TIPS & TRICKS #2 - FORGOT TO PUT THE MACHINE ON STAND-BY?

Problem: You forget to put machine on ‘Stand-By’ mode overnight. The next morning, the cones are sloppy, will not take air and will not stand up.
Why does this happen? The milk proteins and vegetable gums that form a stable matrix, which captures air and prevents ice crystal growth, have been damaged from the constant whipping. This causes a ´buttering out´ effect (like when you beat cream to make butter) and icy crystals grow in size causing a gritty and icy texture, plus air is lost out of the soft serve causing a wet, sloppy product.

Solving the problem: 

• Put the machine on ‘wash’ cycle for 5 minutes to liquefy the soft serve in the barrel.
• Drain into a sanitized container. 
• Prepare fresh mix and pour into the machine - but just enough to fill the barrel only. 
• Now mix the drained mix (called ´re-run´) with the rest of the freshly prepared soft serve mix at a ratio of no more than 40% over-beaten re-run to 60% fresh mix. 
• Skim off any foam that may have accumulated on the surface of the mix after mixing the fresh mix and re-run and pour the mix into the soft serve machine´s hopper.
• Freeze down.

TIPS & TRICKS #3 - CAN YOU DRAIN SOFT SERVE FROM THE MACHINE (When you want to clean the machine for instance) AND USE IT AGAIN? 

CAN YOU USE IT AGAIN? Yes (if your local Health Codes permit it), BUT VERY IMPORTANTLY, at least once a week (for all non-self-pasteuring machines) you need to throw away any leftover mix and start with completely fresh mix.
WHY? To break the bacterial cycle. Even if you handle soft serve in the best, most sanitary way, it is still possible for bacterial counts to increase over time and therefore it is important to break any bacterial cycle once a week by discarding any leftover mix and then start fresh. Please go to our Hygiene Page to read more about this.

HANDLING RE-RUN  

When it is time to clean the machine, the machine is put on ‘wash’ for 5 minutes to liquefy frozen soft serve which is then drained into a jug or bucket. This mix from the machine can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days and is called re-run. 

• Always drain the re-run into a clean, sanitized bucket or jug. 
• Always cover the bucket/jug with clinging plastic or a proper lid and put into the fridge immediately. (If not covered, fridge odours can enter the soft serve giving it an ´off´ taste and smell. Also, do not use the bucket for anything else. It should be used exclusively for mixing soft serve.) 
• When starting up the next day, fill the barrel of the machine with FRESH MIX. Re-run should then be mixed with freshly prepared mix at a ratio of no more than 40% re-run to 60% fresh. Skim off any foam on mix before filling the hopper. 
• Re-run should be completely discarded once a week to break the chain of possible bacteria growth.  Make it a habit. Pick a day and stick to it.

TROUBLE SHOOTING 

TROUBLE SHOOTING #1 - SLOPPY CONES

Problem: Cones not standing up, they are wet looking and sloppy and start melting almost immediately.
Possible Causes & Solutions:

• Blunt scraper blades. This is probably the biggest cause of sloppy cones. Solution: Replace plastic blades every 3 months and metal blades every 6 months.
• Wrong temperature settings. Solution: Frosty Boy soft serve blends must be served at -8ºC (~18ºF) with the only exception being D004 - Créme Freeze which freezes well at -6ºC (~21ºF) Contact your service technician.
• Over-beaten product due to long periods of no use or low use. Solution: Put machine on Stand-By during slow periods or overnight. .
• Over-beaten product due to forgetting to put the machine on to stand-by (sleep) mode overnight. Solution: Mix over-beaten soft serve with fresh mix at a ratio of 40:60.
• Wrong mixing instructions. Solution: Accurately follow the mixing instructions printed on the packets. Use properly graded mixing equipment.
• Low refrigerant levels in compressor or blocked condensers (making the freezing ineffective). Solution: Clean condensers or contact your service technician.
• Machine cannot keep up with the demand placed on it:
• The machine is too small - you may need to upgrade.
• The machine is not ´breathing´ - the machine usually needs 10 cm space around its sides and back for air circulation.
• Machine in sitting in a spot that is too warm - either in the sun or too close to other equipment that is giving off a lot of hot air.

IF ALL OF THE ABOVE OPERATING PARAMETERS HAVE BEEN CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE IN ORDER, then we must check for possible incorrect mix formulation.  

TROUBLE SHOOTING #2 - HEAVY CONES

What is a heavy cone? A heavy cone is a cone with little or no aeration. In a normal cone, between 25% and 40% of the total volume is air that is trapped inside the soft serve giving it a light, fluffy texture. The air may have been lost for a number of reasons. Why is this important? Firstly, a light, fluffy, creamy texture is preferred over an icy texture. Secondly, of you sell the same size cone but with no air in it, you are giving away more soft serve - and you make less profit!
Possible Causes & Solutions:

• Wrong size air orifice selection for your machine or for our product. Solution: Change to a larger air orifice and experiment.
• Air orifice blocked. Solution: Check and clean.
• Blunt scraper blades. Solution: Replace the blades.
• Wrong temperature settings on machine. Solution: Set to machine specifications.
• Over-beaten Mix. Solution: Mix over-beaten mix 40:60 with fresh mix. Alternatively, discard over-beaten mix and start machine with fresh mix.
• Wrong Mixing ratio. Solution: Discard and start over.

TROUBLE SHOOTING #3 - SOFT SERVE HAS AN ´OFF´ TASTE

Because soft serve is a milk-based product, it can go ´off´ just like milk when it is left out of the fridge.

Possible Causes and Solutions:

• After mixing, soft serve was left out of the fridge for an extended period. Solution: Discard and prepare fresh mix.
• Soft Serve machine´s hopper refrigeration is not working or hopper temperature set too high (should be between 2 and 4ºC) Solution: Firstly check the temperature of mix in the hopper, no earlier than 1 hour after fresh soft serve was poured into the hopper. If found that it is not within specified range, contact your service technician.
• Soft serve was mixed in a plastic bucket also used for other things like onions. The onion was absorbed into the plastic which was then absorbed by the soft serve. Solution: Use soft serve mixing buckets exclusively for mixing soft serve - nothing else!
• Soft serve liquid was put into a fridge (usually a walk-in fridge) with no lid covering it. Smells/odours from other foods in the fridge were absorbed into the soft serve giving it an ´off´ taste or smell. Solution: Always cover liquid soft serve whilst stored in the fridge with a tight fitting lid or with cling-wrap plastic.
• Soft Serve is ´off´ due to fermentation bacteria which increased in the soft serve over time because:
  • The bacterial cycle was not broken as discussed before. Solution: Always discard any leftover soft serve at least once a week.
  • Unsanitized mixing utensils (bucket & whisk) were used and possibly an unclean source of water. Solution: Avoid contamination of soft serve by using strict hygiene and sanitizing procedures when mixing and cleaning (to be scheduled regularly according to the machine operators manual).
• Soft serve tastes ´off´ due to brackish water used for mixing. Solution: Use bottled or filtered water with a clean, neutral taste.

TROUBLE SHOOTING #4 - SOFT SERVE HAS A CHEMICAL TASTE and BURNS YOUR THROAT

Possible Causes & Solutions:

• After sanitizing the machine the sanitizer liquid was not drained properly and was mixed with the soft serve. Solution: Ensure the barrel is drained properly after sanitizing, then, as fresh soft serve is poured into the hopper, which in turn drains into the barrel, drain approximately half to one cup of the first soft serve entering the barrel and discard.
• Sanitizing water made up in the mixing  bucket was accidentally used for mixing soft serve. Solution: Discard and start again.

TROUBLE SHOOTING #5 - STARVING BARREL - You pull the handle of the machine, but nothing comes out or soft serve comes out very slowly.

Possible Causes & Solutions:

• Draw rate set too fast (resulting in over-draw when mix is taken out of the barrel faster than it can be replenished from the hopper) or too slow. Solution: Change set-screw on the draw handle in order for soft serve to come out a bit slower. The correct draw rate is 150 - 220 millilitres in 10 seconds (5 to 7.5 ounces).
• With gravity machines only:
  • The mix-feed tube may be inverted. This will block off the drainage hole that connects the hopper to the barrel stopping liquid entering the barrel. Solution: Invert mix-feed tube.
  • The drainage hole in mix-feed tube is blocked. Solution: Check and unblock.  
  • Over-stabilised soft serve recipe which is too thick to drain down the hole in the mix-feed tube. Solution: contact your local Frosty Boy  supplier and request a mix more suitable for your machine.
• With pump machines only:
  • The pump is not working. Solution: Check pump and connector pipes.  
• The barrel is starting to freeze up!  One can usually hear that the machine is starting to make an unfamiliar sound and you can hear squeaking fan belts. Solution: Switch off the machine immediately. Allow the mix in the barrel to thaw for 15 - 20 minutes. Switch the machine to wash for 5 minutes, whipping it into a liquid. Then drain the mix and discard. This could be due to wrong mixing instructions used. Make up fresh mix and start again. If the problem persists, switch machine off and contact your service technician.

TROUBLE SHOOTING #6 - FOAMING IN THE HOPPER

Foam must always be scooped off the surface of the liquid soft serve after mixing and if it appears in the hopper of the soft serve machine.

Possible Causes & Solutions:

1. If foam appears after or during mixing:
   • Caused by excessive whipping / mixing or using an electric beater or stick blender which whips excessive air into the liquid. Solution: Use the correct mixing procedure as clearly stated elsewhere on this website. This should prevent any foaming. Any foam should be scooped off before pouring soft serve into the soft serve machine.
   • Water used is too cold. Solution: Use water between 16^oC and 25ºC for mixing.
      
2. If it appears in the hopper of the Pump soft serve Machines it can be caused by:

• Excessive pressure in the barrel caused by a run-away pump. Sometimes the pump malfunctions and doesn’t shut off (called a runaway pump). You will hear the pump constantly running, causing excessive pressure in the barrel which will also cause air to escape through the hopper. Solution: Contact your service technician.
• Pump-timing is not set correctly when high numbers of small cones are served in quick succession. When this happens, you may find extended run time on the pump causing excessive pressure in the barrel. This will cause the pressure to escape through the hopper causing bubbling and entrapment of air resulting in foam. Solution: Ask your technician to shorten the run-time on the pump to a maximum of 5 seconds.
• Seal on the connector pipe between the barrel and hopper is ill-fitting or damaged causing air to escape from the barrel. This causes air bubbling through the hopper liquid causing foam. Solution: Replace or re-seat the seal.
• Mix level in hopper too low when agitators are present. When the level in the hopper drops, agitators become high-shear devices which can whip up foam in the hopper. Solution: Keep hopper levels topped up.

  Remember, pump machines should NOT have any foam in the hopper. If foam is present, find the cause and address it. Always scoop/ladle off any minor foam that may form first thing in the morning and during operation.  

 If foam appears in the hopper of the Gravity Soft Serve Machines it can be caused by: 
 

Forgetting to invert mix-feed tube during stand-by periods (most gravity machines). When a gravity machine is put on stand-by overnight or during extended no-use periods, you must invert the mix-feed tube if it is the type that can be inverted. The ones that can be inverted have a drainage hole on the side of the tube on the one end, but not the other end. So where does this air come from? When the machine is put on Stand-By,  the soft serve in the barrel melts, the air escapes from the soft serve to the top of the barrel and finds its way up though the mix-feed tube and through the drainage hole causing the air to bubble slowly through the mix in the hopper. Because the mix has been designed to capture the air, the formation of foam occurs readily. Some mixes have a better ability to capture air than others, but be that as it may, foam can still form in the hopper. 

Incorrectly formulated mix. It may be possible that there is too much emulsifier in the mix which will over-stabilize the mix. There is a fine balance between a good and over-stabilized mix. This will cause air to be trapped too easily in the mix.  

So what to do? Well, discounting point 2, what has just been explained should not happen in a gravity machine because if it happens, the correct procedure of putting the machine on Stand-By was not followed.

The correct procedure for Stand-By is as follows:   

1. Invert the mix-feed tube. You will see the mix-feed tube has a drainage hole in the side which when correctly positioned in the hopper, allows liquid soft serve to drain down into the barrel. When you invert it, that hole in the side of the tube is now at the top. The other end (now at the bottom) does not have a hole on the side and essentially, the hopper and barrel are now blocked off from each other. 
2. At this point, put the machine on stand-by. When the soft serve in the barrel now melts over minutes or hours and air escapes from the soft serve, liquid cannot drain down through the mix-feed tube, and the air will stay in the barrel.
3. When you want to put the machine back to normal use, first switch the machine to AUTO and then wait until it cycles off (usually takes around 10 minutes at which point the product will be frozen again and will be ready to serve) and only then invert the mix-feed tube. 

Do not forget to invert the mix-feed tube otherwise it will result in a ´starving barrel´ which may cause damage to your machine.