Making Cream with a Candy Machine

[SeanD]

I just made my first batch of cream using my candy machine using a half-gallon of Light that I have already used for candy. I make candy at 242 deg., so I aimed for 233 deg. with the cream. I cooled it to just under 70 degrees. I stirred it in the trough for more than 90 min. It turned a good color and it lost most of its gloss (though not all), but it never set up. The flavor and texture are very good, but it is not firm enough.

My guess is that I did not go high enough on the boil temp. Is that what determines the firmness of the cream?

My plan is to make another half-gallon batch tomorrow and go to a higher temp and cool it the same way. Then I'll add the soft cream I made today to the trough as the next batch begins to set up. I got the general idea for this in this thread: http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...ht=maple+cream

The results of the different strategies didn't get posted.

Before I chase good syrup after bad, I wanted to get some input here. How much higher should I go for a heavier batch? 236? It is supposed to be rainy tomorrow, so I don't know if I should add another degree for that, too.

I'm also going to put today's batch in the fridge for the night to see if that makes a difference.

Anyway, any input is greatly appreciated.

Sean

[SeanD]

Here are my results and a couple of conclusions for anyone else in the same boat:

I brought the next batch to 237 and cooled it down to about 68. I ran it through the trough and added some spoonfuls of the soft syrup. It turned into runny cream in the trough. I should have waited to add the soft cream. It seems like the soft cream seeded more soft cream.

I still had most of the taffy in the pig, so I poured off what was in the trough and set that aside. I cleaned up the trough and worm gear of all trace of cream and started from scratch. I got everything going again and this time I could see it setting up a little differently. After about 15 minutes, I shut off the motor and gave it a 1 minute rest. When I turned it back on, it set up very quickly - to the point that I thought it was getting too thick. I added a little of the soft cream from the previous batch and it softened up a bit. Maybe too much again.

I've decided trying to add runny cream to a firm batch in the trough doesn't work for me. It needs too much finesse that I just don't have yet. I think the best thing to do with the runny syrup is to add it or part of it to the next boil when I make more cream or candy.

Something else that is happening is I am losing perspective of what a good cream consistency should be. The batch I made today seems pretty good, but it's hard to be sure after seeing so much runny cream. Using "soft peanut butter" as a guide is a little to gray for me. Is there another indicator the way we have aproning for syrup or concrete has a slump test to know if it is thick enough?

For example, if I lay a spoon on top, should it stay there or gradually sink in? If I carve into it with a knife, should the void remain like jarred peanut butter does or should it fill back in on itself?

Sean

[GeneralStark]

When making cream with a candy machine, I have never stirred the cooled syrup in the trough for more than 2-10 minutes. This is generally without adding any seed cream. I wonder if stirring for so long may have something to do with what you are experiencing, though I am not sure you really have a problem. Is it possible you are over thinking this whole thing?

I find that the cream generally "sets up" in the container after it has been dispensed and ends up with a texture of peanut butter that is not runny, but not real thick either. Nice and spreadable with a smooth texture. The texture when it is room temp. and refrigerated shouldn't be too different ideally. If you freeze it, the texture will thicken up a bit but not too much.

The goal with the machine is to get smooth texture cream after it sets up in the container, not perfect cream in the trough. The flow out of the trough is the tricky part. If you are making thick cream in the trough it will clog. I would suggest that you try to start dispensing the cream before it looks like cream and instead when it starts to become slightly opaque. Set the first couple containers aside and see what happens.

[SeanD]

The second batch came out pretty good and I'm happy with it. It definitely set up more over time. I think the first batch just didn't boil high enough. The 237 I went to on the second batch is high, but the cream is not too hard at all. I haven't figured that one out, but I'm happy with what I got.

General, how fast do you fill from the trough. I had mine at about a pencil lead width and it was SLOW.

Sean

[GeneralStark]

Yes, it is pretty slow. This is one of the disadvantages to using a candy machine for making cream when comparing it to a gear pump machine, or a paddle machine. But, despite owning a paddle machine (which I use for making sugar), I really don't like having to scoop the cream into the containers from the round pan on the paddle machine. So, I will keep using the candy machine as it is much easier to dispense. I sell lots of 3oz. glass hex jars as people like to give them as gifts and they are considerably easier to fill directly from the candy machine.

When filling containers I generally have the trough valve wide open once its warmed up. Typically the column of cream is almost pencil width. Pencil lead seems a but thin from my experience. The last batch I did was 3 gallons of syrup to about 16 pounds of cream and it took about 45-40 minutes to do it.

[SeanD]

This is all really helpful. I can live with those rates and it gives me a good gauge of how I'm doing. I'll just keep practicing.

Thanks!

[SeanD]

I found a fix for my too-soft cream for anyone who runs into the same problem. I saved the soft batches in clear plastic containers in the fridge. After a couple of weeks I noticed about 2-3 mm of syrup separated to the top and the cream underneath was very firm. I poured off the syrup from the tops of all the containers into a measuring cup and stirred the cream underneath.

The stirred cream had a perfect consistency. If any part had been too firm, I could have added some of the syrup back in, but none of them needed it. I'll add the poured-off syrup to my next batch.

Sean

[Sugarmaker]

Cream is tough to make. Lots of variables. Sounds to me like your doing OK. We cool ours over night in a freezer and then warm the pan to get it out. Generally going to 232 or a smidge higher (20 degrees over where water boils. Check you thermometers for accuracy too. We are using a gear machine now Which really helps a lot, but the cream is a little soft same as you are making in your candy machine. We have made cream in the candy machine and seeding it in either machine helps speed up the process. Remember if it was easy everyone would be doing it
Keep working at it.
Regards,
Chris

[SeanD]

I just made another couple of batches of cream today and it couldn't have come out any better. I think my original problem might have been the taffy had not cooled enough. Today, just as it was getting down to about 79 and I thought I was just about there, I moved the thermometer to the middle of the mass and the temp shot up to 89 degrees. I'm wondering now if I was getting a false reading last time.

I realized only after the fact that the 1 lb. container does not fit well under the trough. Next time I'll put the machine up on a board or something.

Now, my focus will be on cutting down on the cooling time. That's just taking too long. I can get it down to about 85 or 90 degrees in an hour, but the last 10-15 degrees take another 30-40 minutes. I might try that freezer idea. Thanks for sharing it.

Sean