Forum Activity for @Larry2

Need some input on X3210 and others. My knowledge of a seed is very little.

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I'm not the most qualified to answer this but I'll take a stab at it.
Yes you can temper without seed in a tempering machine. Check out http://chocolatealchemy.com/illustrated-tempering/ for a very good tutorial on cocoa butter crystals and tempering.
The seed method is faster so it is taught in their videos.

The tempering machine can do anything you and a bowl of cold water can do. However it will rely on the cold air to cool the chocolate.

As far as doing more than 10 lbs at ate chocovision has a "holey baffle" that should take it to a 17 lb capacity. I haven't used one so I cannot vouch for it. It should be fine though.

The different percent chocolates will differ slightly in their tempering. The x3210 has some preset methods but you can do manual overrides to get the temp control you want.

Another perk besides more automation is less water in the proximity of your chocolate. I know a bain Marie doesn't get the chocolate wet. But the further the water is the happier I am.

Finally be sure to check the discount page of this site. Clay has worked out some deals for Chocolate Life members.Welcome to The Chocolate Life.

Need some input on X3210 and others. My knowledge of a seed is very little.

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I am brand new to The Chocolate Life. The main reason I made an account is to get on here and start talking with others to broaden my personal knowledge as well as help others whenever possible.

Here is my question. I have been looking into an X3210 for my small business, I sell chocolate at the farmers market, currently I run 5lb batches in my premier/cocoatown stone grinders which leaves me with 10lbs after the job is finished approx 6 hours laters. I have been reading into these machines, and figured that with my liquid chocolate I would be able to just pour the chocolate into the machine (all 10lbs) and press the temper button and let it go. I recently was reading and also watched a youtube video about the Chocovision X3210 and realized... Okay now I need a perfectly tempered seed chocolate to achieve this?

I don't ever let my chocolate harden without it being tempered, I currently temper by hand, simply by pouring it into a bowl, and using a wooden spoon and stirring it with the bowl in cold water to hit about 81-82 degrees F and then heating it back up to 89 degrees F and it always comes out of my molds shiny and with no streaks, this takes about 15 minutes of stirring to achieve.

So I am wondering if I should just stick to this method? It is just kind of a hassle to have to do it manually when I could have a machine do it, but then I also look at the price and realize that this also may not be very cost effective if my current routine is working and I have a finished molded product approx 20-25 minutes after it comes out of the stone grinder.

My final concern on this topic with the X3210 is that I also do different percentages ranging from 60% all the way up to 84% and all of the 60%'s are flavored. The real thing that is bothering me is the need for a seed in these machines, I would think that for that amount of money I can just take my liquid product out of the stone grinder, pour it into the X3210, and press the temper button, and come back a little while later to have a perfectly tempered product.

My final Question on this topic is that in the video it looked like you could temper 10lbs of chocolate from a block, but can you temper more than this is a unit like the X3210 if it is liquid to begin with? And to add one more point, does it have trouble dealing with a thick 60% as apposed to a liquid like water 84%?

Thank you so much,

Glad to be apart of this wonderful community

Steven

updated by @Steven Shipler: 04/11/25 09:27:36

Need Help Calculating Volume of Chocolate For Mold Cavity

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

depends on your scale - most are adjustable to read whatever the local norm is. i find it easiest to work in grams.

Need Help Calculating Volume of Chocolate For Mold Cavity

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Thanks Sebastian.

That helps a lot. If you are using ml for volume, then what is the scale for mass? Grams? Ounces?

Need Help Calculating Volume of Chocolate For Mold Cavity

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

ah - well, if you've got the exact measurements, determining the volume is trivial. Your chocolate supplier isn't likely to have the densities for all their chocolates measured, and you can ask them to do it, which they will if they have time, or they'll make time if you're a large enough customer. If precision is important to you, remember that specifications have a range (ie fat is normally +/-1% on industrial chocolates) - so that range will result in a range of densities as well.

If you want to do the density yourself, you'll need a graduated cylinder and a scale - density is simply mass over volume - so fill your cylinder (on the scale) to 100ml of chocolate and read it's mass. D = m/v. The reading on the scale divided by 100 (the mls you used for the reading), and you've got a density calculation. Obviously if your scale is not calibrated, if you're not accurate in filling the cylinder, or if your chocolate temps are all over the place, it will impact your calculations.

Once you've got your volume of your cavity - simply multiply that by your density, and you've got the grams/unit of measure. Be sure not to mix your units of measure between your cavity volume calculations and density calculations (ie don't use both inches and centimeters, for example - one or the other)

Need Help Calculating Volume of Chocolate For Mold Cavity

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hi Sebastian. Thanks for the response. Perhaps I should give you a bit more info about my situation, so it makes more sense. I am actually manufacturing my own molds. I will always know the exact dimensions of my molds every time. So like Clay said is actually really trivial. I just need the densities of the chocolate I plan to use, and figure out the formula to calculate the mold volume and density (I'm suspecting that it's something like: w*h*d*Density etc. Yes, I can approximate with a cubic inch (like using the chocoley calculator), but since I have access to the exact measurements (perhaps I'm completely off base), it seems to me I can get much more accurate results by doing the math. I apologize to anyone if my responses sound stubborn or like I'm taking the wrong path. It just seems to me if I have my mold dimensions, and I can get the densities I can get relatively close estimations of my needs (especially on large scales) by doing some math, and perhaps as a result save money on my chocolate needs etc.

Thanks again for the feedback guys. I really do appreciate it.

Need Help Calculating Volume of Chocolate For Mold Cavity

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I honestly think you're taking the path of most resistance, mate..now, even though i've had as many calc classes as they offer, i'm not a math guy, and for most moulds, mathematically calculating the volume's going to be an incredibly tedious process. If you must know the cubic inches of the mould, the mfr should be able to provide that, as their molds are made using design software that should be able to provide the volumetric with a click of a button. That's what i'd do, but the scale i work at is perhaps a little different than most 8-)

Need Help Calculating Volume of Chocolate For Mold Cavity

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hey Clay. Thanks much for the response. Yes it's a single test mold. For this purpose, I went ahead and did a few molds (thankfully I had a little Guittard chocolate on hand), and weighed each piece. I then scaled my mold size up/down based upon the chocolate weight. So for my immediate need that worked. Not my preference of course, but I think it worked. I know you guys prefer to measure with chocolate rather than a calculator, and I totally understand that, but I would also like to have the capacity to calculate with a calculator to get close measurements. I can easily get my mold dimensions so that isn't a problem. I'll contact Guittard and see if I can get the densities of their chocolate.

Clay: Can you give me a formula that would calculate the mold capacity using volume and chocolate density? How would you put that together? (w*h*d = volume +*/- density?

Thanks again guys.

Need Help Calculating Volume of Chocolate For Mold Cavity

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Brian -

Actually, I think the empirical way to arrive at the solution is the elegant one. The challenge you face is that you don't own the mold - a single-cavity prototype? - so doing the work is a little cumbersome.

You could come up with a mathematically precise answer, but to do so you'd need to know the exact volume of the mold (non-trivial) and need the densities of each chocolate at the temperature you're using for each mold (contact Guittard for this information - but I don't know that they have it handy). You could end up with a different weight of chocolate - probably within a percent or so - for each chocolate you use. Precise but inelegant - and maybe more work than doing it empirically.

Plus, I have to agree with Sebastian - I find working with chocolate a lot more fun than working with calculators.

Need Help Calculating Volume of Chocolate For Mold Cavity

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Thank you so much for the responses. Unfortunately, I don't have that mold in my possession, so I was hoping for a way to closely/accurately measure the chocolate needed to fill the cavity. Thanks for the clarification on Chocoley's calculator. That makes sense. I do have some Guittard chocolate in possession, but don't have a simple way to calculate a cubic inch of the Guittard chocolate.

I do have a smaller version of the same mold however (only one cavity though), so I guess I'll have to fill that one, then weight it, then figure out how many get me a pound..I was hoping for a more elegant solution, but I guess that will have to do.

Thanks again guys.

Need Help Calculating Volume of Chocolate For Mold Cavity

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Actually, volume doesn't care about density. Ounces is a measure of mass - volume is a measure of space. His question was about volume; but i suspect he's really asking about mass 8-)

If you're looking to measure the mass / cavity so you can better estimate how much chocolate you'll need to order, probably the most simple way to approach it, assuming you have said mold, is to mold up a form of chocolate using it, weigh the 20 pieces that come out of it, and determine the average weight per piece. Don't forget to add in an overage to compensate for waste/working mass. That way you don't need to compensate for the subtleties of temperatures impact on volume/density and complexities of volumetric calculations of irregular cavity shape.

Plus everyone knows that making chocolate is more fun than doing math 8-)

Need Help Calculating Volume of Chocolate For Mold Cavity

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Chocoley's formula basically states that 0.708 ounces of chocolate will fill 1 cubic inch and the mold is a perfect cuboid. Of course some chocolate is going to be more dense than others and I have yet to see a mold that is a perfect solid shape (e.g. without bevels, curves, patterns, etc.) so this formula is only intended to get you in the ballpark. You can get a little more accurate if you can figure out how many ounces a cubic inch of Guittard chocolate weighs and substitute 0.708 with this value.

Need Help Calculating Volume of Chocolate For Mold Cavity

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hi All,

I'm trying to calculate the volume of chocolate for a mold with the following dimensions:

1.80x1.21x0.58

I used the following website's chocolate calculator to calculate the volume:

http://www.chocoley.com/chocolate-candy-making-guide/how-much-chocolate-per-mold.htm

Is this accurate for all chocolate or just theirs? If it just works for theirs, I need to calculate for Guittard chocolate.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

updated by @Brian Begun: 04/11/25 09:27:36

Shipping chocolates to the uk

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I am not sure how this ended up in tasting notes, I apologize for that....I was on my phone.

Shipping chocolates to the uk

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

A little help please? I've been at this since Thursday afternoon. Dry ice is a major issue. I do not have business accounts with fed ex or ups. I am shipping 2 lbs of my product. I need to get it there before Friday. I just keep getting road blocks and runarounds like crazy.Suggestions? Thanks. (So frustrating)
updated by @Emily Woloszyn: 04/11/25 09:27:36

Molds, adjusting existing mold

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Darlene:

When asking questions like this, photos of the mold will help us visualize what you're trying to achieve.

Molds, adjusting existing mold

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I would like some advise on adjusting a mold I have already. I am looking for a product to change the way it is formed by closing up one of the sides.. I have a flag mold that is too thin for my purpose so I need to double the 2 and make one single one like a shell. Please suggest how I can close up one of the balls of the top of the flag pole to make it disappear.

Thank you

updated by @darlene: 04/11/25 09:27:36

New Machine

Posted in: Opinion

Thank you Clay!!!! That is incredibly helpful.

New Machine

Posted in: Opinion

Corey:

Which machines are you referring to when you say,

"Many of the larger units temper through a pipe and I am pretty sure that the chocolate in the bowl is not tempered, just melted."

If you are referring to continuous tempering machines (e.g., FBM, Selmi, Gami, Pomati), then yes, the chocolate in the bowl is not going to be in temper. The chocolate coming out of the tempering pipe is. To do what you're doing in your Rev 2s you'd "draw off" some tempered chocolate into a working bowl, do your covering, and then any chocolate you did not use you'd return to the working bowl.

The ChocoTT is like the Rev2 in some respects except the wheel spins, not the bowl. Once the chocolate is tempered you could just throw the stuff you're dipping into the working bowl, but the normal way of working would be do draw off smaller amounts of chocolate into a separate bowl. On the follow-up point it's not a continuous tempering machine - it's a batch machine.

As for capacity ... is that 25-50 pounds in the working bowl? 25-50 pounds per day? 25-50 pounds per hour?

Once the continuous tempering cycle is established, a continuous tempering machine can temper up to 3-5 times the capacity of the working bowl, per hour, if you "top up" the bowl as you draw chocolate from it. Following this guideline, a continuous tempering machine with a 25 pound working bowl capacity can temper between 75 and 125 pounds of chocolate per hour.In reality, the only way you can use this much chocolate is if you're doing a lot of large molds - it's very hard to use this much chocolate when dipping or enrobing.

When you're using a batch machine, it can take 60-90 minutes to get to temper from a cold start (solid chocolate). Therefore, you tend to have much larger bowl capacities because when you empty the bowl you have to wait a long time to start work again waiting for the chocolate to temper.

One approach is not inherently better than another, they are different, and suited to different styles of work and working and personal preferences, working conditions (e.g., shared space, permanent kitchen) and budgets.

New Machine

Posted in: Opinion

Hey All,

Looking for a new larger tempering machine. We currently use 2 Chocovision Rev 2s. The problem we have is that for one of our products, until we get an enrobing line, the most efficient way for us to coat is to drop them into the bowl and fish them out. Many of the larger units temper through a pipe and I am pretty sure that the chocolate in the bowl is not tempered, just melted. Any idea about the Choco TT from Bakon? We would ideally like a continuous tempering machine with capacity for 25-50 lbs. We appreciate the help!

Corey

updated by @Corey Meyer: 04/11/15 08:14:56

LOOKING FOR BEANS FROM JAMAICA

Posted in: Classifieds ARCHIVE

Does anyone have a source for Jamaican cocoa beans?

updated by @Milford Dennison: 04/07/25 13:00:14

Re-tempering in Chocovision Delta machine?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hi everyone,

first of all thank you very much for the support and detailed recommendations. I apologize for long silence as I was trying to get consistent results and also producing for local festival. It all went well. My summary will be the following:

1. The first thing which I wanted to address was the room temperature, I made sure it doesn't go above 21C. I didn't pay lot of attention to this factor and it had an impact on my attempts to re-temper it with machine.

2. The melting point is the N2 critical point, at all times for re-tempering I started to use 118F.

3. I would make sure I keep mixing the chocolate at each temperature point at least 10min.

4. Once machine prompts me to press T (temper) and add seed, I will select the temper mode but will not rush with adding seed chocolate immediately. I would add it at the level of 100F. And add seed chocolate to the front and to the back.

5. Once machine signals that the chocolate is in temper I will let it mix it for 10 min and then test it.

Also, I started to follow Steve's advice and would pour any unused chocolate on a pan sheet and let is solidify, whereas before I would leave it overnight. I find it is easier to work with it again once you remelt it.

These are my usual steps for tempering any type of chocolate that would give me good and consistent results. Apart from melting point I would use Delta pre-set temperatures.

If you have any questions let me know,

Thanks!

Re-tempering in Chocovision Delta machine?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Try adding 10% cocoa butter.Paul

Re-tempering in Chocovision Delta machine?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Cherub -

One thing to keep in mind is that the temper points the manufacturer recommends are designed for different equipment than what you're using - they should be used as reference points, not benchmarks.

One thing that occurs to me is that 112F is too low. 115F at a minimum, and let the chocolate sit there for at least five minutes to ensure that all the crystals are melted out. If you don't then what's left will influence seeding as you cool down.

The same is true when the chocolate reaches temper. The probe is measuring at one particular point. It can take many minutes for the crystals to spread through the chocolate. I always waited at least five minutes after the machine says it's in temper before using the chocolate to ensure more even spread of crystals.

As you empty the working bowl the machine has to work harder to keep temper. At some point, when there's less than 15-20% in the work bowl I often found that the chocolate started to streak (not bloom) because the temperatures were uneven. On a large diameter bowl that's an awful lot of surface area radiating heat into the room (and being influenced by room temperature). The difference between 19 and 22C might not seem all that different - but consistency is. If the room temp changes the temperatures of the chocolate may need to be changed to compensate.

The machines are aids - they are not panaceas. You still do need to know what properly tempered chocolate looks like.

Re-tempering in Chocovision Delta machine?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Thank you Steve for the response and detailed reply!

I also spread my chocolate on a sheet pan and let it set but without cooler and yes, always fresh chocolate for seeding. I'm starting to think (based on feed backs) that the problem most probably might be in the inconsistent room temperature, I plan to try it again and make sure the room temperature is not higher that 21 degrees.

Thank you and I will post here once I achieve something... or not!

Have a great week-end!

Re-tempering in Chocovision Delta machine?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I re-temper chocolate in my Delta on a regular basis. Beginning with the end of the previous tempering/working batch, I always spread my left over chocolate on a 1/2 sheet pan and pop it in my cooling cabiinet (re-purposed TRUE beverage cooler with a new thermostat set to 55F) for about 20 min so that my left overs have a good temper. When it comes time to re-use. I melt the chocolate out to a pretty high temp (116-118F for 72% choc) to be sure to melt ou the crystals completely. Then I always use fresh chocolate for the seed. I general;ly use the "extended temper" setting because I'm working with the batch long enough that it will over-crystalize and thicken if I try to just keep going at 88.5 F or so. I also raise the heat a bit as I go when the chocolate starts to thicken - up to as high as 90F. Keep in mind that environmental factors such as humidity and room temp can have a big effect on the chocolate.

Hope this helps,

Steve

Re-tempering in Chocovision Delta machine?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hi Clay,

Thanks for your response.

My problem is that I am following the temper curve on my chocolate packaging as closely as possible [ see here: http://www.cacao-barry.com/cafr/438 ]

On the machine, I'm using a programmed melt point 112.5 F; temper point 85.7 F; and I'm using a 'temper delta' of 4.5 degrees.

I then start with the melt and the machine goes to 112.5. I select temper 2, and the machine eventually goes down to 81.2 degrees (temper point minus delta point) and on the way down asks for seed to be added (at around 90 degrees).

The machine then returns to the temper point (85.7 F) and is displayed as 'in temper'.

However, I keep getting bloom, spotting or streaks when I try this. Also, the chocolate seems to be quite thick for working condition, at least thicker than I'm used to with marble slab tempering.

(please note - this machine does not go below 80F. I discussed this with the technical support at Delta and they said it should not need to go down as far as the packaging suggests (79F). In general, their pre-programmed modes only go 3.7 degrees below temper point.)

Any responses would be greatly appreciated. I'm still getting used to tempering with a machine having done it for a long time with tabling.

Also, I don't seem to have these problems with fresh chocolate, and the pre-programmed modes (using temper cycle 2) seem to work fine on the fresh chocolate.

Re-tempering in Chocovision Delta machine?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Cherub:

What are you currently doing (process), and when you say it fails, what does that mean?

In theory, there should be no problem in re-tempering, assuming that you are getting a good temper in the first place.

Re-tempering in Chocovision Delta machine?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hello,

does anyone tried to re-temper chocolate over and over again in chocovision delta machine? I'm trying and failing to do it properly. Maybe anyone has success?

Thank you.

updated by @Cherub: 04/11/25 09:27:36

Chocolate materials for window display

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

For molded items mix up some plaster of paris, pour into your molds then paint them after they have dried.

Chocolate materials for window display

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Thank you Olivier, will try to search.

Chocolate materials for window display

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hi,

I am not sure it will help you a lot but for fake food products I'd look at Japanese companies as there it is extensively used. There it is called: sampuru ( ) ... they use the English word "sample" but turn it Japanese

Here is a website that might help you: http://fake-food.net/

Good luck.

Chocolate materials for window display

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hi,

I need to create window display with chocolate products and I'm trying to find suitable materials. It is quite warm and summer heat will melt everything if it is real product. It should look good, real and keep the shape and do not change the appearance orcolours...Any advice/recommendation on what I can use to make and display my product? I tried searching faux chocolate products (a la sushi for display) and could not find anything good. Thank you.

updated by @Cherub: 04/11/25 09:27:36

Kit Kats from Japan

Posted in: Classifieds ARCHIVE

I would like to carry the 18 flavors of Kit Kats from Japan in my store but I am having a difficult time finding a distributor that can help nor is Nestle quick to respond.

Any suggestions?

updated by @Steven J: 04/07/25 13:00:14

chocolate in Peru

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

hello everyone

Although I have been to peru many times next spring will be the 1st time I am going to an area called Tarapoto which is just one of many areas exploding into the growing of cacao plants.

The cacao tree first originated in the amazon and many hundreds of years ago when the 1st Europeans came to the area, they took samples back to Europe and this is why they can be found in many different places throughout the world.

Recently many international agencies have been encouraging the farmers of Peru who were growing coca plants for the purpose of cocaine to convert to growing cacao. In the past decade exporting of chocolate has exploded in Peru. Recently I was watching a series on TV by Anthony Boudais, were he travelled into the interior specifically to find the cacao bean called the National, which they thought had disappeared over a century ago, but is making a strong comeback. Then inside of the pods is pure white.

I am hoping to find some of the farmers or coops located in the Tarapoto area when I go and I am hoping that if anyone has travelled to this particular they can give me some leads.

I see a strong future for Peruvian chocolate and I am hoping to be a part of this future in the exporting part of it to Canada.

sincerely Art

updated by @art erben: 04/19/15 05:24:27

Choco TT

Posted in: Opinion

If you are willing to pay 2.5 x the price of TT go with a small continuous tempering machine. You can get more info and discounts through this site.

Choco TT

Posted in: Opinion

Thank you. Anything else u would recommend for the same capacity?

Choco TT

Posted in: Opinion

I have a few for a couple of years now, I am not in love with them, but they work, haven't had any technical issues. They are no different from any other wheel machines out there.

Choco TT

Posted in: Opinion

Does anyone use the Choco TT by Bakon. I am considering it and want some feedback. Seriously, how bad can it be. It's Bacon (Bakon)
updated by @Corey Meyer: 04/10/15 19:04:42

vegan chocolate candy; non refined sugars

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Hi all,

I am new on the forum. I was wondering if they are some chocolatier on the forum specialized vegan chocolate candy and confectionery using non refined sugars. Is there a market for it?

It just crossed my mind as I am passionate about whole food, sustainability and chocolate...

Thank you

Regards,

Herve

updated by @Herve Leber: 05/03/15 10:34:17

Anyone use the Krebs LM45 spraygun?

Posted in: Uncategorized

Sorry for the late reply- we haven`t spent as much time on the forum as we should have.

There are a few reviews and videos on the KREBS website.

You can also use the KREBS LM25 multiSPRAY- it has less power but generally works really well with up to 75% chocolate / 25% cocoa butter- is cheaper and lighter compared to the LM45 and can be used for oils etc.

Or if you want a dedicated chocolate spray gun, then there is now a heated nozzle version hotCHOC that keeps the nozzles free and had hardly any messy over spray.

Anyone use the Krebs LM45 spraygun?

Posted in: Uncategorized

I am looking to purchase an airbrush/spraygun that is food safe. The only designated food safe item that I could find is the Krebs LM45. I've seen relevant posts on this topic but I'd like to hear more from others who've had experience with the LM45spraying chocolate/cocoa butter.

updated by @Serena ML: 04/10/15 15:43:28