Chocolate Tempering: Tips and Troubleshooting

[keychris]

Mycryo is too expensive for me to waste using it to temper

 

Methods that call for adding larger amounts of seed chocolate are adding it to the melted chocolate when it's at 45C - so the vast quantity of the seed crystals are melted out, the idea being that the right number of crystals will be left when the chocolate reaches working temperature.

 

I think basically all the different methods mean that the process is really not that hard and a there's a wide variety of different ways to accomplish the same result. Despite what people think and say, the tempering process is *not* difficult if you understand what you're trying to achieve (get beta crystals) and how to go about it (seed it, table it, microwave it, use a bane marie, whatever).

[Tony S.]

Hello everyone. Not sure if I should've started a new thread for my question. My apologies if I should have. But since it's primarily about tempering, I figured it fit here.

This past week I made chocolates for the first time in a while. I tempered my chocolate using the seeding method, melting it in a microwave and continually stirring by hand as I seeded. Once the chocolate was tempered (as best as I can tell, at least) I kept the work bowl wrapped in an electric heating pad. I regularly stirred the chocolate, checked the temp with an IR thermometer and hit it with a heat gun to bring it back to working temp whenever necessary.

When I used the chocolate to line molds, everything came out great. I was able to get nice thin shells that released easily from the molds. Good sheen & crisp snap. So I was pleased with that. However, truffles that I hand-dipped all developed streaks. Some turning almost completely grey after a bit of time. They still had nice crisp shells that didn't immediatley start melting when handled. It was just the appearance that disappointed me.

So is the streaking just a result of not properly tempered chocolate? Or could there be other factors that cause the streaks? I hand-dipped some dried figs and those didn't develop any streaks. It was only the hand dipped balls of ganache.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. I will be making another batch this week but thinking I may just stick to molded stuff.

[keychris]

streaking and bloom (what you're describing) means your chocolate wasn't quite right. Was your room a little warm? Perhaps the heat release as the chocoplate set up was enough to cause the problems. I always try to have my ceiling fan on when I'm dipping to improve air circulation around the pieces and allow the heat to dissipate quickly

[Tony S.]

streaking and bloom (what you're describing) means your chocolate wasn't quite right. Was your room a little warm? Perhaps the heat release as the chocoplate set up was enough to cause the problems. I always try to have my ceiling fan on when I'm dipping to improve air circulation around the pieces and allow the heat to dissipate quickly

 

Thank you for the reply. The room was actually quite cool. Maybe mid to high 60s F (A rare "cold" few days in San Diego). Should I have put the pieces in the refrigerator after dipping to set? Would that make much of difference, considering after dipping the 30th piece, the first few pieces had pretty much already set and streaks were already showing? Could the ganache being cold when dipped contributed to the streaking? It had been refrigerated but I pulled it out and let sit at room temp for about an hour before dipping.

[gfron1]

At 60º, you should not have had to put them in the fridge...brrrr....I keep my room as close to 68ºF as possible. This morning I worked at 64º

 

Maybe the ganache was too cold, but based on how you describe setting it out, I doubt it. 

I think the temper was just off. Try, try again!

Edited December 21, 2014 by gfron1 (log)

[Tony S.]

At 60º, you should not have had to put them in the fridge...brrrr....I keep my room as close to 68ºF as possible. This morning I worked at 64º

 

Maybe the ganache was too cold, but based on how you describe setting it out, I doubt it. 

I think the temper was just off. Try, try again!

 

You're probably right. I'll probably just stick to molded pieces for now. I like those better anyway. Thanks for the input.

[Kerry Beal]

Molds tend to be a little more forgiving of chocolate that is out of temper than truffles are.  

[keychris]

Molds tend to be a little more forgiving of chocolate that is out of temper than truffles are.

^^ This. I've had moulds that look perfect on the outside with a lovely bloom on the inside that no-one sees

Keep a close eye on the temperature (even though it's not the be all and end all) - if you're out of the working temp range you're more likely to see problems. I find this with my tanks that the temp can slowly creep up even though I don't move the dial, they're starting to get old and worn out (just like me!)

Do a test set on a spatula or a knife 10 minutes before you start, if that sets up nicely with no streaks, you should be good to go.

[Tony S.]

^^ This. I've had moulds that look perfect on the outside with a lovely bloom on the inside that no-one sees

Keep a close eye on the temperature (even though it's not the be all and end all) - if you're out of the working temp range you're more likely to see problems. I find this with my tanks that the temp can slowly creep up even though I don't move the dial, they're starting to get old and worn out (just like me!)

Do a test set on a spatula or a knife 10 minutes before you start, if that sets up nicely with no streaks, you should be good to go.

 

I've noticed that too, with the bloom inside the shells but nothing on the outside. So I guess the temper wasn't perfect to start with. Is there any way to know at what point something went wrong to throw off the temper? In other words, would this most likely be a result of the chocolate getting too hot when reheating? Or perhaps not seeding enough?

 

I'm using the Guittard 'Lever du Soleil' Couverture. This was the first time using this chocolate. I don't recall seeing any info on the package indicating the proper working temp, so I just used what I normally do for dark chocolate. Melt the chocolate to about 113°F, cool to about 105°F then begin adding seed chocolate. Gradually add more seed until the temp falls to about 86°F, all the while continually stirring. I'll then hit it with a some quick shots from the heat gun to bring it back up to 91°F. I try to keep it in the 90°-92°F range as best I can.

 

After going through this process, which took me about 30 minutes, and testing on a spatula, if I do notice streaks forming is there anything I can do to correct it, short of starting over from the beginning? Is there something glaringly wrong in my process that I need to change?

[Kerry Beal]

Most likely too hot when reheating - although insufficient seed could also play a part.  

 

For dark chocolate and seeding - it is only necessary to cool down with seed in place to about 90-91 (I work in C so to around 32-33).  As long as there is a tiny bit of unmelted chocolate when you get down there (or it is just melting out when you reach the temp) - you should be golden.  Once I've been in temper for a while and I notice my chocolate starting to get thicker and over tempered - then I might heat it up to a max of 34.5 (94).  If I heated it this high initially I'd throw it out of temper.

 

To correct - add more seed - and stir!  You don't need to start from scratch.  I add seed a bit at a time rather than all at once so I don't end up with a lot of unmelted seed when I reach working temperature.

[YetiChocolates]

I don't know about the rest of you, but although I learned in school to take the temp down to around 86, then bring it back up to 90 and it's in temper, I never do that now.  

 

I just take it down to ~89, pull out the seed (as I use a block of chocolate for dark, not callets), test it in parchment to ensure it's in temper, which I do a little before it hits 90 as well because you can usually tell it's close by looking at it once you've tempered the same type of chocolate for awhile, and them I'm good to go. I will also raise the temp on the melter a touch so that the chocolate stays at around the 90-91 degree range for shelling and dipping, and will give a stir now and then to mix in the warmer chocolate from the bottom with the cooler chocolate from the top.  I'll also use a heat gun or add warm untempered chocolate depending on the viscosity of the chocolate as well. 

 

I do agree that molds are way more forgiving than hand dipping, but I think it's important to nail the tempering process down, otherwise you will be limiting yourself on what you can do, which I don't think is as fun.

 

On a side note, I also take my chocolate up to around 120 degrees (we were taught 115 in school, but did some research on the optimal temp setting for the chocolate I use and that was the mark), then generally bring it down to around 110 before adding seed, unless I'm in a huge hurry to drop the temp, then I'll add it right after it hits 120.  I was taught that if you took your chocolate below 105 you had to take it back up to 115 and then lower it again before adding the seed.  To eliminate that from happening, I stick with 110, since there is nothing more frustrating that getting busy and forgetting to add your seed chocolate and before you know it your chocolate is at 100 degrees.  Just food for thought.  

 

Everyone has little nuances to how they temper with the same result, so I think you just need to find the best method that works for you Tony.  And I'm guessing if you research Guittard "Lever du Soleil", you will find the charts of the optimum tempering temperatures.

Edited December 21, 2014 by YetiChocolates (log)

[Tony S.]

Thank you Kerry & Yeti. That is great information. While I love working with chocolate, I don't do it very often. This was my first attempt in a couple of years. So I haven't realy developed a feel or eye for what's right. I probably should've did a bit of a refresher on the details. I'm going to try again tomorrow so hopefully I can effectively apply this info and get it right.

 

I'm curious now about using a block of chocolate as seed vs discs/pistoles. Is one more effective than the other? I've always used pistoles b/c that's what I learned with and I hate the idea of having to chop down a block before melting. And since I'm tempering w/o a machine, I would think stirring a bowl of melted chocolate w/ a block in the middle has the potential for a lot of mess. But if experienced chocolatiers say using a block is more effective or easier, I'll consider trying it.

[YetiChocolates]

I personally prefer it to callets because I don't have to worry about not putting enough seed chocolate in at the beginning and not having it all melt away before I realize it or too much at the end that I have to fish out. It's just one block that I put in and if it gets small enough that I think it will melt out before hitting 90, I add another, and when it's hit 90, I don't have to stress about fishing around for extra seed that I added a little too late.  And it's not messy at all, just a blob in the middle of the bowl that you swirl around while stirring.  I get my dark in 10lb blocks so that's why I use the block to temper.  However, with the milk I recently switched to Oro du Soleil from E Guittard, and will have to get the callet seed method down!

[chocofoodie]

At 60º, you should not have had to put them in the fridge...brrrr....I keep my room as close to 68ºF as possible. This morning I worked at 64º

 

Maybe the ganache was too cold, but based on how you describe setting it out, I doubt it. 

I think the temper was just off. Try, try again!

What would you say the margin of error is on that? I keep reading that the room should be at about 68 degrees. 

[gfron1]

Well, I'm obviously not that particular, since on that day I was working at 64º...but that's a question for someone more advanced. I don't think that's your issue.

[Lisa Shock]

A colder room isn't really an issue. Too warm and you're in trouble.

[chocofoodie]

I'm pretty sure too warm isn't my issue being in London. I'd say the room average is about 70 degrees. hmm just thought it was worth exploring as a possible explanation for the temper not setting up perfectly. 

[Meenap101]

I made some bars this morning and I thought the chocolate was in temper (I tested it), however the bar still did not turn out perfect, was the temper not as correct as I though or did I do something else incorrectly?

[keychris]

The issue with bars is that as that large mass of chocolate sets, it releases energy in the form of heat, which can have an effect on the final product. I believe this is what has happened here, if your test was good. The fix is easy - you need to remove that excess heat, which you can do by placing the filled moulds in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to set, then let the chocolate contract fully at normal temperatures.

[Meenap101]

Great I'll try that, thx for the advise :-)

[Gwbyls]

Wondering if someone can help me out. I have been tempering my chocolate in a Mol'd art for some time now making small batches for molding or dipping chocolates. The night before I plan to work, I turn up the heat on my dark chocolate to 118 F, then in the morning I begin tempering. I have noticed some small granular pieces of chocolate that don't seem to melt out. When I squish them between my fingers, they are soft and not hard pieces. I thought that by raising the temp a bit more, I may melt these pieces out, so I pushed it up to 120F. Still have the granular pieces. I decided to temper it the best I could and pour it out to use for ganache and start over again with new chocolate. Things were going well but a few weeks ago I added some of the granular chocolate into my current batch wondering what would happen, and now I have granular covature once again. I thought I had read somewhere that I should take the immersion blender to my covature to work these bits out. So I did that yesterday, and now I have air bubbles everywhere! It is hard to tell if I got all the grains broken up due to all the air bubbles. I just kept stirring yesterday trying to release the bubbles, but would like to get to work today. 

So my questions are:

What are these grains and how do I get rid of them?

What do I do to eliminate air bubbles?

 

Thanks in advance!

[gap]

I don't know what they are, but I get them when I leave untempered chocolate and then re-use it later, so I assume they have something to do with storing chocolate in untermpered state.

 

I use an immersion blender to get rid of them. Keep the immersion blender fully submerged to stop air bubbles. Alternatively, you can strain the chocolate, but I don't have an issue with the immersion blender and find I lose some chocolate by straining it.

[keychris]

The lumps could be cocoa solids clumping together perhaps? I find this sometimes, as with Gap, when I remelt chocolate that's been stored untempered. But I also found last week that they just melt back out after a couple of days, I only stirred it a few times a day.

 

Best way to prevent bubbles is to make sure the mixer never goes above the surface of the chocolate. Have you tried tapping the metal bowl on the bench for a while to get all the bubbles to rise up? Do it when the chocolate is at 45C so it's more fluid, the bubbles will move more easily.

[Kerry Beal]

Other possiblility is that this is chocolate that is old and has taken on moisture. 

[Gwbyls]

Thanks Gap, Keychris and Kerry. I'm sure you are all correct. It was older chocolate that I had in the melter, let cool (without tempering), and when solid, I placed on parchment paper. So . . . now, is there anything I can do to correct this chocolate? Warming it up to 120F doesn't seem to get all the little lumps out, not sure I want to strain it, I will use the immersion blender again making sure to keep it deep in the chocolate, at this point is it salvageable for covature or do I need to use it for ganache or throw it out?