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Cleaning Chocolate Molds
I just made a batch of chocolates that taste great, but have bloom. I am suspecting the problem is the molds were not properly cleaned as there was no bloom on the chocolate on the bottom of the chocolates. I have had similiar problems before.
Does anybody have a suggestion for how to clean the molds really well by hand (I don't have a dishwasher), or is there a good cleaning solution to use?
Thanks.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by antonino allegra on -
Hi All, an update:
my friend (chemical engineer) says that 1 cup per 40 lit (S.H diluited at 40%) is safe (-ish) , just to be careful if in a concentrated form.
As for any "Hydroxide" chemical, there is risks of skin burn.
So if you get in contact with S.H., rinse your skin with running cold water for a good 5-10 min.
if it still burn after 1 hour or longer, just seek medical attention for precautions.
Take care!
Antonino
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Permalink Reply by Domantas Uzpalis on -
is somebody using a dishwasher for mold cleaning? it might be a great time saver if possible.
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Permalink Reply by Choc Man on -
All of my molds are polycarbonate. I spray them with lukewarm water until I can see no chocolate remnants. Then I fill the sink with lukewarm water and a little Palmolive and I splash each mold around in the water for a few seconds -- no washcloth or anything else. Then I rinse the molds with reverse osmosis water, rap them on the counter a couple of times, and let them air dry on towels. I have perfectly clean molds with zero water spots. Chocolates release beautifully and I never see any chocolate residue in the cavities themselves. They seem to be slowly but surely building a microscopic CB presence. I also wipe the molds and cavities with a shammy before each use. I've noticed no ill effects at all. But after reading through this thread I worry...
Am I woefully ignorant of something here?
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Permalink Reply by Anne Bennett on
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Every comment seems to be about cleaning the molds. Could it be that the molds were too cool? I know that's why chocolate sometimes sticks. I was told that molds are supposed to be 80 degrees. I use my warming oven. I also have a surface temp thermometer that is really helpful.
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Permalink Reply by Stefano Zullian on -
Thank you very much for all the information that has been shared. Would anyone please share supliers or brands used.
Thank youStefano
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Permalink Reply by Daniela Vasquez on -
You can slightly heat the mold before filling so there aren't any temperature shocks in the chocolate, also gives the chocolate a nice shine (even when it's not polished)
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Permalink Reply by Choc Man on
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True this!
I have two halogens in a stove hood. I used to place molds beneath the lights and they would warm. But I noticed that some warmed more or better than others. So now I lay a sheet of Al foil under up to six molds and the halogen lights warm them all very evenly. And, yes, the chocolates have a FANTASTIC shine to them. I really notice a difference when I forget to pre-warm the molds this way.
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Permalink Reply by Greg Gould on
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I used Sodium Hydroxide (lye) today for the first time and it worked pretty good. I used 15 cups of water to 2-1/2oz of pure fod grade lye. I thought the solution would do everything but some crevices on the undersides needed to be lightly scrubbed out. I used a potato brush.
How can I be sure all the washing solution is off the molds? I swish the molds around in clean water I change every 10 molds or so. Is that enough? I'm thinking of running the molds through my diswasher on rinse.
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Permalink Reply by Greg Gould on
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I got a film on every mold. I don't know what to do next. Clean them all by hand with soap? What went wrong?
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Permalink Reply by Brad Churchill on -
1. you didn't use HOT water
2. you didn't use enough Sodium Hydroxide. The water should be pink.
Dry them right after either with compressed air, or a microfibre cloth. They will look like new.
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Permalink Reply by Greg Gould on
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Tried it again with very very hot water and doubling the lye and I still have a film, just not as thick. I wish I had access to whatever solution you're using Brad, as I just have food grade lye, and now I'm out of that. A few questions:
Do you soak your molds in the Sodium Hydroxide solution for some amount if time or do you just swish them around in it?I'm rinsing the molds in a bucket of hot water. Maybe I want to run hot water from a sprayer?
I'm using a solution of 5 oz Sodium Hydroxide to 15 pints of water, or about 2% Sodium Hydroxide. Clearly that's not enough. What % do you think your solution comes out to?
I can't get any food grade lye around here, I have to order it. I can get pure Sodium Hydroxide crystals, but I don't know if it's food grade or what that means. It's sold as a drain cleaner. But if I rinse it, SH should be gone either way. Do you think that's safe?What's the brand name of the product you use?
What is the film? Is it soap (sodium hydroxide+fat from the cocoa butter=soap)? Can I just polish it off or should I clean the molds with Dawn?
I'm about to try a 4:1 solution of Greased Lightning on one of my molds that has the film. I'll post how it goes.
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Permalink Reply by Greg Gould on
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Greased Lightning leaves a scent on your molds so don't use it. I tried it on a mold I never use. Dawn and water got rid of the film.
I'll try Sodium Hydroxide again later.
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