Dear All,After the chocolate is tempered and poured in the molds, what is the desirable temperature range to cool it??Many thanks,Andre
updated by @luisa-abram-chocolates: 04/12/15 02:24:55

Andre -

The temperature will affect the time it takes to cool. As important is airflow above and below the mold to remove the heat. The combination of temperature and airflow will determine the amount of time it takes to cool completely.

55F-60F is a good place to start.

You do need to think about humidity. If the difference in temperature between ambient and the cooling environment is great enough condensation can form on the bars - and this is a bad thing.

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

Many thanks Clay.

It's been a hot summer over here in Sao Paulo and room temperatures frequently stay above 28C (82F), so I bought an air con to help temper my chocolate. After that, I put the the chocolate in a refrigerator to cool it down, but I'm not sure if this is the appropriate. I read in other posts that it ok as long as the chocolate does not stay long. Is that so? Or I should buy an equipment that does that and sets the temperature in the range you mentioned?

Thanks!!

Andre:

Whatever works, works. If the refrigerator works for you then you don't need to invest in other equipment.

The real solution is to find a way to work in a room that's 20C. While it will take longer for the molds to cool than at 15C, you will find that tempering will be easier and much more consistent when the room is around this temperature. You should a temperature and humidity gauge in the working area and take notes as you work. If you have problems you may find that changes in temp/humidity may be the cause.

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

Great Clay. Cheers!