The dreaded trough snout drip

[OneLegJohn]

Can anyone tell me the secret to preventing the drip that occurs after filling a single cavity in a mold? Each time a cavity it filled, the valve is closed. Before moving to the next valve, there is a glob of candy that hangs off of the trough valve. Primarily, this occurs on the smaller 1/3oz fancy leaf candy molds.

I have a theory, but I want to hear some one who can give me that small tip that makes all of the difference.

[wiam]

I do not close the valve between each cavity. Mine will drip when it is closed.

[OneLegJohn]

Are you saying you don't close the valve all the way? Doesn't that get messy between the cavities?

[maple flats]

We don't use anything with a valve, we use a plastic bowl with a pour spout. We just go from cavity to cavity. When cool we empty the cavities. The molded pieces get packaged and the crumbs go back into the pour bowl and get reheated as needed in the micro wave.

[wiam]

If you move quickly between there will be a small line. This breaks right off and goes back in the next batch if my kids don't get it first.

[upsmapleman]

I call that the sewing machine method.

[GeneralStark]

With the 1/3 oz. molds I also do not close the valve between cavities. I often make close to 400 leafs in one session this way, and as Wiam said the little chips get reused or eaten. I will also sometimes throw them in my "sample" bowl that I put out at the farmer's market.

[lew]

Never really thought about "why" it happens, it just does and i deal with it. When I make sugar I generally make 5 to 8 batches in a day, each batch is roughly 20 pounds. When running a batch through I just get in a rythem (you have to with opening and closing that valve so many times) and that little drip just goes into the bottom of the next empty mold. when I get finished with one mold I take a butter knife and "wipe" the bottom of the valve to get rid of that little drip and put it back in the trough to be turned into sugar.

[cucinacecilia]

I wonder how many people drizzle in between cavities and how many open and close the valve?

I used to drizzle in between cavities, but most of the candies had white crystals on the edge where the drizzle was attached. I think because it cools faster along the thin line of sugar. I didn't like the appearance and so started opening and closing the valve. And yes it might be faster to drizzle, and you can recycle the little tails, but who wants to take the time to collect the little tails.

There are pros and cons to both methods, and again, just wondering which method prevails.

Cecilia

[GeneralStark]

I think it partially really depends upon the type of valve your machine is equipped with. Mine is older and leaks a bit even when fully closed, and it can be a bit fussy.

[wiam]

I think it partially really depends upon the type of valve your machine is equipped with. Mine is older and leaks a bit even when fully closed, and it can be a bit fussy.

Same here.

[Mark]

If you have the ball valve that closes tighter it can cool the liquid and solidify in the vale easier.

[GeneralStark]

I made 45 lbs. of candy yesterday so I had the chance to mess around with my technique a bit. My trough valve is the old gate style that has a nut and bolt to hold the valve tight. After many uses it loosens up and starts to leak a bit more and this is why I have been not closing it between cavities on the 1/3 oz. candies. Yesterday I tweaked the valve a little bit and kept adjusting it and I was able to close the valve between cavities and the quality of the final product is definitely better. I think I will be adding a lock nut to try to keep the valve tight so as to not have to mess with it so much.

Additionally, I have also been experimenting with not letting the syrup cool so much as I had been. The last batch I did yesterday, I only let it cool for about 5 minutes. Essentially until all the bubbles disappear and the syrup looks slightly opaque. Then fire up the machine and wait until the syrup at the outlet of the trough starts to get slightly cloudy. With the warmer syrup I find that I don't have to worry about the syrup hardening up which has been the other reason I was not closing the valve between cavities on the smaller candies. Once again, this results in a superior product as well.