Hi,

So, I have tried tempering (still new at this). I'm working with Michel Cluizel's 1Kg couverture chocolate. It has tempering guidelines on the package. 

 

I heat the milk chocolate in microwave, raising slowly the temperature to 45degrees (as indicated). I then add some more unmelted couverture chocolate (seeding), and stir continuously till temperature drops down. Generally, I cannot get it lower than 29 degrees celsius, since I live in a warm country, so I put it in the fridge, and constantly take it out and stir it ... till temperature drops to the suggested 26 degrees celsius. At this stage, I find that the chocolate starts to become more viscuous. The curve requires the temperature to raise to 29 degrees, so I put it back in the microwave and give it short bursts. I start to put the chocolate in the mold, however, my problem is that I find it is a little too thick to work with. Q1) Is this a problem caused because I put the chocolate in the fridge to cool it down to the suggested 26 degrees? 

So, I have filled the mold with the tempered chocolate, and after releasing the chocolate from the mold, they look very shiny, but obviously, they are little chocolate cubes now, as I had trouble making shells. 

I had seen a video somewhere of someone who heats the chocolate to 45degrees, cools it down to 29degrees, and starts working with it. Q2) Is tempering achieved like this? My chocolate doesn't get as runny as say, the Jacques Torres videos on YouTube.

Q3) With excess tempered chocolate, what do you do? Do you put it in the fridge and re-temper when needed? Can I just melt the tempered chocolate and work with it or do I need to start from step 1?

 

Thanks for you help.

Hi,

I think that you are fighting with physics and this is a fight you will always loose regardless of what youtube videos show...

 

Good news is your first step almost makes sense so lets start there again.

1. Divide your purchased 1 kg block of moulded and tempered chocolate (not something that has been sitting in heat for a long time) into two parts: 800g and 200g.

2. Crush or grate the 200g part and keep at 25C.

3. Melt the 800g in the microwave: small burst of nuking plus a lot of mixing, repat until you get it to 45C (it would be a good idea to check if your thermometer is accurate).

4. Pour the melted chocolate into stainless steel bowl and keep mixing, scraping the sides to keep uniform temperature, keep going until you get to 35C.

5. Start adding your crushed or grated 200g part in small doses, lets say 50g at the time, keep mixing and stirring like a madman, when added pieces are melted add next small dose. Keep going until you get to 31C (if you have some of the small part left don't add it anymore).

6. Give it a few extra good stirs and smile. Now you have tempered chocolate ready to use.

Extra hints.

Make sure your moulds are clean, dry and at 27-28C before you pour in your tempered chocolate.

All unused chocolate can be melted again and reused (it will be untempered).

 

Hi Peter,

Thanks for your reply.

I am using an Infrared thermometer.

 

I seem to be following your steps exactly ... except,

1) I am using mini couverture chocolate chips (so I am not crushing the chocolate in your step 2).
2) I am tempering 500g at a time ... but the ratio I am using is the same.
3) You seem to be ignoring the tempering curve on the packaging of the chocolate, which says to go at: 45 degrees, 26 degrees, 29 degrees. I have only, so far, tempered my chocolate following this curve. Yours seems to be a shortcut (which I have noted on some videos too!); 45 degrees, 29 degrees. I can get it to 29 degrees by stirring like a madman, no problems, and I find the viscosity at this stage to be ideal for molding. But would the chocolate be "tempered" this way? My problem arises when I put the chocolate (at 29 degrees) in the fridge to cool it down to 26 degrees. Here it becomes a little thick ... I'm thinking now, maybe from the moisture of the fridge?

Thanks for the extra hints! :D Will have to go at it again tomorrow! :3

 

 

Hi Mark,

I would suggest doing a bit of reading on what "chocolate tempering" actually means.

 

Regarding your post.

Infrared thermometers are not suitable for accurate reading of chocolate temperature. Try to get a digital stem thermometer and check it against a calibrated mercury thermometer for accuracy (or get it calibrated).

Point 3.

Yes I am ignoring the tempering curve on the package.

You can temper chocolate by using already tempered seed as I have described above.

Or

You can temper chocolate by cooling (to create cocoa butter crystals) and reheating it (to melt undesired crystal form) following the curve recommended by supplier.

One or the other method.

Not both at the same time.