help with El Rey tempering!!

I am new here and I need help. I have been using El Rey for 3 years with limited success.I am using 61% in a chocovision X3210. I rarely get consistent results, and rarely is it tempered when the machine says it is supposed to be, I generaly will have to work a portion of the chocolate on a marble slab and even then it not always works . I am not in a temperature controlled room but it is fairly consistent room temp. Does any one have experience with both the machine and El Rey chocolate? Note: I have contacted chocovision (chocolatier Joe) and he has been helpful but still inconsistent results.My molded chocolates look OK but my dipped are inconsistent. Any help is apprecieated.Thanks Thomas
updated by @thomas: 04/10/15 06:18:24PM

I'm sorry to say I can't help, but I am looking forward to responses to your question. It seems the only consistency I have is inconsistency. I think temperature and humidity is very important. I'm still looking for the right combination. In the past, I've stored Valrhona Guanaja individually wrapped pieces in the wine cellar with great results. As soon as I started making my own pieces the wine cellar seems NOT to be the place to store them. I think too much humidity. I'm getting sugar bloom/grainy consistency. And this is after they are set and seem to be fine. This chocolate making is not for sissies. Aloha

Increase start temp to 115F. Use temper 2 on machine. If that does not work go to Chocovision site and emailme your phone number and I will call.(on Chocovison site click on my picture and send phone number)joe crevino

Thanks Joe.This I have tried and we have talked on the phone lots about this before.I have tried several different initial temps. The best thing has been to work the chocolate on the slab after the machine says it is ready. But of course I should not have to do this. I have switched from the El Rey 58 to the 61% but still not easy to temper. I love this chocolate and will continue to use it, the flavor is outstanding and when I am sucessfull with the temper it looks great.If any one else has ideas please share.Thanks

I am not in a temperature controlled room but it is fairly consistent room temp..Can you elaborate? Room temperature and humidity can make or break your efforts.

I have used El Rey on and off with no problems whatsoever and I am in a challenging tropical climate. If I were you, I'd forget the machine and go back to tempering by hand at least until you figure it out. Tempering is not all about a pre-programmed machine setting. Are you melting out your chocolate at a high enough temp? Are you bringing it down and seeding at the proper temp? Have you tested the machines temp readout with a digital temp gun? Is it agitating properly? You should be able to temper chocolate by hand without a machine.You don't mention what is wrong...is it streaky? Is it grainy? What exactly IS the room temp? be more specific in your procedure, likely it is you, not the chocolate.Tempering is not brain surgery....if after three years you have not figured it out you are missing some key element of your procedure.

I am in a basement so the room temp is approximatly 65f to 73f depending on the time of year.We rarely have high humidity up here. Melanie asked if I am melting at a high enough temp. and I have tried numerous different starting points the highest being 124f for melting. I have tested the machines temp against my thermometer but I will try it with another to double check.The chocolate looks grainy,and gray, very dull. As I said in an earlier post if I work some of the chocolate on a slab after the machine says it is done I can get the chocolate in to temper.I can temper by hand but to maintain it for 3 or 4 hours while I am dipping is the reason for the machine, once I finaly get a good temper it does maintain it for the long run.

If your chocolate is grainy you have not seeded it correctly, or enough. Seed a small amt at 34C (not sure what that is in farenheit) If you seed before this temp (hotter) nothing will happen, if you seed colder it will be lumpy. a small handful of the disks, maybe 12 little pieces is adequate, I think those chocovisons are pretty small capacity.You should not need to go any higher than 115F for the meltout phase and lower if milk chocolate .Try this with your thermometer(seeding) and let us know the result.

Melanie, thanks I will try it tommorow as I have 100 truffles to dip.I will let you know.thanks again

Today was a good temper day as a blizzard was going on outside.I did as Melanie suggested and put the seed chocolate in at approximatly 95f instead of imediatly when the machine said to. I also used much smaller pieces and some shavings. I then used temper 2 (as per chocolate Joes idea) and when the machine said it was ready I had a fair temper.......I did have to work some on a marble slab but not to the extent I have in the past, the temper was then perfect!I dipped 100 truffles at 90f and 1 mold and all looked great.I may have to do a little more work to get it right but I think all these sugestions helped greatly!Thanks to all.