Molded and Filled Chocolates: Troubleshooting and Techniques

[Jim D.]

9 hours ago, pastrygirl said:

 

Did you check the decoration before filling with chocolate for the shells?  Are you sure it wasn't already cracked, either from getting bumped or simply because chocolate contracts?

 

 

That's a good idea. I didn't check, but I will next time.

[Jim D.]

7 hours ago, Daniel D said:

@Jim D. spit balling here, but how thin were the shells where this is happening? Could it have occurred while you were removing the bonbons from the mold? I’ve gotten a little carried away a couple of times when cracking my bonbons out of the molds and found some hairline fractures on a few of them.

The shells weren't all that thin. I was using white chocolate that was crystallizing as fast as I could deal with that issue. And these are new molds that are shallower than I am used to. I was dealing with the fact that shells made in shallow cavities want to come out of the mold prematurely. I had to watch them very carefully to make sure they were still in place and level, so they definitely weren't sticking. With other molds (especially domes. which tend to stick for me) I have had the problem you describe when banging them on the counter.

[Jim D.]

16 hours ago, keychris said:

is it a crack in the couverture or just the cocoa butter? If it's a thick layer of white, perhaps it had fully contracted and then the couverture contracted as well and caused some sort of crack? I have no idea really, just throwing ideas out there

I found a piece with the shell made from dark chocolate. It was difficult to tell how deep the crack went, but I think I could see dark chocolate in the crack, meaning it went all the way through the cocoa butter decoration down to the couverture.

 

I wonder if it's significant at all (reaching for straws here, when I know the final answer is going to be "who knows why things happen to chocolate?"), but both cracked shells held pâte de fruit as the bottom layer of the finished piece. In one case it was quite firm, in the other, it was softer, so that probably is not a factor.

[WayUpNorth]

I did another batch, taking more care to fill a tad less and heat the chocolate a bit more after reaching temper, and I think it worked well!  No big issues with bottoming and only a few leaks later on.  They got some scuffs in transit over the holidays, but my family had no complaints, and I'm always a big fan of the shine they get from the molds.  This batch was half caramels and half nougat.  

 

Kerry, I've been considering the workshop, and even have family nearby.  Is there an estimate of price?  I'm in Alaska, so it'd be a longshot, but I'm definitely interested.  

[ChocoMom]

@WayUpNorth  Those look beautiful!  IMHO...they don't really belong on the "Chocolates with a Backroom Finish" thread!!!   

  (I know you're just continuing with posts from before, but those really look fantastic.)

[Kerry Beal]

19 hours ago, WayUpNorth said:

 

Kerry, I've been considering the workshop, and even have family nearby.  Is there an estimate of price?  I'm in Alaska, so it'd be a longshot, but I'm definitely interested.  

 

 

Those don't look like they belong here in the backroom thread!

 

Looking back to the Toronto event - I think we were aiming for about $150 each with another $50 for the Saturday dinner - I haven't crunched the numbers yet - I think our costs to rent at the college are higher this year - and I sure know the price of food has gone up in the past while - so we are likely looking at around $175 each and perhaps $65 for the dinner on Saturday. Master's classes I believe were around $130 each and limited to 10 participants. I'll be collecting ahead this time so that the cancellations don't come out of my pocket. If you can't come then your 'ticket' can be sold, given etc to someone else but I won't be in a position to refund.

 

Keep an eye on the thread and I'll let you know estimated costs more clearly when I've had a chance to crunch the numbers.

 

 

[WayUpNorth]

Thanks so much! 

 

My estimate of cost was way off for some reason.  I'll do some research on flights and keep you posted!

[JenBunk]

On 1/10/2018 at 8:56 PM, WayUpNorth said:

I did another batch, taking more care to fill a tad less and heat the chocolate a bit more after reaching temper, and I think it worked well!  No big issues with bottoming and only a few leaks later on.  They got some scuffs in transit over the holidays, but my family had no complaints, and I'm always a big fan of the shine they get from the molds.  This batch was half caramels and half nougat.  

 

Kerry, I've been considering the workshop, and even have family nearby.  Is there an estimate of price?  I'm in Alaska, so it'd be a longshot, but I'm definitely interested.  

Way up north, I’m in AK too! Nice to see a fellow Alaskan on here! 

[WayUpNorth]

On 2/3/2018 at 10:38 PM, JenBunk said:

Way up north, I’m in AK too! Nice to see a fellow Alaskan on here! 

I know, maybe we should do a far-NW meetup sometime!  I'm definitely a novice, but I feel like I've read a lot of recipes and theory, and I've been lurking here for a long time, too. 

[pastrygirl]

On 4/6/2014 at 8:10 AM, Edward J said:

-I loathe, hate, detest, want to do terrible things to the people who make/sell molds where you have to "glue" or melt the halves together again. 

 

The few larger molds I have are exactly this type.  Right now I'm getting large bunnies and eggs ready for Easter and feeling inadequate when it comes to making nice connections and consistent weights. 

 

Yesterday I sprayed a bunch of eggs with multiple light colors and molded in dark.  They all had ugly seams when I stuck them together.  Then I dropped them, but that's another story   And my large rabbits curve as they contract so the edges to be glued together don't meet perfectly.

 

Aside from practice, anyone have any tips or tricks for using these molds and making nice connections?

[felipetruji]

My turn.

Never have been able to make this molds work properly... Hopefully I can get some advise from the community.

None closed properly 

[Chocolot]

Not really sure what I'm looking at, but a few observations: Molds filled too full, ganache not allowed to setup overnight. Colors are fun.

[felipetruji]

4 hours ago, Chocolot said:

Not really sure what I'm looking at, but a few observations: Molds filled too full, ganache not allowed to setup overnight. Colors are fun.

Thanks a lot about the colors.

You are right, I used a ginger-passion fruit ganache wich is very soft, and was kind on a hurry, so it didn't set up properly, tried cheating with an hour or so at the fridge tho.

I tried filling one of the molds a bit more than normal to avoid a thick layer of chocolate in the middle of the bombón, maybe that's the culprit but it was intended.

I first closed the mold Wich if filled the most, then with a cornet added chocolate to the second mold (wich is filled normally), passed the heat gun over the first mold to soften the chocolate and allow it to merge, and then sandwiched the molds.

Maybe there is problems with the technique I'm using?

Any heads up appreciated.

P.d. excuses for my English, not my main language

[pastrygirl]

25 minutes ago, felipetruji said:

I tried filling one of the molds a bit more than normal to avoid a thick layer of chocolate in the middle of the bombón, maybe that's the culprit but it was intended.

I first closed the mold Wich if filled the most, then with a cornet added chocolate to the second mold (wich is filled normally), passed the heat gun over the first mold to soften the chocolate and allow it to merge, and then sandwiched the molds.

 

Is this mold meant to be used that way?  I think you'd have better luck capping both halves then sticking the bottoms together. 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

With the double molds I've found it most successful if you fill with something like gianduja that will hold itself together if the chocolate fails. A thin layer of very warm chocolate on the back of one or both of the sides before slapping them together holds the two sides together. 

[felipetruji]

25 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

 

Is this mold meant to be used that way?  I think you'd have better luck capping both halves then sticking the bottoms together. 

 

 

The molds have the holes to fit them together, however I don't have the pins.

I use some popstick sticks to hold them together.

5 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

With the double molds I've found it most successful if you fill with something like gianduja that will hold itself together if the chocolate fails. A thin layer of very warm chocolate on the back of one or both of the sides before slapping them together holds the two sides together. 

 Will try that technique next batch and report

[Kerry Beal]

4 minutes ago, felipetruji said:

The molds have the holes to fit them together, however I don't have the pins.

I use some popstick sticks to hold them together.

 Will try that technique next batch and report

And push them together very firmly while wet.

[Pastrypastmidnight]

First attempt with real Chocolate World molds rather than cheap Amazon knock-offs. Cocoa butter stuck to the molds and cracked bars. Sigh. 

 

I’ll take any any advice you have on getting bars with inclusions out of the mold without cracking them—I snapped the mold down like I do for bonbons not thinking about the irregular surface on the back side—and also tempering cocoa butter for painting. I’ve read the airbrushing thread, like, 6 times but I haven’t found much advice about prepping the cocoa butter for painting with brushes, finger, etc. I just heated gently in short low-power bursts in the microwave to the temperature indicated on the bottle. Some came out beautifully. Others stuck (I even had to freeze them for a few minutes). This has happened with other molds as well. The chocolate was tempered beautifully—I’m pretty sure it’s a CB issue. 

 

That said, the shine on the bars and on the ones that came out is super satisfying—I can’t wait to play again  .

[Kerry Beal]

7 hours ago, Pastrypastmidnight said:

First attempt with real Chocolate World molds rather than cheap Amazon knock-offs. Cocoa butter stuck to the molds and cracked bars. Sigh. 

 

I’ll take any any advice you have on getting bars with inclusions out of the mold without cracking them—I snapped the mold down like I do for bonbons not thinking about the irregular surface on the back side—and also tempering cocoa butter for painting. I’ve read the airbrushing thread, like, 6 times but I haven’t found much advice about prepping the cocoa butter for painting with brushes, finger, etc. I just heated gently in short low-power bursts in the microwave to the temperature indicated on the bottle. Some came out beautifully. Others stuck (I even had to freeze them for a few minutes). This has happened with other molds as well. The chocolate was tempered beautifully—I’m pretty sure it’s a CB issue. 

 

That said, the shine on the bars and on the ones that came out is super satisfying—I can’t wait to play again  .

I think it's fair to say there are as many opinions on how to treat your coloured cocoa butter as there are participants on the board. When I'm using a finger or paint brush - then I like to partially melt the bottle, give it a good shake and go. When I'm spraying I usually heat the cocoa butter to around 35º C and don't bother to do anything to temper it.

 

I find a brand new mold often gives me trouble until I've used it a couple of times. 

 

Re the inclusions - a quick twist of the mold then coax them out onto your hand has worked for me when I've got a lot of inclusions.

[Pastrypastmidnight]

33 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

I think it's fair to say there are as many opinions on how to treat your coloured cocoa butter as there are participants on the board. When I'm using a finger or paint brush - then I like to partially melt the bottle, give it a good shake and go. When I'm spraying I usually heat the cocoa butter to around 35º C and don't bother to do anything to temper it.

 

I find a brand new mold often gives me trouble until I've used it a couple of times. 

 

Re the inclusions - a quick twist of the mold then coax them out onto your hand has worked for me when I've got a lot of inclusions.

Thanks Kerry! That’s what I did with the cocoa butter. That’s interesting about the using molds for the first time. I’ve heard that the first time you use a mold can be the shiniest ever. I will keep trying. 

 

That is what I was thinking for the bars—I’ll try that next time  .

[pastrygirl]

Don't slam so hard!  I make a lot of bars, though not with protruding inclusions.  Once the chocolate has set but before it has fully released from the mold, I invert the molds (so the bars are top-side up) onto sheet pans and let them continue crystallizing. It always amuses me to hear them snap-crackle-pop as they release.  Then I can either just lift the mold off, or some need a gentle twist to release.  My new bars that are more rounded & wavy release super quickly (sometimes too quickly), while my old bars with lots of corners more often need a little help. 

 

FWIW, I designed the new wavy ones to minimize polishing because I was tired of all the corners and crevices trapping CB and being hard to clean.  But it seems the easier a mold is to clean, the more likely the shell is to come loose and slip around when you're adding fillings or bottoms - small hemispheres can have this problem as well.  If I ever do another custom bar mold, I'll include a couple of corners to help keep things in place better.  But those polygon/honeycomb bars look like  a good shape - interesting yet not a polishing nightmare!

[Pastrypastmidnight]

1 hour ago, pastrygirl said:

Don't slam so hard!  I make a lot of bars, though not with protruding inclusions.  Once the chocolate has set but before it has fully released from the mold, I invert the molds (so the bars are top-side up) onto sheet pans and let them continue crystallizing. It always amuses me to hear them snap-crackle-pop as they release.  Then I can either just lift the mold off, or some need a gentle twist to release.  My new bars that are more rounded & wavy release super quickly (sometimes too quickly), while my old bars with lots of corners more often need a little help. 

 

FWIW, I designed the new wavy ones to minimize polishing because I was tired of all the corners and crevices trapping CB and being hard to clean.  But it seems the easier a mold is to clean, the more likely the shell is to come loose and slip around when you're adding fillings or bottoms - small hemispheres can have this problem as well.  If I ever do another custom bar mold, I'll include a couple of corners to help keep things in place better.  But those polygon/honeycomb bars look like  a good shape - interesting yet not a polishing nightmare!

That is a genius idea—letting them crystallize right side up! Thank you. 

 

These were pretty easy to clean/polish. There’s a flaw in one of the cavities so I need to contact the place that sold it to me. I just wanted to make sure it was actually showing up in the chocolate before I worried about it (which it did). But they released nicely. I just cracked it down not thinking—because that’s the only thing I’ve ever done   

[Pastrypastmidnight]

I’m hoping someone can help me troubleshoot. I recently made a whole bunch of molded bonbons—using an airbrush, a melter, and using the EZTemper to temper both the chocolate and the cocoa butter for close to the first time. These were all new pieces of equipment for me. When I shelled the painted molds with dark chocolate, I waited until they had become dull and then put them in a cool fridge until they contracted and pulled away from the mold. They looked great. I stored them in a cool room until filling. I made sure none of my fillings were over 30C. Still, I noticed patches resticking to the molds. I have never had such trouble getting my finished pieces to release from the molds. Most came out eventually after much banging and short stints in the freezer, but there were dull spots and places where the cocoa butter didn’t release. I’m not really sure which factor is the most likely candidate for causing the shells to appear to go out of temper. Any thoughts? Thanks!

[Kerry Beal]

What was the filling?

[Pastrypastmidnight]

Ganaches, caramels and pralines. They all had some sticking. The caramels, I know, weren’t piped until they were at 27C or so. The ganaches were more like 30C. The praline was room temp praline paste with tempered milk chocolate at 30C, so 28-29C when it was piped. 

 

It seems like the fillings shouldn’t be able to pull the shells out of temper, right? Unless maybe the shells weren’t properly tempered, but it really seemed like they were. I tested the chocolate repeatedly for temper and it set up with no streaking within 3-4 minutes. Room temp was 20-21C.