Spraying Chocolate: Equipment, Materials, and Techniques

[ChristysConfections]

Any updates on the results of the Grex brush from Chef Rubber? Thinking about either that or a Paasche until the Fuji package is in my price range.

[Jim D.]

5 hours ago, ChristysConfections said:

Any updates on the results of the Grex brush from Chef Rubber? Thinking about either that or a Paasche until the Fuji package is in my price range.

 

Excellent question. I'll try using @leopardots to get the attention of the person who is using the Grex. I am very interested in hearing how this airbrush is working out. It seemed like a middle ground between airbrushes like the Badger, Paasche, Iwata, etc., and the Fuji.

[ChristysConfections]

1 hour ago, Jim D. said:

 It seemed like a middle ground between airbrushes like the Badger, Paasche, Iwata, etc., and the Fuji.

 

My thoughts exactly! Thanks, @Jim D.! I should have thought to tag them. 

[gulator]

Worked at a patisserie for quite sometime and one of the things I learned and enjoyed is a good chocolate sprayer you can create magic with fruits, ice cream, cookies, etc.       Now I have one of the best Krebs Lm3 Hotchoc Heated Chocolate Spray Gun  and let me tell you      kids of the neighborhood love it    Just a fruit, cherry, apple, grape, you name it, becomes a candy     and  ! a good healthy candy with dark chocolate which is high in anti-oxidants  

[Jim D.]

On 10/3/2016 at 9:48 PM, pastrygirl said:

I tried out the new Grex airbrush and Point Zero compressor today, worked fine with no need for an adaptor (got a Grex hose at Chef Rubber when I bought the airbrush).  Reasonably quiet, like a refrigerator running.  MUCH quieter than the Wagner airless paint sprayer!  Or even my KitchenAid mixer.  Now to practice ...

 

@pastrygirl: It's been a while since you described your airbrushing setup, and if you have time, it would be useful to know how it is working out. Do you like the Grex? Which Chef Rubber model do you have and what is the needle size? Thanks for any help.

[pastrygirl]

Hey Jim,

 

I hadn't been using it much but decided to airbrush some things a few days ago.  I think I'll be doing a lot more for the holidays  - I hope I'm not jinxing myself by showing samples of airbrushed Santas and bonbons to potential customers!  It's still slow going for large cavities, but the ability to do detail work on Santa might come in handy (if my control/skills are up to it).  I'll be back in the kitchen on Tuesday, will check the details of the Grex then and get back to you.

 

[pastrygirl]

Hey, @Jim D. I had some time to re-read the instructions and play with my airbrush today.  Turns out I have the TG3, so the 0.3 mm nozzle.  I will be looking into a larger one soon.

 

 

It is adjustable in that the farther back you pull the trigger, the wider the spray stream.  There is a screw on the back end you adjust to stop the trigger being pulled past a certain point.  If you want to keep a narrower line, tighten it.  Since this is the smaller nozzle, I've been using it wide open for maximum coverage, which is about an inch wide.

 

The instructions say lower the pressure or taking the tip off would lead to splattering, but I couldn't get the effect.  At 30 psi, nothing came out.  I'm thinking the larger nozzle would allow splatter - easier for the CB to move through at lower pressure?   About 50-60 psi seems to work for regular spray.

 

So I did the drip-and-blow splatter instead, works OK but not as precise:  https://youtu.be/YpQzZg-wA7s

 

Then for the cavities I have to get really up close & personal.  Not unbearably slow, but if the larger nozzle goes faster, I'm in:  https://youtu.be/WtoqXcZVugE

 

Here's one more from the user viewpoint.  I guess you might think the top gravity feed gets in the way, less so if you're holding the mold in your other hand and can adjust. And I assume hand-eye coordination will improve with practice.

https://youtu.be/Tg2szyz6Kug

 

The finished bonbons - The squared ones were sprayed white & black into opposite corners, both 60% dark shells.

.

 

So now I'm not sure if the 0.5 or the 0.7 would be better.  They do warn that you need more compression capacity for the 0.7, but I wonder if the 0.5 will be enough to make a difference.   What size is your airbrush?

 

 

[Jim D.]

Thanks for the info and the videos. While you were experimenting, I was doing more research on the issues. I came across some Instagram photos and videos from Salvatore Martone on some of the techniques you were trying (some of these have been posted previously on eGullet, so I'm just providing the links). The first one shows him making shells with the Grex Tritium. I suspect that--given the speed of the process--he may have one of the larger sizes of needles.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMcaOibDWt9/?taken-by=chefsmartone

 

And another example:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSpkrfcFcHA/?taken-by=chefsmartone

 

In the comments on the second one, he writes:  "The airbrush I use is a Grex S5 it has an opening of 0.5 mm that is ideal for colored cocoa butter spray." But in the brief glimpse of the airbrush he is using, it does not look like a Grex Tritium (I don't see the telltale light green color, but I could be wrong).

 

And here he uses exactly the splatter technique you demonstrated:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGsusAfwtRd/?taken-by=chefsmartone

 

In that last one, it looks as if he is using a spray gun (maybe the one that Grex sells, the X4000).

 

I sent some questions to Grex last week and got a very prompt and helpful reply:

 

Quote

 

Thanks so much for getting in touch with us and thank you for considering Grex!  Your observations are spot on.  You can definitely airbrush with our airbrush and mini compressor, but there are some caveats.
 

- Cocoa Butter will need to be well tempered.  This is regardless of tool being used to apply. It's just the nature of the cocoa butter.
- You can use any of our airbrushes that have a 0.5mm to spray cocoa butter.  You might get away with a 0.3mm, but it may not work so well with some colors as the pigments may be just a touch larger than others.  Thus a 0.5mm would give you the best results.
- So far, spraying cocoa butter with a 0.5mm and our mini compressor will work, but you'll notice that it gives a matte, dull sheen.  You have mentioned spraying into molds.  In order to do this and achieve that nice shiny sheen, you'll still be using the 0.5mm, but you'll need to spray at 60psi.  The mini compressor can at most do 25 to 28 psi sustained when using the 0.5mm nozzle.  So you will need a shop style compressor.
- In either scenario, using the 0.7mm should be even better, but you would need a large shop style compressor to push out enough air.
http://www.grexusa.com/grexairbrush/products.php5?id=4610AC

 

Splattering can be achieved with almost any airbrush (nozzle size permitting).  You'll just need to lower the air pressure and pump the trigger.  You can use the G-MAC for this, or regulate at the source.

 

Our Tritiums come with a 7mL, 15mL cup, and a 30mL siphon bottle.  We also have optional 50mL and 125mL cups as well.

 

 

 

I saw a video somewhere on the "pumping" process for splatter, but don't recall where it was. It worked really well. It also appears the G-MAC regulator is quite helpful for splatter--and Grex makes the regulator for several other makes of airbrush.

 

I am now wavering between the Tritium with 0.7mm nozzle (with an industrial-type compressor!) and the Grex spray gun, which is sold by Chef Rubber and is a LVLP gun, meaning there is less overspray and less pressure is required. I will probably hear tomorrow from Grex about differences in the two. There isn't a huge difference in cost. With all the Grex costs adding up, I wonder if the Fuji system would just be easier. Meanwhile I'm about to do some spraying with my current Paasche and see if I can live with what I already have.

 

 

[Jim D.]

I didn't answer @pastrygirl's question about the equipment I currently use. I have a Paasche airbrush with a nozzle slightly larger than 1mm and an Iwata Smart Jet Pro compressor, which has a top PSI of 35--which I am learning is quite low. As confirmed by Kerry Beal (who has this same setup) the Iwata compressor and the Paasche airbrush cannot be made to do splatter. I experimented a long time with lowering the pressure on the compressor. The process is not at all exact, but no matter where I set the pressure, the output was either the usual full spray or nothing. I could not produce a splatter. If I stick with my current setup, I will definitely get the G-MAC regulator, which allows for regulating the pressure close to the airbrush.

 

[pastrygirl]

Thanks for the links, that guy is where I learned that splatter technique

 

In the first video, I paused it when the brush gets close and you can see the two rings on the nozzle that denotes it is the 0.5.  http://grexusa.com/grexairbrush/products.php5?id=TK-5 

 

Martone looks to be getting a lot more CB into his molds, I think the 0.5 will be fine for now.  I'll see how it works before upgrading the compressor.  Flow rate is not linear - a 3/4" pipe will put through 3x the flow of a 1/2" pipe at the same psi even thought its only 1-1/2x diameter.   You must really need more pressure for 1mm- is it the compressor that slows you down, struggling to keep up?

[Jim D.]

21 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

You must really need more pressure for 1mm- is it the compressor that slows you down, struggling to keep up?

 

That would be a logical explanation, but I have not heard (or seen) any signs of it. The compressor appears to make the same sound and behave the same even when I use it for a fairly long period of time without pausing. This is what the Paasche manual says:

 

Approximate Working Pressures:

• 20 lbs. or Less: Stipple and granulated effects, pressure will vary with viscosity of fluid.

• 20 to 30 lbs.: Medium consistency water colors, inks & dyes.

• 30 lbs. or More: Heavy fluids, acrylics, reduced lacquers, varnishes, paints or ceramic glaze.

[Jim D.]

Has anyone noticed any difference in difficulty when spraying Chef Rubber's "Jewel" colors as opposed to the regular ones? I would like to know if it is my imagination or not. In any event, today the only color that sprayed with any success was a non-Jewel one; the others were coming out intermittently, spitting (though the compressor showed no moisture in the trap), and generally behaving in an unacceptable way. I have noted that Chef Rubber has colors especially made for airbrushes but have not tried those.

[pastrygirl]

1 hour ago, Jim D. said:

Has anyone noticed any difference in difficulty when spraying Chef Rubber's "Jewel" colors as opposed to the regular ones? I would like to know if it is my imagination or not. In any event, today the only color that sprayed with any success was a non-Jewel one; the others were coming out intermittently, spitting (though the compressor showed no moisture in the trap), and generally behaving in an unacceptable way. I have noted that Chef Rubber has colors especially made for airbrushes but have not tried those.

 

No, not so far.  I'm partial to the jewel line - white diamond and black onyx are on the square mold a few posts above.  I did have some bronze that seemed more viscous, but I think my issues that day were from dropping my new needle first thing and bending it or maybe a bit of debris.  Things were all sputtery and unsatisfying.  This was the larger nozzle that I was hoping would be a game-changer - we're not there yet -  for now I'm blaming operator error. 

 

You can thin with plain cocoa butter if needed.  The 'airbrush colors' aren't cocoa butter, they're for cake decoration, I would think they are water-based. 

 

 

[Jim D.]

14 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

The 'airbrush colors' aren't cocoa butter, they're for cake decoration, I would think they are water-based. 

 

 

Glad you pointed that out since it's not stated--as far as I can tell--on their website. In one of the Grex videos on airbrushing food items, the artist recommends starting with airbrush color, but she is not dealing with chocolate!

 

I like the "Jewel" colors too, but those little grains of whatever it is that makes them sparkle (and it's probably better not to contemplate that too closely) have to go somewhere since they don't dissolve, and an airbrush needle is very small--in your case, 0.5mm to be exact.

 

I am ordering my Grex airbrush next week, with a 0.7mm nozzle, will let you know whether that makes a difference. I have a feeling it's all going to come down to the compressor, which is a big one, required for the 0.7 nozzle.

[Jim D.]

I recently purchased the Grex Tritium airbrush (fitted with the 0.5mm nozzle) and wish to report on it. I think most people use an external mix airbrush, where the cocoa butter does not pass through the body of the airbrush but is mixed with compressed air externally. I have used a Badger, and recently used as my regular airbrush a Paasche; both of these are external mix. The Tritium is an internal mix device, and I was nervous about clogging up the brush constantly with cocoa butter passing through it. In actuality that is not the case at all. I purchased a 0.7mm replacement nozzle to provide the largest available needle/nozzle for the cocoa butter to pass through. Replacing the 0.5 with the 0.7 was fairly easy. An internal mix airbrush requires more compressed air, so I knew my little Iwata Smartjet Pro (1/8 HP motor with top pressure of 35 PSI) was not going to be adequate. Grex sells a compressor for the Tritium (it is rebranded from another company, California Air Tools). They were phasing out the 1 HP model and so sold me a 2 HP one at the same price. A 2 HP compressor is an entirely different beast from the Iwata; its increased power is impressive--and a little scary for a mechanical-challenged user like me. But fortunately my nephew showed me that it was not as frightening as it looked, and my first time using it alone went without a hitch. This compressor is very quiet, as these things go. In these comments I am using space on the compressor because my conclusion is that the compressor makes all the difference in using an airbrush for cocoa butter.

 

The good thing about Grex is that they are aware of the food decorating crowd out there; they have a whole series of videos on various decorating techniques, mostly for cakes. Their tech support people are so responsive and I consulted them so often that Gmail now doesn't show the whole thread with my questions and their replies unless I specifically request it. Grex never failed to be responsive (usually within a few minutes) and to be sympathetic to the special needs of chocolate making. In explaining to me how to add a moisture trap between the compressor and the airbrush, one technician even took the time to set up the whole system (hoses, attachments, adapters, everything) and take a photo of it with every part labeled. I have never encountered tech support this good.

 

The Tritium setup I used had the cocoa butter in a container attached above the airbrush (not in little jars with siphons as I had been using with the Paasche--although the Grex can be adapted to use siphon-feed jars). This setup provides the most direct flow of cocoa butter to airbrush but does require a whole new system of preparation for airbrushing. I had the cocoa butter in temper in a Pyrex container (which can be microwaved and heated or cooled over water) and spooned it into the metal cup on top of the airbrush (I purchased larger cups than the ones that come with the airbrush so that I wouldn't have to waste valuable time refilling the cup so often). This process can get messy! But it really worked. The cocoa butter stays liquid much longer than it does when it is in an attached glass container and traveling through a siphon. Yes, a heat gun is still required from time to time to keep the cocoa butter liquid, but I could spray several molds without stopping. I learned a lot from this first session and now know to get a little stirrer to keep the cocoa butter from hardening in the bottom of the cup. But it does work much better than any external mix airbrush I have used. Changing colors is easier than I anticipated: You simply turn the cup (still attached to the airbrush) upside down above the cocoa butter container, drain out as much as possible, then wipe with a paper towel (again, this idea came from Grex tech support).

 

I had mistakenly thought the Tritium could be used on its own to splatter a mold. I saw a video featuring Salvatore Martone using a Grex Tritium to splatter, but when I mentioned this to Grex support, they pointed out what I did not notice in the video--that the chef is spraying the cocoa butter onto a little spatula or stick, and from there onto the mold. I tried this and had some success, though I will need a lot of practice to get it right. I think a spray gun (such as the Fuji or a Wagner) can do splatter without further equipment, but an airbrush cannot  (though an airbrush can splatter with regular paint).

 

Final comment on customer service: Grex does not sell its products directly. I found everything I needed with Jerry Carter Airtools, and Jerry also provides excellent service and guidance. He even asked to see photos of the work I have done with chocolates.

 

Prices: Grex equipment appears to have the same prices everywhere. The airbrush was $209, the 0.7 nozzle $68, the larger cups $19 each, the compressor $299. Yes, it's appreciably more expensive than something like the Paasche I have. It does, however, do a better job in a shorter time and with less aggravation than any external airbrush I have used. It does not do all a Fuji can do, but with my limited space and the number of chocolates I produce in a batch (so far the most is 900 pieces), I think it is the most satisfactory and the cost is less than for the Fuji system, which even companies that sell paint gun types of sprayers have told me would be overkill.

 

Final verdict: I am very pleased with the Grex Tritium and would certainly buy it again. The added power of the compressor makes airbrushing almost (!) a pleasure.

 

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

 

Edited November 17, 2017 by Jim D. (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Good to know Jim.

 

I recall the chef from Niagara College with his new Grex at a big event - he was having a lot of difficulty - but perhaps had the smaller needle (and limited tech support)!

[dhardy123]

On 11/17/2017 at 7:36 AM, Jim D. said:

I recently purchased the Grex Tritium airbrush (fitted with the 0.5mm nozzle) and wish to report on it. I think most people use an external mix airbrush, where the cocoa butter does not pass through the body of the airbrush but is mixed with compressed air externally. I have used a Badger, and recently used as my regular airbrush a Paasche; both of these are external mix. The Tritium is an internal mix device, and I was nervous about clogging up the brush constantly with cocoa butter passing through it. In actuality that is not the case at all. I purchased a 0.7mm replacement nozzle to provide the largest available needle/nozzle for the cocoa butter to pass through. Replacing the 0.5 with the 0.7 was fairly easy. An internal mix airbrush requires more compressed air, so I knew my little Iwata Smartjet Pro (1/8 HP motor with top pressure of 35 PSI) was not going to be adequate. Grex sells a compressor for the Tritium (it is rebranded from another company, California Air Tools). They were phasing out the 1 HP model and so sold me a 2 HP one at the same price. A 2 HP compressor is an entirely different beast from the Iwata; its increased power is impressive--and a little scary for a mechanical-challenged user like me. But fortunately my nephew showed me that it was not as frightening as it looked, and my first time using it alone went without a hitch. This compressor is very quiet, as these things go. In these comments I am using space on the compressor because my conclusion is that the compressor makes all the difference in using an airbrush for cocoa butter.

 

The good thing about Grex is that they are aware of the food decorating crowd out there; they have a whole series of videos on various decorating techniques, mostly for cakes. Their tech support people are so responsive and I consulted them so often that Gmail now doesn't show the whole thread with my questions and their replies unless I specifically request it. Grex never failed to be responsive (usually within a few minutes) and to be sympathetic to the special needs of chocolate making. In explaining to me how to add a moisture trap between the compressor and the airbrush, one technician even took the time to set up the whole system (hoses, attachments, adapters, everything) and take a photo of it with every part labeled. I have never encountered tech support this good.

 

The Tritium setup I used had the cocoa butter in a container attached above the airbrush (not in little jars with siphons as I had been using with the Paasche--although the Grex can be adapted to use siphon-feed jars). This setup provides the most direct flow of cocoa butter to airbrush but does require a whole new system of preparation for airbrushing. I had the cocoa butter in temper in a Pyrex container (which can be microwaved and heated or cooled over water) and spooned it into the metal cup on top of the airbrush (I purchased larger cups than the ones that come with the airbrush so that I wouldn't have to waste valuable time refilling the cup so often). This process can get messy! But it really worked. The cocoa butter stays liquid much longer than it does when it is in an attached glass container and traveling through a siphon. Yes, a heat gun is still required from time to time to keep the cocoa butter liquid, but I could spray several molds without stopping. I learned a lot from this first session and now know to get a little stirrer to keep the cocoa butter from hardening in the bottom of the cup. But it does work much better than any external mix airbrush I have used. Changing colors is easier than I anticipated: You simply turn the cup (still attached to the airbrush) upside down above the cocoa butter container, drain out as much as possible, then wipe with a paper towel (again, this idea came from Grex tech support).

 

I had mistakenly thought the Tritium could be used on its own to splatter a mold. I saw a video featuring Salvatore Martone using a Grex Tritium to splatter, but when I mentioned this to Grex support, they pointed out what I did not notice in the video--that the chef is spraying the cocoa butter onto a little spatula or stick, and from there onto the mold. I tried this and had some success, though I will need a lot of practice to get it right. I think a spray gun (such as the Fuji or a Wagner) can do splatter without further equipment, but an airbrush cannot  (though an airbrush can splatter with regular paint).

 

Final comment on customer service: Grex does not sell its products directly. I found everything I needed with Jerry Carter Airtools, and Jerry also provides excellent service and guidance. He even asked to see photos of the work I have done with chocolates.

 

Prices: Grex equipment appears to have the same prices everywhere. The airbrush was $209, the 0.7 nozzle $68, the larger cups $19 each, the compressor $299. Yes, it's appreciably more expensive than something like the Paasche I have. It does, however, do a better job in a shorter time and with less aggravation than any external airbrush I have used. It does not do all a Fuji can do, but with my limited space and the number of chocolates I produce in a batch (so far the most is 900 pieces), I think it is the most satisfactory and the cost is less than for the Fuji system, which even companies that sell paint gun types of sprayers have told me would be overkill.

 

Final verdict: I am very pleased with the Grex Tritium and would certainly buy it again. The added power of the compressor makes airbrushing almost (!) a pleasure.

 

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

 

 

Hi Jim

 

I just bought this exact same setup including the same compressor. However I only have the 0.5 nozzle. Grex said that should be sufficient for spraying chocolate. My new equipment won't be here for a few more days. Please let me if you've discovered any tricks or fails using this setup. Perhaps you could take a video of your setup while spraying some molds

 

Thanks!

Edited November 19, 2017 by dhardy123 (log)

[Jim D.]

I'll look forward to hearing about your reaction to the Grex. I forget where I read that the 0.7 nozzle would be better; maybe I just assumed it would when I realized the nozzle of the Paasche external mix airbrush was over a mm wide and feared I would never get cocoa butter through the 0.5. I believe @pastrygirl has the 0.5 with her Grex and has been successful with that.

 

Sorry, but I don't know any way to take photos or videos while using the airbrush (I am a one-person shop). Besides, I'm still getting used to the Grex and the results are embarrassingly messy at this point. Have you seen the Grex videos with Lisa Berczel? They are very helpful, and she is supremely confident in her work (there are also some creepy ones showing her spraying the body of a human being, but I try not to think of that when I'm spraying).

 

My only advice so far is to keep the cocoa butter flowing with a heat gun and a stirrer because it will tend to solidify in the bottom of the cup. Otherwise it has been a pleasure to use. As I get used to changing colors, I hope the mess will diminish.

One other thought: I found it essential to find a place to "park" the airbrush when I pause. Grex does make a holder, but I didn't get it; instead, I used a heavy flower vase with a wide top, and the airbrush rests nicely in there and seems a bit more secure to me than the holder would be--obviously it's necessary to keep the brush close to vertical to avoid a bigger mess.

[pastrygirl]

Yes, I had the 0.3 which could spray CB but was slow so I upgraded to the 0.5.  I think compressor power is really crucial, so the bigger compressor and the 0.5 might work just fine.  My compressor is only 0.5 hp, works but could be better.

[dhardy123]

Jim

 

I noticed you mentioned you needed a moisture trap for the compressor? If so how easy was it to add to the compressor/air line? Do you have the instructions that they sent you?

[Jim D.]

41 minutes ago, dhardy123 said:

Jim

 

I noticed you mentioned you needed a moisture trap for the compressor? If so how easy was it to add to the compressor/air line? Do you have the instructions that they sent you?

Well, if you have some experience with compressors, it would probably be easy. As I stated previously, I am a mechanical novice. I watched some videos online about setting up a compressor., but it was Danny, the guy at Grex tech support who went above and beyond--he took that photo showing the connections (he must have taken over all the space in the tech support area that day) and gave me a list of all the connectors I would need, which ones Grex makes, which ones I needed to buy elsewhere. He also explained teflon tape (I said I was a novice) and which connectors needed it. I have the link to that photo and will send it to you via an eG PM.

[dhardy123]

Just now, Jim D. said:

Well, if you have some experience with compressors, it would probably be easy. As I stated previously, I am a mechanical novice. I watched some videos online about setting up a compressor., but it was Danny, the guy at Grex tech support who went above and beyond--he took that photo showing the connections (he must have taken over all the space in the tech support area that day) and gave me a list of all the connectors I would need, which ones Grex makes, which ones I needed to buy elsewhere. He also explained teflon tape (I said I was a novice) and which connectors needed it. I have the link to that photo and will send it to you via an eG PM.

Im a mechanical novice myself. Did you find it pretty easy?

[Jim D.]

It was easier than I anticipated (I fully expected the compressor to blow up any minute), but I could not have done it without Grex tech support and the aforementioned photo. The difficulty was the info that knowledgeable people assume (such as using teflon tape) and that is not mentioned explicitly anywhere. But setup took a very short time and went without a hitch. I must confess that I had my very knowledgeable nephew in attendance watching things, but I think I could have done it without him. He is the kind of person who just pulls the emergency pressure release to see what happens!  On my own I later found a far less noisy way to release the pressure and allow any moisture to drain out.

[dhardy123]

I want to practice some spraying techniques as well as some ideas I have...I was thinking of just using candy melts as I practice. Will they function the same way as couverture in regards to the spraying and releasing from polycarbonate molds?

 

Or is there another way to practice?

[Daniel D]

1 hour ago, dhardy123 said:

I want to practice some spraying techniques as well as some ideas I have...I was thinking of just using candy melts as I practice. Will they function the same way as couverture in regards to the spraying and releasing from polycarbonate molds?

 

Or is there another way to practice?

 

@dhardy123 I’m not sure about your question on candy melts, however, if your goal is to work with couverture in the future I would highly recommend practicing with it. It’s not a problem to practice spraying, molding the shell, and melting the chocolate back down to to use again. This way you get practice with decoration techniques and tempering/molding technique as well. Both will take time to master so why not work on them at the same time? My 2 cents.