Cocoa butter sticking to molds

[Lior]

Hi! Today I experimented with cocoa butter since I needed to melt some for a peanut butter filling (GREWELING) For some reason that name - Greweling- seems to need to be in a Harry Potter book...

Anyway when it was melted I decided to use my finger and shmear some into moulds before making shells. After I filled and all and tried to pop them out of the moulds, I could not. I had to freeze them for 10 minutes in order to BANG them out. And then, half had white cocoa butter stains - erghghgh!!. What did I do wrong? Do I need to temper the cocoa butter before using it? Sorry I always have so many questions... One day I will be able to contribute also!

Lior

[Kerry Beal]

Hi! Today I experimented with cocoa butter since I needed to melt some for a peanut butter filling (GREWELING) For some reason that name - Greweling- seems to need to be in a Harry Potter book...

Anyway when it was melted I decided to use my finger and shmear some into moulds before making shells. After I filled and all and tried to pop them out of the moulds, I could not. I had to freeze them for 10 minutes in order to BANG them out. And then, half had white cocoa butter stains - erghghgh!!. What did I do wrong? Do I need to temper the cocoa butter before using it? Sorry I always have so many questions... One day I will be able to contribute also!

Lior

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Yup, temper before using inside molds. Use the same temperatures as for dark chocolate.

[John DePaula]

I use the microwave on low for short periods (1st for 2 minutes, and then for 30 second bursts - all on low), stirring after each. I nuke it just long enough so that there is still some solid cocoa butter bits left which will melt from residual heat. I try to time it so that when all of the cocoa butter is finally melted, the mass is around 31C.

[alanamoana]

i also believe (someone correct me if i'm wrong) that similar to using transfer sheets (which are colored cocoa butter after all) your chocolate must be on the warm side (within temper, of course) so that the cocoa butter will adhere to the chocolate and then contract with the chocolate when it crystallizes so that it will release cleanly from the mold.

sounds good in theory, doesn't it?

[Lior]

Oh, I see! Either temper it, or only melt to 31 to keep it in temper! I will try it next time! I guess we all learn by our mistakes! When I use an airbrush, I think I readsomewhere that I don't need to temper...?

Thanks to all

Lior

[Truffle Guy]

Hi! Today I experimented with cocoa butter since I needed to melt some for a peanut butter filling (GREWELING) For some reason that name - Greweling- seems to need to be in a Harry Potter book...

Anyway when it was melted I decided to use my finger and shmear some into moulds before making shells. After I filled and all and tried to pop them out of the moulds, I could not. I had to freeze them for 10 minutes in order to BANG them out. And then, half had white cocoa butter stains - erghghgh!!. What did I do wrong? Do I need to temper the cocoa butter before using it? Sorry I always have so many questions... One day I will be able to contribute also!

Lior

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You also may want to make sure that the chocolate in the mold is thick enough that when it shrinks, it can pull the cocoa butter from the mold. If you are not sure, just give the molds a second filling after the first has cooled.

I've had similar problems and after reading Wybauws book did this to make sure my shells were not too thin and it did the job in almost every case.

[Lior]

Hi! Aren't we supposed to have thin shells? A second time would make it too thick, would it not? Could it be that my x3210 is not tempering well? It seems a lot of work to fill and empty a second time... Please letme know if I understood correctly.

And thanks so much!

Lior

[John DePaula]

Hi! Aren't we supposed to have thin shells? A second time would make it too thick, would it not? Could it be that my x3210 is not tempering well? It seems a lot of work to fill and empty a second time... Please letme know if I understood correctly.

And thanks so much!

Lior

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yes, you want thin shells...

[Lior]

Thanks. I like your site! I was surprised to see that you have a pommegranate ganache!! I am working on mine nowadays. Over here, pommegranates are common during fall season and are a symbolic food. I just love them, their shape, taste, health... So I decided to use them in a ganache. I thought about white chocolate ganache because it comes out a nice pinkish color. What doyou think? Any suggestions? If I can post a picture I will post a beautiful one of pommegranates!

Thanks once again!

Lior

[John DePaula]

Thanks. I like your site! I was surprised to see that you have a pommegranate ganache!! I am working on mine nowadays. Over here, pommegranates are common during fall season and are a symbolic food. I just love them, their shape, taste, health... So I decided to use them in a ganache. I thought about white chocolate ganache because it comes out a nice pinkish color. What doyou think? Any suggestions? If I can post a picture I will post a beautiful one of pommegranates!

Thanks once again!

Lior

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Hey, thanks! Yeah, I think that anything that is especially tart, e.g. pomegranate, passion-fruit, lemon, etc., would work well with white and/or milk chocolate.

How are pomegranates symbolic in your country, Lior?

[alanamoana]

Hi! Aren't we supposed to have thin shells? A second time would make it too thick, would it not? Could it be that my x3210 is not tempering well? It seems a lot of work to fill and empty a second time... Please letme know if I understood correctly.

And thanks so much!

Lior

←

just to clarify what truffle guy meant...i'm pretty sure he just meant that the shells should be thick enough to offer enough contraction so that the chocolates come easily out of the molds. if your shells are too thin, they won't contract enough and even after freezing and stuff they won't come out nicely.

with regard to airbrushing cocoa butter, you don't need to temper and can actually use the cocoa butter at a higher temperature because the atomization of the cocoa butter through the airbrush cools it significantly (and is also agitation which is necessary for tempering) so it comes out the other end at the right temp.

[Truffle Guy]

Hi! Aren't we supposed to have thin shells? A second time would make it too thick, would it not? Could it be that my x3210 is not tempering well? It seems a lot of work to fill and empty a second time... Please letme know if I understood correctly.

And thanks so much!

Lior

←

just to clarify what truffle guy meant...i'm pretty sure he just meant that the shells should be thick enough to offer enough contraction so that the chocolates come easily out of the molds. if your shells are too thin, they won't contract enough and even after freezing and stuff they won't come out nicely.

with regard to airbrushing cocoa butter, you don't need to temper and can actually use the cocoa butter at a higher temperature because the atomization of the cocoa butter through the airbrush cools it significantly (and is also agitation which is necessary for tempering) so it comes out the other end at the right temp.

←

Exactly...it will still be a thin mold but if the chocolate is not thick enough the cocoa butter will stick to the mold and you will get unsightly pieces. Also, if the cocoa butter is too warm it can stick to the mold....

[Lior]

Well thanks very much Truffle guy and alanamoana! I will bite into one and see how thin the shell is! About pommegranates:

According to Midrash (interpretations and hidden meanings of the bible), there are 613 kernels in each pomegranate, representing each of the 613 mitzvot (good deeds) that a Jew is commanded to perform every year. Also there is a detailed explanation in the bible of how the high priests' robe should be designed - with pommegrannates and gold.

its hem make pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, all around the hem.

Then, on our new year ,in the fall, they are in season as are a part of the festive meal - also for decoration and there is even a prayer prior to eating it. It was also a symbol of fertility, in ancient times. It is interesting that it appears in other cultures as well - in the greek myth (Persephone). It is an interesting and very healthy food!

Sorry for rambling!

Lior