Spraying Chocolate: Equipment, Materials, and Techniques

[cmflick]

I just use the Bounty paper towels that I have in the house, but in Belgium we used the blue ones, which were strong and more like a woven piece of fabric.

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I wonder if the ones used in Belgium were anything like these:

click

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Hmmm. I get a link to the Canadian Tire Corporation with that link, but I don't see anything about paper towels!

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Interesting - I checked it before I posted and just checked it again and it works fine for me. If you can get to CT then do a search for "shop towels".

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If you don't already have their cookies on your computer, the link leads to a 'Welcome' splash page where they ask that you put in your postal code. I just copied the sample one and pasted into the field. You're then taken to the Shop Towels page.

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Thanks, John. I used the sample postal code like you suggested and it took me right to the paper towel page. I think that I have seen these in stores, so I'll have to check them out.

[Kerry Beal]

Some of my splatter experiments from the weekend. I splattered first with red, then dark pink, then light pink. I suspect starting with the lightest and working to the darkest might have been a more interesting effect.

Because I didn't have that extra body around to wipe the molds I heated the molds and wiped and scraped afterwards. You can see in the first picture on one of the hearts on the left, how some of the splatter got melted - making a different effect. I was worried that the heating might cause some unmolding problems - but the ones that got melted a bit came out just as well or better than some of the others.

[John DePaula]

Oooo, I love those! Interesting, that melty splatter is nice, too!

[mostlylana]

Nice splatter Kerry! Wow!

[cmflick]

Very, very cool. I love the splatters. The white chocolate (I assume that's what the shells are) really set off the splatters.

I'm not sure that I understand it when you say "I heated the molds and wiped and scraped afterwards". Did you finish your spraying, then hit the molds with the heat gun before wiping off the over spray? I just have terrible luck with unmolding if I use the heat gun (or in my case, hair dryer) once I have cocoa butter or chocolate in the molds.

[Kerry Beal]

Very, very cool.  I love the splatters.  The white chocolate (I assume that's what the shells are) really set off the splatters.

I'm not sure that I understand it when you say "I heated the molds and wiped and scraped afterwards".  Did you finish your spraying, then hit the molds with the heat gun before wiping off the over spray?  I just have terrible luck with unmolding if I use the heat gun (or in my case, hair dryer) once I have cocoa butter or chocolate in the molds.

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These ones have a bit of white sprayed behind the splatters, but they are molded in white chocolate as well.

So to get rid of the overspray, because I didn't wipe as I went along, I reheated the molds later that day with the heat gun, trying to just soften the overspray, not the inside of the cavities. That was why I had a little 'meltage' inside some of the cavities - but it turned out OK - I probably just got lucky.

[RobertM]

I recently had the opportunity to meet the Tomric corporate Pastry Chef, Brian Donaghy who has produced some amazingly nice pieces of chocolate. In discussing his airbrushed pieces he uses a Badger 250 airbrush and an Iwata Smart Jet compressor. He sprays his colors at 92 degrees Farenheit.

I notice most of you are using larger spary guns - such as John DePaula with a Fuji XT-2. Has anyone tried using the smaller units, such as the Badger? Also, everyone here seems to be coloring their own cocoa butter, but there are pre-colored butters available, has anyone tried using these pre-done colors? (Chef Rubber has some amazing colors).

I'm seriously wanting to start practicing with spraying cocoa butters/chocolate - and really appreciate this entire topic in the forum. Just wondering what type of system to purchase -

Brian was also showing a fun effect - spraying colored cocoa butter on COLD chocolate produces a texture almost like "flocking" - Brian was spraying some molded easter bunnies - and the effects of spraying on the cold chocolate was really interesting. Can't wait to try it - perhaps this weekend as DC is scheduled for some nasty weather -

[RobertM]

I hope I won't get into copyright troubles but here is the information from Tomric on the use of colors...

Color 101:

These easy and ready to use colored cocoa butters, can be used in many different ways to color your chocolates or create your own confectionery designs. Use with a brush, airbrush or hand paint as shown below.

Steps 1-4:

Warm New World Chocolate Colored Cocoa Butters to 85 and 90 degrees farenheight. (Gold, white and purple.) Using finger, swipe gold in one direction inside each cavity of mold.Turn mold around and swipe using purple.

Steps 5-8:

Using airbrush, spray a thin coating of white into cavities. Create cavities using tempered chocolate.Fill cavities and insert roasted almond. Cap pieces and refrigerate until piece is able to be removed from mold.

Made in the USA - FDA Approved colors

Sorry the pictures did not copy/paste into the reply - if interested, follow this link:

http://www.tomric.com/content.aspx?title=FeatureMore

[cmflick]

I recently had the opportunity to meet the Tomric corporate Pastry Chef, Brian Donaghy who has produced some amazingly nice pieces of chocolate.  In discussing his airbrushed pieces he uses a Badger 250 airbrush and an Iwata Smart Jet compressor.  He sprays his colors at 92 degrees Farenheit. 

I notice most of you are using larger spary guns - such as John DePaula with a Fuji XT-2.  Has anyone tried using the smaller units, such as the Badger?  Also, everyone here seems to be coloring their own cocoa butter, but there are pre-colored butters available, has anyone tried using these pre-done colors?  (Chef Rubber has some amazing colors).

I'm seriously wanting to start practicing with spraying cocoa butters/chocolate - and really appreciate this entire topic in the forum.  Just wondering what type of system to purchase -

Brian was also showing a fun effect - spraying colored cocoa butter on COLD chocolate produces a texture almost like "flocking" - Brian was spraying some molded easter bunnies - and the effects of spraying on the cold chocolate was really interesting.  Can't wait to try it - perhaps this weekend as DC is scheduled for some nasty weather -

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I just got my Badger 250 airbrush late last fall after reading a lot of eG posts! Most of my colored cocoa butters are from Chef Rubber. I especially like the ones from their "jewel" collection that have a real shimmer to them. Before airbrushing, I used the Chef Rubber colors a lot for finger painting and brushing into molds. You can't beat the Badger 250 for the money. I got mine on Ebay for $20! I'm still studying compressors at this point. I just can't decide. Meanwhile, I'm using Badger canned air, which gets pretty expensive after a while, and comes with a whole set of problems of its own.

Edited January 27, 2009 by cmflick (log)

[RobertM]

Is there a reason to use such a large HVLP spray gun as the Fuji?

[Kerry Beal]

Is there a reason to use such a large HVLP spray gun as the Fuji?

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The main difference I find between the Badger and the Fuji is the amount of aerosolized cocoa butter in the air when I'm done. With the Badger I am covered with a fine mist in just a few minutes. Before the Fuji I dreaded airbrushing.

[mostlylana]

Is there a reason to use such a large HVLP spray gun as the Fuji?

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With the pressurized cup you can easily do effects as well...

[cmflick]

Is there a reason to use such a large HVLP spray gun as the Fuji?

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The main difference I find between the Badger and the Fuji is the amount of aerosolized cocoa butter in the air when I'm done. With the Badger I am covered with a fine mist in just a few minutes. Before the Fuji I dreaded airbrushing.

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Ditto the aerosoling with a Badger. What I really notice is that my glasses get a film of cocoa butter on them pretty quickly when I use my Badger!

[Kerry Beal]

I have 4 airbrushes/sprayguns for chocolate - the Badger 250, another Badger I can't recall the number of (that I bought because it could splatter - theoretically) and Iwata (never worked worth a shit with chocolate) and now the Fuji.

The Fuji is the only one I suspect I'll ever use again.

[John DePaula]

And I'll just throw my 2¢ : When I used my Badger airbrush, aerosolized chocolate everywhere, including my glasses.

With the Fuji, nowhere but my spray booth i.e. not on me. Yay!

Edited January 27, 2009 by John DePaula (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Here's the multicoloured splatter with milk chocolate.

[mostlylana]

Wow - fantastic! I wish we all lived closer together so we could play together. I would love to watch you do those.

[John DePaula]

Yes, I agree... really awesome!

[cmflick]

Very nice. They look like marble!

I noticed that you've done a lot of "splatter" with your new spraygun. Can you do fine spraying as well?

[Kerry Beal]

Very nice.  They look like marble!

I noticed that you've done a lot of "splatter" with your new spraygun.  Can you do fine spraying as well?

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Sure can - but I'm in my 'splatter phase' right now. This gun brings out my inner Jackson Pollock.

If you look at the first experiments I did - I splattered with dark chocolate and then did a fine spray with pink and silver.

I was fooling around with my frog and mice molds this trip - it takes me so long to paint to get the effect I like on them, so I am holding out hope that spraying them will be more efficient. I got a nice shiny surface - but it's all the same - so I'm not sure how to adjust the spray to get what I want. I may end up with splattered frogs and mice too!

[cmflick]

I have a question... once you've sprayed, how do you remove the overspray from the mold?  Scrape while wet?  Wipe while wet?  Scrape when dry?

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Ideally I wipe while wet - with paper towels laid flat, I just place the mold face down and push it across the surface.

Kerry, thanks for the tip on how to clean off the overspray. I tried it this morning with ordinary kitchen paper towels and it worked like a charm. It makes clean up later a whole lot easier.

Edited January 29, 2009 by cmflick (log)

[rubyred]

I've only had a chance to read through the first three pages of this topic, which have been absolutely illuminating! I'm going to read through the rest when I have more time, but til then I have a question:

Has anyone tried using a hobby paint sprayer (the sort used to paint model cars, etc.) with chocolate? I'm more or less experimenting at this point, so the $15 price tag is very appealing compared to hardware store prices! Specifically, I want to try the Alinea recipe 'LIQUID CHOCOLATE, Chicory, Dandelion, Banana, which calls for coating a frozen chocolate square with chocolate spray.

I'm curious to hear what everyone has to say about it. It seems to me that, in the absence of any other trials with this product, $15 almost makes the hobby sprayer disposable, if only to report back on my findings!

[prairiegirl]

Request for an update: How does the Fugi (Kerry)differ from the Walmec(Lana)?

I use a Badger Universal for airbrushing. I can't do splatters but it is safer than the aerosol can. Has anyone tried the JLP that Kerry provided the link? This one has the heated head. I know that DC Duby uses a heated airbrush. I am unsure of which is the best all round airbrush to use. I like the idea of a heated head as the clogging can be annoying! Please continue to educate me.

Thanks.

deb.

[Serj]

Has anyone tried using a hobby paint sprayer (the sort used to paint model cars, etc.) with chocolate?

I have found it comes out a little sloppy. It's hard to get the nice even distribution- lots of splotches. Obviously you get what you pay for!

[Serj]

Or maybe it's just me!

Edited March 28, 2009 by Serj (log)