Static Electricity

[TNTreeHugger]

Wondering if one of you smart guys has any suggestions on how to solve this problem... static electricity when grating chocolate.

I was grating a block of chocolate this morning and as usual when I finished grating the chocolate slivers jumped everywhere - even all over the front of my shirt, like they were metal shavings and I was a magnet.
This is the second plateful:

I just googled and see it's a common problem for bakers everywhere.

Static Electricityin Chocolate - Can I get rid of it? - #7 by Munch - General Questions - Straight Dope Message Board

The Static Electricity Voltage of Chocolate - Or, How Many Electrons are in Your Semisweet? This is my first thread start so please be patient with me! When Julia Child was approaching her 85th birthday, the Candy and …

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Any suggestions on how to grate chocolate without the static buildup?

 

[cookies]

increase humidity, electronics ground strap

 

[1Alpha1]

Yup.....lack of humidity! Here, it can get real dry. It's very common to touch something and get shocked.

Maybe invest in a roll-around humidifier if you don't have one.

 

[anlrolfe]

Differant type of bowl, try Stainless versus plastic. You may be creating a capacitor with the plastic bowl as the dielectric.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Don't think lack of humidity is an issue today - 100% humidity outside and I keep the windows cracked a little all the time... could be a tad dry inside though with the electric heat running.
Will try a metal bowl next time and also order an electronics wrist strap.
That was the last of a 1lb block... time to order more of that, too.

Thanks for the suggestions.

What causes it to do that? The lack of moisture in the chocolate? I've never seen salt, baking soda, or flour do that.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

So, how does this work?


Looks like all it is, is a piece of wire touching your wrist and a roach clip at the other end... what do you clip it to?

 

[SS396driver]

Depending on the outside temp 100% humidity could be 25 or 30% in the house at 70° . My house stays around 45 % at 70° Because the water table is high around foundation of my house . Curtain drain runs all winter

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Depending on the outside temp 100% humidity could be 25 or 30% in the house at 70° . My house stays around 45 % at 70° Because the water table is high around foundation of my house . Curtain drain runs all winter

I've been running a vaporizer for a couple of weeks, but unplugged it when all the rain started.
I'm so used to the opposite condition in the farmhouse, damp, mildewy, and moldy, that I rarely think to add humidity here.
So, about the wrist strap... would a thin piece of wire wrapped around my wrist and the other end tied to a cabinet, or something work? Or, is it something fancy I need to buy?

 

[Jersey Bob]

So, how does this work?
View attachment 889892

Looks like all it is, is a piece of wire touching your wrist and a roach clip at the other end... what do you clip it to?

You clip it to something that is grounded. It doesn’t connect you directly to ground, it is dissipative, so it constantly bleeds off static electricity.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

You clip it to something that is grounded. It doesn’t connect you directly to ground, it is dissipative, so it constantly bleeds off static electricity.

What if the static is in the chocolate?

 

[Jersey Bob]

What if the static is in the chocolate?
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Are you using a metal grater to grate the chocolate? If so, by holder the grater while wearing the wrist strap will dissipate the static. Anything in contact with a person wearing a wrist strap will not build up a charge.

 

[esshup]

Look for a Humidity gauge on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-0032...ocphy=9016230&hvtargid=pla-351043362615&psc=1

I run 3 humidifiers in the house and I only have 16-25% humidity with all 3 of them running. Each one holds 1.2 gallons of water and I fill them up 2x day. Still not enough. You want around 30-40% in the house to stop the static electricity. I need to replace the central heat & A/C unit and when I do it will also include a whole house humidifier.

 

[edisto]

I've been running a vaporizer for a couple of weeks, but unplugged it when all the rain started.
I'm so used to the opposite condition in the farmhouse, damp, mildewy, and moldy, that I rarely think to add humidity here.
So, about the wrist strap... would a thin piece of wire wrapped around my wrist and the other end tied to a cabinet, or something work? Or, is it something fancy I need to buy?

It might be better to ground the grater instead of yourself.

Or use ground chocolate.










Ba dum...ching.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Look for a Humidity gauge on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-0032...ocphy=9016230&hvtargid=pla-351043362615&psc=1

I run 3 humidifiers in the house and I only have 16-25% humidity with all 3 of them running. Each one holds 1.2 gallons of water and I fill them up 2x day. Still not enough. You want around 30-40% in the house to stop the static electricity. I need to replace the central heat & A/C unit and when I do it will also include a whole house humidifier.

Hmm, you reminded me I already have a couple of those - they were my dads.
Looks like my house humidity is just about right.

 

[esshup]

If you are still having static electricity problems, then bump the humidity by 5% until the problems go away.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

If you are still having static electricity problems, then bump the humidity by 5% until the problems go away.

Got the vaporizer plugged back in. Also, my anti-static wrist band arrived today. All ready for the next time I grate chocolate.