martin0642

Hi all So I've been asked by a customer to make chocolate discs/medallions for their sacher torte (i have no idea why they're not doing it themselves). So...I need the means to make perfect and consistent sized chocolate discs. I've seen the Matfer kit and may well get that at some point as i'll need to produce abotu 200 per week (bit much for a cookie cutter!) - but in the meantime..I know there are template mats you can get that will do much the same job - but I can't find them! Any ideas on where to get them in teh UK? It's basically a silicone mat with holes cut out of it rather than a mould (which is what keeps coming up in searches) Anyone?

For what it's worth....I recently bough the Badger 250/2 with a 1/6 HP compressor. Cost me less than £100....my "spray booth" is basically a large cardboard box. Very low tech set up! However - having tried some molds using coloured cocoa butter//it works amazingly well! Definitely one of the best kit purchases I've made. Whether that holds true when I have to scale up is another matter... but for now, producing a fairly small amount of chocolates, its perfect. The results are shiny and beautiful and i've had no issues with spraying. I have a LOT to learn about it still though. (ie changing teh spray etc). I would recommend more than one bottle (its siphon fed) as changing over between colours is a bit of a pain otherwise..purely because it's time consuming to clean it out, dry it properly etc etc. The HVLP spray may be better is you are spraying actual chocolate though. Not sure how the badger would cope but badger themselves recommend using 50/50 chocolate and melted cocoa butter to make it work.

Appartently using more than one sugar decreases Aw. This is from a course I did recently..and I believe, from Wybauw. I'm very happy to have that challenged though!

Hi all - i've been trying to find out how using UHT cream and Invert sugar can help with shelf life of ganache (for dipped or molded chocolates). I understand the principles by which invert sugar helps and obviously, having a sterilised cream can make a difference. What i'm struggling with is being able to work out roughly how much the use of these ingredients would extend shelf life. Another week? Two? I understand the recipe makes a difference but for arguments sake, lets say a 2:1 Milk chocolate to cream ration with 30% (by weight of cream) glucose syrup added and....20% (by weight of cream) invert sugar added. ANy pointers?

Just thought i'd pitch in here.... I'm on the Chocolate Masterchef course with Ruth HInks and we've been using Boiron fruit purees today - they're excellent. They have both a pear and a rhubarb puree; I hav en't tried either but based on the ones we used I would say they're likely to be a good bet. Worth considering. I should add, I odn't know the ingredients list for them so that may reveal some issues for some people - I'll see if I can have a peek tomorrow to check there's nothing unnatural in there. I'm hoping not! Anyway - Les Vergers Boiron for those who are interested

I'm relatively new to the chocolate game but here's what i've learned re ganache/truffles for what it's worth.. I make my ganache by pouring hot (usually infused) cream over tempered chocolate. I use callets or fine chopped tempered chocolate. Wait for a couple of minutes and then stir to make the emulsion. When I'm making truffles I'll do a piped ganache by pouring the ganache into a large tray to cool quickly. When it hits about 25c it gets a kind of plastic consistency. AT that point I table it briefly (see Grewellings excellent book for LOTS of great information about that..and ganache in general..its an invaluable aid I think). Then I pop it in a piping bag and pipe long ""rods" of ganache. I find that easier than trying to pipe individual dollops, but that's probably more to do with my piping technique (or lack of). Leave it to set up and then slice it into sections according to size. Either leave it that shape or roll it briefly in your (gloved) hands to make a ball and then dip. As for the tempering issue - if you're doing a coffee cup sized amount you'll struggle to temper/hold temper with it. It's too small an amount for practical purposes I think. I personally never try tempering less than about 400grams.(About a pound) Any excess can always be re-melted and re-tempered later. I use the seed method because it's the easiest and least messy way of doing it - just doing it by temperature can take a long while! Once it's in temper I just keep it in teh metal bowl I melted/tempered it in and monitor the temperature..stirring regularly to keep the heat distributed evenly and help prevent over crystallisation (when it goes too gloopy). When the temperature drops I hit it with a heat gun or hairdyer for a bit (stirring all the time and making sure you don't burn the chocolate) ...about 20 seconds at a time usually. If you monitor it you'll find you only need to raise it maybe a degree or two at most. Works for me

I hear what you're saying about the bean to bar thing - so far it's been fine but I do have to plan ahead so there aren't huge temperature fluctuations in there at the moment and humidity isn't a problem right now. I'm hoping to have a better place for prep by the time summer hits though! And yes - I'm doing basically the samr thing in terms of removing home stuff. Tricky, but doable...good excuse to have a purge of unecessary stuff!

I'm kinda starting to believe that....

For what it's worth.... i'm starting up in an area with many great chocolatiers (although not huge names like EN admittedly). THey're mostly well-established and there's a couple doing pretty much exactly what i'm doing and will be in many of the same markets. My "thing" will be that I make the actual chocolate myself...as well as the "freshly made, natural ingredients, locally sourced where possible, ethically sourced always" thing that a lot of them do. I'll be honest - it's scary as hell. BUT - there are plenty of customers to go around and whilst i'm trying to appeal to the same knowledgeable crowd that some of teh others are, the reality is that many people think artisan chocolate ends with Hotel Chocolat. Which it obviously doesn't. I would be less worried by EN than some of the smaller names round my way. He's on such a different level to everyone that I suspect his market would be much smaller locally. Also - I absolutely LOVE Heston Blumenthal's work...but that doesn't mean I want to eat at his restaurant every time i'm in London. (Ignoring the fact it's fairly costly!). You'll be fine - if your work tastes half as good as it looks you have nothing to worry about whatsoever PLus - you now have a truly amazing place to learn more...right on your doorstep

Thank you Kerry - tell me...how do you find time to respond to everything on here so completely..AND run a business/home/etc. Does Canada have more hours in the day than us all of a sudden? :~) Your input is, as ever. much appreciated

Thank you for this - I didn't get notified of any replies so sorry for the late reply to you. That's pretty much what I was thinking really. My biggest issue would probably be having chocolate grinding/refining whilst I'm making my own food. It's covered but I obviously have to show I'm aware of the risk...especially given the temperature it's at. Otherwise i'm hopefully good to go fairly soon. Where are you selling at the moment? Markets? WHolesale?

. Sadly wall space is lacking too. At some point and hopefully soon, I'll find bigger premises, possibly rented kitchen space, possibly an alternative I'm discussing with a local business run by friends... But right now it's working with what I have. Having made a ton of chocolates for my ever growing taster panel, I appreciate how limiting this us. But hey... It's a challenge right? :)

Ok so I've been watching (aka drooling over) Kerry's videos of the EZ Temper.......I'm slightly wary of the accompanying postage and customs charges (especially the customs charges!) but wow! GIven the application with ganaches as well as chocolate this seems like an excellent idea - much more so than a tempering machine at my stage I think. *sigh* like you say Kerry...the sky's the limit........

Hi Jess - possibly - where are you based?

The tempering machine vs melter debate is an interesting one. I have VERY limited space to play with so I'll probably avoid the microwave on those grounds alone - if all it's doing is melting up chocolate then that's a lot of space gone for little reason. I get why it's useful; but the equivalent space filled with a melter or tempering machine makes more sense ot me; given the added value they have in terms of holding chocolate at temperature whilst I use it. It seems the melting/holding tank may be the best option in terms of initial outlay (and then aim for the EZTemper perhaps :)) but something like the Delta with a dispenser attachment is also quite attractive...probably for when I get more orders in though - I am at a VERY early stage with this so massive production is an issue I can only dream about

Thank you for the replies folks, much appreciated :) I think I'm going to go with a melter/holding tank initially, but a tempering machine is on the list.. Probably the Chocovision Delta in fact. Pastrygirl...not quite, I'm doing nib to bar right now. I don't have space or resources to crack and winnow in quantity. Possibly ambitious but I like a challenge! :) It's a good selling point and I have to say I really like the chocolates.... Fino de Aroma nibs, no lecithin, no vanilla and the milk is quite dark (50%) and made with muscovado sugar in it. Gives it a deep almost caramel like taste. I know most people do chocolate making Or chocolatier work... I want everything in house. I may, obviously, change my mind about that in six months time!!!

Haha! Brilliant idea - thank you

Awesome Thank you folks! That's been a huge help. The bulk buy molds is first on the list definitely...swiftly followed by the melter. I hear what you're saying about the melter pastrygirl..but I think having something I can at least control the source temp on a bit better is going to be very useful. ANd yes gfron1..that's a good point about two melters. I have been eyeing up a large one that can handle two half gastronorms whch might do. BUt I suspect two full size will be needed. And another wet grinder - having to wait 40 hours or so for each batch of chocolate means I need to plan ahead a lot; which is fine but being able to have two runs simultaneously would be good (although also noisy..at night..in an apartment. Hmm.) I've managed to find some frames that didn't break the bank but the bank is definitely going to get hammered at some point. The scales, thermometers etc I have in abundance (why I have 4 thermometers is anyone's guess but I manage to find a use for at least three of them!) Although I should get some caramel bars too I guess; damned expensive for what they are though - but also very useful.. The airbrush will be coming but I'm going to hold off on that until after I do my course with Ruth Hinks in a couple of weeks. I absolutely LOVE the airbrush stuff but I'm also seeing it crop up all over the place in commercial "master cholatier connoisseur blah blah" boxes and it often looks...overdone. Containers and packaging I have - but thank you for the heads up on the stickers pastrygirl! That's excellent. As for the sky's the limit.......yeah...don't I know it. I can't look through a chocolate supplies website without mentally selling my apartment to buy it all.......*sigh* The stainless tables (and a huge marble top) will have to wait though..right now this is home production and I have nowhere to even think about putting those. (Fond memories of the kitchens i've worked in now...well except for the heat, noise, work rate and stupidly long hours of course) And given that it's home production there will be no microwave..I won't have one in my kitchen. For commercial purposes I know how useful they are but otherwise I think they should be taken out in a field and shot. I keep hearing that custom packaging is expensive - so I think that's going to have to wait. I've got good packaging to use for now and can use stickers to brand it. Seriously guys - thank you.

Hi all - so things are moving on with the chocolate making business (although right now it's more business than chocolate making grrr). I'm trying to plan for what equipment I'm going to want/need/ooh want want want so I thought i'd see what you guys think... I'd like a tempering machine at some point but it's not an essential, especially not at that price! So i'm thinking .. Bulk polycarb molds (obviously) Melting tank (what size are you smaller batch makers using? I'm thinking 6 litres ) Guitar cutter (yikes at the price but anything that saves time is a win right now) What am I missing...? RIght now I can make/melt/temper chocolate and produce molded and dipped chocs just fine - but the process of slapping the bowl back on the heat, and rechecking temper every few mins is a huge time waster that I could do without. Equally - I can actually cut a slab of ganache reasonably fast but again...time saving is highly desirable. ANy thoughts?

Oooh - yeah that looks good! Thank you - may consider that one

Hi folks - does anyone have any experience of running a chocolate business from home in the UK? Specifically - any issues that came up with regard to using a domestic kitchen for production. I'm doing my Level 2 Food Safety now and I used to be a chef so I'm pretty on the ball with safe food handling processes - however..that's coming from the perspective of having custom built kitchens with tiled floors/walls, benches I can pull away to clean behind etc etc. I don't have pets so that's not an issue...anything else?

Based on the recipes i'm using (Grewelling's) ..yes, it will be hot. Certainly over 50c - however...a squeeze bottle may do the job I guess...hmm!

Hi all - so I'm looking to make some chocolate dipped fondants; i'm ok with the process except for one thing. Actually getting the fondant in the silicon moulds without also fondanting myself, the counter, the walls, houseplants and everything else in a 5m radius. (Ok ..that may be an exaggeration but it's what it feels like!) The obvious answer is to use a fondant funnel but dear god they're expensive! The cheapest i've found is round the £120 mark - which seems a lot for a metal funnel with a tap on it. I've found other "piston funnels" on amazon for much, much less...generally smaller volume (about a litre or less..which is fine for my very small scale production). However the disparity in price range (they're about £30 average) makes me wonder if i'm missing something? This one looks fine to me but am I going to run into problems using this with fondant? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Buyer-3353-00-Piston-Funnel-Black/dp/B0015XHOKA/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1453730013&sr=1-1&keywords=piston+funnel Possibly a daft question..but it's worth checking I think!

Awesome!! Thank you! I haven't done that much sugar work but enough to have the bug for it. I'm ok with managing temperatures but I think I'll slow down and explore this all a bit more carefully after your comments. The point about humidity is a big one, I suspect a market stall in cold, wet, UK winters is not the place for sugar work! Hmmmm. Thank you, that was hugely helpful!! :)

They did used to be much better, but there's still a place for them definitely. Amazon can be a bit hit and miss with the cheaper options once you add postage and delivery times. Fair point though :)