rron
Neophyte
Posts: 25
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Post by rron on Jun 12, 2018 20:37:04 GMT -5
can i get some feedback on this. the temper is fine. it looks like the cool down period after it is molded, maybe its not as cold as it is needed. this is 70% dark. is is being cooled down at around 14-12c. this doesnt happen with milk just this dark. any ideas
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rron
Neophyte
Posts: 25
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Post by rron on Jun 13, 2018 19:17:38 GMT -5
no feed back on this....
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Post by Chip on Jun 13, 2018 19:19:26 GMT -5
can i get some feedback on this. the temper is fine. it looks like the cool down period after it is molded, maybe its not as cold as it is needed. this is 70% dark. is is being cooled down at around 14-12c. this doesnt happen with milk just this dark. any ideas After looking at the photos, the questions I have are: are you pouring it in the mold then scraping it? Or are you just pouring and immediately putting it in to chill? Those marks on the back of the chocolate look a lot like hardened pour marks to me.
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Post by mark on Jun 13, 2018 22:49:56 GMT -5
I agree with Chip, those look like scraping marks. Your cooling temp seems fine.
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rron
Neophyte
Posts: 25
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Post by rron on Jun 14, 2018 10:08:38 GMT -5
yes, i scrap but i also tap the moulds. afterwards, before putting them in the coller they have no makers at all. smooth like glass
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Post by Ben on Jun 14, 2018 12:22:52 GMT -5
I've had something kind of like this happen before. Mine was just a few cracks--not quite as bad as this. Someone else posted a similar issue a while back, too. I don't think we ever figured out what was causing it, but for me it happens only with my darkest bar (85%). If I remember correctly, it usually happens with the first bars I temper, so maybe the chocolate just need to be held at the final temperature for a while longer than I was doing before molding.
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rron
Neophyte
Posts: 25
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Post by rron on Jun 17, 2018 9:20:57 GMT -5
interesting. thanks ben. Ill check that out. it is only hapenning with my darks. but it makes sense on thoroughly mix the chocolate at temp.
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Post by jas665 on Jun 17, 2018 13:23:54 GMT -5
Do we think this is the same issue? Uneven cooling? Solutions? Happens occasionally with dark chocolate, i think mainly on the first bars that get molded. I'm at 60%+ humidity so alternating between A/C and dehumidifier (keeping things <50% Humidity and <75F). Revo Delta -> Syringe -> Bang on table -> mini Fridge (5-10C depending on how many times it's opened) Do you typically leave molds on the table to set-up for a few minutes before putting them into a fridge or cooling room? If I do that, I find marks starting to form on the tops of the bars -- starts with a rectangle just inside the edge as well as circles where there were bubbles popped, and random swirls. Not super visible when totally cooled, but somewhat...
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Post by Chip on Jun 21, 2018 9:14:02 GMT -5
Do we think this is the same issue? Uneven cooling? Solutions? Happens occasionally with dark chocolate, i think mainly on the first bars that get molded. I'm at 60%+ humidity so alternating between A/C and dehumidifier (keeping things <50% Humidity and <75F). Revo Delta -> Syringe -> Bang on table -> mini Fridge (5-10C depending on how many times it's opened) Do you typically leave molds on the table to set-up for a few minutes before putting them into a fridge or cooling room? If I do that, I find marks starting to form on the tops of the bars -- starts with a rectangle just inside the edge as well as circles where there were bubbles popped, and random swirls. Not super visible when totally cooled, but somewhat... Another idea: it might also be an uneven surface when cooling. It almost looks like the chocolate is flowing while cooling/hardening. Is the surface you are using to hold the molds level?
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Post by Ben on Jun 21, 2018 13:38:12 GMT -5
I think Chip may be right. I don't think this is the same thing as the original poster. rron's chocolate has cracks where the chocolate has set and then broken, while jas's looks like they were moved somewhat post-vibration. jas: in reply to your question about whether to leave the chocolate at room temp or not, some makers do and some don't. Whatever works for you in your environment is what you should do.
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Post by jas665 on Jul 9, 2018 14:40:11 GMT -5
I think Chip may be right. I don't think this is the same thing as the original poster. rron's chocolate has cracks where the chocolate has set and then broken, while jas's looks like they were moved somewhat post-vibration. jas: in reply to your question about whether to leave the chocolate at room temp or not, some makers do and some don't. Whatever works for you in your environment is what you should do. Points well taken.
Maybe the picture does not show the issue well.. in person it does not look as much like it was moved but it appears more like concave holes and marks in an otherwise flat and even bar. Almost as if it is over-crystalized? That doesn't make sense though (particularly at beginning of the molding session) and viscosity has been fine..
All the bars have been molded in the same manner on the same table and such. I've noticed now that it only happens in the fist 2-3 trays molded --*I think*. One would expect if it was a 'molds being moved' issue that it would occur throughout the production batch. That picture was taken from a post-fridge rack where I let the bars come back to room temp with a fan on them.
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Post by jas665 on Jul 11, 2018 6:08:40 GMT -5
update... reasonably certain this was an issue with the room being too cold -- or syringe/molds being too cold. I think chocolate began to cool in between syringe refills. Bringing temp up to 72-73F seems to have helped... for now..
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Post by jas665 on Aug 3, 2018 5:29:36 GMT -5
I lied. No idea what is causing this problem. Room temperature, humidity, level of the table where they are cooling, all do not seem to be factors...
appreciate any tips. seems mostly to come at the beginning of the session. Using a Chocovision Delta, 70% Dark, Temper 1 setting @ 89F. After reaching "in temper" I usually leave it for 10-15min+ before starting to mold.
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Post by jas665 on Aug 3, 2018 6:37:08 GMT -5
This is the same exact tray but with flash on/off.
They get filled and immediately put into the fridge. I am 99% sure it is not a table level issue. It must be a cooling issue but I cannot figure the solution.
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Post by Ben on Aug 4, 2018 18:30:21 GMT -5
If it's only happening at the beginning of the session, maybe leave it for longer than the 10-15 minutes. Maybe it just needs more time for the crystallization to propagate or the temperature to equalize throughout the batch. That seems long to me, but if it gets better as you go (and you're doing the same thing throughout the session), it sounds like time is the only variable.
Other things to try: * Use more seed * Leave the seed in the Delta until the Delta says the batch is ready, instead of removing it when it tells you to.
-Ben
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