Forum Activity for @Lisa - Girasole Chocolate

About to give up!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Thank you Jeff and everyone else that has responded to my question. I have lots of good tips now to try and improve my results. It's so frustrating when you get a good result and try a second time only to flop! I will master this chocolate thingy if it kills me! Thanks again everyone for all your help. Lisa

About to give up!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

One more question....are the temps you gave me the temps you use to work with when ready to use or, are these the temps you temper with before raising to working temp?

About to give up!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

I thought you were suppose to add seeding chocolate to the front of baffle? (already melted chocolate)

About to give up!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Thank you....I will call her today!

About to give up!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Perhaps you are right! My seeding chocolate is always completely melted by the time it reaches the proper temp. I think I will wait until the temp drop a little more before adding. I just wanted to make sure that it all melted by the time it was ready to use. It's hard to scoop out all those little wafers before using. Lisa

About to give up!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Hello my friends,

I'm going to try one last time to get this "tempering" thing down before I throw the machine in the street and run it over repeatedly!!! It's just not adding up....I follow directions very well but I'm obviously doing something wrong or screwing up a particular step in the process. Please....if someone out there uses the ACMC Tempering Machine I would appreciate it if you could tell me where I am going wrong.

I use Guittard Couverture Milk, White and Dark

Start temp at 115 degrees and leave at temp for 10-20 min.

Turn on rotation motor once chocolate starts to melt.

After 10-20 minutes, add 1/3 chocolate to seed,

reduce temp to (below) and leave at temp for 10 min.

For Milk 84, White 82, Dark 86

Bring temp back up to temp (below) and leave for 10 min.

For Milk 86, White 86, Dark 88

Chocolate should be ready to use.

I'm very sad because I am not enjoying this any longer. One day my chocolate comes out beautiful and the next day it is absolutely horrible! I would appreciate any help before I throw in the towel.

Lisa

updated by @Lisa - Girasole Chocolate: 04/18/15 20:34:08

Why is my chocolate so shiny but soft and pliable?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Melody, I think Brad has solved the mystery in his response to my question.Lisa

Why is my chocolate so shiny but soft and pliable?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Brad, I think you nailed it for me. My chocolate was indeed to thick to pour in my opinion so I brought the temperature back up to 94 to pour. I thought I read here how someone always pours at 94 and gets good results so I tried it. Nice shine but putty as previously stated. I will take my time and only bring the chocolate back up to 90 degrees. I've had such good luck previously but lately I am playing with the temps too much. Back to basics! Thank you,Lisa

Why is my chocolate so shiny but soft and pliable?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Hi Everyone!

Here I am struggling with a new issue! Lately my so-called tempered chocolate is coming out incredibly shiny but soft and pliable. What on earth is going on? I've never seen such shine on chocolate but if you pick up the bar of chocolate with your handsit just bends like putty. Strangely, the same batch of chocolate came out beautiful with a nice shine and snap in the bit size molds it was poured in. Two completely different"end results"using the same chocolate and poured at the same time. Is there a default setting for tempering chocolate? I was wondering if someone could give me a good starting point for tempering Guittard couverture milk, dark, and white? Thanks for any help in advance,

Lisa

updated by @Lisa - Girasole Chocolate: 05/10/15 14:52:13

Where can I purchase wholesale chocolate in Florida?

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

Leena and Anthony,It's so nice of you to invite me to your shop. When the weather gets nice I would love to stop by and visit. I have always wanted to open a choclate shop. I once had an antique/candle store in a quaint little town and I loved it! If only I could do the same with my chocolates. Recently I've had difficulty tempering and I'm not sure why. I was thinking of buying the Rev Delta and wonder what your thoughts are on the machine? Since you also live in Florida I know that you too deal with our humidity issues. Any thought on the subject would be appreciated. Good luck with your business and hopefully I will have the chance to stop by and say hello soon.Lisa

Where can I purchase wholesale chocolate in Florida?

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

I have a question for you....Merckens chocolate is a coating type chocolate correct? I am looking for couverture chocolate in Florida. I didn't see anythng other than Merckens on the website.Lisa

Where can I purchase wholesale chocolate in Florida?

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

Thank you for the information...I will check them out today.Lisa

Where can I purchase wholesale chocolate in Florida?

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

Thanks Chris, I'll be in touch soon.Lisa

Where can I purchase wholesale chocolate in Florida?

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

Matt,Thank you for the info. I will contact you soon.Lisa

Where can I purchase wholesale chocolate in Florida?

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

Thank you so much for the info. I will check them out today.Lisa

Where can I purchase wholesale chocolate in Florida?

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

Hi Everyone!

I have a question that has probably been asked a million times but I can't locate the answer on this forum. Does anyone know where I can purchase wholesale chocolate in the TampaBay Florida area? I am also willing to have my chocolate shipped but I can find only one or two websites to compare prices. Thanks in advance.

Lisa

updated by @Lisa - Girasole Chocolate: 06/29/23 16:49:02

How long do I have before chocolate sets?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

This is for Clay and Brad...All I can say is HOLY COW!!! I made the biggest mess I think I've ever made making molded chocolates. I had chocolate everywhere. I poured the dark chocolate into the mold creating a shell and then used my scraper to clean off the mold top. Once set I used my homemade centers, orange fondant and almond fondant. Then I poured the remaining dark chocolate in the molds and once again cleaned the tops of the molds. Sounds easy but I promise you I have more chocolate on my counter and face then in the molds! Something tells me that the chocolate didn't temper correctly this time. I'll post pictures but I still struggle with tempering. One day it's perfect and the next day it's a disaster. I tempered the dark chocolate using these temps. Started with 115 degrees for 15 minutes, lowered temp to 87 degrees (added some remaining chocolate to help temper) for 10 minutes and then back up to 89 degress for 10 minutes. It seemed thick and did not pour to easily. I'm using Guittard Chocolate.Lisa

How long do I have before chocolate sets?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Thanks for all your help. I had no idea I was making it much more difficult than necessary. I'll post pictures of some of my creations in the coming days. Thank you again,Lisa

How long do I have before chocolate sets?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Thank you, I'll post pictures of some of my chocolates soon. Thank you,Lisa

How long do I have before chocolate sets?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Clay,I'll just put the funnel away until I learn how to make centers that require it. If using something such as a yogurt maker, how do you retain the temperture at which the chocolate was tempered....let's say at 87 degress? Is it necessary to retain a certain temp or is "warm" good enough to keep it in temper?Lisa

How long do I have before chocolate sets?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Brad,I do use Polycarbonate molds. What's funny is I was thinking the same thing about the difficulty if using hobbist molds. Perhaps I made a silly purchase last week when I purchased a chocolate confectionary funnel. It hasn't arrived yet so please tell me I didn't waste my money. It was my solution to the problem prior to asking for help here. Silly me!LisaP.S. How do I get the chocolate in the bottles without making a huge mess? Perhaps my confectionary funnel?

How long do I have before chocolate sets?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Clay,I totally understand now. I can't tell you how much easier it will be for me to use the method of scraping excess back into pot in lieu of my current method. I'm glad I asked my silly question because it was driving me nuts and now I know! Thank you,Lisa

How long do I have before chocolate sets?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Brad,Thank you for your help. I do have a ACMC tempering machine but what I have been doing is....I take the chocolate out of the bowl and place in a 2 galon size zip lock bag (I cut a small hole in the corner ) and fill my molds. I would say it take me about 5 minutes to complete when I have fondant centers. It takes me time to drop the fondant in the center of the chocolate and tap out any air bubbles before topping off with more chocolate. Perhaps I need to work with a smaller quantity of chocolate. I've been filling the bag with approx 1-1/2 pounds of chocolate. I now understand what some of the problem is thanks to you! Believe it or not I make some awesome chocolates with homemade centers when everything just happens to work out perfectly! LOLLisaGirasole Chocolate

How long do I have before chocolate sets?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Hello everyone!

Ihoping that someone can help me with this issue. I'm having a problem when pouring tempered chocolate into molds/forms.It seems as though the first few trays come out perfectly temperedbut the last few do not. Just how much time do I have before the chocolate sets? I rush like crazy to get them poured but I never see anyone else rushing when I watch tutorials. What might I be doing incorrectly?

Lisa

Girasole Chocolate

updated by @Lisa - Girasole Chocolate: 04/10/15 11:27:57