Chocolate-Tempering Equipment and Techniques

1 Chocolate-Tempering Equipment and Techniques The advantages and disadvantages of the four major styles of tempering Equipment . Joe Sofia Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate important. We need roughly 2 to 4 percent T here are various types of Equipment and Techniques used for tempering of the cocoa butter crystallized while the other 96 to 98 percent remains in the liquid chocolate. Advantages and disadvantages of the four major styles of tempering equip- phase. These crystals must be well distrib- ment, used for both large-scale and small- uted throughout the liquid chocolate. scale confectionery applications, are dis- To produce the right number and size of cussed here.

2 tempering Equipment design stable Form V crystals, agitation is one must take into account three important vari- important variable. As a result, some means of mixing or agitation must be part of any Joe Sofia is Cargill ables crucial to the tempering process . Cocoa & Chocolate's agitation, temperature and time. In order tempering machine. We teach budding chocolate specialist to choose the appropriate tempering chocolatiers to temper with a very simple and an instructor for machine, users must have a basic under- method: stirring chocolate chunks into a Cargill's Chocolatier's Workshop. He worked standing of tempering and how these vari- bowl of untempered chocolate with a spat- for Nestl USA and ables affect the process.

3 Criteria for evalu- ula. The best results are achieved by the stu- Peter's Chocolate prior ating tempering Equipment include ease of dents who diligently scrape the bowl and to his current role. changeover and cleanout, production capac- keep the chunks moving throughout the liq- ity and operational complexity. uid chocolate. Another factor related to agi- tation is shear. In a tempering machine, DEFINITION OF tempering shear takes place where there is scraping Temper can be defined as the induced par- against the cooling surface. More shearing tial pre-crystallization of cocoa butter. will help create more crystals, while excess However, it is not just any cocoa butter crys- shearing creates too many.

4 Mae West said tal we seek; for optimal final results the sta- too much of a good thing can be wonder- ble Form V crystal, also known as crystal, ful, but in the case of tempering , too many is the goal. In addition to quality cocoa but- crystals can create problems down the line. ter crystals, the correct quantity is also Over time, the small, newly formed cocoa . The Manufacturing Confectioner December 2013 73. Chocolate-Tempering Equipment and Techniques By choosing the butter crystals will grow larger and more one hand and a flat metal spatula in the appropriate resistant to melting or, in other words, they other. When the milk chocolate became a temperatures mature.

5 This makes time another meaning- thick mush at approximately 78 F, I quickly throughout the ful variable of tempering . The crystal trans- removed it from the chilled table and trans- tempering process, formations of cocoa butter do not happen ferred it into a bowl, and added enough we can induce instantaneously they also take time. warm chocolate to bring it up to 84 to crystal formation, Temperature is perhaps the most critical 85 F. Through trial and error, I learned that maintain a variable of tempering . By choosing the letting the mush get too cold on the table constant crystal appropriate temperatures throughout the would result in a solidified mass that I.

6 Population or melt tempering process, we can induce crystal could not work with. Once I perfected that away undesirable formation, maintain a constant crystal pop- part of the process, I also learned that crystals. ulation or melt away undesirable crystals. adding too much warm chocolate to the Quite simply, a tempering machine is a heat mush would bring the temperature up exchanger. The temperature control must higher than 85 F, which resulted in poorly be precise, and the temperature readings tempered chocolate. Over time, I found must be accurate in tempering Equipment . that I achieved better results and finished Tempered chocolate, therefore, can be faster when I cleanly and swiftly scraped defined as approximately 3 percent Form V the table and mixed the chocolate.

7 With cocoa butter crystals that are well distrib- enough practice I was able to consistently uted in liquid chocolate, held at the correct duplicate the procedure and temper choco- temperature and appropriately mixed to late whenever it was required. But I did maintain the desired quantity of crystals. not understand the principles of tempering : the difference between stable and unstable CRYSTAL FORMATION cocoa butter crystals, the importance of There are many ways to temper chocolate agitation and shearing, and the distinction and many different types of Equipment to between undertempered versus overtem- achieve this goal. However, all of these pered chocolate.

8 Options can be divided into two groups: As it turns out, the mush method is a fast those that internally create the Form V and efficient way to temper a small batch of cocoa butter crystals, referred to as the chocolate. It is also one of the Techniques mush method, and those that rely on an that creates the Form V crystals. external source of Form V cocoa butter tempering Techniques and machines that crystals, referred to as the seed method. create the Form V cocoa butter crystals have Most tempering Equipment is designed to to utilize temperatures cold enough to grow operate by one means or the other, but the unstable crystal forms first, which then some can be used both ways.

9 Transform into the stable Form V crystals. A warming step to a temperature above the Mush Method melting point of these unstable crystals fin- I can still remember the first time I was ishes the job. That is, the remaining unstable taught to temper chocolate, using the mush crystals either melt out or transform to method of cooling untempered chocolate Form V. It is this approach, organically cre- on a chilled, stainless steel table. I was ating the Form V crystals, that most stacked instructed to manipulate the chocolate plate-type and scraped-surface, screw-type around the table with a metal scraper in tempering machines use.. 74 December 2013 The Manufacturing Confectioner Chocolate-Tempering Equipment and Techniques One advantage to this approach is less ferred to the untempered liquid chocolate, The second group likelihood of creating overtempered choco- resulting in our desired endpoint.

10 Scraped- of tempering late. Overtempered chocolate can become surface, rotating bowl-type tempering Techniques and extremely viscous, creating potential prob- machines utilize this approach. Some older- Equipment relies on lems including difficulty pumping the style enrobers were designed to be oper- an external source chocolate, heavy weight of enrobed fin- ated using powdered chocolate for seed to of Form V cocoa ished pieces and air bubbles in moulded start the tempering process within the butter crystals. We pieces. This method is less likely to enrobing tank. Also, this seed- tempering typically refer to overtemper chocolate because there is typ- approach can be applied to tempering these sources as ically not a long residence time.