Pulled Sugar for Dummies

[cakerookie]

Ewald and Susan Notter have one called "The Textbook of Sugar Pouring and Pulling" but it like everything else is expensive to about $100 from a bookstore in England off of E-Bay.

[ducky]

For an airbrush,check out some of the smaller Badger airbrushes. With the half off Michael's craft store coupon, mine ran $16. No compressor, works with canned air. Haven't tried it out yet, but got the tip from someone else that says Norman Love suggested them in a demo for working with colored cocoa butter.

[panini]

duck.
You will need a single action with a larger orifice for the cocoa butter, which yours probably is.
Use the can in small blasts. Longer sprays will make the can cold or freeze.
If you are looking at pumps, spend the extra money and get one with a holding tank. Much smoother action.

[cakerookie]

You can use a Wagner Power Painter to spray chocolate. I know this has nothing to do with cocoa butter. Use the power painter with an adjustable nozzle and make sure it has not been used for painting best buy it new. You can make templates and lay them over plates or something to make beautiful presentations. Just rattling on.

[ducky]

Wagner power painter is on my wish list.

[cakerookie]

ducky if you can get a hold of a copy of The Advanced Professional Pastry Chef or The Professional Pastry Chef it has a few good templates in it.

[ducky]

Cool! Thanks! I need to go through all the craft stencils I own and see what I have to work with. I remember picking up some really cool large asian themed pieces at the last rubber stampers convention if I can remember where I put them.

[SugarArtist]

In the recipe for pulled sugar, what is the purpose of the cream of tartar?

Thank you in advance to anyone that replies. This is my first posting.

[cakerookie]

The cream of tartar is an acid the reason it is used is to retard moisture. Sugar is hygroscopic which means it attracts moisture a taboo in sugar work. There are several acids you could use tartaric acid is the strongest, then the cream of tartar, you can also use vinegar, and ,lemon juice but it will cloud the sugar so stay away from it if possible. Are you using granulated or isomalt? Acids also help in keeping the sugar pliable for pulling. Hope I answered your question..

[SugarArtist]

CakeRookie

Thanks. I really appreciate it. I am using isomalt.

I've decided to spend some time working with sugar and testing the variables for working with it.

[cakerookie]

SugarArtists I think you will find plenty of variables when it come to sugar.
1).Humidity
2).Moisture
3).Storage
4).Hot
5).Cold
But you are doing right.Best way to learn is to jump in and do it. Glad I could help.

[panini]

SugarArtist,
I just wanted to make sure you are not using the acid with isomalt, it's really not necessary.
I was just going to tell you what I told the crew about Tartaric Acid.
It comes from grapes.
When you boil sugar, the sucrose inverts into smaller molocules of fructose and glucose. This helps it to clear . You then need to boil it past the point where the fructose and glucose molecules won't meld/recombine back together. Crystalize. The tartaric acid is used because it makes it even more difficult for this to happen.
This is just how I understand it. HTH
pan

[SugarArtist]

Panini and CakeRookie,

I really appreciate your comments. I am very familiar with Isomalt. It's what I taught myself to work with, but I have a project that I will need to have a better understanding of working with sugar.

Thanks for all your help!

[Igannon]

Is pulling and pouring sugar something that should be "played around with" at home, or should I look into taking a class first? Granted, there's always the danger of burning yourself, but is it something that needs to be learned with insturction, or experamentation?

[cakerookie]

Well I know I will get contridicted on this by someone. But you can experiment and work with it at home. Classes are great and will help you a lot if you have a school nearby that gives instruction in sugar work. It is both learned by experimentation and instruction its just however you want to procede. By one or both. I use to work with it a lot at home but was having to many tech problems so I have backed off of it for a while. If you want to learn it the best way is too get a recipe and the right equipment and go for it. You can do that while you are contemplating classes and such. Need any help I will be glad to help as I am sure everyone else here who does this will help.You are in the right place just hang with us...