sugar fo a mould

[rzn]

so trying to do some higher math...

I want a poured sugar cylinder, about 2 1/4" diameter, 17-19" high. If I plan for the 19" (the length of the silpat I was planning on rolling into a tube for a mold) this gives me a vol of approx 302 cubic inches. When I do the conversion this would require 21C of liquid to fill? Does that sound right?

So, if I need 21C of boiling hot sugar to pour, besides having my head examined & going out to get new medical insurance, my basic recipe calls for 1c corn syrup, 1c water & 2c sugar. How far does this boil down? Do I plan on about the 2c that I put in as solid sugar or do I get about 2 1/2 ?? Anyone have any ideas?

Also anyone know where I can get bulk rootbeer flavor, the little tiny bottle I have apparently isn't going to go as far as I need. Wish I had a fancy cooking store close by.

[foodpump]

A poured sugar cylinder...hollow, right? How about pouring out a rectangular sheet, then when cool enough to handle, wrap around a cardboard tube. Maybe even "weld" the seams with a blowtorch when cold?...

[panini]

The sound of a silpat rolled up sounds dangerous. Get some 2 1/4" tubing.

Try ChefRubber

[rzn]

was going to do a solid cylinder.

how would I get the thing out of the tube? two silpats rolled & held w/ hose clamps not strong enough?

[panini]

Yea I guess. I have always used tubing that you cut away from the sugar. I believe there is a 2.5 X 12' in one of the sets at chefrubber.
pan
If you're comfortable with the sil, then use it.

[rzn]

have never done it, so have no comfort level either way, looking for readily availible, cheap, would do the job. Will look at the web site. Thank you. The two silpats together seemed pretty sturdy...

BTW, how do you get the stuff out of the vinyl tubing once you cut it? does it just come out or have you sprayed it first & if you spray it, how exactly do you grease the inside of a 1" diameter forever long vinyl tube like I've seen some people use in some of these show pieces?

[panini]

You cut down one side of the already hard sugar and peel away the tube. Then just detail with a small torch. I gotta believe you can buy the tubing at home depot. Make a support to hold the tubing. I use a piece of wood with holes drilled into it. I tie up the tube to a board in a shape that I want after pouring.. Clamp the bottom side and pour. I hold the tube at an angle to let the air excape as it fills and tie/shape it up after. Watch for air. If you have air that has to escape it will sometimes burp hot sugar. I always pour over a crappy floor.
Something goes wrong drop, the hose and scram. DO NOT TRY TO CATCH SOMETHING. I'm not talking down to ya, it happens and you don't think, just grab. Every time I'm doing something out of the ordinary I'm always thinking it will go wrong and what will I do to avoid burns.

[cakerookie]

Best bet is to get someone to cut the tube in half and cork the ends with playdough or plasticene. Then just pour the sugar into it, make sure it is greased is all. Then you can take a torch and lightly hit one piece and glue them together. You may have to shape up the ends. Just an idea.

Best Regards Cakerookie...

[rzn]

wouldn't think you were talking down to me, thanks for the warnings. Worked in a pathology lab for a number of years, learned to just let knives worth several thousand dollars that take several days to sharpen drop if you lost your grip on them. You would lose fingers or toes if you tried to grab, but people did anyway... nasty gashes. Safety first. Stuff is not always readily apparent if you haven't done it before. Most people don't know not to just walk straight up to the front of a horse either with their hand stuck out. Seems natural, but bad idea...

Anyway, back to the cylinder, will I really need about 18C and how much of my original recipe will I have to cook to get that much cooked sugar in one batch? Just seems like so much, but I've done the math umpteen times, done the conversion & even found an on-line conversion wizard to double check me since it seemed like so much.

The kids should have a ball, we will all have fun in the hospital together. Them in their diabetic comas, me with my burns...