Chocolate Tempering: Tips and Troubleshooting

[Tri2Cook]

Luck, The Force or, more likely, the magic of the EZ Temper has been with me thus far. I somehow completely missed the part about waiting. I've been lining my molds and tossing them straight in the fridge and haven't had a single piece that was out of temper. But now that I've said that out loud, I've probably captured the attention of the chocolate gods and should probably start doing the waiting period from now on.

[dannysdesserts]

17 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

That's not the wild crystallization method 

I think I made a mistake Kerry.  If I don't add any seed at all then I'm using wild crystallization method?

 

[dannysdesserts]

13 minutes ago, Tri2Cook said:

I've been lining my molds and tossing them straight in the fridge and haven't had a single piece that was out of temper. 

Tri2Cook - How long do they stay in the fridge?  Are you making filled or solid chocolates?

[Kerry Beal]

1 minute ago, dannysdesserts said:

I think I made a mistake Kerry.  If I don't add any seed at all then I'm using wild crystallization method?

 

Correct - you take it down low enough for form IV and form V crystals to form - then heat to melt the form IV.

[Kerry Beal]

16 minutes ago, Tri2Cook said:

Luck, The Force or, more likely, the magic of the EZ Temper has been with me thus far. I somehow completely missed the part about waiting. I've been lining my molds and tossing them straight in the fridge and haven't had a single piece that was out of temper. But now that I've said that out loud, I've probably captured the attention of the chocolate gods and should probably start doing the waiting period from now on.

I sometimes don't have the patience to wait - still works.

[dannysdesserts]

Just now, Kerry Beal said:

Correct - you take it down low enough for form IV and form V crystals to form - then heat to melt the form IV.

I assume I can use untempered chocolate (or my messed up attempts) and temper it using this method?  I hope this is true so I don't have to end up eating all my mistakes! 

[Kerry Beal]

Just now, dannysdesserts said:

I assume I can use untempered chocolate (or my messed up attempts) and temper it using this method?  I hope this is true so I don't have to end up eating all my mistakes! 

Yup - works when you don't have good seed.

 

Remember - time, temperature, agitation

[dannysdesserts]

Just now, Kerry Beal said:

Yup - works when you don't have good seed.

 

Remember - time, temperature, agitation

I have to admit that I've read TONS of posts here about tempering.  I'm honored to be getting advice from all of you experts here, particularly you Kerry.

 

My latest attempt is cooling now.  I used the seed method again, heating the mass to 113F, cooling to 86F and then back up to 89F.  I have had success with some Valrhona using this method.  My next attempt will be to take my "mistake" and heat it to 113F, cool it to 80.6F (while stirring) and then warm to working temp of 88-89F (while stirring).

 

I really wish I had the $$ for the eztemper machine!

[Jim D.]

24 minutes ago, dannysdesserts said:

I have to admit that I've read TONS of posts here about tempering.  I'm honored to be getting advice from all of you experts here, particularly you Kerry.

 

My latest attempt is cooling now.  I used the seed method again, heating the mass to 113F, cooling to 86F and then back up to 89F.  I have had success with some Valrhona using this method.  

I think you are misunderstanding a little about the seed method.  It is explained on the website of your chocolate manufacturer.  You don't need to go down to 86F or to any temperature lower than the final working temp.  As the Santa Barbara website states:  "Add 4oz of unmelted coins to the fluid chocolate, stir until all pieces are melted and the temperature of the chocolate has reduced to 89°F or 86°F depending on which chocolate you are working with."  So all you have to do for dark choc. is to go from the melting point down to 89 (86 is for milk choc.).  It doesn't do any harm to go lower, then back up, but you are wasting time.

Edited September 29, 2016 by Jim D. (log)

[dannysdesserts]

Jim -  I appreciate your helpful reply.  My first attempt today was to use SB Chocolate's exact method.  I used a double-boiler instead of a microwave.  It failed.  I believe adding 50% seed was too much.  The mass fell below 89F and there was still un-melted seed chocolate in the bowl.  So my current attempt is melting up to 113F, then using 30% seed by weight and cool down to 86ishF.  I have had success in the past with this method and other brand of chocolate.  I had failure with the SB chocolate and this method because my max temp was 130F, not 113F.  I will find out in 1 hour if I have success or not.  Tomorrow, when it is still cool, I will try the wild crystallization method and report those results here. 

[Tri2Cook]

43 minutes ago, dannysdesserts said:

Tri2Cook - How long do they stay in the fridge?  Are you making filled or solid chocolates?

I'm doing filled and leaving the shells in the fridge for about 5 minutes-ish.
 

40 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

I sometimes don't have the patience to wait - still works.

Okay, good to know. I wish I could blame it on impatience, that's not an unusual thing for me, but this one I just plain ol' somehow missed or read and forgot. Not sure which, most likely the latter.

[dannysdesserts]

OK,so I still have issues with the finished product.  The piece on the left shows is the "top" or "back" and it is still showing signs of being out of temper.  The piece on the right is the "front".  It does show signs of bad temper, it shows signs of a dirty mold!  In any case, is this another example of my tempering not working?

 

The process was: heat up to 113F, remove from heat and add seed chocolate, cool to 86ishF, warm back to 88-89F and then mold the chocolate.  Store in wine fridge  at 60F for 2 hours.

 

Any tips are appreciated!

[Kerry Beal]

7 minutes ago, dannysdesserts said:

OK,so I still have issues with the finished product.  The piece on the left shows is the "top" or "back" and it is still showing signs of being out of temper.  The piece on the right is the "front".  It does show signs of bad temper, it shows signs of a dirty mold!  In any case, is this another example of my tempering not working?

 

The process was: heat up to 113F, remove from heat and add seed chocolate, cool to 86ishF, warm back to 88-89F and then mold the chocolate.  Store in wine fridge  at 60F for 2 hours.

 

Any tips are appreciated!

How sure are you of your thermometer?

[dannysdesserts]

Just now, Kerry Beal said:

How sure are you of your thermometer?

I'm using one of those digital laser thermometers.  I point it at the surface and it reads.  When measuring I hold the button down, point the laser at the mass for continuous read.  What are you thinking or seeing from the photo?

[Jim D.]

You do not mention putting the molds in the (regular) refrigerator as soon as the chocolate shows signs of setting.  I had similar issues until I started doing that.  Do you have a friend with a cooler kitchen than yours?  Trying the process there would eliminate the factor of ambient heat.

[dannysdesserts]

29 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

You do not mention putting the molds in the (regular) refrigerator as soon as the chocolate shows signs of setting.  I had similar issues until I started doing that.  Do you have a friend with a cooler kitchen than yours?  Trying the process there would eliminate the factor of ambient heat.

Early in the morning the temperature in the kitchen could be low enough here.  Then I could try this regular fridge technique here.

 

Can you explain to me what "signs of setting" looks like?  Once the chocolate achieves this step how long does it sit in the regular fridge?

[Jim D.]

After you fill the mold, the chocolate is very wet looking.  When it begins to crystallize, it loses that wet look and acquires a matte, not-so-shiny look; it usually starts from the outside of each cavity.   It's the same look you would have gotten when you were testing for temper with a knife.  I put the molds in the fridge when a majority of the cavities show this sign.  Kerry suggested earlier in this thread that 10-15 minutes should do it.  I sometimes leave the molds longer without ill effect.

[dannysdesserts]

Jim - I will try this tomorrow morning.  After 10-15 minutes in the regular fridge would you say that my chocolates are now set and I can take them out  of the mold?

[Kerry Beal]

2 hours ago, dannysdesserts said:

I'm using one of those digital laser thermometers.  I point it at the surface and it reads.  When measuring I hold the button down, point the laser at the mass for continuous read.  What are you thinking or seeing from the photo?

I'm wondering how accurate your thermometer is.

[Jim D.]

I gather you are making solid pieces, not chocolate shells to be filled later.  I don't do this kind of chocolate molding, but I think they should be ready to unmold after 10-15 minutes.  I might leave them a little bit longer just to be sure.  You can always test to see how readily they come out of the mold and leave them longer if necessary.  I also pop chocolates in the freezer for a few minutes if they are stubborn in unmolding.  Maybe somebody with experience making solid chocolates will chime in with more advice.

[Kerry Beal]

1 minute ago, Jim D. said:

I gather you are making solid pieces, not chocolate shells to be filled later.  I don't do this kind of chocolate molding, but I think they should be ready to unmold after 10-15 minutes.  I might leave them a little bit longer just to be sure.  You can always test to see how readily they come out of the mold and leave them longer if necessary.  I also pop chocolates in the freezer for a few minutes if they are stubborn in unmolding.  Maybe somebody with experience making solid chocolates will chime in with more advice.

I usually leave things in the fridge until I see signs that they are separating from the mold. For shells this is usually 10 to 15 minutes - it may be as long as 30 minutes for solid pieces.

 

 

[dscheidt]

1 hour ago, Kerry Beal said:

I'm wondering how accurate your thermometer is.

A non-contact infrared thermometer can be very accurate, and still very misleading.  they measure the surface temperature of whatever you point them at.  In the case of melted chocolate, it's usually a couple degrees cooler than the interior.  Depends on how much you're stiring, and what the chocolate is doing.  A normal thermometer is a better tool.  (it's the 21st century.  "normal thermometer" means quick reading digital.  Not mercury or alcohol or dial.)   

[Kerry Beal]

7 minutes ago, dscheidt said:

A non-contact infrared thermometer can be very accurate, and still very misleading.  they measure the surface temperature of whatever you point them at.  In the case of melted chocolate, it's usually a couple degrees cooler than the interior.  Depends on how much you're stiring, and what the chocolate is doing.  A normal thermometer is a better tool.  (it's the 21st century.  "normal thermometer" means quick reading digital.  Not mercury or alcohol or dial.)   

Very true - I always stir then measure the surface with an IR - but I've had lots of inaccurate IRs as well as inaccurate probe thermometers. It's usually the first place to look when your tempering technique is apparently correct but you are still getting out of temper chocolate.  

[dannysdesserts]

OK so my game plan for tomorrow morning is:

• Temper using the wild crystallization method (heat to 113F, cool to 80.6F, rewarm to 88-89F)
• Keep molds out on counter until the chocolate loses that wet look and acquires a matte finish at the edges of each cavity
• Place 1 mold in regular fridge for 30 minutes
• Place 1 mold in wine fridge
• Keep 1 mold on counter to cool with fan blowing to circulate air
• pray to the temper gods and un-mold my perfectly tempered chocolates

[Kerry Beal]

7 hours ago, dannysdesserts said:

OK so my game plan for tomorrow morning is:

• Temper using the wild crystallization method (heat to 113F, cool to 80.6F, rewarm to 88-89F)
• Keep molds out on counter until the chocolate loses that wet look and acquires a matte finish at the edges of each cavity
• Place 1 mold in regular fridge for 30 minutes
• Place 1 mold in wine fridge
• Keep 1 mold on counter to cool with fan blowing to circulate air
• pray to the temper gods and un-mold my perfectly tempered chocolates

Could you add to find a way to  check the accuracy of your thermometer?