Forum Activity for @Larry2

Tempered Chocolate After drying question

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

It sounds like your chocolate is not tempered well. Please check your process with a thermometer with known accuracy. Take the chocolate to 115(f) let it stir there for awhile. Think of it as melting ice cubes in boiling water. Even though the water is boiling, it will take some time to melt the ice. It will take some time to melt the crystals. 5-10 mins. Take your temperature down with seed chocolate to the manufacturer's recommended temperature. It will vary based on the chocolate white, milk, dark... Let the chocolate stir at that temperature for a few minutes. - you are recreating the proper crystals and evenly distributing them.

Regarding your questions:

1. The fridge for a few minutes will be fine. - Please read about temperature shocks though.

2. The chocolate is 'dry' to start with. It is a dry liquid when melted. Think of it like molten metal. What the chocolate is doing is crystallizing as it cools down. The lack of a crisp break is an indicator of the temper of the chocolate. Also, chocolate will continue to crystallize for 24-48 hours after dipping. Is your snap getting better after a day?

3. Re shine: Again, this is an indication of incorrect temper. there are MANY different things that will affect this. - temperature of your dipping room, how quickly the chocolate cools, temper of your chocolate, temperature of your fondant, temperature of storage, humidity, .... and the list goes on.

Hang in there! Keep at it and it will come and get easier. I'd suggest searching TheChocolateLife and ChocolateAlchemy for more help on tempering. There is a wealth of information on here.

Need some help for my new shop

Posted in: Tasting Notes

The space looks much better now. Perhaps you could add some signage showing how you can make custom bars. Or a big sign showing the flavors. I mean big enough to put across the red desk. All that frontage is being wasted. Is there a question or something you could put on a sign to draw people in?As far a bar coding your products be sure to do some homework on buying your bar codes and being sure you own them universally. This will make it easier to expand into other stores. Not having to staff all the time would really help with cash flows

looking for a decent tempering machine ASAP

Posted in: Opinion

Levi,

I apologize for the delay. I spent last week out camping with the boy scouts. I'm just now getting back in the swing of things.

The classifieds section of this site is probably your best bet on getting a less expensive but high quality enrober. I'm not fond of the chocovision enrober. Yes, even with buying the whole setup new, they don't havea good way to get chocolates off the belt yet. i.e. paper take off belt. Nor does their machine havea blower or detailer. I spoke to one of their guys last spring about posting a video of the machine in action. - it was 'coming' but still isn't on their site yet.

I don't have an enrober yet, but through learning on TheChocolateLife and a training session with an amazing local chocolatier, I've learned that it will be remarkably valuable.

I've toyed with the idea of building an enrober to fit our Rev 3210, but I think the problem would become running out of chocolate too quickly. Even with a holey baffle. Besides, that may not be worth reinventing the wheel.

Perfect Equipment and Bakon have some smaller machines. They come up used on here every so often. Clay is a distributor for FBM machines. He can get you pricing on their smaller equipment. From what I recall, they are priced right in there with Perfect and Bakon's entry level machines, but offer continuous tempering.

As far as mobility goes, could a machine that would roll up a ramp and onto a box truck be deemed mobile? or is this a carry up the stairs and around corners kind of mobile?

There was another true table top machine, but I cannot remember the brand. Hmmm.

I looked into mixing and matching brands of equipment. However I was encouraged to keep things simple by staying with one brand. This would reduce the number of areas for difficulty and reduce the troubleshooting challenges.

Welcome to TheChocolateLife

looking for a decent tempering machine ASAP

Posted in: Opinion

Sabrina,Please tell us more about your plans. Will you be dipping or molding. How much per day will you be doing.What will you be dipping. The more information you share the better advise you'll get.Here is a conversation about the benefits and disadvantages of the chocovision x3210 & Delta compared to the Hilliard Little Dipper. http://www.thechocolatelife.com/forum/topics/hilliard-vs-chocovision-newby-here Are you looking for an enrober?What is your budget?Thanks & welcome to The Chocolate Life. You will love it here.Larry

looking for a decent tempering machine ASAP

Posted in: Opinion

I have a Hilliards Little Dipper for sale. $700. Free shipping.Please message me.

Arriba Cacao

Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

I would love that. I'll chip n for the bar, ice pack, and send a label to UPS it.I'm not a supertaster, but I'll be delighted to try one. .Clay, Sebastian, and about 10,000 other chocophiles are better qualified than I, but I've been reveling in some Amano bars and can finally pick up on the fruitiness in their Ocumare bar.I'm currently a chocolate melter. once I get more equipment ill toy more with learning about chocolate making.I'll IM you to set things up. Thank you!Larry

Arriba Cacao

Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Hi Chris,

Are these bars available anywhere in the US? The marketing copy on your website, indicates your chocolate should be delightful. I'd love to sink my teeth into one. Where can I get one?

Thanks,

Larry

Grinding Cocoa Solids Into Powder

Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools

Oh boy, what a novice mistake. Thank you for catching it!

This site has a useful chart on converting mesh size to particle size

http://delloyd.50megs.com/moreinfo/mesh.html

this site will send a 3"x3" sample of their 500 mesh screen. It may be large enough to work some magic. http://www.twpinc.com/wire-mesh/TWPCAT_SS_Fine/p_500X500T0010W40T

Several of the charts referenced that a 400 mesh screen is as fine as can be made. Perhaps it would simply be impractical due to clogging and so forth.

Could you just run the powder through again after working it down to a 400 mesh screen? In theory the cocoa powder would continue to refine as it goes through the mill. I think it would just go through faster because the particles are already small enough to fit through the mesh.

This would probably result in an inconsistent size, but it may work...???

Another question I haven't thought of sorting out, is how small does the powder need to get to not be grainy in ice cream? Mark, do you know how fine your cocoa powder is right now? Is it as fine as a very fine sand (200 microns) or as fine as Portland cement (74 microns)

If the current particle size is large enough, then getting down to 37 microns may be a large enough improvement to work with.

Has anyone requested a quote from on the Pallman mills? http://www.pallmannindustries.com/chocolate_products_-_pulverizing.htm#Cacao" rel="nofollow"> http://www.pallmannindustries.com/chocolate_products_-_pulverizing....

I haven't bothered them, but I wonder how much one of their mills would cost. I couldn't find anything reference a finished particle size on their site, but if they are selling it as a solution to the chocolate industry, it must be pretty good.

Grinding Cocoa Solids Into Powder

Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools

I've been curious about grinding the cocoa flakes.

I reached out toone of thesellers of the machines on ebay running around $500. It looks like that machine will not get as fine as the commercial cocoa powders. They replied that with a 400 mesh screen, you could get down to around 0.037mm or 37000um. Here is our conversation string.

I wonder if you could make a500/600 mesh screen to fit.... ???

hello sir if you want to get 15 nm, i think our machine can not get your need, cause we just can get 400 mesh, it is around 0.037mm chelsea - no.1-shops

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Subject:NEW Automatic continuous Hammer Mill Herb Grinder,hammer grinder,pulverizer #150980503835 Sent Date: Jun-24-14 09:05:05 PDT

Dear no.1-shops,I would like to grind cocoa powder. - The cocoa beans will be roasted and have most of the cocoa butter extracted. My extruder gives me flakes of cocoa solids. The problem we've had is getting the powder fine enough that it will work well in ice cream. - our current coarsness of powder makes the cocoa appear grainy when frozen. Thank you,

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NEW Automatic continuous Hammer Mill Herb Grinder,hammer grinder,pulverizer #150980503835 Sent Date: Jun-23-14 18:16:54 PDT

what do you want to grind? chelsea - no.1-shops

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To: no.1-shops
Hammer Mill Herb Grinder,hammer grinder,pulverizer #150980503835 Sent Date: Jun-23-14 13:13:04 PDT

Dear no.1-shops, How fine will the grind go? - I'm looking to get down to 15 nm.

? I have a Hillard's Dipper

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

Is it analog (dial temperature setting) or digital? - If it is analog, your thermometer and the dial may not be calibrated correctly. - There is a small set screw on the bottom of the dial. It got loose on mine and caused issues.

I used a thermometer to measure the temp of the chocolate when the lights were coming off and on. - Then loosened the screw and set the dial to that temp. - Life was easier and better after that.

Is the machine heating too much? Is the chocolate getting too thick?

Could you share pictures and be much more descriptive?

Also, Hilliards has pretty good customer service. They may be able to help.

Larry

I just wanted to show my new website and get some feedback!

Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Only one photo attached last time.

I just wanted to show my new website and get some feedback!

Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

I checked your site out on my iPhone. The home page is nice. It was difficult to get to where I could buy something.
The reviews aren't spaced right for the phone width. I would make the review box a touch more narrow.
On the page with the bars there were a bunch of $7 or $6. What is that about? They weren't linked. It was wierd.
I like your descriptions.

The blog was odd that it repeated the posts.
Thanks for sharing.
Please take a look at my screenshots.
Larry

Cutting marshmallows

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

We picked up a Chicago Metallic Marshmallow Cutting Wheel and it is fantastic. a light spray with oil/butter and away you go.

$10 well spent.

The blade is plastic and perforated.

http://www.amazon.com/Metallic-Marshmallow-Collection-Perforated-Non-Stick/dp/B00FVFQ46S

Temper Machine and Chocolate Melter?

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

How big is your tempering machine? -Which Model is it?If it issimilar to a Revolation Delta then adding a melter will really increase your capacity (as would a Holey Baffle)

If it is a larger machine, i.e. hilliards 80 lb/dayor a continuous tempering machine i.e. FBM Prima (7kg working bowl) or a FBM Chocolab (12 kg bowl) , I don't know if it would make much difference at your current level.

Have you checked out the DIY tab of this site? Clay referenced an inexpensive melter which can be built to expand your production. It may be well worth it to go ahead and build one nowfor the flexibility you'll need at peak seasons.

Temper Machine and Chocolate Melter?

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

It depends on the volume you are pushing through the machine. Tempering machines will melt chocolate just fine. If you add a melter into the mix you will be able to temper more chocolate. Could you tell us more about what you are planning?I.e. Will you be molding, enrobing by hand, enrobing by machine? And how many kilos per hour/day will you need?:)

New image for my chocolates.

Posted in: Opinion

Dario, will the English name resonate with your target market? I passed through villa madero about twelve years ago. It is a beautiful place. I'm confident the locals will understand the name. However will it allow you to expand? If nationalism picks up will it be a problem?I really like the logos. On the one with the brown, could you lighten the background color a touch around the B? It almost gets lost in the brown.Nice work!!!Larry

Bean to bar viscosity after adding sugar

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

I was curious about this as well.

I searched "purple cocoa bean quality" and found this useful page.

http://www.ccib.gov.tt/node/116

Fully purple bean is a bright purple colour, and may have the cheesy texture of slately beans. Such beans are insufficiently fermented and are rarely found when normal large - scale methods are properly used

Question on Weighing Product

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

yes, it can make sense. - When the sugar dissolves it will fit into the nooks and crannies of the cocoa particles thus making the product more dense.

That is a pretty large increase for simply adding sugar. I don't have much experience working with chocolate formulations, but when you add one cup of sugar to one cup of water, you end up with less than two cups of syrup. It should be the same process. Thus, I believe the syrup is more dense (heavy) than either the sugar or water alone.

Chocolate classes in Utah?

Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Araianna,

Gygi's will have two days of chocolate classes each November. Those are really helpful. They may have some through the other times of the year.

Ruth Kendrick taught some classes last year, I'm not sure if any classes are on her schedule right now though.

Beyond that Valhrona TV http://www.valrhonaprofessionals.com/valrhona-TV.html is pretty useful. So is Callebaut TV http://www.callebaut.com/usen/callebauttv is pretty good too.

Ecole Chocolat http://www.ecolechocolat.com/ is good.

The chocolate apprentice http://chocolateapprentice.com/ has a great blog about what she learned at the Ecole Chocolat.

Welcome to the Chocolate Life!

Introduction with a few questions

Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Take a look at the micelli molds. They are a sponsor of the chocolate life. http://www.thechocolatelife.com/group/classifiedsforsaleorwanted/page/micelli-artisan-mold-program As far as copacking goes just use the search link on this site. Larry

Every time I use my molds for chocolate bars, they bloom.

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I don't think you have bloom. I think you have release marks from the thin molds.

There are two kinds of bloom. Sugar Bloom -Humidity on chocolate dissolves some sugar & then the syrup evaporates leaving sugar crystals on top. and Fat Bloom - The chocolate melts, some of the cocoa butter separates and comes to the surface, and leaves you with spots on your chocolate.

What you seem to be describing are white marks (possibly circular) on your chocolate right after you de-mold it. I believe this is from the chocolate pulling on the mold as it contracts and the mold not holding firm. - the result is something like scraping the surface of the chocolate. It just makes a smudge. I can't say this with certainty though as I'm still learning.

We don't do a lot of molding, but I experimented with reinforcing some thin business card style molds with epoxy. - (sand the back of the mold to get a rough surface for the epoxy to adhere to, then pour epoxy on the mold.) The reinforced molds did perform better than the non-reinforced molds, in that the release marks were reduced. However they were not eliminated.

Kerry's idea about putting them in the fridge may do the trick. - It is certainly worth several attempts.

Cutting a hole out of chocolate

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

While not quite like your picture to get circles of chocolate, use a chablon stencil. http://www.nycake.com/trianglechablonstencil-1-2.aspx

No need to temper chocolate? from Santa Barbara

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

The difference between "Chocolate" and "Compound Coating" is the fat used. Chocolate is made with Cocoa Butter which is why it must be tempered. - to get the proper crystal form of the cocoa butter.

Some other fats i.e. coconut oil are easier to work with in that tempering is not needed, but you give up some flavor and satisfaction.

from countrykitchenusa.com

The main difference between chocolate candy coating and real chocolate is the oil based used. Candy coating has palm kernel oil or other fats while real chocolate has a cocoa butter base. Real chocolate is a bit more expensive and more difficult to work with than candy coating, but nothing beats the flavor. Good quality candy coating is easy to use, delicious in taste and is an excellent alternative to real chocolate. Beginners will enjoy the ease of working with candy coating while advanced candy makers may want to tray working with real chocolate. Real chocolate must be tempered when dipping or molding. That means it needs to be a certain temperature (generally 86-89 degrees) when working with it, or your chocolates will not come out as desired. Candy coating is available in milk, dark or white flavored chocolate as well as a variety of colors. It is easy to use. Candy coating does not have to be tempered. Simply melt and it is ready to use.

Candy coating is sometimes called almond bark, summer coating, Candy Kote wafers or Candy Melts. Chocolate-flavored candy coating is much easier than real chocolate to use, and the results are more likely to be successful for the novice. Candy coating is available in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white, peanut butter, butterscotch, mint, and a variety of colors. Candy coating is also available in tubes called candy writers. Candy writers are ideal for detailing on finished candy pieces or painting details in candy molds. You may also add an oil-based food color to achieve colors not commercially available. High quality candy coating is delicious; high quality real chocolate is superb. Real chocolate is available in milk, dark or white. All real chocolate contains cocoa butter.

Information and image taken with permission from Autumn Carpenter's Book, All About Candy Making. All rights reserved.

Should I be 1099'd for a customer's purchases?

Posted in: Opinion

I don't think you should be 1099'd. I don't 1099 the company we buy packaging from. I don't 1099 the grocery store, nor the company we buy chocolate from. Nor does my day job (Finance) 1099 my chocolate company for the chocolates we send out to clients. We just have the invoice as documentation and move on.

I don't think it would matter if she 1099's you because the sales would show up in your profit and loss statement anyway. It is rather odd though. Perhaps she should seek professional help.

Transporting Delicate Chocolate

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

I'm not sure what the best way to transport chocolate is, but what if you gathered two sets of your chocolates. Set 1. Finished chocolates with that 'showroom finish'.

Set 2. Finished, but unmolded chocolates to be unmolded when you arrive. Leaving the chocolates in the molds will keep them from bumping and getting fingerprinted.

Having the two sets should allow you to select from the best of either.

Thanks,

Larry

Caramel/roller cutter

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

I'd advise against using pastry cutter. We tried that and had terrible issues with the spacing between the blades. There is too much play in the accordion mechanism, and the wheels are wobbly. If you do use one, the best thing I've seen is to screw the spacing to a piece of hardwood. This will eliminate most of the play in the accordion, but won't do much for the sloppy wheels.

- If you would like to buy my pastry cutter, I'll sell it for $10.

We ended up building a roller cutter similar to what Jon posted above. (The part numbers are FABULOUS!) Thank you Jon.

I tried using all-thread with various spacers, but found the pizza blades would get stuck in a thread and get cock-eyed (non-parallel). So, we went witha length of bar then used cap nuts to hold it all together.

I imagine we could get our bar threaded and thus be able to have nice handles. That will be a great step up.

hand-dipping truffles

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

I was just thinking about the angles I mentioned above. I think I got them backwards. - Instead of going from 45 to 35 degrees, I'm moving the tip of the fork away from the chocolate which should increase the angle. So the chocolate would stay at 45 degrees but the fork would move to a higher degree with the tip slightly pulling off the base of the chocolate, say 55 degrees.

Does that make sense?

hand-dipping truffles

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

Mary,

From your picture, it looks like your truffles are square. This will make it much easier (and quicker) to precoat them. There are two ways you could pre-bottom your truffles.

1. spread your chocolate out before putting your ganache frames down and pouring your ganache. thus once your ganache sets, and you cut it, you'll already have a very smooth bottom.

2. pour your ganache into your frame & when you are about ready to dip, coat the top of the ganache, let the chocolate set a bit, & then flip it over & cut it. I prefer this method because you can cut the chocolate before it fully sets. This helps prevent the chocolate from cracking when you cut it.

Our centers are very softso pre-coating the bottom prevents the center from sinking into the dipping fork and thus sliding off much easier.

To get the truffle off the fork, i like to keep the fork warm in the chocolate (this prevents the chocolate from setting to the cold tines of the fork). Also, I like to dip with tip of the fork thus the truffle only needs to slide a short distance.

Also, once the truffle is sliding off the tip, I'll set the front end on the paper & push my fork down to break the tension and slide it out more easily. This sounds peculiar - If the truffle and fork are at a 45 degree angle, i'll set the tip of the truffle on the paper & push the tip of the fork to say 35 degrees and thus the fork pulls away from the truffle and it is easier to slide the fork out.

Then, we'll slide the fork out a bit & push the center back onto the foot. This helps minimize any feet.

Then lay the fork flat& pull it out.

I hope this helps.

Mix & Match Enrobing Equipment

Posted in: Opinion

Clay,

Please forgive my poor choice of words. In referring to a 'larger machine' I simply mean an enrobing capable machine. i.e. a hilliards 80 or 240, a choco TT, an Air 2.0... We are currently using some revolation 3210s & a Hilliard Little Dipper to dip by hand. - There are a lot of 'larger machines' out there.

In setting my goal at 20 belt feet per hour, I'm thinking along the lines of run 16 inches, stop - cut paper, run 16 inches, stop cut paper... So while the belt may be moving at 1.5 Feet per Minute, is isn't running continuously.

I'll do more homework on blowers. From my preliminary reviews, it is interesting that a blower isn't listed as an option on the Perfect Enro 6, any of the Hilliard machines, or the Bakon Mini Enrober. If they are listening, perhaps adding that option would be a bright ideal.

I'll hunt for the posts about DIYing a blower.

Thank you,

Larry

Mix & Match Enrobing Equipment

Posted in: Opinion

Thank you Clay! I haven't used an enrober yet, but I've done a fair amount of research & dreaming. - Not to mention stalking the classifieds.

I really appreciate your insight about how many chocolates we'll be able to get per foot of belt. Getting an extra row on the belt really changes the math of how much we can do.

I'm not ready to jump ona purchase yet. - Perhaps by saving up through Christmas we'll be able to make something happen.

I'll also keep watching the classifieds. - Larger tempering machines come up on a regular basis, but I've had questions about getting a larger temperer and getting the belt later.- Thus the mix & match question.

Boy! If I could push 20 belt feet/hr (with two people) that turns into an awful lot of chocolate per hour. It would be so much easier get control of our man-hours.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Larry

Mix & Match Enrobing Equipment

Posted in: Opinion

It may also help to add that our chocolates are 7/8" square before dipping.Thanks

Mix & Match Enrobing Equipment

Posted in: Opinion

Currently chocolate is the equivalent of a hobby. We have been dipping at night after the kids go to sleep. So while we aren't moving a lot of chocolate right now, that is partly due to the fear of over-committing and not being able to produce enough chocolates.

I am looking for a machine that I can run once a week & produce plenty of chocolates to sell.

I think I'm lookingfor a machine to do 300 +pcs / hr.

My number crunching suggests that I could put 3 chocolates across on a 6" belt. I think we could put 5 rows per foot of belt. That would mean we need to do 15 belt feet/hr. it should be doable. I doubt I'll have a cooling tunnel to start so I'm not sure what to figure on belt speed. With not having a cooling tunnel I think we'll need to use the paper and cut it every so often & transfer the chocolates. That will slow us down a lot but hey it works.

I'm looking to spend around 7-9K so I recognize the need to shop around.

I truly appreciate your insight and wisdom.

Larry

Mix & Match Enrobing Equipment

Posted in: Opinion

I have a somewhat random question.

We are on a tight budget, and I keep hunting for a deal of an enrober. It hasn't come up yet, but it occurred to me that I may not need to match the enrobing belt to the tempering machine.

- yes a matched set would be best, but would it be possible to get a selmi enrobing belt (everyone seems to love Selmi) and retrofit it to a JKV, Perfect, or other machine? I recognize this would require some machining as the Selmi equipment is set up to attach to their hose, but I'm confident I can handle that. I think it would just require adding a funnel adapter to the hose connector. - The funnel (with an overflow slit) could make the transition from open pour to the narrow hole.

I wonder if this would allow me to get a Selmi belt, and a cheaper tempering machine with the goal of moving to a Selmi tempering machine in a few years.

Has anyone else experimented like this? Was it successful or foolish? My hypothesis is that an unmatched set would allow for more effective bargain hunting. Or at least moving in smaller steps towards a great setup.

Thanks,

Larry

updated by @Larry2: 04/09/15 22:36:14

get ill from chocolate

Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Bongaan,

I'd carefullyconsider any advice and input from Sebastian. He has a wealth of knowledge.

That said, to avoid extensive R&D time, just take a class.

http://www.ecolechocolat.com/chocolate-making-from-bean.php?gclid=CLzahdyWhbsCFShyQgodTi8Asg

Ecole Chocolat should be able to make your life easier.

If that doesn't work, there is a google search bar on the homepage of this site. Searching the site will be effective.

Also check Chocolate Alchemy's site.

Larry

Balsamic, Olive oil inclusion to chocolate bars

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

This is a novice response, but if Lecithin is used to suspend some of the water and increase the flow of chocolate, would adding a touch of lecithin help your viscosity issue? I know there is plenty of research on how much lecithin to add & too much (I think greater than 0.5%) will begin to have a negative effect.

It may be worth a try.

I also have never thought of dehydrating liquids such as balsamic to get the flavor. - This is brilliant! Thank you for sharing.

Larry

Is the Chocovision Delta Worth It?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Trula,Could you tell us a little more about what you'll be doing? For exampl if you are doing molded chocolates the larger revolation machines are definitely worth it. If you'll be doing apples the again the larger machine will be very helpful.If you are dipping truffles and other small pieces then the Little Dipper would be fine.Take a look at this discussion for more insight. http://www.thechocolatelife.com/forum/topics/hilliard-vs-chocovision-newby-here?xg_source=activity

chocovison or hillard?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Could you tell us more about what you'll be making?

I'd go with the larger x3210. It will be much easier to dip your pretzels and other large items.

It will also be much easier to produce a quantity of molds for your bars because not only is the bowl bigger in the revolation machine, you can get a Holey Baffle that will increase the melted capacity from 10 pounds up to17 pounds.

We have 1 little dipper and 2 x3210s. I prefer to work with the little dipper, but we primarily do small confections.

The new dispenser for the revolation machine would make filling molds MUCH easier.

Welcome to The Chocolate Life!

Chocolate oxidation

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

OliverI asked a similar question in the science of chocolate section and LUV Ice Cream posted a very technical answer. I've been reading up on the degradation of plant fats and it has been very interesting.My question pertained more to heat but I think it would be the same reaction as you are asking about but the heat would just speed up the process.Check it out http://www.thechocolatelife.com/group/nerdzone/forum/topics/chemistry-of-chocolate-seizing-by-heat

Healthy Chocolate

Posted in: Self Promotion / Spam

Yep I could certainly use a nap.From your original post I expected the site to discuss some health aspects of chocolate but was disappointed that it was more of an advertisement to drive traffic to a distributor's site of this chocolate. I flipped through several pages of the site and did not find discussion about chocolate rather fou d that chocolate was the medium for delivering other healthful ingredients.To be honest I got a big kick out of Brad's reply. Sarcasm or no it made me smile.There is plenty to share about chocolate on here. For example here is a link about some specific health benefits of cacao (chocolate) http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/prevention/nutrition/chocolate.aspx There is a classifieds section for advertising.Beyond that this website is a treasure filled with information on the tricky treat we love. Chocolate.

Healthy Chocolate

Posted in: Self Promotion / Spam

I need some too!I checked out their website and was dissapointed. Their super truffle is turbo charged with cod oil. Granted its processed in their careful manner but as far as relevance to the health benefits of the chocolate they didn't go into it. Their chocolate seems to be a plain Jane chocolate from Italy. (Plain Jane because it has vanilla extract.)I'll pass on their chocolate but Brad if your chocolate will walk my dog and paint my fence ill start driving to your shops tonight.

Chocovision X3210 Tempering without Seed chocolate

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

While I've never made chocolate from beans I don't see why you would need seed. Yes the revolation machines are made for seeding but type V crystals can be a product of time temp and agitation. I'd just melt your chocolate then bring it down in temp as low as it will go. I know the bowl won't turn below a certain temp but cooling the chocolate will give you many forms of cocoa butter crystals. (Like tempering on a slab). Then heat the chocolate to 89 or 90 to melt the type I - IV crystals. Then viola your chocolate is tempered.Check out this link. http://chocolatealchemy.com/illustrated-tempering/

INVERTASE Please Share Some Wisdom!

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I'm not sure about a specific recipe to refer you to, but this thread has some great information on invertase.

http://www.thechocolatelife.com/forum/topics/invertase

I'd also suggest looking into Wybauw's book Fine Chocolates - Great Experience 3 http://www.amazon.com/Fine-Chocolates-Great-Experience-Extending/dp/9020990209/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380666490&sr=1-1&keywords=fine+chocolates+3

It specifically discusses shelf life and is very insightful.

Have a great day,

Larry