Microwave tempering method using a melter

[cc.canuck]

Hi there! Thought there weren't enough threads about melters here so I should add one! 

 

I've recently bought a melter and am playing about with it to see how I can best use it to help me keep my chocolate in a workable state for longer. I know you can use a melter to temper with the seeding method BUT would it be possible to simply melt tempered chocolate up to 31° while stirring like you would using the microwave method? Hope that makes sense!

[Jim D.]

I use that method (slowly melting chocolate and so tempering with unmelted already-in-temper chocolate) for ganaches.  The problem with it is that it's quite exact--go too much over the temper point and you're out of luck.  And it's difficult to be that careful with a large amount of chocolate.  In addition (and more importantly) overtempering will happen no matter how you have gotten the chocolate to a working state.  Either you have to heat it up (which works to a point) or you add untempered chocolate, but there is no escaping the fact that tempered chocolate doesn't stay that way for a long time.

[cc.canuck]

Just had a disastrous attempt at tempering with it using the seeding method. My initial hope was that I could temper chocolate, dump it in the melter, and it would stay at a useable state long enough for me to get done all the things I need to get done. Really unsure how to incorporate it now...

[curls]

2 hours ago, cc.canuck said:

Just had a disastrous attempt at tempering with it using the seeding method. My initial hope was that I could temper chocolate, dump it in the melter, and it would stay at a useable state long enough for me to get done all the things I need to get done. Really unsure how to incorporate it now...

How long are you trying to keep the chocolate in your melter in temper? I usually keep mine going for around 6 hours. Now during that time I am making adjustments to my chocolate… increasing the heat, stirring, adding, warmer untempered chocolate — like many things, it takes practice but you should be able to get a feel for what your chocolate needs in order to stay in temper. Might be able to keep it in temper longer but it hasn’t been necessary for my workflow. And now I have switched to melter plus EZTemper and am trying some different techniques to figure out what works best for me.

 

It will be nice when we can get together again for an eGullet chocolate & confections workshop; it is so much easier to ask questions and learn thru an in-person event.

Edited December 1, 2021 by curls (log)

[Kerry Beal]

2 hours ago, Jim D. said:

I use that method (slowly melting chocolate and so tempering with unmelted already-in-temper chocolate) for ganaches.  The problem with it is that it's quite exact--go too much over the temper point and you're out of luck.  And it's difficult to be that careful with a large amount of chocolate.  In addition (and more importantly) overtempering will happen no matter how you have gotten the chocolate to a working state.  Either you have to heat it up (which works to a point) or you add untempered chocolate, but there is no escaping the fact that tempered chocolate doesn't stay that way for a long time.

And over tempering seems to happen even faster when you use the nearly melted method.

[pastrygirl]

14 hours ago, cc.canuck said:

I know you can use a melter to temper with the seeding method BUT would it be possible to simply melt tempered chocolate up to 31° while stirring

 

In this scenario, how high is your melter set?  I think melters heat too slowly/gently.  You're going to be standing there stirring for a looong time.