Cooking / pasteurizing ice cream on a commercial scale

[paulraphael]

Does anyone know of a appliance that can be used to cook medium-to-large volumes of thick liquid, like ice cream base, to a specific temperature for a specific time? 

 

I'm imagining capacities from one to twenty gallons. Something that would have the powers of stirring laboratory hot plate, or some of the powers of an instant pot. Ideally something that will work with a sealed lid. 

[Martin Fisher]

2 hours ago, paulraphael said:

Does anyone know of a appliance that can be used to cook medium-to-large volumes of thick liquid, like ice cream base, to a specific temperature for a specific time? 

 

I'm imagining capacities from one to twenty gallons. Something that would have the powers of stirring laboratory hot plate, or some of the powers of an instant pot. Ideally something that will work with a sealed lid. 

 

Yes, but they're extremely expensive.

They most be up to specs and be capable documenting temps, etc.

Twas the same back when my grandfather ran a creamery for 30+ years. The only difference is that the pasteurizer he was working with was much larger.

Well, and the 'rules' have very likely changed some over the years.

http://www.thevatpasteurizer.com/index.php

 

If you don't want something as precise—something for home use— I have other suggestions.

[paulraphael]

Without having a real sense of the workflow, these pasteurizers look about right. I'm not shopping for one for myself. People have been coming to me for consultation on making ice cream commercially, and I'm trying to figure out how to scale my methods. 

 

Back when I worked at an ice cream shop, we ordered our base from a dairy. This what just about every ice cream shop does. It was custom made for us, but still a compromise. It meant every flavor had to use the same base. I do my ice cream sous-vide, which is ok for a couple of quarts at a time, but would be ridiculous to try to scale.

[pastrygirl]

A few months ago I talked to a woman who was trying to sell one of these https://advancedgourmet.com/ott-freezer-masterchef/

 

she used it for cooking pate a choux, so definitely can handle thick ice cream, wanted $19k after two years of use, i don’t recall which size it was.  She was really enthusiastic about it, loved being able to push a few buttons and have consistent product. 

 

Or how about a steam-jacketed kettle?  

Edited June 18, 2018 by pastrygirl (log)

[paulraphael]

I'm just glad to know this whole product category exists. It seemed like it would have to; I just didn't know it would fall under the label "homogenizer." 

 

A steam-jacketed kettle doesn't look like it mixes or gives precise temperature control, so I don't think it's an option. The Masterchef gizmo is interesting. It's also an ice cream batch freezer. Bravo makes a batch freezer that can do all the mixing and cooking, although the guy I know who uses one professionally doesn't use these features, because it's impractical for him to have these functions in one machine. He wants to chill/age the mix for several hours before spinning, and this would put the whole machine out of commission for anything else.

 

I've been looking around, and lots of companies make pasteurizers or the equivalent in every imaginable size.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

8 hours ago, DiggingDogFarm said:

Yes, but they're extremely expensive.

 

But they are on sale!

 

Not to clutter paulraphael's thread, it would be kind of you to note your "home use" ideas over on the home-made ice cream thread:

https://forums.egullet.org/topic/152508-home-made-ice-cream-2015–/

 

[paulraphael]

For home use I've been using an immersion circulator, which does the job, but I think something more along the lines of a lab hot plate would be easier and more efficient. I'm even curious about the ubiquitous Instant Pot. Although that thing doesn't stir the ingredients, so it would be hard to know how much to trust the temperature reading.

 

I'm interested in other ideas. A fairly well sealed lid would be ideal, as would temperature accuracy within 1°C or better.

[pastrygirl]

Why does it have to be a sealed lid?

 

And how about a fire mixer?  I think they're only $15k or so, and they heat and stir, but I wonder if it would be problematic that they're designed for cooking candy to much hotter temps than you need for custard.  How low do they go? 

https://www.savagebros.com/p.1/firemixer-14-table-top-automatic-electric-cooker-mixer-with-plc-touch-screen-control.aspx

 

 

[Martin Fisher]

3 hours ago, paulraphael said:

I'm interested in other ideas. A fairly well sealed lid would be ideal, as would temperature accuracy within 1°C or better.

 

This is the other option I had in mind.

The 16 gallon would be less than $2000 with an added agitator.

A PID could be added, but I doubt that's necessary.

http://www.maxantindustries.com/bottling.html

 

[paulraphael]

1 hour ago, pastrygirl said:

Why does it have to be a sealed lid?

 

And how about a fire mixer?  I think they're only $15k or so, and they heat and stir, but I wonder if it would be problematic that they're designed for cooking candy to much hotter temps than you need for custard.  How low do they go? 

https://www.savagebros.com/p.1/firemixer-14-table-top-automatic-electric-cooker-mixer-with-plc-touch-screen-control.aspx

 

 

 

That thing's really cool, but a lid is important for my purposes. I work with aromatic ingredients and want to keep them in. Flavors like coffee would be diminished by 30 minutes or more cooking and agitating in an open pot.

[Martin Fisher]

2 minutes ago, paulraphael said:

 

That thing's really cool, but a lid is important for my purposes. I work with aromatic ingredients and want to keep them in. Flavors like coffee would be diminished by 30 minutes or more cooking and agitating in an open pot.

 They custom make lots of stuff. They'd have no problem fitting it with a lid.

[pastrygirl]

5 minutes ago, paulraphael said:

That thing's really cool, but a lid is important for my purposes.

 

It has a conical lid.  It's not shown in the video, but the product sheet denotes the special shaped lid holds in moisture.

[Kerry Beal]

How about a Bravo? 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

1 hour ago, Kerry Beal said:

How about a Bravo? 

 

High overrun??

 

[Kerry Beal]

5 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

High overrun??

 

When you just want a nice light airy ice-cream I guess?

[paulraphael]

The Italian makers consider most American or French style ice creams "high overrun." The normal gelato machines put in very little air ... I'd guess 10–20% overrun at most.