Forum Activity for @Derrick Pho

Derrick Pho
@Derrick Pho
11/18/13 08:24:14
2 posts

Tempering & surface texture issue, swirls, circles & matte finish.
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Hi Jennifer,

Several thing may go wrong here. Please allow me.

When you work with chocolate you need to take in consideration of room temperature, humidity, products you enrobe, the type of decoration you use, dry ingredients or imprint dcor, temperature of your center and equipment. Ventilation, air conditioning depending on how high your ceiling. Working in a basement near the coast line or in high altitude, will all give you different result, very hot humid summer or very cold winter could affect the finished product also. Therefore, all chocolatier has different experience of the shine, humidity,shelvelife andthickness of chocolate during dipping moulding etc...

The Rev line, For my personal experience, The speed of the bowl is turning too fast, therefore I am quite sure that you need to reheat constantly your chocolate, because its get thicker over time and quickly. for small production, I always suggest to use melter like mold'art, Mafter,dry heat or water bath. is depend on your preference and price that offer in your area. Back to the Rev line, You need to work fast enough to prevent the thickness( Vaseline) of the chocolate. This may also be your problem of swirlingby over or under heating?Round dot can be air bubble underneath,

To have a max shine after dipping in chocolate,you center should be around 23oC-24oC. and dark chocolate should be temper at 32-32.5oC up to 33oC. Room temperature should be around 22-23oC. A room to cold, the crystallizing of the cocoa butter is too fast may loose shine. The center is too cold, dip into a warm chocolate will also loose shine. Dipping chocolate if is too thick( over crystallize) will also loose shine and swirl, circle, uneven crystallizing.

As per your post, You put in the fridge for easy dipping, that mean your recipe is not balance and missing some cocoa butter that help it set at a right consistence for dipping. Filling ganache center and dipping ganache center have a completely different formula.

Last some of the sea salt can be more hygroscopic than the other. Smaller, less refine particle will have tendency to absorbed the humidity in the air(ERH equilibriumhumidity relative) in a simple explanation,if your room humidity ishigh,your product will absorb the humidity in your room. If your room is too dry, the product will dry out. Therefor if you are in an area with high humidity the sea salt will absorb the humidity and transfer on to your chocolate.

Cheers,