Hose for Panning Chocolate
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Aren't those Selmi pans fabulous? So great to have the heating and cooling unit all in one. And the chocolate applicator is nice and simple.
Forum Activity for @Kerry
Hose for Panning Chocolate
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
you probably know but there is no need to temper chocolate when used for panning.depending on your setup you might be interested in the Selmi products ( www.selmi-group.it )
Hose for Panning Chocolate
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I believe Savage does a dripper for their temperers.
Hose for Panning Chocolate
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hello,I am having success panning small batches with laboratory rotating pans and a medium size melter/temperer (200lbs).What hoses are recommended? I self build my set up but want more precise flow and better control.
updated by @Paul Mosca: 04/11/25 09:27:36
San Francisco/West Coast Chocolatiers - Call to Action
Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)
If you do reply to this, please let us all know here so we don't pitch something that's already been pitched.
San Francisco/West Coast Chocolatiers - Call to Action
Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)
The following was posted on Peter Shankman's HARO ( www.helpareporterout.com ) newsgroup. It could be a great opportunity to promote your brand!- AndreaContact: Erika & Tisa, Hosts, GirlTalk RadioEmail: erika@wsradio.comSource: wsRadio San FranciscoSpecific Geographic Region? Yes (See below)Region: Ideally San Francisco Bay AreaDeadline: 5:00 PM PACIFIC - March 24Query: "wsRadio San Francisco, The Global Voice of San Francisco, isexcited to announce the debut of GirlTalk Radio on March 25th. Acomplete description of the show is below. Each program willfeature a "Chocolate of the Week." If you have or rep a chocolateproduct, we'd love to hear from you for consideration to befeatured.Chosen chocolates will be reviewed on our "PMS Scale" of1-5 and talked about live on the air, as well as written about inthe GirlTalk blog. Reps from the company may also be interviewed onthe show. Chocolate candies of all kinds, and chocolate productsincluding cakes, cookies, brownies are welcome. We're especiallyinterested in products based in the San Francisco Bay Area, butnationwide submissions are ok.To reply, please make HARO: CHOCOLATE the subject line of youremail. If the company is based in the greater San Francisco area,please make the subject line HARO: SF CHOCOLATE. Give us all thedetails about the chocolate you represent and be prepared to sendsamples and photos if requested. Feel free to be lighthearted withyour pitch, as this is an irreverent show.Please copy BOTH Hosts on pitches: Erika@wsradio.com and Tisa@wsradio.com.ABOUT GIRLTALK RADIOGirlTalk Radio is a weekly rollicking romp through the minds andlives of two 40-somethings who are married, moms and entrepreneurs.All topics are fair game! From the bedroom to the boardroom, HostsTisa & Erika will share their thoughts and insights into real,everyday issues faced by 30-60 year old women. What's on your mindtoday? Chances are, its crossed theirs too. From men, music andmentoring, to diapers, dishes and dirty laundry, this casualconversation addresses the real things going on in our lives andminds."
updated by @Andrea: 12/13/24 12:16:07
Molding Chocolate
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Thank you for sharing that. We have been making chocolates in Oregon and I know on the rainy days when the humidity is high we have better success when we put our dipped chocolatesDirectly in the freezer for just five minutes or so. They are shinier as well.
Molding Chocolate
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Wow...it's been a long time since I've been on this forum. I've since found out that you need to cool the chocolates a lot faster. This will reduce the blooming. It explains why pre-cooling the molds helps. You will get better results putting it right in the freezer and time it for about 5 minutes. After the chocolate is tempered, the faster it cools, the less time it has to form blooming.
Molding Chocolate
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Hi,
I have had similar problems when moulding my chocolates. Although my problems seams to be with the surface of the chocolate. I am using the chocovision 3Z tempering machine, the chocolate is well tempered but once it goes into the fridge the surface , that is the part not touching the mould become streaked. The rest of the of the chocolate is shiny and has nice snap. I am wondering if there is an ideal refrigeration temperature for chocolate or if the room temperature is affecting the chocolate. The thermometer in the fridge says 38 with 70% humidity. Any suggestions on what could be causing this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Molding Chocolate
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My pleasure. Glad I could help.Alan
Molding Chocolate
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Wow, just awesome.Thank you very much, Alan.First, you trying to diagnose without see things at my place was pretty accurate, using only a few small thermoform molds and lack of air flow in the kitchen.Now to clarify the issue of moisture and pre-cooling of the molds, here is what I did at home.1. I took the tempered chocolate and poured it into the molds and left it on the counter top to cool. Blooming appeared significantly on the underside.2. Then I took empty molds and put it in the fridge to pre-cool. Then I took them out and poured tempered chocolate into them before leaving them on the counter top to cool. I get no blooming on the underside.Although the temperature is warm at 72 F, the relative humidity is very low, so low that our hands and lips are chapped, caused by the propane heat that keeps our house warm. We do not have a humidifier.It seems to me that the cold surface of the pre-cooled molds causes the tempered chocolate to cool faster, leaving less time for the cocoa butter to separate.Another strange thing I forgot to mention at the start of this post is that when I pour untempered chocolate (about 100 F) into the molds that are not pre-cooled and leave them on the counter, I also get hardly any bloom (only a few little white spots). It's pretty shiny, but it melts much quicker in your mouth of course.To conclude, I think relative humidity is so low, it can be ruled out. Therefore pre-cooling the molds would only hasten the cooling of the chocolate.I shall try all this again in the summer when it gets humid.Again, I really appreciate your feedback. I'll be refrigerating now.
Molding Chocolate
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John,I fear that my following post comes across as me lecturing, which is not my intent in the least. I know that you are as versed in chocolate tempering physics as I am, and perhaps more so. The lengthy diatribe is for Lemm's sake, and is hopefully helpful to him. There are some parts that are relevant to what you typed above, however, so I am "replying" to you.Begin:Right, as Wybauw says, extreme cooling--either too cold or for too long--will lead to unstable crystal types and, therefore, bloom, but Wybauw also recommends cooling molded chocolate at temperatures approaching 40 F and with large volumes of air--not an exact quote. I'm not recommending extreme cooling, and I don't think that Lemm would necessarily need temperatures approaching 40 F. This is especially the case since Wybauw is talking about a production environment where there would likely be a lot of thermal mass in chocolate and molds that would have to be cooled at once, and Lemm is probably only dealing with a few molds.It still sounds to me like this is a cooling issue based upon Lemm's following comments:1) it snaps and looks good when spread on a thin piece of wax paper--probably in contact with the top of a counter, which would cool it more effectively through direct contact. Molds keep chocolate up off of additional solid objects like counters and one must depend upon the convection of the air to do the cooling.2) it has bloom issues when molded, and more issues against the mold than the part exposed to the air.3) House temperature is 72 F, which is relatively warm.4) Lemm said that cooling the molded bars in the fridge get's rid of the bloomI could be wrong, and certainly trying to diagnose without seeing things is tricky at best, but I feel that Lemm is not removing enough of the latent heat of crystallization quickly enough in the thicker molded pieces, and this is compounded by the insulating properties of the molds, the relatively warm 72F room temp, and likely the lack of air flow, leading to bloom on the surface and back of the bars.The idea of moisture forming on the mold prior to pouring the chocolate, as Lemm suggested in an earlier post, seems to be contradicted by Lemm's comment that the bloom doesn't happen when the molds are pre-cooled. If it was moisture on the mold due to high relative humidity that was causing sugar bloom, then I would expect the problem to be worse with mold pre-cooling, not better. I agree with John that pre-cooling molds is not a good idea.Lemm, you mentioned "thin plastic molds." Do you have the injection molds--not too flexible, or the thermoform molds--pretty flexible? They both will insulate, but the injection molds insulate quite a bit more.Anyway, you'd be surprised how very small things that you'd think shouldn't matter can impact molded chocolate.Alan
Molding Chocolate
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"Thanks John for giving me some sign to tell the difference between sugar and fat bloom.You got me curious now for that last phrase of your first sentence, "for lots of reasons". Would appreciate more info...please."- I think someone mentioned that moisture could form on the mold before you actually put in the chocolate- the chocolate will set too quickly which, depending on your mold, will lead to lots more bubbles- (Alan please correct me if I'm wrong) If you cool the chocolate too rapidly, one of the unstable crystal types forms, leading to loss of gloss, fat bloom and sensitivity to touch (according to Wybauw).
Molding Chocolate
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Alan,Thanks. What you said settles it.But, I still find it amazing that a thin piece of plastic should make so much difference. The spaces in the mold were tiny and not deep (3 grams each, 5mm). If it were possible to measure the temperatures of the chocolate in the mold and the one on the parchment paper cooling down, I highly doubt that there would be any difference.
Molding Chocolate
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Right. The molds keep the chocolate warm longer. They act as insulators. Try cooling the chocolate more quickly either with colder air, more airflow, or both.
Molding Chocolate
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Thanks John for giving me some sign to tell the difference between sugar and fat bloom.You got me curious now for that last phrase of your first sentence, "for lots of reasons". Would appreciate more info...please.Rae, I have tried to cool them in the fridge and it does get rid of the bloom. It was the wax and parchment paper experiment that got me. And yes, the tempered chocolate was snappy and shiny.
Molding Chocolate
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I think your room is too warm. does this happen when you put the filled molds in the fridge to cool?If the chocolate when spread thinly on wax paper dries shiny & snappy and it feels cool to your lower lipit should be tempered.try putting the filled molds in the fridge to harden.You have to take away the heat that's released by the chocolate as it cools. either with cold air or at least a fan.
Molding Chocolate
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I don't think "pre-cooling" the molds is a good idea for lots of reasons.Fat bloom is more cloudy and diffuse; sugar bloom you will see white specs form.
Molding Chocolate
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Thanks for all your responses.As I mentioned, I don't get this problem when I pre-cool the molds in the fridge and then I leave the chocolate to harden at room temperature.What I still don't understand is why I did not get bloom when I poured it on parchment or wax paper leaving it to cool at room temperature?I had a thought recently that the chocolate mixture cools down in the molds, and minute traces of moisture forms from condensation but is trapped by the chocolate mixture itself - this extra trapped humidity causing the bloom. That's probably why I don't get it with wax and parchment paper. Perhaps the plastic mold keeps the mixture warm longer than the more exposed mixture on wax or parchment paper. Heck, I don't know....Another question that could be related: How do you tell the difference between cocoa butter bloom and sugar bloom?
Molding Chocolate
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I agree with Alan, I had a similar problem but just putting the filled molds in the fridge for 5 mins works a treat each time. Carefull not to leave in the fridge too long as it will condense water on the surface in humid places. Fortunately where I live is dry as a bone.
Molding Chocolate
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I had the same experience until I accidentally left some molds under an air conditioner. It worked perfectly. I've found 60 F and a fan works very nicely.
Molding Chocolate
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You need to cool the chocolate more quickly after molding. That will likely solve your problem.
Molding Chocolate
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I've already posted this question on the Homebrew Group, but without a response so far. I'm posting it here in hopes that I will get some feedback.I am still getting fat bloom even after tempering the chocolate. I've tried molding at different temperatures (86 F to 89 F for dark chocolate) and two different methods (lowering temperature of whole batch to 82 F then up to 86F-89F versus taking about 1/3 to 1/2 of batch to cool and seed first then mix with rest), and I do it quite slowly to allow time for the beta V crystals to form.The bloom appears most heavily on the underside of the mold (where the chocolate touches the plastic). Minor blooming occurs on the chocolate exposed to the air.I don't get this problem when the batch is poured unto wax or parchment paper, when the molds are pre-cooled or when lecithin is used.The tempering does work from the standpoint of melting times. I did blind tests with my family to confirm this.I thought about this long, but cannot figure out why? Has anyone experienced this? Is their a solution?Here's more info.- The temperature of the house is around 72 F, very low humidity, winter here in Canada.- Using organic unsweetened chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa butter from fermented, unroasted cocoa beans.- Using powdered sugar.- No emulsifiers used.- Using tiny batches of 100 grams or less for experimentation.- Use a heating pad and a digital candy thermometer which has been tested for accuracy.- I control the rate of the temperature rising by lifting on and off the heating pad, a glass cup containing the tiny batch of chocolate.
updated by @Lemm Huang: 04/11/25 09:27:36
Corn Syrup
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Hello AndreI think alternatively you could use glycose syrup.
Corn Syrup
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Unfortunately, unless you're just making them for friends and family, a "week or so" shelf-life isn't going to work.Invert sugar certainly has its place, but I'm pretty sure I won't be using rosemary extract to extend shelf-life.
Corn Syrup
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Don't use it! It's completely unnecessary and just sounds cheap when listed on an ingredient label. The high fructose variety is definitely bad for you. If you're worried about binding active water to extend the shelf life, invert sugar is a confectioner's secret weapon and so are culinary antioxidants like rosemary extract. But you can get by without either of these as long as the chocolates are eaten within a week or so. The fresher the better anyway...
Corn Syrup
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Lana, if you're planning to order some organic corn syrup in large quantities, I'd definitely recommend trying a sample first. You just never know...
Corn Syrup
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Marroquin is a great company. BUT...you have to buy a pallet. 2000lbs of corn syrup is a lot of corn syrup.
Corn Syrup
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Sarah:Try Marroquin Organic Commodity Services out of Santa Cruz, CA. They sell a number of different organic corn sweeteners .:: Clay
Corn Syrup
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So, I do not use corn syrup in my ganaches or toffees but I do use a little in caramels. I have looked for other options-- steen's cane syrup (too distinct a flavor), rice syrup (meh!) and honey (too sweet). I would like another option but I like my recipes- the flavor, the texture. Anybody substitute something eles and if, so what?Also, I'd love a source for Organic corn syrup. I had one-- no more.
Corn Syrup
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Hi Clay,Have you tried concentrated coconut nectar? Its almost like a honey but a lot better it has a low GI and healthier than a lot of sweetener. It is 100% coconut nectar. However it is expensive. Here in the Philippines it is being retailed at 8 usd per kg.Jun
Corn Syrup
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The majority of my truffles do not use corn syrup. The most basic truffle is simply chocolate, cream and butter. Since I sell my truffles direct to the public at either the farmer's market or craft shows, I tell them that they have a limited shelf life and need to be eaten within the next 2 weeks. Most of the time, people laugh and say that they will be gone by the end of the day. I don't use it, because I don't see the need for it, most of the time. One of the recipes that has corn syrup, I'm actually using as a sweetener because the flavor is lime and I didn't think the white chocolate had enough sweetness to counter the lime juice.Now, I do use corn syrup in the other confections I make, such as caramels and marshmallows.
Corn Syrup
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jan/27/high-fructose-corn-syrup-mercury guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 27 January 2009 16.10 GMTUS researchers find traces of toxic mercury in high-fructose corn syrup Mercury linked to learning disabilities and heart disease Study published in peer-reviewed journal Environmental HealthA swig of soda or bite of a candy bar might be sweet, but a new study suggests that food made with corn syrup also could be delivering tiny doses of toxic mercury.For the first time, researchers say they have detected traces of the silvery metal in samples of high-fructose corn syrup, a widely used sweetener that has replaced sugar in many processed foods. The study was published yesterday in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health.Eating high-mercury fish is the chief source of exposure for most people. The new study raises concerns about a previously unknown dietary source of mercury, which has been linked to learning disabilities in children and heart disease in adults.The source of the metal appears to be caustic soda and hydrochloric acid, which manufacturers of corn syrup use to help convert corn kernels into the food additive.A handful of plants across the US still make the soda and acid by mixing a briny solution in electrified vats of mercury. Some of the toxic metal ends up in the final product, according to industry documents cited in the study.Corn syrup manufacturers insisted their products are mercury-free. But the study noted that at least one maker of caustic soda that has used the mercury-based technology listed the corn syrup industry as a client."This seems like an avoidable source of mercury that we didn't know was out there," said David Wallinga, one of the study's co-authors and a researcher at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, a Minnesota-based advocacy group.The researchers cautioned that their study was limited. Only 20 samples were analyzed; mercury was detected in nine.Still, the impact of the findings could be significant. High-fructose corn syrup has become such a staple in processed foods that the average American consumes about 12 teaspoons of it daily, according to federal estimates. Teenagers and young children tend to eat more of it than adults.There is no established safe dose for elemental mercury, the type discovered in corn syrup. But the US Environmental Protection Agency says an average-sized woman should limit her exposure to 5.5 micrograms a day of methylmercury, the kind found in fish.If that same woman regularly ate corn syrup contaminated at the highest level detected in the study - 0.57 micrograms per gram - the researchers estimated that she could end up consuming an amount of mercury that is five times higher than the EPA's safe dose.One former EPA scientist who reviewed the paper said more study is needed to establish the risk, if any, posed by contaminated corn syrup. She urged the Food and Drug Administration to conduct a review of food made with the sweetener."For the most part, previous studies haven't found mercury in foods other than fish," said Kathryn Mahaffey, a former EPA scientist who co-wrote a landmark report to Congress on the perils of mercury contamination. "Is this an outlier or something we didn't know about before?"In response to a 2005 Chicago Tribune series about mercury hazards, then-senator Barack Obama introduced legislation that would force chlorine plants to phase out its use or shut down. One plant in Wisconsin later vowed to switch to a mercury-free process by this year, leaving four others - in Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia - that still use the older technology.The new study's lead author, Renee Dufault, began her research while investigating the Wisconsin plant for the FDA in the mid-2000s. But her results weren't published until now, a year after she retired from the agency.An FDA spokesman said he still was waiting for a response to the study. Industry representatives, meanwhile, said the study was outdated."It is important that Americans are provided accurate, science-based information," Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, said in a statement. "They should know that high-fructose corn syrup is safe."In another statement, the Chlorine Institute said: "It is conceivable that measurable mercury content can be found in high-fructose corn syrup regardless of how it is processed."
Corn Syrup
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Hi Lana.Thank you for the explanation. That's quite helpful.
Corn Syrup
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Clay,I agree with 100% with you. I believe that anything in excess is bad for you.My point is, if you look at almost any product made in the USA, you are bound to find corn syrup in it.So, even though I expect people to eat chocolate (or anything else, for that matter) in moderation, I was wondering if I can get the same results in my chocolate-making without being another product manufacturer that includes corn syrup in my products. So, if there is an alternative, I would love to know what it is and to experiment with it.I believe that's a very reasonable question.
Corn Syrup
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Well I'm no doctor but I don't subscribe to the notion that corn syrup is bad for you. Unless you put it in just about every single item on the grocery shelves, which is exactly what we do in the U.S. :-(For the average person, the key to good health is to have lots of variety in your diet and conscientiously stay away from processed foods as much as possible. Moderation in all things.What does Michael Pollan say? "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants."There's a place for chocolate bonbons in ones' diet but it shouldn't be a major food group.Just my opinion. :-)
Corn Syrup
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Water is bad for your health if you drink too much of it.The amount of corn syrup you're talking about in a single piece is fractions of a gram. In that amount is it better or worse (considered solely from a health perspective) than refined white sugar?Probably not.You're over thinking this. There are far more important things to worry about when it comes to chocolate.
Corn Syrup
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I guess my major concern is whether corn syrup can be bad for one's health. I hear different things from different people.
Corn Syrup
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Oh my gosh, you certainly don't want to omit it. Doing so would drastically alter the balance of the recipe and reduce the shelf-life as well.Typically, you can substitute glucose roughly 1:1. You can try substituting other sweeteners, but you'll have to rebalance the level of sweetness. Honey, for example, can be used but it shifts the flavor profile in a direction that may not be desirable since honey is not very neutral.
Corn Syrup
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So basically if a recipe asks for corn syrup, I can simply disregard the ingredient? Or should I replace it with something else - it does add sweetness, correct?