Post by Howard on May 3, 2010 23:26:15 GMT -5
This forum has been so helpful to me over the years I thought I would contribute by telling things that work for me when it comes to tempering my chocolate. When I first started making chocolate, tempering used to really scare me. Sometimes I'd have to try two or three times to get the stuff to temper. At first I had several batches with swirls that clearly did not have the snap or shine that I wanted. I was really frustrated but then things started to click and tempering just wasn't (isn't) a problem any more.
Over the last several years I've made a bunch of chocolate. Usually 2 - 3 pounds at a time but my last batch was 7 lb milk chocolate. I used to make only dark chocolate (65 - 70%) but my kids and their friends like milk chocolate so I've been making that too. Since about 2006 or 2007 I look forward to the tempering process rather than dread it. I use the old fashioned marble slab technique. Here are some simple rules that I've learned:
1) AMBIENT TEMPERATURE: I must have the temperature in the room (my kitchen) 70 deg F or lower. I cannot guess, I must take the temperature with a thermometer. It is easy to under or over estimate the temp. My own body heat can raise the temperature over the necessary range. I might need to crank the air-conditioner, turn on the fans, open or close the windows, whatever it takes, but I have to have the temperature 70 deg or lower.
2) Swirls and failed temper for me is most often caused by inhomogenious temperature. I must stir the chocolate vigorously between every molding sheet in order to maintain homogeneity of temperature.
3)Here is what I do: I melt the batch to 110 deg F, often using the microwave, 10 - 15 seconds at a time and stirring vigorously between heating sessions. Then I pour out about 1/3 of the batch onto my granite (not marble for me) counter. This is my favorite part. I use a metal pastry knife ( 4 3/4 inches wide) to spread the seed batch out on the counter in long sweeps (24 - 36 inches). Then gather it back into a little puddle and spread it out again It is very meditative to work the chocolate and watch it change from very shiny liquid to not so shiny to very viscous to near solid. . Within 5 or 10 minutes, the chocolate noticeably thickens, then suddenly REALLY thickens so that I can no longer spread it out on the counter. If I am tempering dark chocolate I just blend this back into the bowl with the rest of the chocolate and mold it. If I am tempering milk chocolate, I wait until the remaining chocolate in the bowl has cooled to 89 deg F, then I mix the seed back in. Stir, stir, stir until completely blended. Then stir some more. I mold using a large syringe. Stir stir stir with each sheet. Then I put my molded chocolate into the refrigerator. I know some people say not to leave it in overnight because you'll get condensation but this has not been a problem for me. Good snap, good shine, no swirls.
I hope this helps.
Howard
Over the last several years I've made a bunch of chocolate. Usually 2 - 3 pounds at a time but my last batch was 7 lb milk chocolate. I used to make only dark chocolate (65 - 70%) but my kids and their friends like milk chocolate so I've been making that too. Since about 2006 or 2007 I look forward to the tempering process rather than dread it. I use the old fashioned marble slab technique. Here are some simple rules that I've learned:
1) AMBIENT TEMPERATURE: I must have the temperature in the room (my kitchen) 70 deg F or lower. I cannot guess, I must take the temperature with a thermometer. It is easy to under or over estimate the temp. My own body heat can raise the temperature over the necessary range. I might need to crank the air-conditioner, turn on the fans, open or close the windows, whatever it takes, but I have to have the temperature 70 deg or lower.
2) Swirls and failed temper for me is most often caused by inhomogenious temperature. I must stir the chocolate vigorously between every molding sheet in order to maintain homogeneity of temperature.
3)Here is what I do: I melt the batch to 110 deg F, often using the microwave, 10 - 15 seconds at a time and stirring vigorously between heating sessions. Then I pour out about 1/3 of the batch onto my granite (not marble for me) counter. This is my favorite part. I use a metal pastry knife ( 4 3/4 inches wide) to spread the seed batch out on the counter in long sweeps (24 - 36 inches). Then gather it back into a little puddle and spread it out again It is very meditative to work the chocolate and watch it change from very shiny liquid to not so shiny to very viscous to near solid. . Within 5 or 10 minutes, the chocolate noticeably thickens, then suddenly REALLY thickens so that I can no longer spread it out on the counter. If I am tempering dark chocolate I just blend this back into the bowl with the rest of the chocolate and mold it. If I am tempering milk chocolate, I wait until the remaining chocolate in the bowl has cooled to 89 deg F, then I mix the seed back in. Stir, stir, stir until completely blended. Then stir some more. I mold using a large syringe. Stir stir stir with each sheet. Then I put my molded chocolate into the refrigerator. I know some people say not to leave it in overnight because you'll get condensation but this has not been a problem for me. Good snap, good shine, no swirls.
I hope this helps.
Howard