truffles come out fine at home...

[QbanCrackr]

i've made quite a few truffles at home, never had a problem once i got the technique down. i'd go with a 2:1 ratio of chocolate to cream, pour it into a shallow pan and left it there covered overnight to thicken up (and it would, it'd get nice and thick and easily rollable all without ever seeing a refrigerator)

enter my new kitchen, i do the same thing and its just way too thin, as if nothing happens at all overnight--first batch i tried putting in the icebox and once my hands touched them they just started melting immediately.

would the temperature of the cream be an issue? (it was a little hotter at home)

once the cream is hot enough i'll pour it over the chocolate, let it sit for a minute then work my way from the inside out with a spatula then pour and cover.

would humidity be an issue? i'm at my wits end here, i had a friend order about 60 truffles for her birthday in a few days (she'd tried the ones at home which were great) and i'm just stuck here scratching my head

[Kerry Beal]

If anything I suspect the chocolate may have gotten warmer than before - ideally having a bit of tempered chocolate still present by the time they cool down to around 30 degrees seems to improve the hardening.

[QbanCrackr]

what i've always done is just heat the cream until small bubbles appear around the pot, pour it over the chocolate, let it sit for a minute then incorporate it from the center outwards. once its smooth i just pour it cover it and let it sit overnight, by 24 hours its normally firm enough to pipe it and roll it--could it be the temperature in which its setting up? or you think the cream got too hot to bring the chocolate out of temper?

[lebowits]

what i've always done is just heat the cream until small bubbles appear around the pot, pour it over the chocolate, let it sit for a minute then incorporate it from the center outwards. once its smooth i just pour it cover it and let it sit overnight, by 24 hours its normally firm enough to pipe it and roll it--could it be the temperature in which its setting up? or you think the cream got too hot to bring the chocolate out of temper?

The cream will bring the chocolate out of temper every time if you're bringing it to a simmer. The crystals in chocolate melt well below that temp. Check a temp on the ganache next time to make it. Perhaps you can seed the ganache again as it cools and remove the seed before letting it sit overnight.

A better solution might be to reduce the amount of cream a bit more and see what happens. Perhaps there is something about the new space that is inhibiting recrystallization.

[Kerry Beal]

I do one of a couple of things - either have the chocolate at 30C and the cream at 40 C - or hot cream with part of the chocolate, when it's cooled down a little - add the remaining chocolate and blitz with the immersion blender.

[QbanCrackr]

i've noticed sometimes if i don't get the cream hot enough (i.e. simmering to the small bubbles) i have tiny little pieces of chocolate that didn't fully melt.

tmrw i'm heading to get some more chocolate i'll try those 2 methods (the less cream and having the chocolate at 30 and cream at 40)

*crosses fingers*

[Chocolot]

Are you using the same chocolate each time?

[Sebastian]

1) are you using the same chocolate as you've always used, and is it in spec for fat?

2) are you using the same cream as you've always used, and is it in spec for fat and age (edited to add the shelf life component...)

3) you indicate you're crystallizing ambiently - is the temperature of the room at work similiar to the temperature of your kitchen at home?

4) are you getting a good emulsion when you mix the chocolate/cream together, or is there a possibility you're getting a 'mono-layer' of cream rising to the top as the ganache sits over time?

Edited March 3, 2010 by Sebastian (log)

[Lisa Shock]

Are you making the same volume as at home, and, are you using the same type of bowl?

[QbanCrackr]

i've always been using the same cream, and the same chocolate (callebaut milk chocolate)

i made a batch last night and when i got to it today, it was still a bit runny--i agitated it slightly and piped it out and left it to crystalize a bit and in some hours (i don't know how long but it seems to be just about right) it ended up thickening considerably. i think it may have been ambient temperature. but everything is the same (ingredients, mixing utensils, bowls, tupperware to crystalize)

as for a mono-layer, i'm not sure on that, i haven't noticed anything when i've gotten back to it but i do believe i've achieved a good emulsion

will update tmrw once i get back there. things do look like they're getting better but we'll see what happens as i try to repeat the process multiple times...hopefully tempering won't be too much of a pain hehe

[lebowits]

I should have thought of this earlier. If you have Greweling's first book, part of the first section on cream based truffles discusses technique and he often specifies in his method to "agitate" the ganache (by tabling) before letting it set. The agitation of the ganache promotes crystallization. There is specific amount of time, you simply agitate it until you get the consistency you want. In my experience this takes about 10 minutes or so on a cool marble or granite slab.

[QbanCrackr]

Funny thing was I was just wondering about that method if it would give me different effects on the ganache. I piped some out yesterday and they did crystalize a bit more than my first batch, but my main issue is I think the cream is bringing the chocolate out of temper as when I went to roll them, they started melting and slipping and sliding on my gloves. I'm not sure they'd even hold up under the couverture =\