Sugar Art questions...

[panini]

Oh Boy.
where to start.
Foodpump, I used to feel exactly as you do. But as in most industries there have evolved specialist. The old addage of paying your dues in not in my vocabulary anymore. Since I have changed my attitude, I have been able to bring people along at quite a rapid pace. I agree, they should never call these schools, chef school, they are culinary schools.
Mike,
I think in some of those sites I saved and shot you there is a page of different levels of boiled sugar. I am going to suggest that you start with the basics. Boiling your sugar is the hard part. Boil some and experiment with the different stages and see if you can identify them. Then bring up some caramel, etc. Don't jump into boiling for pulling or blowing, you will set yourself up for dissapointment. Let the sugar teach you. The very nice thing about it, it is a very cheap medium.
This is going to sound quircky, but you must become one with your medium to be sucessful. Someone who is looking for a career who can blow sugar but can't make caramel is really useless to the operation.
Those, Just some thoughts.
If you let the sugar teach you most of your questions will be answered. I did the,take class thing before I learned about sugar. I dabbled from year to year getting by with producing nice pieces. But not till recently(thanks to CR) have I begun to really learn about sugar.
Does this make sense?
pan
I'm going to shoot you a pic of my office where we keep all our sugar and chocolate tools and offer it to you or any other student who wishes to travel to play. We are actually starting in January, in house, and will be doing it for a while. We have some local students and bakery persons alread interested, and doing as much research as possible.I have acquired a few very upscale restaurant accounts starting in 06 where I hope to adorn some of our pastries with sugar and chocolate.I also have some very moderate accomodations for one( but the food is great)

[cakerookie]

Pan wrote:

Don't jump into boiling for pulling or blowing, you will set yourself up for dissapointment.

Totally agree with Pan. Pulling and blowing may sound easy. But believe me its not. Like Pan said a while back

"This is not easy. If it were everyone would be doing it.

Casting sugar to start is the best practice would'nt you agree Pan?

Hey Pan have you checked out the website. Let me know what you think. Its not done yet but its coming along. Would really like if you and CH took a look I respect you guys opinion a lot.

[cakerookie]

Well I see you looked at the site Pan what do you think?

[panini]

Actually not. In my long draw out previous post I mentioned I think it is important to learn about the sugar. To sum up, I always viewed sugar as an ingredient. Lately I have viewed it as a medium, like ice .I think the process will be speedy if you let the sugar teach you. I have done something with sugar each day for the last couple of months. Today I had some time and noticed a bag on the scaling bench with a little sugar in it that looked dirty. Not from the outside. So I grabbed the copper and boiled, simmered,rolled, just to see what the impurities did. I never new that if you take sugar from a steady boil to lower, some of the impurities sink and dissapear. I think these type of things are just as important in the learning step.
CR saw the website. I'll PM you. Nothing bad

[momoreg]

News to me too, about the lowering of the temp, Panini.

Not that I've worked with sugar at all in the past 10 yrs., but good to know anyway!

[panini]

well, I'm letting the sugar teach me. There have been many times when I have slowed the process a bit, then skimmed. Times it would crystalize and not know why.

[Mike Hartman]

Everything you all mentioned, I WILL be taking in to account. Valuable knowledge, most definately! Again, not to sound rude... , there is another question I would like to ask...
How do I start and what is the process and temperatures I must go through. Could you give me a summary of what I have to do to go about doing this? Those articles mentioned earlier gave me a list of things I need, but it did not mention the process to going about doing it. Like, at what temperature should I take the pot of carmalizing sugar off the stove, etc. I just now need to know the process. (Sorry if it seems like I'm draggin this post out. Just a new guy learning something new. )
Very much appreciated,
Mike Hartman

P.S. - I do understand what you what you are talking about when you said let the sugar teach me. I'm really looking forward to learning the many ways of sugar!

[cakerookie]

Most recipes call for 295 to 305F for removal from the heat. Best too take it off a few degrees before it reaches temp because the hot sugar will continue to rise in temp after coming off the heat. Are you using isomalt,decomalt or granulated sugar? No reason just curious. After you remove it from the heat let the bubbles stop and plunge the pan into a bowl or sink full of cold water insuring that the water comes halfway up the sides of the pan and hold it there for 10 seconds. Now you are ready to pour and began turning the sugar for pulling or blowing.

[Tiny Chef]

Mike-
I am glad you brought up this topic! I am experimenting with sugar as well and the info I've come across on the web hasn't been entirely conclusive. I thank cakerookie for trying to hook us up with some info. I started with taffy (what a workout!) and molds. I want to work my way up to pulled and blown sugar. I'm trying to research as much as possible before pulling any sugar but like I said info is hard to find. If anyone could help me with a few questions I have, it would be much appreciated!

*If I don't have access to a heat lamp what tempurature should my oven be at to keep sugar workable?
*This may be a stupid question, but are non-stick pans OK for boiling sugar?
*What is the best way to store candies and keep any moisture away?
*When skimming the foamy impurities off the top of my sugar what is a non-messy (if I can even say that about working with sugar) way to discard of foam?

I'm sure I'll think of more after I post. Thanks in advance for any help guys!

~Emily

*And boy do sugar burns hurt!

[cakerookie]

You can use enamel pans or stainless steel both are cheaper than copper. I would be a little hesitant about using non-stick. Moisture is the number one killer of sugar pieces. You can use sodium chloride, silca gels or limerocks.Store it in an airtight container with a piece of wax paper between your sugar and the drying agent. As far as the impurity deal you can use a paper towel to skim the impurties then you can just throw the paper towel away. As far as your oven how low will it go? I don't know about this because I have always used a heat lamp. Maybe chrose will see this and be able to help you with that. If not pm him he will be able to give you some insight into that. As far as informational sources check out www.pastrywiz.com they have an article there on how to do a rose and blown sugar swan. Also Professional Pastry Services Consultancy there is an article by Martin Chiffers there that will help you a lot. I would refer you to my website but its down right now so its no help... Its like pan said in an earlier post let the sugar teach you.

[Tiny Chef]

Thanks CR!

I am still trying to get some materials which I'll get the rest of the gear with $ I get for Christmas I want to research a little more before I start on pulled sugar. I got myself a silpat w/ my last check and now I'm aching to pour something on it! After I went back and read some earlier threads on this subject I learned a lot more. I love this site! Thanks for answering my ?'s Cakerookie! I will definatly PM Chrose if he doesn't see this. If using my oven as a warmer becomes a hassle, then I may try to make my own heat lamp. Are the bulbs expensive? I would like a clear bulb. Again, thanks for all of your help!

~Emily

[cakerookie]

No, the clear bulbs are cheaper than the red ones. I got my clear bulb at Lowes for about $6.00 the red ones are about double that. You should make sure that your socket is rated for at least 600 watts before you go plugging in your lamp. I attached an in line dimmer switch on mine that allows me to control the heat a lot better. Just an old dimmer switch that you use on any regular light. Just make sure its rated for 600 watts which most are.

[Erik]

I've been playing around with sugar work lately myself.
Thanks CR for the dimmer switch idea on the heat lamp. I never would have thought of that.

It's all about the little tricks

Erik

[panini]

yea, he should have made a box with one on and patented it I just emailed a pic to him of our station "with dimmers" I don't know how the bought boxes are, but we have a large X cut in the top of ours to allow us to move the bubls anywhere in the box.
thanksCR