There is still too much heat trapped in the solid chocolate when you cast it. I don't mold solid pieces and tabletts, but I have seen other chocolatiers pop the filled molds into a fridge briefly (with low humidity) to get the heat out.
I thought sorbitol could possibly extend the shelf life of caramel and prevent it from getting grainy while in storage. With all of my crystallization problems this past summer I was willing to try a lot of things.
I would also love to get Kerry's input. I have learned a lot from her information on the web!
How is sorbitol bad for caramel?
I use cocoa butter in a different recipe. The cocoa butter helps with high fat caramels from getting to oily or greasy. In addition, it can give the caramel extra structure and make the cutting a little better. I add it at the end of the cooking process.
I cut all of my caramels on the guitar. I've learned that a lot depends on how high the caramel is cooked. I find that 245 farenhite is the best temperature for me. Any higher and it will break the strings. Any lower and the caramel flows too much.
This past summer I really struggled with our caramels. I had to throw out several batches of crystallized caramel. I read and researched about every tip. I used clean utensils, pots, lemon juice, added sorbitol (which I am not sure helps?...) and dehumidified my room.
With the recipe that I use, I realized that if I boiled everything together I was more likely to get a crystallized batch. If I boiled the sugar with water and lemon juice(then added the glucose -- followed by the cream) I was more likely to get successful results.
Below is my recipe. I am wondering if I have an oversaturation of sugar or if it was more of an environmental problem considering that my problems were really bad this summer.I stir everything in a copper pot and multiply this recipe 7 times for my typical batch.
I would love to get some insight from you
750 grams cream
700 grams sugar (boiled with water (20% of weight of sugar) and a few tablespoons of lemon juice
200 grams glucose
30 grams sorbitol
200 grams butter
vanilla beans
sea salt
Cook to 245 degrees Farenhite
Susan, My caramels are firm enough to have straight sides and be enrobed well. I would not describe my caramel as overly chewy. I was taught to add cocoa butter to my caramel recipe so that it makes a very clean cut. Other caramel recipes are indeed to sticky or firm to be cut by a guitar.
Caramels are tricky. One degree off and you can have a batch that is too soft or too hard to cut properly. My recipe is designed so that I can cut the caramels on the confectionery guitar. I cut and seperate 250 pieces in about 10-15 minutes I find this to be more efficient that working with a caramel cutter. Of course not all recipes are fit for a confectionery guitar.
I was a vendor this past November at the Chicago Fine Chocolate Show at Navy Pier. It was nice to meet you there Clay! The three day event was well worth my time and I did get a return on my investment. I will defintely participate in the 2013 show in October.
If I were to travel to Montreal, I would visit Christophe Morel. I have studied with him. His chocolates are fantastic and he is also a very nice guy.
For chocolate bon bons that use peanut butter or praline paste there should be more nut paste than chocolate for a smoother mouth feel. Also, you might want to explore the idea of using cocoa butter to crystallize the chocolate in your filling recipe. When you crystallize the chocolate and then quickly work in the nut paste, you trap the oils of the nut paste from migrating all over the place. I hope this makes sense. Good luck!
I think the idea of cold infusion is an excellent idea. My method for cold infusing tea is to let it steep in the cream overnight. The next day I put the mixture into a sauce pot and heat the liquid and tea leaves until warm. I immediately strain. Heating the tea mixture up releases a lot of the infused cream that is trapped in the tea leaves. This method works for me and I never have that over extracted bitter taste. I encourage you to experiment and discover which method works for you. Good luck!
Hi Mark and Krebs,
I am curious to find out if anyone has had great success spraying colored cocoa butter from the Krebs Hot Choc sprayer? I am looking to replace my airbrush. The only thing I use a sprayer for is using colored cocoa butter on bon bon molds. I don't use any 50/50 mixtures to spray cakes or other finished products. Can you let me know of your experience with using colored cocoa butter wit this sprayer? If it is good, I would be very inclined to invest in this tool. Thanks very much!
Daniel
I am definitely a geek when it comes to chocolate machinery, especially tempering machines and enrober. In my experience, the people that know about these machines best are the people who represent and sell the machines. Here in North America, I have spoken with reps for Selmi, Savy Goiseau, LCM, Novachoc, Perfect, Bakon USA, etc... and I have never been pressured to bite the bullet if I was not 100% ready. They have all been able to answer very detailed questions about how their machinery works. Some of the people who sell these machines are actually engineers first and sales people second.
Yes! There has been a lot of talk about this on this forum about the different types of machines out there. If you want an enrober attachment as well for around $10,000 then your only option is one of the entry level wheel machine such as the one by Perfect Equipment and I believe Bakon USA offers one as well. . You can get excellent results with these machines. You just need to understand chocolate. I own a Perfect Compact Coater, one of the cheapest machines on the market. I have written in depth about it on another post. It's under the discussion "What is your Dream Machine?" . A Selmi with enrober probably hovers around $30,000. It is a better machine in my opinion and is signifigantly more expensive. As for my machine, I get excellent support from Perfect in Quebec and have ordered parts when I needed it. I think all the companies you mentioned offer excellent support.
In Peter Grewling's book he writes about the possibility of freezing chocolate bon bons. That is a possibility that is worth exploring. Good luck!
For small production work I am a big fan of the 6kg Mol D'art Melter. You have to temper the chocolate yourself, but it will maintain the working temperature. Also, you can make molded chocolates with it very cleanly. Good luck!
Like Antonio and Andy have mentioned, it is very important to understand your costs. I actually have a catering company and before I prepare a quote, I always ask myself " How much money do I want to make on this project?." Then I go about analyzing my costs to come up with a price for the client. Good luck. This is a tricky thing to figure out, but you will.
Hi Melanie,
Those guitars seem pretty interesting. It seems as though the automatic guitar actually cuts slower than working with the traditional guitar. I personally have a Dedy, the German made guitar. It is easy to clean and much better than the plastic model. I cut my ganaches using a 25 mm frame. That is the perfect size for me. 22.5 is a little too small for me and 30 is a little too big in my opinion. I make a lot of fleur de sel caramels and I cut them all on my guitar without breaking strings. With that said, I would never cut nougat with it or anything with large pieces of nuts. If I focused on those products, the automatic guitar might be a good option. Let us know if you spring for it.
Thanks for making me aware of such equipment. I probably would want to make a batch of caramel that could fit at least a six foot cooling table (more equipment I don't know much about). I'd be curious to hear what other members use...
I make a lot of fleur de sel caramels and I am thinking of investing in specific equipment just for caramel production. Does any one have any reccomendations? Are induction burners completely out of the question? Thanks!
I like to decorate my enrobed bon bons with gold leaf; however, I find that I have a hard time controlling it. I have tried using a pairing knife as well as tweezers. It works, but it certainly does not work 100 percent of the time. I use the sheets and it can sometimes lead to a mess. Has anyone ever tried the petals? I would love to get some tips on how to handle this delicate product. Thanks!
I'm such a geek when it comes to chocolate machinery! I think I read somewhere that Chocotec is somehow related to Sollich . Perhaps if you found a Sollich rep they would be able to point you in an interesting direction. If not, you seem like a pretty resourceful person.
That is certainly one option. Another option is to contact Bakon USA or Perfect. Show them a picture of your machine and see if they have a part that could fit your machine. If they have something in stock or can create something for you, they will ask you all the right questions about the dimensions of the machine to make sure that what you order will indeed work. Good Luck!
Hi there. Jeff is correct in the type of attachment you need. Here is a link -- (click on wheel tempering machine if you need to) http://www.perfectinc.com/products.html You might be able to figure things out from there. Good luck with your new machine. You will figure it out!
Hi Marcus in previous threads, I have gone into detail about my enrobing system , Perfect Equipment's Compact Coater. I think this is a great system to get started with and at around $11-12k brand new, it is a very good deal. This machine works great for me and I am obsessive how my enrobed products turn out. The Prefamac and the Selmi are better machines; however, they are signifigantly more expensive. My plan is to continue using the Perfect Compact Coater and when I have the funds to upgrade, the Compact Coater will become a secondary machine. As for the Chocoma, I have not seen it in action so I cannot comment on it. Good luck!
Here is a link where I go in depth about the Perfect Enrober http://www.thechocolatelife.com/forum/topics/what-s-your-dream-machine?commentId=1978963%3AComment%3A120724
Thank you for the reply. the European bars you mentioned would be a very tough sale here in Chicago. Obviously, the couverture is going to be the most costly element in a chocolate bar. Do you have any recommendations for couvertures or favorite couvertures that are high quality yet reasonable in price?
Hi Dylan,
Thanks a lot for bringing up this very important topic. It seems to me that at stores, the highest I see chocolate bars sold for is around $7.99. If I am using very good couverture, I see the bar costing $1.40 in material costs (100grams of very good chocolate and the cost of any inclusions). Am I way off? With packaging and labor also involved, that would bring it up even more. So I wonder how do I bring the costs down? Of course, I understand if you do not wish to share any personal information. Thanks for creating this post
Evelyn,
Thanks very much for making us aware of the book, The E-Myth. I just got it and am half way through. It's very fascinating!
Thanks to everyone who has responded to this discussion so far! I especially appreciate Brad and Clay's insight into how one can build a successful business. I am still recovering from a busy Valentine's Day. Like many chocolatiers who visit this site, I did a lot of work all by myself. Brad, you are an inspiration. Thank you very much for sharing the importance of "letting go" . I imagine that you are an amazing manager. The confectionery world is traditionally very secretive. I appreciate your philosophy of not holding on to recipes so tightly and being able to delegate tasks so that employees feel empowered.
As for me, I am still figuring a lot of things out. I greatly enjoy my work and would love for my business to grow. I would love to hear from others how they keep their business alive during the summer months. Thanks for a great forum where we can share our dilemmas and successes!
One thing that all of us have in common is a passion for chocolate. It is important to find meaning in work and for some reason I find meaning in chocolate. I love the process of making chocolate confections, especially on a large scale. I have been working hard on my own chocolate business since I started in late 2008. I'm still quite small with big bursts of business at the Holidays and at Valentine's. While I don't believe we should continue to blame everything on the economy, I have noticed quite a few extremely talented chocolatiers going out of business. I would love to hear from others how they make their business work year round? Thanks in advance!
Daniel
Hi,
I found this posting on the internet http://www.bid-on-equipment.com/detail~id~124510.htm . It seems as though someone is selling a used enrober. I personally bought my machine used and you never quite know what you are going to get. It took me a while to realize certain parts were missing. With that said, I figured it out and now I am in good shape. In summary, buy the machine new if you can. If you cannot, this might be a opportunity for a deal.
If you are cutting just ganache you should not have problems. As Jeff said, make sure your foot is very thin. I prefer to use untempered chocolate for the foot as it cuts betters. Second, when you go to cut your ganache, slide the ganache slab near the top. This is where the strings have the most strength. I occassionally will get some broken wires now and again, but that is when I am cutting harder praline slabs that often contain feuillitine and the wires get stuck. Good luck.
It's my pleasure. Let us know what you end up getting and how it is working for you when you are start enrobing. There is a definitely an adjustment period while you figure out how the machine works. After that, you will be happy you have an enrober.
Hi Lana,
I've seen the Selmi's vibrating table with scraper in action and that seems pretty convenient. If Perfect can create that for you, that seems like a good thing to consider.
I really don't know too much about the other features. What I can tell you is that when you are enrobing with a wheel machine, it is good to have the tempering unit at least half full of chocolate. If you are planning on a very long enrobing session , it is good to have another source of melted chocolate. I simply use a 6kg Mol D'art melter full of chocolate and that keeps me stocked enough at my current capacity which is around 3500 bon bons per enrobing session.
Hi Lana,
Congratulations on getting close to a big purchase. I do indeed have a polycarbonate cover on my compact coater. I bought my machine used -- I believe my machine was built in 1999. It did not come with a the heating element that is now offered on the cover. If I were to buy a new machine, I would definitely go for that extra option. This kind of heating element is found on some of the much more expensive Savy Goiseau and LCM machines. I imagine It will help keep your belt free of any chocolate build up.
Event though I have the cover, I often enrobe with the cover open. I like to enrobe in a warm room, around 70 degrees. There are winter days when I need the cover -- For example, when someone opens the door on a very cold day, the room temperature really drops. Having a good cover is like having 4 wheel drive on my car. I don't use it often, but when I need it I am glad that I have it. Getting a heated cover can only help you more. Good luck with your decision!
Mike,
Thanks for your comments. Can you tell us how one prevents chocolate build up on the Selmi while enrobing? That was the only flaw I saw in the Selmi.
Thanks George,
That makes sense. I believe that having a heat shield on an enrober is a definite plus. The Savy and the LCM both have it. It is especially helpful when your room gets a little to cold. My little Perfect enrober actually has a polycarbonate shield. That's an option that you can order for the machine.
Hi Pierre,
Sounds like you have an interesting decision. I hear good things about the hilliards in terms of their reliability and how easy it is to replace missing parts (through a simple visit to the hardware store). I have never seen one in action, but checked out the website just a few minutes ago. The Hilliards Compact Coater seems like a good system. I notice there are a good number of used Hilliards on the market. Should you ever plan a trip to Chicago, just let me know and I can hopefully show you my enrober in action. Hopefully, this will be your last holiday season hand dipping!
Hi Lana,
Thanks for responding to the post. Overall, I think the Selmi machines are great and I would certainly consider it as the next machine I might get. I focus mostly on enrobed items versus molded so the function of the enrober is paramount for me. Selmi seems to be extremely versatile and probably has the dosing device you are looking for. As for the belt not staying warm, I just saw that it had a lot of build up at the end of the enrobing session. With that said, it enrobed great. I would love it if other selmi owners or a rep could comment on keeping the belt warm as these people know the machines a lot better than me. As for the Perfect enrober, I don't get a lot of build up. There is no heating device on the belt itself; however, I do keep an eye on it and will use the heat gun to keep it in check. As I mentioned, I also have the blower often operating at a warm temperature so that probably helps too.
If I could pick a dream machine, it would probably be a LCM enrober which are made in Germany. Even if I had the money, what could keep me from getting one is that there does not seem to be a lot of technical support in the USA should something happen. That's just my assumption. Another benefit of the Selmi is that technical support seems pretty good here in the states.
I look forward to hearing what you decide is best for your business. Considering that you have a lot of experience hand tempering and hand dipping, I am sure that you will be successful with whatever machine you decide to get.
Hi Pierre,
Thanks for your post! I would love to respond in detail about the Perfect Enrober. As chocolatiers, we often have to purchase expensive equipment without having had the opportunity to take it for a test drive. What is great about this forum is that we can share what are experiences with equipment have been.
If you can afford a Selmi, it sounds like a great investment. Everyone I know who has one loves it. I would love to have one, but it probably does not qualify as my dream machine. I have seen the enrobing attachment in use on the "Futura" machine at the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy. At the end of the enrobing session there was a lot of chocolate build up on the belt because there was nothing keeping the belt warm. I would love to hear from other selmi owners if they have had this problem. I also saw the Savy Goiseau enrober in use and it did not have this problem.
To answer your question... I highly recommend a Perfect Compact Coater as an entry level enrober. Comparing the Perfect enrober to the Selmi is like comparing a Honda Civic to a brand new Range Rover. One will have a lot more luxuries and even be able to haul more stuff, but they will both get you where you want to go. Both enrobers will bring your daily production of chocolate from the hundreds to the thousands. During an enrobing session on the Perfect enrober, I get around 3500 centers coated with a thin chocolate coating and no feet. When I was looking for an enrober, I wanted a machine that could achieve a thin coating and the Perfect machine is the cheapest machine (and the only one I could afford) that could make this happen. Although the Perfect enrober operates through manual tempering versus automatic, it does have a blower and a detailer rod which are fundamental to creating a chocolate coating that is thin and polished looking. Now that I have owned the machine for 2 years, I get very good results. At first I did not get good results because I bought my machine used and it took me several months to realize I was missing a detailer rod. My machine did not come with a manual and I finally hired someone to take a look at the machine and give it a tune up.
Let me tell a little about using the machine... The night before I enrobe, I fill the machine with chocolate callets and let them melt overnight. At this point, only the wheel is on the machine and the enrobing attachment is not attached yet. When I come in the morning, I temper the chocolate directly in the machine through the seeding method. It takes me about 30 minutes or so. If you can temper chocolate in a bowl with spatula, you can temper chocolate in a big tank with a wheel. My tank holds around 40 pounds of chocolate. When the chocolate is tempered, I attach the 2 belts (one belt sends the chocolate through, the other is the exit belt with the paper take off). Attaching the belt, the blower, and the spout takes about 5-7 minutes. Then we do a couple of test runs to make sure that the chocolate curtains are flowing well and that the chocolates exit the belt without any feet. We also adjust the vibration of the belt to allow for the best coating.
I know that many people are concerned about having a wheel machine. I certainly was at first. I thought that I would be spending a lot of time fixing over crystallized chocolate with a heat gun. I don't. My enrobing sessions usually last around 8-12 hours and I usually am able to manage the chocolate without any big problems or using the heat gun much. I keep the chocolate at the best temperature and viscosity by adjusting the blower temperature. When the temperature begins to drop, I simply turn the dial on the blower to blow warm air. When the chocolate gets on the warm side, I turn the blower down to a cooler temperature. I use a heat gun about once every 2 hours just to keep everything in check and I usually use it only just for a minute or two. What is key is to make sure the room you are enrobing in is not too cool. 70 degrees farenhite is a good temperature. Last winter when it was 5 below outside, the chocolate got thick because the door was being open too often and our production room got really cold. I remedied the problem by adding warm chocolate so it is a good idea to keep a melter on hand with warm chocolate. I have a 6kg Mol d'Art melter. As for keeping a good temper, it is not a big issue so long as you have a good understanding of how chocolate works and what it needs.
When enrobing is done, I take off the belt and all the other parts. I rent space from a large wholesale bakery where there is a large dishwasher. I put the wheel and the chocolate covered belt in there and the parts come out as clean as a whistle. The pan that holds the chocolate is extremely easy to clean and I scrape the remaing chocolate into a bowl. The pan to the tempering unit (which is like a deep hotel pan) goes right in the dishwasher. The smaller parts I wash by hand. When I am able to get my own facility, I will definitely invest in a dishwasher!
Prior to buying the enrober, I was hand dipping and it was very time consuming. Although the machine I own is the most basic enrober, it has greatly increased what I can produce and using the enrober has become my favorite part of the chocolate making process. I certainly dream of getting an enrober with continuous tempering and a larger belt. When that day comes, I will still use the Perfect enrober as a secondary machine -- probably for enrobing in milk chocolate. The machine is pretty basic and the people that run the company in Quebec are very accomodating should you have any problems or need any parts. Considering that this machine costs around $11,000 brand new and that the enrobers with continuous tempering start at $30k, you get a lot of bang for your buck. Good luck with making your decision. Please feel free to ask me any further questions.
I believe it's a good thing to visualize your dream happening. Imagine your chocolate business is booming and you need to buy the very best machinery to keep up. What would you get? A Selmi, LCM, Nova Choc, Savy Goiseau, Sollich, etc...? At the moment, I currently have a Perfect Equipment Enrober and I think it is an excellent entry level enrober. Of course, I would not mind upgrading when the time is right and the money is there. I would be very interested to hearing others' thoughts.
I have tried both methods and there are great recipes for both. I currently use the method that requires you to add all the ingredients (including the cream) at once. I find that you get a more complex flavor with deep dairy notes. Mark explains it really well. The method I use requires a lot more stirring as milk proteins will burn if not stirred frequently. Good luck!
