PuddinAndPeanuts
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I'm hoping some of you that make really big batches of body butter might be willing to share your process. Just in case my batch sizes are the perfect next size up for someone else reading this, I'll share below what I currently do.
I am mostly concerned with how to increase my finished body butter batches rather than increasing the size of my master batches. I am running into two problems which keep me from making larger batches- 1) the body butter is really stiff when it comes out of the freezer, and there's only so much a mixer can handle. 2) as it is, the body of the mixer sometimes dips into the body butter because the beaters are too short. Do they make commercial hand mixers maybe?
I masterbatch roughly 26500 grams at a time. In order to keep from over taxing my scale, I only weigh a portion of each ingredient at a time. So, I use a medium stock pot to scoop ingredients into and weigh. Then the ingredient gets added to a very large stock pot until I have all of that ingredient weighed out. From there, it goes into a crab pot. (Don't know the size, other than it is a traditional Maryland style crab steaming pot- picture the hugest stock pot that could possible fit in your oven). I have the oven set really low- under 200. Put crab pot in, and stir every 7 minutes or so. I want to say each ingredient takes maybe 30-40 minutes to melt? Can't remember. Once melted, the ingredient gets transferred to a 17 or maybe 20 gallon metal wash bucket. Once all ingredients have been melted down, I stir the heck out of it and transfer to gallon ziplock bags which I completely fill- they hold about 2700 grams. Hint 1) don't use cheap ziplock bags! Hint 2) double bag! You'll be in for an icky mess at some point if you don't.
Finished body butter batches. So, as I said, for my end product, I'm working in roughly 2700 gram batches. Scoop everything out of the ziplock bag and scrape down the sides of the bag. I put it all in a medium/almost large stock pot. Melt down, let cool for an hour or two. Add in the rest of the ingredient I worry may be heat sensitive, and pop in the freezer. Stir in 20 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom, etc. Then stir every 10 minutes till it's the desired firmness all the way through. Pull it out, use a hand mixer to whip. Add scent and whip again. Hint 1) size matters. At least when it comes to the motor in your mixer. Hint 2) size still matters.... At least when you're picking out piping bags to fill your jars with.
I am mostly concerned with how to increase my finished body butter batches rather than increasing the size of my master batches. I am running into two problems which keep me from making larger batches- 1) the body butter is really stiff when it comes out of the freezer, and there's only so much a mixer can handle. 2) as it is, the body of the mixer sometimes dips into the body butter because the beaters are too short. Do they make commercial hand mixers maybe?
I masterbatch roughly 26500 grams at a time. In order to keep from over taxing my scale, I only weigh a portion of each ingredient at a time. So, I use a medium stock pot to scoop ingredients into and weigh. Then the ingredient gets added to a very large stock pot until I have all of that ingredient weighed out. From there, it goes into a crab pot. (Don't know the size, other than it is a traditional Maryland style crab steaming pot- picture the hugest stock pot that could possible fit in your oven). I have the oven set really low- under 200. Put crab pot in, and stir every 7 minutes or so. I want to say each ingredient takes maybe 30-40 minutes to melt? Can't remember. Once melted, the ingredient gets transferred to a 17 or maybe 20 gallon metal wash bucket. Once all ingredients have been melted down, I stir the heck out of it and transfer to gallon ziplock bags which I completely fill- they hold about 2700 grams. Hint 1) don't use cheap ziplock bags! Hint 2) double bag! You'll be in for an icky mess at some point if you don't.
Finished body butter batches. So, as I said, for my end product, I'm working in roughly 2700 gram batches. Scoop everything out of the ziplock bag and scrape down the sides of the bag. I put it all in a medium/almost large stock pot. Melt down, let cool for an hour or two. Add in the rest of the ingredient I worry may be heat sensitive, and pop in the freezer. Stir in 20 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom, etc. Then stir every 10 minutes till it's the desired firmness all the way through. Pull it out, use a hand mixer to whip. Add scent and whip again. Hint 1) size matters. At least when it comes to the motor in your mixer. Hint 2) size still matters.... At least when you're picking out piping bags to fill your jars with.
