Post by vochocolates on Apr 4, 2016 11:40:35 GMT -5
Hey Everyone,
First post here. We make a "Swiss fudge" here that is milk chocolate (Peter's 160), Mercken's superwhite and coconut oil. 40% by weight is milk chocolate, 40% by weight is superwhite and 20% by weight is coconut oil. We temper the chocolate, and in a separate melter have the superwhite caps and the coconut oil melted to 85degF and this is immersion blended thoroughly before using to remove any stubborn coconut oil solids that haven't blended. We then blend the ingredients in a large SS bowl with an immersion blender for about 90sec, then pour into fiberglass trays and left to set at 67degF overnight. In 24hr, the product is super buttery-smooth, delicate and incredibly melty. The problem we are having is between 3-4 days after making the product, it "dries-out", gets very firm and eventually gets grainy. There is a slight greying of the product. The grain is definitely coconut oil separation. We have tried everything to get rid of the graininess and hardness that occurs, but have yet to figure out a solution.
Here is a list of attempts:
Using a less viscous chocolate (125)
Rapid cooling (20min in fridge)
Heating/cooling all ingredients in one mixing melter
Addition of 0.3% soy lecithin
Half batches (10lb vs. 20lb)
Dehumidifying the room to prevent any excess air moisture
Cooling the room to 65degF
White Chocolate instead of confectionery caps
I have contemplated using less coconut oil but here's my dilemma: This recipe has been in use for YEARS. I can't say for how long, but it's upwards of 30 years. There have always been problems with the recipe, but coming into this problem about 7 months ago with this company, it has been a challenge of mine to figure out the problem without changing the recipe too much.
Every once in a while, we have a batch that comes out perfect, lasts weeks on end and doesn't become grainy. We are very scientific in our approach and try to standardize every batch so we can minimize outlying variables so when a batch comes out perfect, we can't figure out why and cannot mimic its results.
Any input on this issue will be very appreciated!
First post here. We make a "Swiss fudge" here that is milk chocolate (Peter's 160), Mercken's superwhite and coconut oil. 40% by weight is milk chocolate, 40% by weight is superwhite and 20% by weight is coconut oil. We temper the chocolate, and in a separate melter have the superwhite caps and the coconut oil melted to 85degF and this is immersion blended thoroughly before using to remove any stubborn coconut oil solids that haven't blended. We then blend the ingredients in a large SS bowl with an immersion blender for about 90sec, then pour into fiberglass trays and left to set at 67degF overnight. In 24hr, the product is super buttery-smooth, delicate and incredibly melty. The problem we are having is between 3-4 days after making the product, it "dries-out", gets very firm and eventually gets grainy. There is a slight greying of the product. The grain is definitely coconut oil separation. We have tried everything to get rid of the graininess and hardness that occurs, but have yet to figure out a solution.
Here is a list of attempts:
Using a less viscous chocolate (125)
Rapid cooling (20min in fridge)
Heating/cooling all ingredients in one mixing melter
Addition of 0.3% soy lecithin
Half batches (10lb vs. 20lb)
Dehumidifying the room to prevent any excess air moisture
Cooling the room to 65degF
White Chocolate instead of confectionery caps
I have contemplated using less coconut oil but here's my dilemma: This recipe has been in use for YEARS. I can't say for how long, but it's upwards of 30 years. There have always been problems with the recipe, but coming into this problem about 7 months ago with this company, it has been a challenge of mine to figure out the problem without changing the recipe too much.
Every once in a while, we have a batch that comes out perfect, lasts weeks on end and doesn't become grainy. We are very scientific in our approach and try to standardize every batch so we can minimize outlying variables so when a batch comes out perfect, we can't figure out why and cannot mimic its results.
Any input on this issue will be very appreciated!