Dark Chocolate..

I am working with the medium dark chocolate..and wanted to know if it is always is supose to be placed in the refrigerator after pouring..I need some suggestions.

Thank you

Darlene:

When you say you are working with ... what are you making? Most chocolate products can benefit from being but in a cool (not cold) place after pouring to ensure proper crystallization, however most refrigerators are set way too cold.

Ideally, your working environment is between 60-68F. Crystallization can be done effectively at about 55F, but it's important to have sufficient air flow to remove the latent heat of crystallization. Most refrigerators are set at about 39F and don't have nearly enough air flow.

I am using Felchlin and pouring into molds but my last batch was marbleing,I have a REV 1 to start out with but was letting my suckers air dry in room tempature almost 68 degrees , is that too warm? WOW it sooo hard to start all over! Lesson learned.

Thank you,Clay.

After tempering? Ive noticed it depends on the climate you have where youre working, I like to leave it at room temp until the edges start to pre-crystallize, and then put it in the fridge. But if the day is slightly hot I put right in the fridge

So Clay,, Would you say I need the proper refrigerator..I am still having this problem.

Thank You

Darlene:

First off, chocolate doesn't have any water in it, so you're not letting it dry, you're letting it cool down so that the proper crystals form in the cocoa butter. If you're working in a room that's 68F you don't necessarily need to go a lot cooler. I would start out thinking about the Rev 1 - and for that I need to know if the marbling effect you refer to is new, or is something that's always been an issue.

How long do you wait to start pouring after the Rev 1 beeps at you and tells you it's ready?