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To Joanna,

Ok, if you not have the table no problem just use a table in aluminium or inox or hard surface (not wood). You can melt your chocolate in the traditional oven on 45/50°C for about 3 hours, if it is a small quantity.
Always be carefull with water! And microwave is not the perfect solution because you heat always some chocolate to hot and some not.
For the cacaobutter you dont have the best cristallisation if you dont work the chocolate like you have to and the result is a not shining chocolate.
I'm a professional and I try to avoid the use of a microwaveoven for chocolate, if possible, avoid bain-marie since it produces humidity and may affect chocolate texture.
Its is important to ensure the right melting of the paste so that there are no solid fat cristals (when seeding) in the couverture during the process.
So more than this I can't do, otherwise you have to follow a workshop, if you should be in Belgium you are always welcome...)

Geert

To you Joanna,

Yes indeed these are the temp. for dark chocolate!
For milk you have, for example Tanariva Lactée 33% from Valrhona, the next guidelines:
Tempering must be the same, first temp.45/48°, second temp. 27/28°C (is crystllisation) to become temperature ideal is 29/30°C.workingtemp.
White couverture: Ivoire from Valrhona, 45/48°C for about 12 houres (crucial to ensure that the cocoabutter is properly melted) second temp. 26/27°C to end at 28/29°C workingtemp.
You dont seed with not meld chocolate (because the not melted cacaobutter), for cooling!
You have to work the chocolate (lets say about 2/3) on a marbletable to do the cooling and become the second temp.,then you have to bring together both chocolates in a the large bowl where you still have the other 1/3 of warmer chocolate.
Never warm the mould and never use a fridge for the cooling!
Its about the moisture content in the fridge the chocolate will not be perfect glanze!
Just use a cooler place but not the fridge and remember the mould not warm, the environment temp. is perfect.

Greetings,
Geert
PS may be you can find on youtube how exact to work the chocolate on the marbletable.

Dear Joanna,

These are the provide guidelines for the tempering of couverture from Valrhona:

Optimized temperatures for a better use of the chocolate couvertures from Valrhona (see attachment).
1.You have the melting: melt all the couverture for about 12 houres: this is crucial to ensure that the cocoabutter is properly melted.
2.Check that the temperature is between 131/136°F 55/58°C
3. Temper the required amound of couverture, making sure that you always have some warm couverture in reserve.
4. Stir the mass regularly and check that it is at crystallisation temperature 82/84°CF 27-28/29°C
5. Stop cooling the mass and immediately raise the temperature to 88/90°C 31/32°C,
a/ by adding warm couverture at 131/136°F
b/ warming it in bain-marie
c/ warming it in the microwave oven (400/500W max, so as not to burn it)
6. Check that the couverture is at working at 88/90°F, and stir the mass regularly to ensure that the temperature, and thus cristallisation, is evenly distributed.

If you should have new moulds, keep them out of the fridge and make sure that these are proper, clean theme always with cotton. Make sure one's moulded to store theme for about 30' at a cool and dry place between 12/18°C.
Normaly this is wath you should do to have a perfect result!
If not dont forget practice is the best way to gave these results, I need to say some times I also have a result not satisfy!

Lots of succes and greetings from Belgium
Geert

Hello Joanna,

I saw you have some problems with the Majari chocolate from Valrhona. Thise chocolate is not the best chocolate for enrobing and not the easyst for tempering but normaly it can not be a problem if you take al the precautions where needed.
First I would like to ask you if you follow the tempering methode from Valrhona or not, or don't you have these?
If you don't have it I will send you thise methode because the chocolates from Valrhona are quite difficult for tempering.

Greetings
Geert

around 20% yes. What I did in the beginning when tempering by hand is to keep throwing in a handful. At first a large handful. Mix it in, it melts quickly, add more, it melts...I add more it gets to the point where it does not melt easily and then you are at working temp with a few lumps of chocolate that will not melt. Pick them out and you are ready to go.

20C is great. Leave it out for 20 mins -if you have a fan on it all the better. Then put in fridge for a few minutes and it should be ready. The longer you leave it the better. But it should be fine even after 20 mins-take a look at the back to see if it contracted. If it did not then pop in fridge.

Hi. Firstly, Clay suggested we do this thread on a new discussion or on the kitchen thread. Do you agree?
I think it is fine to do around 670g and then using a further approx 330 -it can be 700 and then about 350- you don't have to be exact!

"you say that if i am not sure it is tempered i should take down to 29 or so and then back up to 31-32 do you mean that when i am seeding i should purposely seed down to 29 and then microwave back up to 31-32?"

Yes that is what I mean, but do be careful not to go above the 31-2.

If the chocolate is thick after being tempered, heat up a half degree with a hairdryer to melt out some crystals. Witha bar there really should not be such air bubbles if the choc is not thick.

Also, have you tried using a different mold? A smaller shape? I would try that-even just circles of chocolate with no mold. Pour a bit onto a piece of acetate, move the acetate a bit to make a circle out of the chocolate and then cover gently-with another piece of acetate in such a way (press softly with a sponge or something so that the acetate can almost not be seen on top of the chocolate . After a few hours, remove the acetate and take a good look at the round circle of chocolate. I have a feeling your mold is the problem-or at least part of it.