Cleaning your Tempering Unit

SAFETY WARNING!

Take extreme precaution when water-cleaning your tempering unit to avoid electrocution or damaging your equipment. Exposing any of the electrical components to water while your unit is plugged in and powered on can cause extreme harm to yourself and your equipment. For this reason, we only recommend water cleaning your unit if it is absolutely necessary. Tomric Systems is not responsible for any harm or damage caused by improper handling of your equipment.

The instructions provided here are for guidance only, you may find with your chocolate and inclusions that some steps need to be modified. Note that the water cleaning instructions can only be done on the EX style machines from Selmi. Never introduce water to a Selmi One, Selmi Legend, or Selmi Cento as water can get trapped and cause microbiological growth.

VIDEO GUIDES

Watch the videos below for a visual guide on how to clean your tempering units before you get started!

Step 1: Basic Cleaning

Step 2: Water Cleaning

STEP 1: Empty chocolate out of the machine.

With the chocolate in temper, pump the chocolate out of the spout and capture it in large containers. For easy storage, we recommend the Tomric 10lb bar molds.
Once you have emptied as much chocolate as possible out of machine, take it out of temper, and heat the bowl to 125 degrees F (51 degrees C).
Stop the mixer from spinning and remove the mixer paddle. Scrape off any excess chocolate to save it. Then clean it in your sink and let dry completely. Leave the paddle off the machine for the remainder of the cleaning process.
Scrape the bowl with a plastic or rubber spatula to get as much chocolate out as possible. You will need to stop and start the spout periodically while you push chocolate down the drain. Continue to scrape, push chocolate down, turn on the spout, capture chocolate, and repeat.
- Optional: You can use a bottle brush to push the chocolate through the grate to get even more out if you’re trying to preserve as much chocolate as possi

STEP 2: Remove spout for cleaning.

NOTE: Some customers will start pouring water in their machine right away at this point, but we recommend you remove the screw and spout to collect and clean as much chocolate out of the inside of the machine as you can before adding water.

Leave the heaters on throughout this process but stop the mixer and spout from moving.
Open the top of the machine. To do this, first unscrew the two nuts on the top back of the machine. After removing them, the top lid of the machine can be opened and positioned up while you work.
Remove the white spout by unscrewing the thermostat (and removing it) and the black thumb screw holding it in. With the screw loosened, you can remove the metal bar holding the spout in place and it can be pulled free. Clean in your sink and dry completely.
The top pipe that the spout was connected to will have chocolate sitting in it, this can be pushed out with a bottle brush or rag and back into the back column of the screw.

STEP 3: Remove Screw for cleaning.

NOTE: only the EX models can have the screw removed easily. Selmi One, Legend, and Cento units can only have the screw removed by disconnecting the pump motor and pulling the screw up and out of the machine.

Remove the left side panel of the machine (or back panel of machine of the Top EX). Start by loosening the four hex-head screws and then lift the panel up and out. Set the panel aside.
Inside the machine you will see a red ball valve (shut off valve) on the bottom of where the screw ends. Place a bucket or 10lb mold underneath this valve and then open it to capture any chocolate left in the column. It helps to also turn the screw back and forth with your hand at the top of the machine where it is connected.

CAUTION: While inside the machine, take note that the heaters are still on and multiple parts inside the machine could be very hot. Pay particular attention to the base of the screw and a shiny chrome collar – this is extremely hot and will burn you if touched.

Leave the valve open and pull up on the large metal lever to unlock the bottom of the screw and slide it open. More chocolate will come out. The screw will not fall out as it is still screwed in at the top of the machine.
With the help of someone else, hold the bottom of the screw so it does not fall. Then, unscrew the black thumb screw at the very top of the screw where you removed the top cover earlier.
Once unscrewed, the entire screw will be loose, and you can slide it down and out. Depending on your model, you will have different styles of catch trays inside the machine to help capture the dripping chocolate and to help hold the screw. On Plus EX units, there is a small metal cannister that fits in a hole in the bottom of the machine. Top EX units have a large square metal tray and the screw itself has a hinge in the middle that allows it to bend so you can remove it.
Once removed, this screw can be scraped clean to preserve more chocolate, then washed with hot water in a sink.
If you intend to do a full water-clean, you can immediately put the screw back in. Otherwise, let the screw dry completely.
All that is left in the machine at this point is the chocolate inside the column itself and the sleuss between the bowl and column.
Put the cleaned and dried spout and thermostat back on the machine. Secure them both.
Put the cleaned and dried screw back into the machine. Secure both the top screw and bottom latch/lever.

STEP 4: Clean with water.

WARNING: Take extreme precaution when water-cleaning your tempering unit to avoid electrocution or damaging your equipment. Exposing any of the electrical components to water while your unit is plugged in and powered on can cause extreme harm to yourself and your equipment. For this reason, we only recommend water cleaning your unit if it is absolutely necessary. Tomric Systems is not responsible for any harm or damage caused by improper handling of your equipment.

NOTE: Any time water is introduced to chocolate, you must ensure ALL the chocolate is removed, and the unit is completely dry before reintroducing chocolate to the machine. Failure to do this will cause microbiological growth inside your machine.

NOTE: To assist with flushing water through your tempering unit, Tomric sells a water cleaning kit consisting of pipes and hoses that connect to standard hose thread and to the Selmi spout. While not required to clean the machine, it does make it easier. These instructions assume you have these hoses.

Connect the main hose from the cleaning kit to the spout (same hose as the Selmi enrobers) and connect the other end to your water supply (hot water).
Connect the drain line to the bottom of the shut-off-valve and run to a drain that has a grease trap. Without a grease trap, chocolate will clog your drain lines like any other type of fat.
With the drain valve open, turn on the hot water and allow the water to flow through the tempering machine. Water will come up through the bowl at times.
Keep the water flowing through the unit until it runs completely clear and there is no visible chocolate in the grate in the bowl.
It can also help to pour hot water directly into the bowl to flush water from another direction.
Once the water runs clear with no signs of chocolate, turn off the water and wipe down all surfaces.
Remove all water hoses.
Open the main lever that holds the screw in place to wipe the inside completely dry, as some chocolate and water will usually remain inside this area.
Close and secure the screw again.
IMPORTANT: Shut off the drain valve. If you don’t, you will dump chocolate all over the inside of your machine and on the floor the next time you use it.
Return the side panel and close the machine.
With the heaters on, leave overnight to dry completely (8 to 10 hours). Depending on your environment, you may need more or less time.
After the machine is completely dry, you can resume using it as usual.

Thank you again for choosing Tomric and Selmi for your business. If you have any questions about this process or using your equipment, please contact us at [email protected] or [email protected] OR fill out the form below and we will get back to you.

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