Problematic Baffle with Chocovision?

Hi All!

I purchased my first Chocovision Rev X3120 back in August of 2013. Since then, we have gone through 4 baffles...first our problem was washing it in too warm of water. We now wash it in very luke warm water. Because I am a gourmet gift basket store primarily, we are only using about 30-50lbs of chocolate per week during off season. Chocovision has been very good about replacing the baffle, but in the mean time, right before the 'death' of our baffle, our chocolate is coming out atrocious (terrible blooming), due to the baffle not reading the temperature correctly. I am now going to start using a thermometer as well, to double check. :/

Is this a common problem with Chocovision? Or is there something we may be overseeing? Chocovision can't figure it out. Please help, so I don't waste anymore product!

Thanks all!

Maggie

updated by @maggie-calpin: 04/12/15 04:13:44AM

Maggie -

A couple of things suggest themselves to me:

1) Try blow drying (low temp setting) both the sensor probe and the connector pins on the baffle immediately after washing.

2) Check the connector pins on the baffle. Do they look at all corroded? I would get your water tested to see what's in it, and then use a very gentle cleaner as well as maybe a pH neutral bottled water (just on the connector) to see if that solves the problems. I would also be very careful about getting water into the holes where the baffle connector pins make contact. They may be corroding, too.

An external thermometer is not the answer here as the machine is not displaying the right temperatures. You'd need to run the machine completely manually, which means -- for the quantity of chocolate you mention -- that it'd be faster and easier to hand-temper. You should probably know how to hand-temper anyway if you don't already because that will help you diagnose what is going wrong.

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clay - http://www.thechocolatelife.com/clay/

Thanks Clay!

I never thought about the water we are using. I will check that out first thing tomorrow. It didn't appear to be corroded, as I am a bit OCD with cleaning, but again I will check.

I did learn hand tempering through Peter's Chocolate courses and before our machines arrived, did practice that way. You think we go back to that? I am just worried about the time.

Maggie

Hello Maggie:

I work at ChocoVision; can I contact you? Please email me your information to ian@chocovision.com.

Thank you

Ian

Hi Ian!So far so good with the newest baffle ( going about a month strong). We love your machines, just can't figure out why at times our baffle breaks :/ my email is baskets@nibblesbits.comThank you!!

Hi Maggie

i have been having same issues with rev delta , resulting in batches of chocolate returning to me because of bloom, i contacted chocovision by email, got prompt reply to change baffle , like you i checked chocolate with a thermometer and got different reading then on the display.

mick

kilbeggan chocolate