Hi! First time on this blog! I was wondering, does anyone use a Selmi machine to temper and pour…

@madsstigborg – this is really a topic for another discussion. The original topic is about finding temper points.

The best and most efficient way to clean molds when you have 200 of them is a mold cleaning machine. My experience is that one of the keys to using molds is to make sure they are the right temperature, which is about the temperature of the chocolate that is being deposited into them. So, warming the molds before depositing chocolate into them is something to look at.

The best way to cool? How many molds a day are we talking about? What is the format of your mold (number of cavities and weight of chocolate in each cavity)? What’s your budget?

1) What’s the best and most efficient way to clean molds when you have say 200? I’m starting a bean-to-bar project in Denmark and have thought about this exactly. What does other medium scale producers do? Must be a pain to polished 100’s again anad again.. :)) 2) What’s the best way to cool molded chocolate in a bean-to-bar facility? Thanks so much for all the valuable info on this forum!

@DiscoverChoc I would be very grateful for some more of your thoughts on dirty molds and improper cooling actually. Like:

@Brookelynn – my pleasure!

@DiscoverChoc thank you so much! I will be trying this on Thursday. I’ve been in savory culinary for 20+ years, but I have only been working with chocolate for just over 1 year. So patience is something that I am still learning! lol! I really appreciate you getting back to me with these tips!!!

@Brookelynn – Welcome to TheChocolateLife!

Finding proper temper can be a challenge using continuous tempering machines if you’ve come from a batch tempering machine. If you’re using a commercial couverture, consult the packaging to discover the proper temperatures to use. These will be starting points and many need to be adjusted based on a number of factors, which include the working temperature of your workshop. Also, you need to make sure to wait until the proper temperatures have been reached and then wait a few minutes. One common issue is needing to be more patient.

If you don’t have starting temperatures, set the melting temperature to 45C and the cooling temperature to 30C. Test temper. You should now from experience whether the chocolate is too warm or does not get cold enough. Start adjusting the cooling temperature upward in 0.5C increments. You do have to wait for the temperatures to adjust. Only change one temp at a time.

If you get to 32C and the temper still doesn’t look right, then start adjusting the melting temp down in 0.5C increments until you hit the right combination. It can take a while – but it’s important to be patient.

Lack of shine on bars can also come from dirty molds and improper cooling, so take a look at those factors as well.