{"id":188,"date":"2026-08-22T20:26:21","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T20:26:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/robdanger.com\/website_9241ff7a\/?p=188"},"modified":"2026-08-22T20:26:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T20:26:23","slug":"chocolate-attempt-number-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/robdanger.com\/website_9241ff7a\/chocolate-attempt-number-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Chocolate Attempt Number 4"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chocolate attempt number 4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Callebaut’s official tempering guide<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Yep, that\u2019s the one.<\/strong> \ud83c\udf6b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this is much better because now we have the actual Callebaut chart for your 811 right in this conversation<\/strong>. I\u2019ll use this chart as our source of truth for Attempt #4<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Callebaut 811 dark chocolate<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step<\/strong><\/td>Temperature<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead>
1. Melt<\/strong><\/td>113\u2013122\u00b0F (45\u201350\u00b0C)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
2. Cool \/ crystallize<\/strong><\/td>80.6\u00b0F (27\u00b0C)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
3. Bring back up<\/strong><\/td>87.8\u201389.6\u00b0F (31\u201332\u00b0C)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Upper point shown on curve<\/td>94.1\u00b0F (34.5\u00b0C)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Mold cooling<\/td>46.4\u201353.6\u00b0F (8\u201312\u00b0C)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd25<\/strong> 113\u2013122\u00b0F \u2192<\/strong> \u2744\ufe0f<\/strong> 80.6\u00b0F \u2192<\/strong> \ud83c\udf6b<\/strong> 87.8\u201389.6\u00b0F<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And because we’re molding bonbons, I’d like to aim near 89\u00b0F<\/strong>, comfortably inside Callebaut’s specified working range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me uh Let me ask you about mold cooling. I don’t have a place to make that temperature that low<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, totally fair. You don\u2019t need a dedicated cooling cabinet to make this work. How warm is your kitchen right now, roughly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

68 degrees<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, that\u2019s actually pretty good. At 68, you can just let the molds rest at room temp. No fridge is needed unless things go sideways. The fridge can risk condensation, which would lead to sticking and sugar bloom. If you had to use it, it would be very briefly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But at 68, I\u2019d skip the fridge completely. I know that sounds less technical, but sometimes controlled room temp is exactly what’s needed. Does that take a bit of the pressure off?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– On the. list you gave me, you said upper point temperature on the curve was 94 or something. You’re showing that to me and what is that- telling me<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One second, double checking that. All right, great question. So the 94.1 degree number is basically a kind of warning line. It’s not a target. It just means if your chocolate creeps up that high while you’re working, you’ll melt out the good crystals and lose temper. So for us, just focus on melting fully at 113 degrees Fahrenheit, cooling down to 80.6,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Cocoa Butter<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you We’ll get to that later Um. What… what i wanna ask now, first of all. is how, you- you- you know the bottles that they come in, the 7 oz bottles How do I get the chocolate out of there and if I have to put it back in, do I put it back in or do I save it into a different container<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hmm. Checking. The good news is, you don’t need to transfer it. You just gently warm the whole bottle until everything is fully melted, and then shake it well. Pour just a small amount you’ll actually use into a little cup or condiment cup. That’s what you dip into. If what’s left in the cup stays clean, you can pour it right back into the original bottle. But if there’s any doubt<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Yes, I can see it. That is the flip-top squeeze bottle<\/strong> I was talking about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you don’t need to remove the cap or transfer the whole bottle. Warm the bottle until the cocoa butter is completely melted, shake it very thoroughly<\/strong>, then flip the top open and squeeze a small amount into a little cup for your finger-swiping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chef Rubber site states that the bottles come already tempered, and if you don’t go above a certain temperature it stays that way. Is that true<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Checking. Yep, that’s correct and it changes what I’d have you do. These bottles are pre-tempered. As long as you don’t overheat them, you can keep that temper. Just warm gently until liquid. Shake well, and try to work around 86 degrees. Totally simpler.(www.reddit.com<\/a>, www.walmart.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How should I prepare a warm water bath<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fill a bowl or mug with warm tap water, around 105 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, so think comfortably warm, not hot. Set the closed cocoa butter bottle in it, let it sit a minute or so, then take it out, dry it completely, shake really well and check if it’s fully melted. If not, give it another short soak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This seems like it could take a really long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes. At about 100\u00b0F<\/strong>, that full 7-ounce bottle could take a while because you\u2019re trying to warm a fairly solid mass through plastic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your setup looks good, but I\u2019d make the bath warmer. Bring the water to roughly 110\u00b0F<\/strong>, then put the bottle back in. Keep the cap and neck above the water<\/strong>, exactly as you have them, so no water gets inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every few minutes, take the bottle out, dry it completely, shake\/knead it<\/strong>, then return it to the bath. That redistributes the melted cocoa butter and speeds things up considerably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And since we\u2019re specifically trying to preserve the Chef Rubber factory temper<\/strong>, I don\u2019t want to casually push the temperature higher than their recommended limit. We should use their actual specification rather than guessing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I get to the right temperature, do I just put it in the mold then?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes. Once the colored cocoa butter is fully fluid, thoroughly mixed, and at its proper working temperature<\/strong>, you can decorate the mold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the finger-swirl design you’re doing, though, I would not squeeze it directly from the bottle into the mold<\/strong>. Squeeze a small amount into a clean little cup, dip a clean gloved fingertip into it, then make your swipe inside each cavity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that, let the cocoa butter crystallize\/set before you pour in the tempered 811<\/strong>. We can handle that timing when you get there. \ud83c\udf6b\ud83c\udfa8<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So to reiterate, I need to take it up to110, Put it in my little cup, and then wait for it to go back down to86<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Checking. One moment. Okay. Since your Chef Rubber bottles arrive pre-tempered, I would not automatically take them to a 110. Instead, warm gently just until it’s fully
liquid , ideally around 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Then shake really well and use it right away. But if it accidentally goes much hotter than that, then you’d retemper it from scratch. So when you warm that bottle and shake it, does it go fully liquid or are there still little lumps inside?(www.reddit.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I get the temperature, you said we were goin- gonna make a test cavity<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exactly. One cavity first. Thin swipe of color, let it set a bit, and see how it behaves. If it sets nicely and doesn’t-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

kay What- what are we wha- how do we test that it’s set nicely<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just watch it, give it a minute or two, very lightly touch the edge. It should look matte, not smudgy. If it still smears, give it a little more time. Want to try that once it’s melted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is fully liquid, but I poured some out and it’s only like 85 degrees… which- which it would be warmer, but let’s tell me if that’s okay<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Checking. That’s right in the usable range. If it’s fluid enough give it a good stir and do one test cavity. Thin swipe. Wait2-5 minutes and check that it loses the wet shine and doesn’t smear when you barely touch it. If that passes, move on to the others. What color are you using first?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the way, I’m still waiting, but it look it’s, look, I think it’s looking okay<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sounds good. Smooth flow, no streaks. That’s your cue. Go ahead and do that test cavity swipe. Let it set 2 to 5 minutes, and then do the matte check. Tell me what you see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Definitely think I’m gonna have to. warm up my cocoa butter in the cup because it looks like it’s solidifying<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That makes sense. If it’s starting to thicken, just give it a gentle warm-up in short bursts, stirring in between. Keep it just above that 86 to 90 degree mark, fluid but not hot. Give it a water bath works great. Just no direct contact with the heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s the temperature I’m supposed to keep it at again<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep it around 86 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Fluid, not hot. If it thickens, short warm bath, dry, shake. Back in business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small-Batch Mango Ganache<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yield:<\/strong> Approximately 20\u201325 bonbons, depending on mold size<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n