Report: eG Chocolate and Confectionery Workshop 2014

[Chocolot]

Yes, the alcohol totally evaporated. 

As much as I learned at the workshop, the thing I missed most was seeing what Kerry has found to use in confectionary. It is always the highlight to see what she has found.

[Lior]

Isopropyl is safe to touch and inhale?

[rotuts]

you bet

 

its  " rubbing alcohol "

[Lior]

aaah!! got it 

[Jim D.]

I have been very interested in the report on this year's workshop.  I don't know how accurate it is, but one of the impressions I have gotten from the posts is that there was quite a bit of overturning the tried-and-true chocolate rules.  Some examples:  Jean-Marie's method of mixing ganache which involved deliberately causing it to break, the washing of molds with soap in a dishwasher, the cleaning of molds with isopropyl, melting butter into a ganache rather than waiting to add it later, and using (as Kerry put it so cleverly--given the effect of this additive) "a shit load of sorbitol."  I'm just wondering if those at the workshop got this same impression or if I just happened to notice these examples.

[gfron1]

I think that's a fair description JIm.  The difference being that this is a teaching chocolate maker who has all the bells and whistles at his disposal, which would include knowledge.  His shop has a wall of "sponsors" who give him equipment and supplies knowing that they will share with their students.  So if Valhrona wants you doing the gradual emulsion, then they'll make sure JMA knows it and is teaching it. 

[keychris]

I would say the 'washing of molds in the dishwasher with soap' is simply a time vs effort thing. It's much easier in a commercial setting to wash them in a dishwasher - I know they do this at the school I attend as well.

[RobertM]

....let's not forget the perfectly tempered cocoa butter sitting in a one of a kind machine at (was it 32?)

[Kerry Beal]

....let's not forget the perfectly tempered cocoa butter sitting in a one of a kind machine at (was it 32?)

33.3 - experiments underway!

[Mette]

Thanks so much for the report and pics - I am very envious of the whole event. It looks like you had a fantastic time and a brilliant arrangement committee.

 

If the god of exams and finance will, I will attempt coming next year

Edited May 24, 2014 by Mette (log)

[Smithy]

It has been a beautiful and exciting series of reports. Thank you all for sharing the fun with the rest of us!

[mostlylana]

Thanks for the update on the spraying secret Ruth.  Darn hey?!

Gfron, what a great and simple idea - 2 heated guns!  

Kerry, thanks for the list of the pearls of knowledge.  I've jotted a few down and will use them.

 

I recall that Recchiuti also washes his molds in the dishwasher but I think it's without soap.  Don't remember for certain though...

I wonder why they use isopropyl to clean and buff the molds?  Maybe to eliminate all of the fat?

 

Thanks again for sharing everyone!

[tikidoc]

I found a description of the Valrhona method for ganache, in which it looks broken before it emulsifies, complete with pictures.  Since I did not do the Master courses, I found it helpful.  Looking forward to trying it.

 

http://courses.ecolechocolat.com/lobjects/curriculum1/oldcurric/pp_mod_4/recipe_ganache.htm

[Kerry Beal]

Check out this topic from a few years back when this first came up.  I had totally forgotten about it.

 

 

[gfron1]

Finally getting a chance to sit down with my notes - some of these may have value, others may not:

 

-If ganache breaks, add hot water, breaks are caused by lack of water.  If still breaks, heat gun.

-Felchin has some nice pastry bag holders that they should have donated to all of us

-Emulsions can't be below 35º; ganache should finish at 35º

-Glucose makes ganache "chewy"

-Invertaese when used in a ganache with yolk prevents curdling

-Pectin NH (reversable) is used in the piped PDF

-To dampen sweetness in white chocolate add a bit of citric acid

-Always add 5% milk powder to gianduja to absorb moisture that will seep into chocolate

-Koerner carries the Sosa products in the US

-Bought giandujas - Callebaut has the cheapest good stuff but they prefer Felchin

-Caramel finish temps (242º candy bars, 245º wrapped caramel)

-Spray gun psi: 80 is too much, 60 is perfect for detail work

-Spray: 60/40 dulcey or milk to cocoa butter

-Spray: Glass effect - 60/40 dulcey very lightly sprayed, then 60/40 white chocolate with splash of white cocoa butter

-Spray: Always spray dark first then light

-They hang their silicon mats and molds on a coat hanger with clip hangers

-Jean Mark Scribaute book L'envers des Matteres is a great book for ingredient data

-Target AW .062-.065

[Smithy]

You're way over my head on this, but didn't I see numbers earlier for the target aW to be around 0.65? I don't think I've seen any numbers as low as what you posted above.

[Chocolot]

Finally getting a chance to sit down with my notes - some of these may have value, others may not:

 

-If ganache breaks, add hot water, breaks are caused by lack of water.  If still breaks, heat gun.

-Felchin has some nice pastry bag holders that they should have donated to all of us

-Emulsions can't be below 35º; ganache should finish at 35º

-Glucose makes ganache "chewy"

-Invertaese when used in a ganache with yolk prevents curdling

-Pectin NH (reversable) is used in the piped PDF

-To dampen sweetness in white chocolate add a bit of citric acid

-Always add 5% milk powder to gianduja to absorb moisture that will seep into chocolate

-Koerner carries the Sosa products in the US

-Bought giandujas - Callebaut has the cheapest good stuff but they prefer Felchin

-Caramel finish temps (242º candy bars, 245º wrapped caramel)

-Spray gun psi: 80 is too much, 60 is perfect for detail work

-Spray: 60/40 dulcey or milk to cocoa butter

-Spray: Glass effect - 60/40 dulcey very lightly sprayed, then 60/40 white chocolate with splash of white cocoa butter

-Spray: Always spray dark first then light

-They hang their silicon mats and molds on a coat hanger with clip hangers

-Jean Mark Scribaute book L'envers des Matteres is a great book for ingredient data

-Target AW .062-.065

A question Rob..You said Invertase. Did you mean Invert sugar? i think I missed that one.

[xxchef]

You're way over my head on this, but didn't I see numbers earlier for the target aW to be around 0.65? I don't think I've seen any numbers as low as what you posted above.

My notes say that Jean Marie expects 90 day (60 day guarantee) shelf life @ 0.62 aW and that 0.72 - 0.75 aW = maybe 5 weeks life.  What was that one ganache Melissa made, 0.96, I think?, and he said "Eat it within one day".

[gfron1]

Ruth, surely my notes are wrong.  It must be invert sugar.

[Tri2Cook]

Ruth, surely my notes are wrong.  It must be invert sugar.

Notes updated. Yep, I grabbed your list of notes and saved them along with Kerry's in a file on my computer. I've done the (or a) pectin NH version of pipeable pate de fruits but the thinning with fruit puree to get a pipeable result thing is a new one for me. I'll have to play with that.

 

[Kerry Beal]

The thinning is done with a regular PDF not necessary for the pectin NH version.

[Tri2Cook]

The thinning is done with a regular PDF not necessary for the pectin NH version.

Yep, got that. It's the thinning of a regular PDF with fruit puree to make it pipeable that caught my attention. I like the idea that, if you're going to thin it for piping, might as well add some additional flavor and freshness by using fruit puree.

 

[lebowits]

My notes say that Jean Marie expects 90 day (60 day guarantee) shelf life @ 0.62 aW and that 0.72 - 0.75 aW = maybe 5 weeks life.  What was that one ganache Melissa made, 0.96, I think?, and he said "Eat it within one day".

 

In the class I took recently in Chicago with Chef Mattieu Barriqualt, a table was included which indicated the expected shelf life of a ganache or other center within a range of Aw.  I've reproduced the table below for reference.  Chef Barriqualt has been consulting with a company for quite a while in crafting products with a shelf life of nearly a year.  During the class, he related some of the things they were doing to achieve an Aw < 0.65 and while it was technically interesting, I'm not sure that any of us would or possibly even could achieve this mark.

 

         Aw                  Shelf Life Expected

===============================

       > 0.90                     < 3 weeks

0.85 < Aw < 0.90         3 – 6 weeks

0.75 < Aw < 0.85      6 – 12 weeks (3 months)

0.65 < Aw < 0.75      3 – 6 months

        < 0.65                  > 6 months

 

As I was reworking one of my own very simple ganaches (2:1 74% chocolate), I was able to get it under to 0.84 from a previous 0.87 with small substituions of sugars (replacing some glucose with invert & sorbitol) and reducing the amount of chocolate by a few grams.

 

Happy formulating!

Edited May 27, 2014 by lebowits (log)

[Jim D.]

In the class I took recently in Chicago with Chef Mattieu Barriqualt, a table was included which indicated the expected shelf life of a ganache or other center within a range of Aw.  I've reproduced the table below for reference. 

Thanks for that helpful chart and the insights.  Do you have one of those meters to test Aw?

 

I understand the impact of substituting invert sugar and sorbitol for glucose, but I'm not clear why reducing the chocolate would help.  Can you explain?  Thanks.

[lebowits]

Thanks for that helpful chart and the insights.  Do you have one of those meters to test Aw?

 

I understand the impact of substituting invert sugar and sorbitol for glucose, but I'm not clear why reducing the chocolate would help.  Can you explain?  Thanks.In

I don't have an Aw meter.  They seem to be rather pricey.  Chef had one in the class but it needed to go back to the manufacturer for re-calibration.

 

Reducing the chocolate didn't necessarily help with the Aw.  One of the things I was trying to do was to create a slightly softer and smoother ganache.  Removing a bit of the chocolate took out a small amount of sugar, but more importantly, reduced the amount of dry matter with respect to the amount of liquid.  This in a very small way, helped give me a softer product.