The art of working with rare chocolates - our temperature leaflet guides you the way through the tempering process.
Troubleshooting
Working with chocolate - A little guide
Water
Chocolate and water don’t like each other. Even a single drop of water in a bowl of melted chocolate can lead to bad results. The crystal structure of the entire bowl of chocolate can break very rapidly and you'll end up with a grainy, broken mass that cannot be recovered.
Overcooling
A sudden drop of temperature at the beginning of the cooling phase (below 27.2°C/81°F) leads to the formation of lower crystals. Best to avoid this, but if it happens, you can reheat the chocolate and start again.
Overheating
You burn your chocolate if you heat it up to 62°C (145°F) or hotter. Once you have heated up to those temperatures, the chocolate “breaks” and you won’t be able to recover it. If chocolate hits this stage, you will have to head back to the store for a fresh batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
White Chocolate
Q: When I try to melt Original Beans Yuna (Edel Weiss) in bain marie or in the microwave, it burns quickly. What am I doing wrong?
Answer:
Original Beans white chocolate contains a higher cacao butter content and no emulgators. That's why it can sometimes seem, as if the chocolate doesn't melt, no matter how hot you make it. Be patient, keep the melting temperature (50 degrees Celsius is really sufficient!) and try to distribute the heat well by stirring.
Ganaches
Q: When I make a ganache, my chocolate seems to become quite thick and lumpy. What am I doing wrong?
Answer:
Original Beans chocolates don't use emulgators such as lecithin. When you heat Original Beans chocolates the cacao butter may separate from the cacao mass more easily than you are used to. Adapt your recipe for example by decreasing the temperature difference between your chocolate and your cream. It often helps to let the cream cool off for a while after cooking, and then pour it over the chocolate at room temperature.
For real-time troubleshooting you can contact Ted Steinebach, our team's pastry chef and former Eleven Madison pastry chef via professionals@originalbeans.com
