Moulding
Depositing tempered chocolate into moulds, vibrating out air, and cooling it at a controlled rate.
Tempered chocolate is deposited into moulds, vibrated to release trapped air bubbles, and cooled. The cooling rate matters: too fast and the surface can bloom or the bar can crack; too slow and unstable crystals have time to form despite correct tempering.
Because correctly tempered chocolate contracts as it sets, a well-tempered bar releases from a polycarbonate mould essentially by itself. A bar that has to be forced out was not properly tempered — moulding is where a tempering failure becomes visible.
What it does
Forms the chocolate into its final shape and cools it at a rate that lets the form V crystal network set evenly throughout.
Why it matters
Cooling rate determines surface finish and structural integrity, and mould release is the practical test of whether tempering succeeded.
- Typical temperature
- 10–18°C
- Why the range is wide
- Cooling tunnel temperatures vary by product thickness and type. Domestic refrigeration is generally too cold and too humid, which is why home-moulded chocolate often blooms.
When it goes wrong
Air bubbles from insufficient vibration, and surface dullness or bloom from cooling too fast or in a humid environment.
Related
Defines
- Moulded chocolateThe step the category is named for. Correctly tempered chocolate contracts and releases by itself, which is why mould release is the practical test of temper.
Covered in
- From pod to barThe last stage before packaging.
Sources
- ChocolateHQ editorial synthesis — ChocolateHQ(citation identity confirmed; passage not re-read)
- The Science of Chocolate — Royal Society of Chemistry(citation identity confirmed; passage not re-read)