Chocolot

The readings are supposed to be accurate within 0.2 units of water activity. I think it is .02. Jim, I have found about the same as you have. They change slightly, but not much.

This is a custom made grid that Cache Toffee in Salt Lake City uses to make their toffee in triangles. They also have a press that pushes it into the candy. They still get a lot of breakage, but use it as samples.

I talked to the people at Decagon about this. It doesn't matter what the ingredient is, eggs or cream cheese or whatever. If it is "clean" going in and meets the aW, it is safe. At Callebaut in Montreal, we learned a good recipe that uses lemon curd in the ganache. I have made it for years and there is no problem, other than I eat too much of it.

Yes. For gianduja, use 82 degrees, or 28C. Put over bowl of ice water to cool down quick.

TCF Sales is very reputable. Tom is great to deal with.

The smallest Savage holds 50#.

I have missed lots of Kerry's adventures. Let's hope for more travel in 2021!

If I'm trying a new filling, I will test as I make it. I will spoon out a little ganache, put it in the freezer for a few minutes and then test. That way, I can make adjustments if needed. I find the "test" improves over several days. If it is good when i make it, i know it will be good later.

I think it is from the thickness of the bottom chocolate. There is more, so it contracts more, causing the crack. Especially thick round the edges.

I wait until ready to cap, then use a plastic spoon to scoop out the excess ganache. It has the advantage of a convex shape which leaves a concave space in the ganache. I usually end up with one or two peaks per tray and this takes care of them. Someday, I might actually pipe a whole tray without any peaks:).

Just a riff on Melissa's idea of putting a pastry bag with silk, in the EZ Temper for when you just need a squeeze. I have found this bottle works well and doesn't drip. I transferred the silk to the bottle, didn't fill bottle with hard cocoa butter.

The wholesale end of Caputo's is Apriori. https://aprioridistribution.com/. I get good pricing from them, except on Yuzu inspriation! That just about emptied my bank account!

Regardless of what else you get, get an EZTemper. It will make your life a LOT easier.

I have three Savage melters/temperers. I rarely outwork them. IMHO, old is good in confectionery equipment. I haven't used a vibrating table and don't see the need for one. Might be just me.

No. that was Fortunado 4. This came from a sales rep.

They have a wonderful white chocolate. They sent me samples to try. The white has lots of vanilla bean specks in it. It handled well.

I asked Wendy at Socola. She showed me the little pack of moisture absorbing stuff she puts in each package to take care of the problem.

Chef Rubber has lowered the price from when I purchased. They are now $88. I used to cut with roller knives. I saw the molds at JinJu in Las Vegas. She had full sheet pan sized ones, not the quarter sheet size I have.

Bob and I had the same idea today😀. I have used serious copper pots for years, but I can’t lift them anymore. The electric pot works wonders. I made a 2000 gram batch this morning. I put in ingredients, stirred and left it to wash dishes. 30 minutes later, it was the color I wanted. I just needed to add butter, salt and finally vanilla. No stirring or sticking. Pot is easy to clean. A few things to remember. This pot is great for Maillard caramels, not burnt sugar ones. There are several different sizes of pots. Get the largest one. Sorry photos are out of order.

I had a memory pop up on FB. We were in Toronto 4 years ago. Missing everyone.

It started years ago mainly for planning our workshops. It has taken on a life of its own. You are welcome to check it out. eGullet Chocolate & Confection Workshop on FB.

My loaves were 725 grams each.

Like everyone else, I've been playing with sourdough. This is KA's Sourdough sandwich bread. This was my first attempt. I think I got it a little dark, but it was tasty.

In 2011 I tried something similar. I used a shop vac and a furnace filter. It mostly just trapped the cb where the hose was. I am no engineer and it shows:).

No!!! First Bob thinks his daughters wedding is more important and now you? We will miss you.