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Chocolate Tempering: Tips and Troubleshooting

seawakim

By seawakim
in Pastry & Baking

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keychris

keychris

Posted
Posted

 

8 hours ago, prashamk said:

Does the compound slabs that doesn't contain cocoa butter require tempering? 

 

8 hours ago, martin0642 said:

 

Nope - compound "chocolate" doesn't require tempering at all. (Although calling it chocolate is debatable.....chocolate flavoured maybe...but that might just be me being a chocolate snob :) )

 

You can possibly (at a stretch) call it chocolate, but you can't call it couverture 😛

 

It's not that it doesn't require tempering, it just can't be tempered. Compound chocolate has had all the cocoa butter removed and replaced with other fats, something like palm oil probably, so if you're using it in your products, don't expect it to perform the same as you would using couverture or "real" chocolate (i.e. a chocolate product that still contains cocoa butter)

Rajala

Rajala

Posted
Posted

Okay, so for the first time in the year I've been making chocolate, I have issues with over tempering - the shells won't release from the mould. I've tried twice and I think it's something with the chocolate I'm working with.

 

Valrhona Blond. I heat it to 45 degrees, pour it on my countertop and work it down to 27, and then reheat to 29-30. I read on the bag that they suggest 28-29. I pour ALL the chocolate on my countertop, and reheat very carefully in the microwave (just the way I learned.)

 

Suggestions? Let it go cooler than 27 or heat it to just below 29 maybe?

martin0642

martin0642

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, Rajala said:

Okay, so for the first time in the year I've been making chocolate, I have issues with over tempering - the shells won't release from the mould. I've tried twice and I think it's something with the chocolate I'm working with.

 

Valrhona Blond. I heat it to 45 degrees, pour it on my countertop and work it down to 27, and then reheat to 29-30. I read on the bag that they suggest 28-29. I pour ALL the chocolate on my countertop, and reheat very carefully in the microwave (just the way I learned.)

 

Suggestions? Let it go cooler than 27 or heat it to just below 29 maybe?

 

I'm slightly confused by the method - if you're going to table it then I wouldn't put it all on teh counter, tabling it and then reheating in a microwave sounds like a recipe for issues. Pouring about 3/4 to cool by tabling, then add it back to the molten chocolate in the bowl.

 

Reheating to 29 would be fine in theory.... 

Budding, UK based chocolatier .....or at least..that's the plan 

Rajala

Rajala

Posted
Posted
55 minutes ago, martin0642 said:

 

I'm slightly confused by the method - if you're going to table it then I wouldn't put it all on teh counter, tabling it and then reheating in a microwave sounds like a recipe for issues. Pouring about 3/4 to cool by tabling, then add it back to the molten chocolate in the bowl.

 

Reheating to 29 would be fine in theory.... 

 

29 obviously didn’t work, I tried twice.

Rajala

Rajala

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Kerry Beal said:

I take white chocolate down to 25.

 

I'll try with that. I very rarely mould with white chocolate, maybe that's why I'm having issues. :D 

keychris

keychris

Posted
Posted

time to lose your thermometer and do it by feel ;)

 

Only partly kidding - when I was taught how to temper, they banned all thermometers from the kitchen so we had to know what the chocolate behaved like at each stage. You can feel it thickening up, you know that's when you need to get it back in the bowl to head back to working temperature :)

  • Like 1
pastrygirl

pastrygirl

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Rajala said:

Okay, so for the first time in the year I've been making chocolate, I have issues with over tempering - the shells won't release from the mould. I've tried twice and I think it's something with the chocolate I'm working with.

 

Valrhona Blond. I heat it to 45 degrees, pour it on my countertop and work it down to 27, and then reheat to 29-30. I read on the bag that they suggest 28-29. I pour ALL the chocolate on my countertop, and reheat very carefully in the microwave (just the way I learned.)

 

Is it Dulcey?  I make a bar with Dulcey and it usually behaves as it should.  I mold it around 88 - 89F  or approx 31 C.  Full disclosure I do blend it with 10-15% Callebaut Zephyr to save a buck, that probably changes the viscosity slightly.  I know their Opalys (intentionally thicker white) can be a challenge with rapid thickening, and @Jim D. had mentioned getting some Orelys, (another Valrhona blond, more brown sugar than caramel). Jim, have you tried molding with it?  It's 35% so that might be more fluid than the Dulcey which is 32% fat.

 

  • Like 1
Jim D.

Jim D.

Posted
Posted
56 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

 

Is it Dulcey?  I make a bar with Dulcey and it usually behaves as it should.  I mold it around 88 - 89F  or approx 31 C.  Full disclosure I do blend it with 10-15% Callebaut Zephyr to save a buck, that probably changes the viscosity slightly.  I know their Opalys (intentionally thicker white) can be a challenge with rapid thickening, and @Jim D. had mentioned getting some Orelys, (another Valrhona blond, more brown sugar than caramel). Jim, have you tried molding with it?  It's 35% so that might be more fluid than the Dulcey which is 32% fat.

 

No, I haven't tried molding with Orelys, just used it so far for the chocolate chip truffles I make. I did try making an (unsuccessful) apple ganache with it, and in that procedure it acted much like Opalys--that is, it got very thick, to the point that I had to add more liquid. But I have learned to manage Opalys and have no doubt that Orelys would be the same. "Managing" means having some untempered chocolate ready and adding it when the thickening starts and not being afraid to raise the temp to levels that are not recommended for white chocolate.

  • Like 2

www.santiagochocolates.com

Rajala

Rajala

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the feedback.

 

It's Orelys I'm playing around with. Sorry for not being clear. The viscosity is extremely low, so it's not that it set too fast. Maybe it's not over tempered? Maybe I'm confusing the terms here.

 

But if the problem is that it's super fluid, maybe Kerrys advice is the one to follow?

Rajala

Rajala

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, keychris said:

time to lose your thermometer and do it by feel ;)

 

 Only partly kidding - when I was taught how to temper, they banned all thermometers from the kitchen so we had to know what the chocolate behaved like at each stage. You can feel it thickening up, you know that's when you need to get it back in the bowl to head back to working temperature :)

 

Hehe. I should at least try the "bowl" method, or whatever we should call it. It's basically taking 2/3 and pour that on my countertop, bring it down in temperature and pour it back to the bowl and it should be tempered?

martin0642

martin0642

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Rajala said:

 

Hehe. I should at least try the "bowl" method, or whatever we should call it. It's basically taking 2/3 and pour that on my countertop, bring it down in temperature and pour it back to the bowl and it should be tempered?

 

 

That's the traditional method of tabling I referred to.....that would be my choice if you're going to table (as opposed to cooling it all and then using a microwave). 

Budding, UK based chocolatier .....or at least..that's the plan 

Rajala

Rajala

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, martin0642 said:

 

 

That's the traditional method of tabling I referred to.....that would be my choice if you're going to table (as opposed to cooling it all and then using a microwave). 

 

Yeah, the only reason I'm doing it the way I'm doing it is because someone showed it to me and it's been working perfectly until just now.

Rajala

Rajala

Posted
Posted

Okay. I tried it again, thinking about what Kerry said; 25°. However, it started to get a little bit thicker at around 26° so I thought that was enough, brought it back up to 28°. By the time I had filled the mould. I could hold it upside down without any chocolate dropping down. Like it was a meringue.

 

Seriously, this product is my archenemy. Any suggestions? :D

 

While waiting for your feedback, I'm going to mould with something else, just to make sure that I haven't lost all my skills here.

  • Like 1
Kerry Beal

Kerry Beal

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, Rajala said:

Okay. I tried it again, thinking about what Kerry said; 25°. However, it started to get a little bit thicker at around 26° so I thought that was enough, brought it back up to 28°. By the time I had filled the mould. I could hold it upside down without any chocolate dropping down. Like it was a meringue.

 

Seriously, this product is my archenemy. Any suggestions? :D

 

While waiting for your feedback, I'm going to mould with something else, just to make sure that I haven't lost all my skills here.

The chocolate is always the boss! 

 

How sure are you of the accuracy of your thermometer?

 

 

Edited by Kerry Beal (log)

the Chocolate Doctor
www.thechocolatedoctor.ca

www.eztemper.com

 

Confectionary Course • Confectionary Course Q&A
eGullet foodblog 2006 • eGullet Foodblog 2012

Rajala

Rajala

Posted
Posted
47 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

The chocolate is always the boss! 

 

How sure are you of the accuracy of your thermometer?

 

 

 

 

Never had any issues until now. So it should be fairly accurate. I’m thinking that it’s still a little too warm in my apartment. 24 degrees.

Kerry Beal

Kerry Beal

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Rajala said:

 

Never had any issues until now. So it should be fairly accurate. I’m thinking that it’s still a little too warm in my apartment. 24 degrees.

Have you any way of testing the accuracy of your thermometer?

 

 

the Chocolate Doctor
www.thechocolatedoctor.ca

www.eztemper.com

 

Confectionary Course • Confectionary Course Q&A
eGullet foodblog 2006 • eGullet Foodblog 2012

Rajala

Rajala

Posted
Posted

I could put it up my arm pit and see if it’s around 37 degrees? 🤣

 

In all seriousness, no. Just tried with milk chocolate and that didn’t temper correctly either. I’m blaming the temp in the kitchen. Will try dark chocolate tomorrow, just because.

  • Like 1
Rajala

Rajala

Posted
Posted

That would probably be the easiest way.

 

I tempered some dark chocolate yesterday, close to perfection. So not sure what the issue is with white and milk for me. I'm probably out of shape due to not doing any chocolate work since May? :D 


Just need to practice more I guess.

  • 2 weeks later...
Rajala

Rajala

Posted
Posted

Okay, got a question; if the chocolate doesn't come out easily from the mould - what should I do next time I temper with the same kind of chocolate? Let it get a little bit lower in temperature, before brought up to working temperature? (I know I need to learn to do it without a thermometer, but that's in the future) :) 

 

The milk chocolate I'm working with at the moment seems to take forever to set - but it's snappy and shiny when it do. I'm not sure why I have so many issues with this. Dark chocolate works every time. 🤔

Rajala

Rajala

Posted
Posted

Yeah, but it feels like it takes way too long. I'm going slightly lower next time then. 25 as you suggest. :) 

  • 1 month later...
J.Green

J.Green

Posted
Posted

Can you temper chocolate that has bloomed?

 

I've seen some responses from friends that have said to melt down bloomed chocolate to 115 and then use a new 'seed.'

But haven't tried it yet.

 

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Kerry Beal

Kerry Beal

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, J.Green said:

Can you temper chocolate that has bloomed?

 

I've seen some responses from friends that have said to melt down bloomed chocolate to 115 and then use a new 'seed.'

But haven't tried it yet.

 

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Yes you can - melt it down and reseed. Is it milk, white or dark? Temperature you reseed to will depend.

 

 

the Chocolate Doctor
www.thechocolatedoctor.ca

www.eztemper.com

 

Confectionary Course • Confectionary Course Q&A
eGullet foodblog 2006 • eGullet Foodblog 2012

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