Hi Everyone,
First post and excited to chat…I have a 200lb Savage Brothers tempering machine and am having some slight issues with the settings. After melting, cooling and reheating, the Callebaut chocolate seems too thick when going into the molds. If I follow the temperatures as 120, 83, 87.8 I am not sure what the settings on the depositor should be so that they do not introduce bloom at that stage. Does anyone have heat settings they may have used for the depositor?
Basically, I am keeping the chocolate “cool” and in temper and then there is slight surface bloom on the backs of the bars.
Having used a Selmi before, we just slightly raised the temperature to get the flow right. Seemingly this is not working as this chocolate is thick.
The chocolate was a 1 drop that then had about 9% cocao butter added to thin it out.
We did not realize that this would be so thick as this is the first time creating bars or using this brand of chocolate. We are familiar with Felclin and Taza.
Is this a lecithin/ingredient issue? Or is this a temper temperature or depositor temperature issue?
Thanks
Gary
Thanks for the Timely response. Sorry it took me a minute to get back.
I believe that you are correct in that I just have to play with the temperatures more.
I have found that when I mention that I am in the LEGAL cannabis business to most manufacturers that they either do not want to work with you or are unfamiliar with the effect of the thc on the process.
The process depends on regulations.
Per savage, I have purchased parts, and its been a hassle to get them ordered and then shipped . Ive asked questions that seem very simple to me (like rebuild info, that I just did without getting a response) that go unanswered, and when I ask again, they act as if I never asked prior but still do not answer which is unacceptable with email these days. I mean like literally unanswered emails or emails with no follow up after contact. Im literally spending money and offering to pay.
I think Covid also really has harmed customer service as people are very overwhlemed…or now have an excuse. I am familiar with the operations.
Per Callebaut, I did ask some questions, again and have not heard back.
I really do blame the current state of affairs and thats why Ive turned to the net:) I know they are both extremely established and I think it will just take them time to get back to a normal communication schedule.
Im mechanical by nature and processes are easily created and followed and observed. I was hoping someone here might have experience taking a low fluidity chocolate and adding cocoa butter (and possibly lecithin as mentioned) to make it higher fluidity.
For this example, the product started at @30.7 % cocoa butter and this is in a 60% pure dark chocolate. Adding that 9% has taken the chocolate to @40%. this was the l 60 40. The main issue I think it may be is the time I am waiting after retemper for the crystals to redistribute. The temperatures are accurate through double checks.
I am thinking melt at 120, cool at 84 (thats the sweet spot right before the chocolate seizes, with this mixture) and then temper from 90. Im just not sure of another direction unless the answer would be more cocoa butter to get the percent in the low 40’s or how much lecithin. When we used Taza, we moved towards 45 percent since it was stone ground and with Felclin, we did not really have to add much, all things being equal, generally, all dark, thick, blended
Thank you so much for reading and contributing.
Gary
Gary –
The temperature recommendations on the bag are just that, recommendations. I am going to guess that the mid- and final-point temperatures are too low for your situation and this will be made more challenging when using the Savage despositor. You added 9% cocoa butter and it was still too thick?
What does Savage say? They have engineers with a lot of deep knowledge of the physics of their machines and probably have experience with the chocolate you’re struggling with.
What does Callebaut say? They have armies of chefs who work with the chocolate day in and day out.