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Post by max3732 on Oct 16, 2013 12:15:44 GMT -5
I read the method here: www.chocolatealchemy.com/temperingmolding.phpInstead of using the tabling method, could you heat, cool, and then heat the chocolate without pouring some on the table and agitating it and using it as seed crystals? I have thermometer I can use to constantly monitor the heat.
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gap
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Post by gap on Oct 16, 2013 14:20:51 GMT -5
Everything I've been taught says you need movement/agitation to encourage the right crystal formation during the tempering process.
I know a while ago, some people tried to use their grinder to achieve this - ie., heat the grinder up while it was running, cool it and then slightly heat it again. I have no idea if they were successful.
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Post by Ben on Oct 16, 2013 18:06:06 GMT -5
It is definitely possible to temper without tabling or using seed. There are a few methods discussed on this forum about it. One of them is called Turbo Tempering, but there are a couple others if I remember correctly. Just look back through this forum and you'll find them.
I used temper in a santha melanger, but I always used seed. I removed one of the wheels and then controlled the temperature using a fan/heater.
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Post by jamie on Oct 27, 2013 0:29:59 GMT -5
Hi Max I don't table my chocolate, I use a digital thermometer and heat the chocolate in a bowl over water (Bain marie). I heat it above 34 degrees C to melt all the crystals. Then cool it to 28 degrees and hold it there for 10 minutes or so stirring constantly, then heat it back up to 32 to melt any un wanted crystals. Now the chocolate should have enough of the right crystals in it for it to set up into nicely tempered chocolate. Seems to work well for me, I get a pretty good snap and shine. One thing I have found that helps is using a ceramic bowl as it holds the temperature more constant than a metal bowl so you aren't constantly taking the bowl off the heat and putting it back on.
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Post by Freddo on Nov 16, 2013 14:23:07 GMT -5
I tried this yesterday. Melted chocolate above 35 deg in a large bowl, cooled it using a hairdryer on cool mode whilst constantly stirring down to 27.5 deg, rested the choc for 5 mins at that temp, then warmed it to 31 using the hairdryer and stirring constantly. Did a test and it set up really good. Problems came when i poured in to the 100g bar molds. Lost temper really badly. I allowed the chocolate to cool at room temp 22 deg in the molds. Perhaps I should have refrigerated? I have been having problems transferring the tempered chocolate into the molds successfully, tried ladling, and just tipping it straight from the bowl. Could the cooling be a problem? Allowing it to cool at room temp?
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gap
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Post by gap on Nov 16, 2013 19:09:57 GMT -5
I use 55g bar moulds and always cool in the fridge. Incorrect cooling can knock your choc out of temper. I leave my mould in the fridge until the chocolate has almost completely contracted from the mould. At that point I take them out and leave them to sit in a cool room (~18-20C). After a few hours I unmould them. When the ambient room temp is too high, I unmould them as soon as I can from the fridge and transfer them into a cooler box.
My guess is 100g moulds are just not cooling quickly enough at room temp, so try the fridge but only until they have contracted - don't leave them in there too long.
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Post by Ben on Nov 18, 2013 10:04:42 GMT -5
Gap's right--cooling can definitely be a problem. Another thing to try is to put the molds on cooling racks and use a fan to blow air over and under them.
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Post by jamie on Dec 1, 2013 21:11:17 GMT -5
I would add to what I said earlier Max that I have found you need to drop the temp pretty quickly, ie an ice bath. This gets smaller sized crystals growing. I am not entirely sure why you want this but my guess is shine and strength. I have always used and ice bath unknowingly and then one day I tried cooling slowly and it didn't work at all, a complete disaster. Also just because it is shiny it might not snap, I have been fooled many times. But if you get the temp down and up my guess is you should only then have to deal with swirls and they are a result of unequal temperature distribution. Here is a good article by some chemistry boffins explaining tempering in depth acselementsofchocolate.typepad.com/elements_of_chocolate/TEMPERINGCHOCOLATE.html. Also they say you need to raise the temp up pretty high to ensure all the crystals are melted to start with if you are not going straight from the grinder, 41 c is what automatic tempering machines reach I think before they start cycling down. On another note if you want to check your thermometers accuracy, get a glass of crushed ice and put a little bit of water in it and your thermometer should read bang on 0 c. I did it on the weekend and found i was out by 1 - 2 degrees so my 34 c was actually 32 c.
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gap
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Post by gap on Dec 1, 2013 21:55:24 GMT -5
Just to follow on from Jamie's post - I take my chocolate to 45C before starting the tempering process
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Post by voltaire on Dec 25, 2013 7:20:15 GMT -5
I usually temper directly after running it in the wetgrinder, it then has around 45 degrees.
Pour it into a metalbowl and place about half on a piece of marble. The bowl is allowed to cool on the marble to. (if not the heat will bring it out of temper) Then I place it in my tempering machine and let it sit there up to 32 degrees. Then I mold, usually 100g bars.
I don't think its only about creating these crystals - but getting enough of them for it to work well.
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