I knew there was someone here who had given good advice in the past!
This was quite helpful
That’s a good video.
Temperature is important in that beta crystals won’t form or remain when it’s too high, but having the ‘right’ temp doesn’t automatically mean you have beta crystals. Like she said, do a little test, add more un-melted chocolate, or just let it cool and stir for a few minutes more. Cooling and agitation both help with crystallization. Un-tempered chocolate will solidify in the fridge but won’t be as stable.
I’m not usually a fan of silicone molds but I see why most of t…
Also
Seeding or incomplete melting. Either way, you want a few un-melted pieces to add stable cocoa butter crystals as the chocolate cools from 95F to working temp of +/- 89F. You can temper as much or as little as needed, though for many things it helps to have extra you can re-temper the same chocolate over and over.
What are you trying to replicate?
I usually start with big blocks of Callebaut from WinCo so this was helpful too. I think it’s “811” and only 54%, and now I wonder if that’s part of the problem, but we really like the flavors. WinCo also has a 64 percent in those little disks.
For a large block like the 5kg ones that callebaut makes, first drop the wrapped block on the floor or whack it against the edge of a table a few times to break it up into manageable pieces. Then use a large knife to cut down the corners of all the large chunks.
Sometimes I sift things through a sieve to get rid of the dust then a perforated hotel pan to get the right size chunks.
For flakes of chocolate in ice cream, I melt chocolate, spread thin on parchment, and freeze, then crumble into f…
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