Tempering is the process by which stable cocoa butter crystals are formed. This gives us chocolate that shines and has the snap when we break it that we associate with fine chocolate. Tempering also allows chocolate to shrink as it cools and that allows chocolate molding, releasing from the mold as it cools.
As chocolate cools down to the tempering temperature wild crystallization occurs. Alpha, gamma, beta prime, beta double prime and beta crystals all form. Only the beta form is stable. As we heat the chocolate to the working temperature, we melt first the alpha, then the gamma, beta double prime, beta prime and leave only the stable beta crystals. If we over heat at this point we dissolve all the beta crystals and will have to do something to reintroduce the beta crystals we require.
As chocolate cools down to the tempering temperature wild crystallization occurs. Alpha, gamma, beta prime, beta double prime and beta crystals all form. Only the beta form is stable. As we heat the chocolate to the working temperature, we melt first the alpha, then the gamma, beta double prime, beta prime and leave only the stable beta crystals. If we over heat at this point we dissolve all the beta crystals and will have to do something to reintroduce the beta crystals we require.
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