spennie
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Posts posted by spennie
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9 hours ago, ptw1953 said:
I am wishing to purchase some black cocao butter, but it is scarcer than hobby-horse sh*te here in the UK. I do have some cocao butter, and some black fat-soluble powder. Tips and tricks for the making of black cocao butter at home would be most welcome...
ptw1953
I am from the U.K and get mine from Keylink . I have some coming tomorrow
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21 hours ago, RobertM said:
I have made a LOT of caramel over the years and
I use copper kettle(s) when I’m making larger quantities of caramel (I’m out of town, but will post a picture when I get home)for smaller batches, I use a Presto Electric Kitchen Pot. (If you go to some of the workshop posts you can see it being used by myself and others)
Yes please Robert i would love to see
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19 hours ago, pastrygirl said:
That's tiny. Since caramel needs so much room to expand and foam as it cooks, that seems impractical for all but the smallest batch.
I recommend a stainless steel stock pot with a heavy bottom, this 12 quart will hold at least 2 kg of caramel.
https://www.wayfair.com/kitchen-tabletop/pdp/cuisinart-stock-pot-with-lid-cui2499.html?piid=13675208
Thank you for getting back cant seem to open that link
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21 hours ago, Marmalade said:
Heavy copper kettle is best. 😀
really . Seems a few people use copper kettles . I have no idea to be honest
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10 minutes ago, Jim D. said:
Beautiful. I especially admire the perfect stripe in the second photo--very difficult to do in a tall dome like that.
Thank you Jim and you have always replied to my questions . I really appreciate it . I havent moved on to the HVLP still
. I dont know what happened but for some reason my Iwata Eclipse is working a treat . I m flying through moulds . Strange things is i have no idea why 😂😂😂
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Such a great forum . I have been coming back and forward for a couple of years now and always asking questions . I thought i wold pput up some of our work . These where done a fair while back
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https://www.mauvielusa.com/M-passion-Copper-Sugar-Saucepan-plu2194.html .
Im looking at the 3.7 quartz at the moment but think we could out grow it quickly
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Researching the best pan to do caramel in . Its a bit of a minefield .The one we have takes a while to conduct the heat and often splits or burns .Any pointers would be great
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On 5/8/2020 at 1:49 AM, Kerry Beal said:
In the past we have put solid PDF into a food processor or blender with some alcohol - then piped that into the mold.
Thank you x
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On 5/8/2020 at 3:05 PM, gfron1 said:
I've gone the route of fluid gels for many of mines, which is very similar to what Kerry said except using agar as the setting agent. But ultimately it gets hit with a stick blender and piped.
Thank you x
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I Wanted to ask how to go about piping Jelly or getting jelly into my bonbon moulds . Heated Jelly has a higher melting point to chocolate ,
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On 4/3/2020 at 9:29 PM, Jim D. said:
I have done more research on spray booths, specifically those that would fit on a table. Paasche has a couple of models that get mostly good reviews; only the larger one has a fan with a rather high cfm, which is the figure that counts because it is what draws the sprayed material out of the booth. The brand that seems to appeal to model painters willing to pay for quality is Pace, and again, only the largest model (36" wide) has a really powerful fan; Pace booths get some very positive reviews. Nearly all booths (and booths that one might construct from scratch) are designed for model painting and aim at getting fumes out of the air. I am not at all sure this is the same thing that concerns sprayers of cocoa butter as it is not fumes we worry about but the cocoa butter particles themselves. Another issue with the painters' spray booths is that they are usually designed with a sloping "roof" where the filter is, and that slope might make spraying chocolate molds very awkward. But all the setups of chocolatiers I saw in Las Vegas had this basic approach (though their chambers were larger)--use a powerful fan to draw the cocoa butter out of the booth.
So, as so often happens in a web search, I was led to a rather different way of looking at spray booths, these being specifically designed for confectioners, and in that rather specific area, one brand seems to be the principal one: CakeSafe. As is obvious from the name, it is aimed at cake bakeries, but it has two basic models, one for spraying airbrush color, the other specifically for spraying cocoa butter. The latter is, of course, what a chocolatier would need. Here is a photo of the least expensive model:
What is dramatically different about these booths is that they are not vented to the outside. I immediately questioned that, but the manufacturer's material insists it is not needed. The device consists of a plastic box with several layers of filters and a powerful fan behind them. The company makes the point that exhausting cocoa butter is not the goal; rather, it is capturing it so that it doesn't fly out into the air (and into the lungs). So the "pre-filter" is a piece of filter material that goes in front of the other filters and captures the overspray. Obviously it needs to be replaced rather often. The fan is there to create a vacuum-like effect to pull the cocoa butter toward the filters. The website features a very convincing video from a chocolatier for David Ramirez Chocolates in Orlando who shows off her spotless white chef's jacket after a period of airbrushing a chocolate mold.
The downside to the CakeSafe booths is their prices, which start at $710 with a hefty 650 cfm fan. The one in the video is $1,450. Welcome to the world of pricing for special confectionery items. I believe the booth works because this much seems clear from the video, but it is a price tag that keeps a possible customer from saying, "I'll just get one and give it a try and see if it works" (the idea of cleaning and shipping a used booth for a refund is daunting). The CakeSafe deviates so far from the norm (of sucking cocoa butter overspray out of the room and pulling it outdoors), that it makes one question the whole idea, but then again, the norm is spray booths built for spraying paint.
I wondered if @JeanneCake might have heard of the CakeSafe spray booths in her bakery or elsewhere. I would welcome any comments from others with spray booth experience.
Jim I literally bought this last week .Well sorry i will stop short there, i bought the airbrush version which was on sale at https://www.thecakedecoratingcompany.co.uk/ here in the UK .It was on offer down to £430 . I really need a spray booth as i am spraying at my mum at the only ventilation for the coco butter is having the windows open .This presents its own problem by changing the temperature of the coco butter .I thought this was the perfect solution to keep everyone happy .As soon as i turned the fan on i couldnt feel much power at all .My brother and i sprayed but it was taking nothing out of the air .I looked on line and then discovered that there was a upgraded version that worked well with coco butter .I had explained to the staff there ,what i was using if for as well and she said this will be fine .It the best booth i have seen . She told me .I do not know what to do as the price then goes up to £750 more than £300 more .However the one i have is a total waste of time
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On 3/15/2020 at 4:55 PM, Jim D. said:
I'm not Bentley, but I have a 2HP compressor. A more powerful one would have made it easier, but my compressor always managed to produce a supply of air for the HVLP gun. The issue was that it had to keep running almost all of the time.
Thank you Jim your replys are are alway appreciated. Could i ask what over compressor you use
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On 4/12/2019 at 1:56 AM, Bentley said:
Grizzly makes a mini gun, which has a smaller cup.
https://www.grizzly.com/products/Grizzly-Mini-HVLP-Spray-Gun-Stainless-Steel-Cup/H7670
I have used it and it works very well and does splattering nicely. I've never used the Fuji, but as you can tell, it gets great reviews. If cost doesn't matter, go for it - but the grizzly is $40. Pair it with a good 2-3 HP compressor and you'll still be under $300.
Could i ask what compressor your running the grizzly off
Thank you
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1 hour ago, Jim D. said:
The noise of the Fuji does not bother me much at all. It sounds very much like a typical vacuum cleaner (maybe more like a Shop Vac). To me, the sound of a regular compressor is louder, although it is not constant like that of the Fuji.
seems to be a hard topic to get a broad opinion on . I suppose thats because most peoples knowledge is chocolate
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1 hour ago, Kerry Beal said:
And it has a really long hose so you can put it in another room.
yes in the living room with my parents
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On 3/11/2020 at 12:24 AM, Jim D. said:
Are you asking whether overspray is an issue with HVLP guns? If so, then yes, it seems to be. The overspray on the Fuji is substantial, which is why I reserve it mostly for big projects. In fact, I think the only reasons for switching from airbrush to spray gun are the speed of the latter (faster coverage) and the size of the cup (longer spraying without reheating or refilling). And speaking of overspray, I'm less happy with my homemade spray booth (large box with air filter inserted into the back and a large industrial fan just outside the filter). Especially with colors containing lots of titanium dioxide, the cocoa butter released into the air is sometimes too much to put up with. Even with a respirator, I think I need venting to the outside...or a new set of lungs.
Still agonising over what set up to get . i want to make sure its big enough for potential growth in the business . i am put of the fuji system with the noice of the compressor .
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Hi Jim .Im back again .I have been away in Asia for a few months and now back to work and upscaling our chocolate project .Reading back on the comments .I am now concerned about The over spray of the fuji .However when you convert to a HVLP gun from any make is not a common problem .Today im looking at the SATAjet 1000 B HVLP Air Brush .This looks good as well .How about getting the HVLP thread up .Im sure that would be beneficial
Kind regards
Spencer
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On 11/6/2019 at 1:18 AM, Jim D. said:
@spennie, I'm glad you posted again about the Fuji because I have been thinking about how useful it would be to have a central place where Fuji users could exchange information, ask questions, etc. My impression is that there aren't many of us on eGullet, but there are at least a few. I thought about starting a separate topic but don't think there would be enough traffic. Perhaps we should enlarge the potential participants to all who use HVLP guns to spray cocoa butter. So if you are interested, let's do it here. I am confident that you will have many questions. I know I still do after using the Fuji for over a year, and new things keep coming up. One issue is that with the Fuji you will use a lot more cocoa butter. That's just the nature of an HVLP gun. I keep trying to find ways to cut down on the flow. I have learned that with Chef Rubber's metallic colors, which are very thick, it helps to add some plain cocoa butter. Yesterday I decided I would go back to my airbrush for a job, but after a long period of heating and reheating the airbrush and still getting very low flow, I brought out the Fuji and did the job in a couple of minutes.
Great idea Jim and your last sentence sums up why i need to get this system .I am ordering it here in the UK on Monday .Super excited and yes plenty of questions will be cropping up for ure
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29 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:
Get the whip hose and the remote for it, along with the small cup.
I have asked about the remote but they do not seem to know much about it .The small cup is that plastic or metal Kerry
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On 4/11/2019 at 2:27 AM, Jim D. said:
On the recommendation of @Kerry Beal, I got the Platinum Q4. There are also a few extras that make spraying more tolerable.
There is a special small cup that works quite well. I would be glad to tell you what else I bought besides the system itself and the needle that works the best, etc.
As far as regular HVLP guns go, you want to look for a mini-spray gun; they will have small spray cups that are tall and thin, thus requiring less cocoa butter. The same is true of the special cup for the Fuji..
Just on the verge of getting this set up are there any other items i would need with this kit .Thank you
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https://www.bambi-air.co.uk/products/view/professional-system . This a system that has been suggested
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15 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:
The Chocolate Lab has a Fuji. Perhaps others as well
Yes the Fuji seems a proven and tested system .However the noice level that you guys have mentioned, definately sounds to loud
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7 hours ago, Jim D. said:
I would say that depends on what you plan to use it for. At 1.5 HP it should handle an airbrush, but not an HVLP gun. If you are considering purchasing with an eye toward future needs (a constant theme with confectioners--considering the numerous eGullet mentions of equipment we all have that we have "outgrown"), I would try to get a more powerful one. As I wrote recently, my 2 HP compressor does not run a mini-HVLP gun satisfactorily. If I were doing it over, I would get at least a 3 HP, perhaps even more. You may be using an airbrush now, but are you completely certain your production will never rise to the point at which you will need to switch to a gun?
A very fair comment Jim .Would love to know what most commercial companies run .Say like the Chocolate lab .Thank you your feed back is always appreciated
Chocolates with that Showroom Finish, 2012 –
in Pastry & Baking
Posted
Its a london saying i think
. Its where i am from . Yes i take the airbrush apart a bit , unfortunately without the gin xxx