Tempered chocolate thickens
I have now twice experienced that when I'm tempering dark chocolate is becomes incredibly thick - almost solid- in the cooling phase When it happens I will accidentally heat it up to much as to get it into a texture where I can work with it. (I make filled chocolates)
I use real chocolate, a water-free heating device, the right tempering method, and a good thermometer, so I have no idea why this happens
The chocolates usually turn out okay, but it's frustrating that I can't figure out, what I'm doing wrong
I hope someone out there can help me with some advice! Thank you on beforehand!
Best Answer
Based on what you’ve written, i can think of two possible reasons why you’re getting thick tempered chocolate.
As the ratio of cocoa solids increase, the viscosity of your melted chocolate will increase. If your chocolate is high on solid content, you might need a bit more cocoa butter to decrease viscosity.
Even though, you have a water-free heating device; due to the moisture of the environment and condensation caused by cold could introduce some water into your chocolate. Adding something to bind the water might help, the go-to emulsifier to bind some water is Lecithin. 0.5% to 1% Lecithin could help with binding the water, thus reducing the viscosity in a couple of minutes.
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Quick Answer about "Tempered chocolate thickens"
Tempering Chocolate by Microwave: Add remaining chocolate in small amounts while stirring. Be sure that the pieces are completely melted before adding more. The chocolate will thicken and become cool, shiny, and smooth as you continue stirring and “seeding” it by adding additional small amounts.Why is my tempered chocolate so thick?
As you stir the chocolate mass over time at the working temperature, you create more V-form crystals which makes the chocolate mass thicker until it's hard to work with, even though it's still in temper.Does tempered chocolate harden?
If the chocolate is in temper it will harden quite quickly (within 3 to 5 minutes) and become firm and shiny.How do you thin out tempered chocolate?
How to Thin Out ChocolateDoes tempered chocolate harden evenly?
If the chocolate has been correctly tempered it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.How to Temper Chocolate Three Easy Ways!
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Answer 2
The dark chocolate has less fat, thus it's more dense. You can adjust by adding some flavorless fat like coconut oil or cocoa butter; or even combining with a fat that enhance the taste of the chocolate, like hazelnut oil.
I'm not sure if this will impact the tempering, but when I use melted chocolate I like to add some coffee.
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