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Post by gretencord on Jun 26, 2013 15:57:34 GMT -5
I recently purchased a used ACMC tempering machine but no matter how I approach it -- based on suggestions in this forum -- I can't seem to have any success with it so I am looking for a bit of guidance. Here's my current process: - Room is 73°F, 45% humidity
- 2 lb. batch, chocolate is 70% cacao with organic cane sugar
- Molds are polycarbonate bars, a little over 1 oz each.
- Melt at 120°F, drop to 83°F, raise to working at 90°F. Being only 2 lbs. I moved the whole batch through the temperature changes checking with a separate thermometer for uniform temperature throughout the mass at each step.
- Withdrawn chocolate with pre-heated ladle and filled molds. Tried preheating molds to working temp and also leaving them at room temp.
- Allowed to cool at room temp. Bloom appears on the surface within an hour. See attached image.
I'm open to any suggestions. Thanks. Attachments:
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Post by Ben on Jun 26, 2013 16:34:13 GMT -5
A couple questions & comments:
How long are you keeping it at 83° before moving to 90°, and how long at 90° before molding? I've found that, when not using seed, I'll need to hold the chocolate at my cool temp a couple minutes and then 10 or 15 minutes at my working temperature. This allows time for the crystals to start forming as well as time for the entire mass to reach the same temperature. Swirls are generally (always?) from different temperatures in the chocolate.
How warm is your ladle? If it's too warm, it could be taking the chocolate that touches it out of temper. When using a ladle, I'd just hold it in the chocolate for a couple minutes to warm it. Warm vs. room temp molds is more of a fine-tuning thing, in my experience, and probably wouldn't account for such a significant issue.
Do you test the temper before molding? Dip a knife or some parchment paper in the chocolate and allow it to set up. If it sets up with no bloom, you're in temper. If not, wait a few minutes and try again.
It could also be related to cooling. 73° is pretty warm for bars to cool. Have you tried pointing a fan at the molded chocolate to help with the cooling? If not, give it a try--maybe with the molds on a cooling rack to allow airflow under the molds, as well.
Good luck!
-Ben
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Post by gretencord on Jun 26, 2013 17:06:55 GMT -5
Thanks, Ben.
I kept the chocolate at 83°F for around 10-15 minutes and held it at working for over 20 minutes. I found it takes longer to get a uniform temp when heating.
The ladle may indeed be too warm so I'll give the immersion method a try. On that note do I recall correctly you switched to syringes? Did you find that more effective?
I tested the temper with a knife last time and it looked good (even the day after) so I'm quite certain at this point the problem is somewhere in the molding/cooling process.
Regarded cooling, for my last attempt I placed the filled molds on racks in a convection oven (heat off, door open) so effectively it was a fan blowing ambient air around them. Do you think it needs to be something cooler like a refrigerator or is that too cool?
Do you have better luck using a seed? Do you just temper a small amount post-refine/conch to serve as your seed later?
Adam
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Post by Ben on Jun 27, 2013 7:45:53 GMT -5
I agree that it must be something with the molding cooling as your times seem like they should be getting the chocolate into temper, and your test came out well.
I used to just cool my bars at room temperature (at about 70°), although I've been using a DIY cooling cabinet for a couple years now. It gets to about 60° and has a fan for increased air circulation.
Seed makes the process easier & quicker as you don't have to bring the chocolate temp below your working temperature. My process was to add a few bars once the chocolate reached about 100°. (Keep in mind that this was usually for a 15lb batch, so a 2lb batch would need far less). I'd just use reject bars (air bubbles, unlevel, etc.) from previous batches.
I did switch to syringes for speed and cleanliness, but it didn't affect the tempering process or temper of the final bars.
-Ben
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Post by gretencord on Jun 28, 2013 16:27:15 GMT -5
Warmed the ladle in the chocolate for a few minutes prior to dispensing. I also cooled the chocolate in my chest freezer (used for homebrewing) set at 60°F with a small fan. Looks MUCH better. Some speckled areas in the spaces but I imagine I can fine tune that problem by warming the molds a bit. Thanks again. Adam Attachments:
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