Spraying Chocolate: Equipment, Materials, and Techniques

[Kerry Beal]

Looks like the MT has the bigger nozzle for more viscous materials - would be a good choice I'd say.

[Gary Traffanstedt]

Kerry, I know you prefer your Fuji over the Badger. Do you think the Badger is ok for starting out? I'm assuming a Fuji would cost quite a bit more? And any recommendation for an air compressor? Thank you!

[Kerry Beal]

Actually right now I prefer my Paasches to my Fuji - Fuji makes a hell of a racket and my chocolate room is under the rug rat's bedroom.

The Badger is however perfect for starting out. I've taken a little heating tray and added an Ikea dimmer switch so it isn't quite as hot and I keep my air brush on it between times - check out post 123 here - http://forums.egullet.org/topic/125913-chocolate-lab-and-teaching-room/?p=1918116

I have an Iwata Smart Jet compressor that I picked up inexpensively from Kijiji.

[Victor Antonio Padilla]

Hello,

Today I found here the Wagner W550, I looked for the ones mentiones in this thread (120 and w180p) witj no luck.

W550 is still in my bucket but would like to know if you can give me an opinion about it, I am currently spraying colored cocoa butter in a lot of molds. Maybe later I'll start spraying chocolate too for other kind of confections.

Any help would be really appreciated.

[Jim D.]

I too am finally taking the airbrush plunge and plan to start out with the Badger 250. I'm finding confusing information on what comes with it. So a few questions:

Do I need to purchase an adapter for use with a compressor? Is there a standard adapter I should look for? One place said the Badger came with an adapter, but it seemed to be referring to canned air.

The jars with the basic model hold 3/4 oz., whereas the 250-4 jars hold 4 oz. I would be using one color to paint a couple of molds at a time. In practical terms, how far does 3/4 oz. of cocoa butter go? I'm assuming I should buy extra jars for the sake of convenience.

As for a compressor, some posters have recommended the Badger 180-10 with a regulator, but that model has been replaced by the 180-15, and I can't find whether the psi can be regulated or not. I am also looking at the Iwata compressors; their "Studio Series" models say they come with all adapters, hoses, etc. It's all very confusing. Any recommendations? I won't be using the compressor all that often, but I don't want some noisy machine that will die on me after a short while. I notice that compressors have somewhat ominous ratings for use in their descriptions (such as "for occasional use" or "for use several times a month"). Doesn't inspire a lot of confidence. And someday I might want to upgrade the airbrush, so I wouldn't want a piece of junk for a compressor.

And finally, a very practical, mundane question: As long as I am buying a compressor, I may as well get something that also inflates auto tires. Should I assume these machine will do that? Another adapter needed, I suppose.

Any guidance in this process would be most appreciated.

[Alleguede]

Jim D: You won't be able to inflate your tires with the Iwata smart jet series. The advantage of this compressor is the silence it gives. If you want and plan to use your air compressor for a little handy work, maybe you should look for a 3 gallon oil-free compressor. I recommend you add a waer and particul filter as well as a regulator. This will allow you to have a decent but more noisy beast.

A 3/4 oz jar should take you throught about 5 to 10 molds depending on how much you spray each mold. The 4 oz molds will last a while. The thing is also that if you keep your cacao butter in the jar you will have to melt and temper in that jar (no fear its not a problem in itself). For the spraying, you need the size of the nozzle (needle to be the most open possible) If I recall 1.0 or 1.2 is a good number, Kerry can confirm. In my defense, I am more for the gravity feed then the bottle, but that is my choice.

Victor, what do you mean by spraying chocolate too? velvet mix or pure chocolate? If you spray a lot of molds, are you searching for detail or mass one color spray. When I'm in a good mood and want something different I will use my Iwata HP HC (i think it is) when I want to produce a lot, I use an air brush gun such as http://www.tcpglobal.com/spraygundepot/promokits.aspx which puts out much more and faster. To use this thought you need the matching power compressor.

hoping this helps. I will let Kerry finish this analysis...

[Kerry Beal]

Don't know what I have to add - I started with the Fuji which is a pressurized gravity feed HVLP turbine. Lovely unit - but noisy so doesn't get much use these days.

I find the Badger a bit frustrating at times - it seems to block up more than others. I do have a larger needle for it - but haven't gotten around to installing it yet.

I'd say I'm happiest with the little collection of external mix Paasche brushes that I have. They have the largest needle on them (0.5mm) - suited for heavy materials. I have an Iwata Smart Jet compressor - delightfully quiet, turns itself on and off as needed. The fan for my air extraction is a lot more noisy.

[chocochoco]

Hi Kerry, have you tried the Krebs LM25 or LM45 food sprayer?

http://www.krebsswitzerland.com/food-spray-guns/krebs-lm45.html

Or if anybody has tried them, how did you like them?

Thanks,

Omar

[Kerry Beal]

Nope - wanted to but never got my hands on one.

[Jim D.]

I have just taken the leap into airbrushing, and I must say, it was not a smashing success. Yes, I got color to come out and land in the molds, but there are issues. I decided to start simple and got the Badger 250, which many people (including Norman Love, I have read) use. I got an Iwata compressor. I bought the "Molding Techniques" DVD by Bill Fredericks. What happened is what Kerry Beal described some time ago: There was a huge cloud of cocoa butter that, in spite of the mask I had bought--as Kerry recommended--was unpleasant and gave me the distinct impression that something was wrong. I can't believe that chocolatiers endanger their health regularly. There must be something I am doing wrong since in the DVD there is no cloud--and no coughing fits.

As for the result, the coverage seems quite light, even after repeated passes over the mold. The coverage seems light, that is, until I go to scrape the extra that lands around the cavities.

I am ready to give up and go back to painting cavities with a finger or with a brush. If it weren't for the expense of the compressor, I probably would. Does anyone who uses the Badger 250 have any suggestions as to what I could do to solve the problem? I should add that I am working inside a very large box, but that does not stop the cocoa butter cloud. There is only so far one can stand away from the procedure and still be able to work. And I have adjusted the nozzle up and down. If I lower it (less paint coming out and less cocoa butter cloud), there is barely any color at all deposited in the mold..

[Chocolot]

I feel your pain:) We have all gone through the learning curve. You might check the pressure coming out of the compressor. if it is too high, the butter atomizes more. I find that some colors are worse than others. There are some days that I am ready to give the set up away, and then other days that it works great. Don't give up, it just takes a long time to get consistent results.

[Jim D.]

Thanks for that tip about the compressor's pressure. That had passed through my mind as I was washing up all the mess I had created. I'll check tomorrow (after a drink and dinner, I have decided not to give up). I do hope all the eGulleters will come visit me when I am in respiratory care with "cocoa lung" disease.

[Jim D.]

Just wanted to add that, after calming down a bit from yesterday's less than successful attempt at spraying, I have taken some steps. With Kerry Beal's advice, I have ordered a Paasche external-mix airbrush. Meanwhile I experimented with the Badger 250 I already have, using water instead of cocoa butter, and found a spray setting that produces a smaller mist, but it still looks like too much. I am mystified since in the Bill Fredericks DVD, there is no visible cloud of droplets whatever, and he is using the Badger 250.

I checked the compressor pressure, and it reads close to the number Badger suggests. And finally, to protect my fairly new kitchen from colored cocoa butter droplets, I found a nice place in the basement where I can spray to my heart's content without worry--except, of course, for my lungs. A really nice finished product may just make the physical perils worth it.

[Jim D.]

With the advice of Kerry Beal, I moved to a Paasche external-mix airbrush and have had more success with it than I did with the Badger 250. They have in common, it would appear, a rather wide spray area, but I guess that is the nature of external-mix brushes. I do have a few questions from my experience so far and would be grateful if those more experienced could help:

1. My impression is that covering a mold with colored cocoa butter takes a lot more time than painting it with a brush or finger. To get a complete covering, I had to make as many as four passes over the mold with the airbrush, and still it did not look as opaque as it would if I had used a paint brush. I think I had the paint level as high as I could get it. Is this normal? I recall a photo from Chocolot showing some molds sprayed with her Fuji, and they look much more thoroughly covered than I have managed.

2. After about two passes over a mold, I had to stop and hit the airbrush with a heat gun, then the color would start flowing again with more fluidity. Is this normal?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Kerry Beal]

Yup - to get a thick layer of colour does take a fair bit of work with an airbrush. Warming up the airbrush is usually necessary a few times in the process to keep colour flowing. I have two airbrushes going - one warming on the warmer - the other spraying.

The Fuji is a whole different level of spraying - it's a pressurized gravity feed - so puts out a whole lot of colour with minimal overspray when it's adjusted correctly.

[Jim D.]

Thanks, Kerry, that is exactly what I needed to know. And I am grateful (as always) for all your help.

[stevem13]

Hii,

At work we spray chocolate and candies frequently and for the spray we melt equal amount of chocolate and coca butter over double boiler. Strain through chinois into the paint receptacle,screw all on the spray. During cleaning,I suggest you get a slick surface that is not all dramatic.

Use Wagner sprayer when I use one at work to spray chocolate on desserts or candies,Pastries. It works just good you have to use lube on the piston before you use it and use a cleaner lube on it after.

[Darcy]

I wondered does anyone know which heart mold Norman Love uses? I like the shape and also the domes? I would like to buy molds the same shape but sizes can vary? I've seen some 15g ones but that seems a bit too large? Also, I have been looking at badger airbrushes, with a view to buy. But have noticed on the packaging it says the airbrush contains material known to cause cancer? What are your views on this and is their a safer alternative? I would much appreciate every one's advice

[Kerry Beal]

Maybe CW1417 - 11 grams

Here

[Darcy]

Thanks Kerry! appreciate your help

[Kerry Beal]

Re the Badger - I think the cancer causing part is using the canned air.

[egermino]

I've read through this thread to try to get an idea of a good airbrush/compressor to buy for finishing chocolates with, and it seems like a Paasche external mix might be a good way to go. But I'm still not clear on how different options influence the results when spraying cocoa butter (e.g. external versus internal mix, single action versus double). Is there a particular model that folks would recommend, especially for small batch work? Also, what are the considerations when choosing a compressor? 

[Jim D.]

I've read through this thread to try to get an idea of a good airbrush/compressor to buy for finishing chocolates with, and it seems like a Paasche external mix might be a good way to go. But I'm still not clear on how different options influence the results when spraying cocoa butter (e.g. external versus internal mix, single action versus double). Is there a particular model that folks would recommend, especially for small batch work? Also, what are the considerations when choosing a compressor? 

At Kerry Beal's suggestion I purchased the Paasche HS Single Action airbrush (external mix).  There have been some people on this forum who use internal mix airbrushes, but I think those require more attention as you are spraying (more frequent reheating).  I got a large supply of the glass bottles for this airbrush and just keep cocoa butter in them ready for remelting and attaching to the airbrush.  As you probably already know, using chocolate in an airbrush is a compromise; these devices weren't really meant for chocolate.  So the simpler the better, I think.  I got a heat gun and have to reheat the spraying part several times while spraying one or two trays, but that is a fairly minor hassle.

 

For a compressor I got the Iwata SmartJet Pro, more expensive than some others, but very quiet.  Incidentally the adapter provided by Iwata for Paasche airbrushes does not fit easily with the sort of cone-shaped Paasche bottles.  Paasche sent me a replacement hose (free of charge) that works perfectly.  Very good customer service.

Edited March 27, 2014 by Jim D. (log)

[shubashuba]

Hi everyone, I'm not too sure if this is the right place to post as I'm rather new to the forums. Mods please shift it if I'm posting in the wrong place! Basically, I have an airless spray gun which isn't working. If anyone has experience with guns and can offer some help, I'd be incredibly grateful!

 

The model of my gun is the Clarke CAS110 (see http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-cas110-electric-spray-gun or attached images. The company, Clarke, is probably based in the UK. I've sprayed with it only twice before using cocoa butter mixed with colored white chocolate with no problems, though I probably didn't clean it very well. The last time I used it was nearly 4 months ago, and I brought it out again yesterday to spray a cake for a friend's birthday only to have it fail on me. The gun didn't seem to suck up any liquid, not even water, and I noticed that the motor sounded a lot less noisy than usual. It used to be freakishly loud, and this time it was a lot softer.

 

I'm not really familiar with these guns and not sure how to go about even unblocking the system. The manual only suggests dismantling and cleaning the nozzle and valve components, which I've shown in the last picture, and it still didn't work. I haven't called them the company up for assistance mainly because I don't think they will be very happy to hear that I was spraying chocolate with their gun. Any advice?

[Lisa Shock]

Did you run vegetable oil through it after your last use?