Dark side

I guess it comes down to budget for me.. Will biting the bullet for this investment avoid frustrations that may come with cheaper alternatives? Will it make my chocolates more beautiful, make my chocolate-making life easier, or both (neither?!)? Or would a less expensive brush still satisfy my curiosity and make some pretty things without too much frustration, or regretting the money output. Thank you all for your time listening to my soul searching. And your opinions- they are helpful, and always entertaining as well!

Vancouver Island, BC.

Once or twice a year I skim through this novel of info (mostly because every few posts Jim reminds me to read the whole thing), trying to again gather what the best options are to get an airbrush set up going. I end up overwhelmed and put a pin in it for later. Here I am again wondering if this is the year that investing in this will come to fruition! So, confirming current recommended options and their costs : - Airbrush- grex brand, top gravity feed, .7mm nozzle $200 on sale - Compressor- something with decent capacity, adjustable psi (specific range??), low noise, anything else? $200? - Spray booth- from cardboard box, to box with filter and fan, to something fancier like Cakesafe $0-$800? - Any other necessary items? At this point I hand paint molds. It takes time, and I feel it potentially uses more CB than airbrushing will. And I have a small shop space. How long would you say it takes you to set up and clean up for an airbrush session? Will setting up and dialing it in take me longer than just hand painting? Essentially, is it more efficient? For you, what made this feel like a worthy investment in your craft?

Did you se your set up over the busy christmas season? Still feeling good about your equipment??

On vancouver island

Hi, wondering where my Canadian friends source fruit purees such as Boiron. Is there somewhere within the country that doesn't have exhorbitant shipping rates? Thanks!

Did some searching and looks like chocolate aerated in siphon is dispensed and then also put into vac chamber to increase bubbles. Im wondering if the vacuum is necessary..

Those look awesome! Vac machine? oh dear, this sounds put of my wheelhouse.. How does this play into the process? And you were able to keep aerated chocolate warm in the siphon while waiting between batches?

Boo that is unfortunate! And what im hoping to avoid! Thanks for replying nonetheless. There must be SOME success stories out there...🤞

Has anyone successfully "piped" aerated chocolate from a whip dispenser directly into molds? Ive only tried aerating once, years ago and found that it got too cold once charged and seized up before i could make much happen with it. It may be that I was too cautious and didnt begin with enough chocolate in the dispenser for the amount of charging and the chill overtook it. Id really like to fill some molds (bigger than bonbon) with aerated chocolate. Looking for tips for success! How much chocolate in canister, how many chargers, etc. Thank you!

Im trying to make a caramel sauce to use in warm drinks at my cafe. Ive so far used our same recipe from our dipped caramel (sugar/agave syrup/cream/butter), just cooking to a lower temp (225°), but it has been crystallizing and not remaining very "flowy." It is stored in the fridge to help with shelf life, with some brought out each day into a squeeze bottle to use. It doesnt terribly mattter that it crystallizes, as it's being whisked into warm drinks, but id love suggestions/tips/recipes for how to keep it smooth and saucy (also for alternate use in bonbons) and not crystalline.

Well I made my attempt. And im pretty darn proud of the results actually! Thanks for the tips!

Ok, how are the chocolates made, often tool shaped, that have a rusty looking finish? covered in cocoa powder after moulding? Something done prior to moulding? Untempered chocolate? Other ideas?

Haha yeah I don’t have a grease trap, but have an annual plumber visit… currently we use scrapers and just scrape all the built up stuff off, and only hot wash if the molds got scuffy or if there have been allergens used in them. It just takes sooooo long to scrape it all off I was hoping someone had an idea I hadn’t thought of yet.

Having a huge pile up of molds needing to be scraped is one of the dreaded things in this kitchen. Has anyone come up with a more efficient or quick method to removing hardened chocolate from polycarbonate molds (or even the cheapies)?

Lord knows I’ve got those around lol. question for your dextrose recipe. Is the full 2200 g added to the water, or is 150g dry charge set aside first and 2050g added to the water?

Got some dextrose. Hoping to try it today! 🤞

Thanks Kerry, this recipe might prove helpful! Wondering what the purpose of dextrose is, instead of regular cane sugar which is what I primarily work with. Any thoughts?

For my next querie- this youtube video of candy coated chocolate eggs. What temp/stage do you think she's cooked her sugar solution to?

I haven't tried to look!

I don't actually use a cooling tool either...😬 I guess the chocolate build-up might be my sacrifice for not using heating/cooling. What temp melted chocolate do you recommend?

Those results sounds impeccable. I didnt realise heating the outside was necessary.. A heat gun? Any good tutorial videos you could point me to? So if the drum is warm and the centres are cold that would be a good first step? I thought maybe my batch sizes were too small and the chocolate i was pouring in was just making more contact with the drum because there were enough "fillers." Also, do you use tempered or untempered chocolate? Ive been using tempered, maybe that is contributing to build up.

Hello panners! Have acquired my kitchenaid panning attachment and having fun! Finding what seems like an awful lot of chocolate is ending up stuck to the drum by the end of a batch. Is this normal or is there a way to reduce waste while panning? Thank you!

I came across the simmer in the can recipe for dulce de leche, and cooked some up- yum! Wasn't sure if the moisture content was suitable for inside a chocolate, so I added chocolate to make a ganache, but it ended up quite stiff and not as flavourful. Question 1: Can i pipe it as is into chocolate shells and it'll keep well enough or is the water content too high? Question 2: Can I simmer cans and then keep them on the shelf or in the fridge for future use?

Thanks Haley, I will be trying Kerry's suggestion first and then if it doesnt work, tempering is next! I was really hoping for the reliable convenience factor. I'd so love to dial it in!