44 GMT -5
You could certainly try to recreate a wheel, but if others have already created wheels, i find it's helpful just to buy the wheel. Could you do it? Probably, depends on how much your time is worth, and how comfortable you are in your ability to keep water out of your product.
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Post by volnoir on Feb 10, 2016 21:12:44 GMT -5
2. The EZ temper uses a precise temperature control factory set at 33.6C, to melt cocoa butter and form beta V crystals, correct? In theory, could you take an immersion circulator and heat a water bath at 33.6C, and place a small hotel pan full of cocoa butter and achieve the same results (similar to a bain marie)? What are your thoughts? Also curious if this would work!
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Post by Brad on Feb 13, 2016 6:16:32 GMT -5
While I've never used it, I've read on other threads that the EZ temper works, but it takes time. I believe it's kind of an "overnight" thing. There is no substitution for learning to temper chocolate without aids. Once you have invested the time in learning this (and it IS THE most important skill to learn if you want to work with chocolate on a daily basis), then you will be able to temper a whole bowl of chocolate in mere minutes.
Cheers Brad
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Post by timwilde on Feb 19, 2016 6:14:06 GMT -5
I've used the EZTemper and it's a wonderful device. I say that now that I understand more intimately than I knew before using it how it works. The 33.6C is just a baseline of optimal cb temps. CB can and will vary, and you'll have to play with it to get it right depending on your source CB.
Once you get how to use it down, it's almost mindless to temper a batch of chocolate. It's just a matter of cooling it to the right temp and adding the silk and mixing it in thoroughly (i set a timer for 1:30 and just keep mixing till the timer beeps) I always test the temper, and after doing it enough, you can get a feel for what tempered vs out of temper chocolate feels and looks like.
It's worth every penny I spent on it. As much as I love tabling, it's very hard to keep my work area in the right temperature range. Impossibly expensive to attempt in the summer in my area.
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Post by Brad on Feb 20, 2016 0:36:04 GMT -5
Hey....
I don't want to rain on anyone's parade here, but an hour and a half is a long time to wait to temper a few lbs of chocolate.
I NEVER use the tabling method. It's messy and outdated.
I can temper 10lbs of chocolate in 20 minutes using nothing more than a stainless steel bowl, a stockpot with simmering water, and a sink with cold water - quicker if I put ice in the water. Oh... and a spatula. Once that chocolate is in temper, I use the same cold water bath to bring all of my warm chocolate down and then simply add the tempered chocolate. Presto! 40lbs of chocolate tempered in about 40 minutes, and not a single drop poured on to a table.
Like I said above, once you understand what is happening during the tempering process (and it's probably a good idea to make the time to do that seeing as your business relies on it!), there is no faster way of tempering small batches (40lbs and less) than doing it by hand. I can say this because I own 7 different tempering machines, and have also designed one of my own.
The best equipment for your little chocolate business is your brain. Not another gadget.
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Post by timwilde on Feb 20, 2016 2:49:32 GMT -5
1:30 in my timer comment was one minute, thirty seconds. I only mentioned that I love tabling is because, I genuinely find it relaxing Yeah, it's a bit messy, but it's fun and it was the way I learned to temper without seed. I've done the quick ways before too
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Post by Brad on Feb 20, 2016 3:10:04 GMT -5
timwilde, What about the other 12 HOURS it needs to create the correct type of crystals before you can "whip up" your tempered chocolate in a minute and a half? Here's a quote right from their user manual: "12 hours is the approximate time needed for the cocoa butter to attain equilibrium in crystalline structure." It's actually repeated three times in the user manual if you didn't get it the first time. Here's the link to the user manual if anyone chooses to not believe me: www.eztemper.com/uploads/4/8/5/6/48569625/download_manual.pdfSo... After waiting for 12 hours, you're ready to stir like crazy for a minute and a half and get to work. Wow. I will have tempered, molded, demolded, wrapped and sold a few hundred chocolate bars, and gone home to my kids. Enjoy your late night at work. Like I said before, the best equipment in your business is your brain. I know I sound like a jerk. Really I'm not. It's just that 96% of businesses fail in their first few years because the entrepreneur places zero value on their own time. Time is money - whether it's big business or you're the CEO of a table at a farmer's market. Sorry. Brad
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Post by timwilde on Feb 20, 2016 5:01:29 GMT -5
I'll admit, that's the initial setup. You put the cb in the machine and just wait for it to get to the right texture, after 12 hours. It does hold a lot though, and it comes with 2 cannisters (with space for I think 6) So, filling up the 2 canisters and waiting the 12 hours is an initial thing. You go through one can, fill it back up and work out of the next; like any process it can take some getting used to. With the batches I make and deal with, a can will allow 10 batches....but I'm still very small time, only working with about 6lbs at a time, and a day job. That day job tends to eat more time than I'd like, so anything I can get setup to be doing something productive while I cant actively be working on something (such as refining, or getting cb to the right crystaline stage) all the better So yeah, I see your point. If you're trying to do anything at a real scale, it would be more of a hinderance than a boon. But, I just chimed in based on someone saying that they hadnt used it - I have. In my particular setup in my area it's a perfect setup. Otherwise, I'd have had to stop making chocolate 3 weeks ago or face an early rise to my electric bill :\ *edit* I should note, I havent been paying too close attention to how many batches I get out of a can of cocao butter silk. I filled up 2 cans about 6 weeks ago, and just reached the bottom of one can today. Thinking back I'm guestimating that's about 10 batches, it might be more.
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Post by Brad on Feb 20, 2016 12:23:30 GMT -5
I get it timwilde. I am heavily into off road racing and I see it all the time. People get into the sport and in their path of research they see all kinds of gadgets that have been designed to make their lives better. I've seen guys spend thousands and thousands of dollars on accessories for a bike that they can't ride to it's limit out of the box - let alone with the gadgets. So what do I do? Haha! I let them baby it on the trails all summer, polish it after every ride, and then at the end of the year buy essentially what is a brand new, completely tricked out bike from one of them for 60% of what they paid, and call it depreciation. I ride at a level and with guys who could hop on a clapped out, beat up, scooter and outride most of the guys at a race. I have learned that it's not about the equipment as much as it is about the operator.
Having said that, the eztemper isn't cheap! It essentially does what a tempering machine does, and it's important to note that a tempering machine is cheaper and WAY faster! I can find tempering machines out there for hundreds of dollars cheaper than the eztemper.
The reason I take the time to write all of this is to give readers pause for thought. When people are just getting started on a new and exciting entrepreneurial path, a dollar right at that moment in time is worth a lot more than it will be when the business is successful and has lots of dollars. Sometimes it's important to take a step back, think about the process, and then step forward again, WITHOUT being blinded by the gleam of a shiny new toy.
Given that I've been down that path many times, and I'm very good at building businesses this is my way of giving back. It's real world advice that you'll never hear from a business coach so I hope you don't take my blunt nature the wrong way. I won't even send you a bill. Haha!
Cheers Brad
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Post by LLY on Mar 23, 2016 9:54:56 GMT -5
In the same matter, I'm working to create a small homemade chocolate business. I will sell not just chocolate but also spreads. More complicated think is to achieve a perfect tempered chocolate in order to mold it and it will looks beautiful. What equipment and temperature control I need? for example: tempering machine and AC that create around 20C and then mold it. In this process the chocolate will be attractive? When I make chocolate at home the results are good but most of the time not perfect. I want a perfect result and furthermore invest minimum of time.
Thanks
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Post by Ben on Mar 23, 2016 13:33:41 GMT -5
Perfection and investing a minimum of time? You'll probably have to pick one or the other. There is a lot of discussion about tempering, including different processes and machines, on the Finishing Techniques forum. I'd suggest starting there. You can get 'perfectly' temper chocolate in a lot of different ways and with a lot of different equipment. Which process and equipment you use is up to you.
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Post by timwilde on Mar 25, 2016 5:59:35 GMT -5
Brad, no worries. I totally get it
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