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Tempering in thermomix


Quasar

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Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone has had any luck tempering chocolate in a thermomix.

I tried it for the first time this week following a recipe for 'Marshmallow, cardamon and bitter Chocolate Dunkers' from the Blog British Larder and had no luck, actually I've had no luck tempering trying any method. Of course they still tasted yummy but the chocolate was soft, not shiny and no snap.

To try and temper I used 250g valrhona choc (63%) and did the following as per the recipe.

5 mins 50 degrees at speed 1

8 mins 37 degrees at speed 1

2 mins 50 degrees at speed 1.

Any thoughts on what I need to do, chocolate has become my nemesis!!!

Thanks

Quasar

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No I didn't monitor the chocolate, I'll give it another try and measure between the processes.

I guess I was just hoping that the thermomix would make it easier, I feel like I keep following directions for various tempering techniques but just can't get it to work. On the positive side no one in my family seems to care about eating my constant failures.

Thanks for the help.

Quasar

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Are you sure about the temperatures you wrote?

When cooling down, you need to go under 32° celsius (90° fahrenheit). I suppose the degrees you wrote are celsius, they would be too low for fahrenheit, so if you never go under 37° it's impossible for the chocolate to be tempered.

What I can suggest is this. First of all, use a thermometer to check the temperature of the chocolate, it's better to not trust the thermomix when it's a matter of a couple of degrees. Put the chocolate in the thermomix, and melt it to 45° celsius mixing at speed 1 (to mix it use the "butterfly" and not the "knife"). When you reach 45° celsius, turn down the heating and keep mixing at speed 1. Check the temperature of the chocolate with the thermometer every couple of minutes. When you reach 30° celsius the chocolate is tempered and you can use it, there is no need to go down to 28° celsius and reheat the chocolate (without going above 32° celsius), since the thermomix cooled it while mixing, and it's enough to get the chocolate tempered. When you reach 30°, turn on the heating on the thermomix at 30°, and once in a while check that the temperature remains in the window 28°-32°.

Teo

Teo

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Wouldn't the Thermomix also aerate the chocolate?

Anyway, a major limitation of the Thermomix is that the temperature control is not very tight and you have a swing of as much as 10 degrees C. So, for example, if you are setting it to 50 degrees that doesn't necessarily mean that it is actually 50 degrees, and it is likely to swing between 45 and 55 degrees.

--

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Thank you all so much for the help, you have all been very generous.

slkinsey, I guess I was relying too much on the thermomix temps being accurate.

Teo,thanks for the detailed instructions and this time I'll use the butterfly and use the thermometer as I was using the blades the last time.

ElsieD, I've been using the aussie forum and wasn't aware of the UK site but it looks wonderful and I've already printed out some other recipes to try including the tempering one, of course.

Thanks again.

Quasar

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I have tempered in the TMX. I put the chocolate in - heat for a couple of minutes at 50C at a low speed until the chocolate is partially melted but there remains a percentage of unmelted callets. I turn off the heat, cover and carefully turn the speed up to about 7 or so to incorporate the unmelted callets. This acts as seed to the melted chocolate. The timing will depend on the amount of chocolate you are tempering.

Basically I just mix until the unmelted chocolate is incorporated - if you mix too long then the chocolate overheats.

It's fast, but getting all the tempered chocolate out of the bowl is probably the limiting factor.

The Callebaut site has a video of JP Wybauw tempering in the TMX. As I recall it is a little more prescriptive in the times. (Doesn't look like that video is available on their site anymore).

Edited by Kerry Beal (log)
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Wouldn't the Thermomix also aerate the chocolate?

I don't think the chocolate can be aerated if the thermomix is used with the "butterfly" at the lower speed. The shape of the "butterfly" is vertical, a bit similar to what is used in the tempering machines.

For sure it would be better to use a tempering machine, or to temper the chocolate manually, but since Quasar never tempered chocolate, I suppose he's not looking for the most perfect result, but just for a tempered chocolate.

Teo

Teo

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Wouldn't the Thermomix also aerate the chocolate?

I don't think the chocolate can be aerated if the thermomix is used with the "butterfly" at the lower speed. The shape of the "butterfly" is vertical, a bit similar to what is used in the tempering machines.

For sure it would be better to use a tempering machine, or to temper the chocolate manually, but since Quasar never tempered chocolate, I suppose he's not looking for the most perfect result, but just for a tempered chocolate.

Teo

I don't use the butterfly when I make ganaches or when I temper in the machine - I find you just loose too much product to it and it doesn't seem to add any advantage.

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I have tempered in the TMX. I put the chocolate in - heat for a couple of minutes at 50C at a low speed until the chocolate is partially melted but there remains a percentage of unmelted callets. I turn off the heat, cover and carefully turn the speed up to about 7 or so to incorporate the unmelted callets. This acts as seed to the melted chocolate. The timing will depend on the amount of chocolate you are tempering.

Basically I just mix until the unmelted chocolate is incorporated - if you mix too long then the chocolate overheats.

It's fast, but getting all the tempered chocolate out of the bowl is probably the limiting factor.

Thanks Kerry, I think the chocolate probably overheated because it had all melted and I just left it mixing for the full amount of time the recipe stated.

I shall give your suggestions a try.

Cheers

Quasar

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I am keen to start playing with chocolate as a hobby, doing gifts for family and friends etc.

I am trying to find some time to fly down to Melbourne to do a few days at the Savour Chocolate School but wanted to have a few basic skills before I go.

The other idea I had was to purchase a melting tank which I understands holds the chocolate in temper.

Does that mean I still have to temper the choc before putting it into the tank or can I do the whole process in the one machine?

Quasar

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I don't use the butterfly when I make ganaches or when I temper in the machine - I find you just loose too much product to it and it doesn't seem to add any advantage.

Agree with you 100%.

For ganaches is quite nonsense using the butterfly, it would mean loosing all the advantages of the machine.

For tempering chocolate, it would be better to use the method of the "seeding by unmelted chocolate" that you suggest, so the butterfly is useless even here.

But when I wrote my message I was just thinking to try to suggest the easiest method (highest chances for the final result) for a person trying to temper chocolate for the first time. The seeding method is really quick, but you need some experience to start mixing the chocolate when there's the correct ratio of melted and unmelted, for the correct time (so there are more risks of failure, not too big, but there are).

The other idea I had was to purchase a melting tank which I understands holds the chocolate in temper.

Does that mean I still have to temper the choc before putting it into the tank or can I do the whole process in the one machine?

If you want to start working with chocolate with passion, I strongly suggest to learn to temper it manually before spending money in equipments. Tempering manually is much easier than people think, you just need a thermometer and watching some videos on youtube to see the correct technique. When you temper it manually, then there is the "problem" to keep it fluid and in temper, but it's easy even here, you just need a microwave or a hair drier (I'm talking about home use, professionals use the heating machine), and check the temperature with the thermometer. It's easier doing it than saying it.

When you will have learned to temper the chocolate manually, you will be satisfied with yourself, and this will help for sure to get better products (being happy while doing pastry is the main key to success). After that, you will decide what it's better for you in relation to what you want to do with chocolate.

But if you want to put passion in chocolate, then learning to temper it manually is the first thing to do.

All of this in my personal opinion, of course.

Teo

Teo

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I would jump to buy a thermomix if it could temper chocolate properly and maintain it at the right temp ... but my understanding of chocolate and temperatures is that it isn't accurate enough and doesn't have a low enough temperature setting.

I am keen to start playing with chocolate as a hobby, doing gifts for family and friends etc.

I am trying to find some time to fly down to Melbourne to do a few days at the Savour Chocolate School but wanted to have a few basic skills before I go.

I've been to Savour ... don't worry too much about basic skills ... they work with big melters so even though they show you how to temper at home (a quick demo), you don't need to know in that setting as it is all pre-done for you.

The other idea I had was to purchase a melting tank which I understands holds the chocolate in temper.

Does that mean I still have to temper the choc before putting it into the tank or can I do the whole process in the one machine?

Melters have different temperature settings ... so you can use the various methods for tempering - seeding, tableing, drop temp down/up, slow melt. Unlike an actual tempering machine which will vary the temps for you - melters just go to a certain temp.

I keep drooling over melters but can't justify the cost for the small amount I want to do (especially since I mostly use molds so therefore want something big enough to cope with them). I have had great success getting a decent temper ... just never am able to keep it there long enough to do batches of dipping or molds - drives me batty!!

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I tried it in my Thermomix but the temp control in mine is way off. The chocolate was frying with the temp control set to the next to lowest setting.

I did a work-around by drilling a hole in the flange of the spatula so I could insert the probe of my Thermopen and monitor the temp of whatever was in it but have given up on using it to temper chocolate.

If yours has a lower temp than mine, it should work fine but do monitor it with a separate thermometer, don't rely on the TM31 unless you are sure it is correctly calibrated.

I don't work with large amounts of chocolate so I just got one of the inexpensive chocolate melting pots, which is enough for me.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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Quasar, I think you've got the wrong temperatures for tempering. I've been working with Valrhona chocolates for a bit and always temper without seeding. I've been taught to do this with a certain method and it always works. I can't remember the exact temperatures for chocolate with that amount of cocoa but they are somewhere around:

1)melt to 50-52 celcius

2)cool to 30-32 celcius

3)reheat to and use at temperature of 32-34 celcius

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