Question regarding chocolate caramel pretzel rods

Every Christmas I make caramel chocolate dipped pretzel rods. For years I use to purchase a block of caramel from a local candy shoppe and I would roll pieces into ropes and then wrap them around 3/4 of the pretzel rod then dip that into milk chocolate.


I'd decorate them for Christmas after they had dried. A few years ago I started making my own caramel for caramel apples. So I decided instead of spending $$$ for caramel I'd use my homemade one.


The problem was, I'd wrap the rope around the pretzel rod but when I'd dip it in the chocolate, the caramel would start to lose its shape. Could it be because the caramel recipe I use is "buttery caramel" and that type of caramel just won't sustain the warm chocolate?


Or should I try cooking the caramel to the next cooking stage point? Right now I cook it to firm ball stage but should I cook it to hard ball stage instead?