Self taught chocolatier with issues! What am I doing wrong?

[BonBon]

Hi Everyone,

 

Hope you are well. I'm a self taught chocolatier and I have run out of books so have come online in the hope that I can learn some new things. I make moulded chocolates in semi sphere moulds and that's pretty much my style, for now anyway. However I'm so fed up of getting inconsistent results so I'm wondering if there's anyone out there who can help me?

 

My main problem is sometimes my chocolates are shiny and sometimes not and I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I have attached a picture of today's chocolates. Some shiny, some not even though they were made together. Can anyone help?

 

I have a few other questions too. Like, if you are tempering with mycryo, is there a limit on how often you can temper that same batch with mycryo?

 

Also, if say I am using tempered chocolate and I scrape some excess off that has started to harden and has gone below the working temperature, will it affect my tempered chocolate if I add it to it?

 

Thanks 

[Kerry Beal]

What do you mean by 'they were made together?'

[BonBon]

Just now, Kerry Beal said:

What do you mean by 'they were made together?'

Sorry, I just meant at the same time. Same batch.

[Kerry Beal]

Was the shiny one the first poured?

[BonBon]

1 minute ago, Kerry Beal said:

Was the shiny one the first poured?

No it was the 4th out of 6 I believe, but I get some shiny ones in the same mould as well as dull.

 

[Kerry Beal]

Same positions in the molds each time?

[BonBon]

Just now, Kerry Beal said:

Same positions in the molds each time?

I'm not 100% but I can check this out next time.

[Kerry Beal]

Might be some damaged parts of mold 

 

 

[Jim D.]

This inconsistency in the outcome is not at all unusual. Sometimes some pieces will fall out of the mold immediately, while others stick. Sometimes some pieces are nice and shiny, while others are dull. Sometimes, IMHO, there is no explanation for this situation (and we just have to guess why it happened). But I have found that since I started putting the shells in the refrigerator for a few minutes after they have been formed (after they have crystallized at room temperature), I have had far fewer cases of dull or sticking shells. This has to do with the "latent heat of crystallization" given off as chocolate crystallizes. To give credit where it's due, I learned this technique from Kerry Beal.

[Kerry Beal]

Also note where the dull ones relate to the position of your hand on the mold.