How To Make A Sugar Bottle

dominic-sugar-bottle4

Learn how to make a sugar bottle mold with


.
  1. Use distilled water – many parts of the country have what is called hard water. The minerals in tap water can turn brown when exposed to elevated temperatures but because there is so little of these minerals you perceive it as a yellowing effect.
  2. Add only enough water so the isomalt looks like wet sand.
  3. Use Stainless Steel pots and Stainless Steel utensils for stirring. Do not use a wooden spoon. Foreign materials in the wood leach out into the isomalt which can turn the mixture yellow.
  4. Do not use a natural bristle brush to wash down the sides of the pot once isomalt comes to a boil. Use a nylon pastry brush. There are a host of chemicals and conditioning agents in the natural bristles that can turn your isomalt yellow.
  5. Stop stirring isomalt water mixture when it comes to a boil.
  6. Test your candy thermometer. many of them read inaccurately. Test by bringing water to a boil and inserting thermometer and observe the temperature is shows. It should read 212 degrees F.
  7. Cook isomalt to 338 degrees f. Take off heat at about 334 and place bottom of pot in water to stop the cooking process. Allow the pot to stay in water only until the hissing stops. About 5 seconds.
  8. Place isomalt in a 265 degree oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. You will have no bubbles and pure, clear liquid crystal to pour all day.

Comments (126)

on

Nancyg - I added a brown paste color to my Isomalt when it cooled to around 300 degrees. I put the color on top of the Isomalt and stir very shallow until all the moisture evaporates from the paste color. It hisses and bubbles and then stops when all the moisture is gone. Then I stir the color into the whole batch.

on

sweetcakes - Thanks for the feedback and the great idea for a bottle mold kit. We are going to work on that today. It might take a while to put that in the website, but if you call we will be ready with the materials you need. - Dominic

on

I am working on adding a sugar bottle mold kit to my website. Until then, here is what you need to make this sugar bottle mold. Sugar Bottle Mold Making Kit from MakeYourOwnMolds.com 2 lbs. CopyFlex Liquid Silicone 2 oz. Jar - Seal-Dit 2 oz. Jar Anchor-Dit 1 lb. Safe-D-Clay 3 lbs. Isomalt If you want to call, don't forget its toll free 1-800-333-5678

on

improveit - You can make a solid bottom by letting most of sugar run out of the mold but not all of it. You can then place the mold, open side down on a silpat mat and let the sugar harden to seal the bottom.

on

vickymacd - thanks for your feedback. Any book I've read on making videos for YouTube almost scream not to make a video longer than about four minutes. I just can't agree with that and I went ahead and made this six part feature video. That's why its so good to get the kind of feedback that you sent - It reinforces my decision to give my customers what they need instead of what is hip. - Dominic

on

Cheflora - thank you for that important tip. I've have never experienced high altitude conditions and am glad you can lend your own experience. I would really like to learn more about the effects of high altitude on cooking sugar and Isomalt.

on

Evoir - We certainly do ship to Australia and my website is configured to give you multiple shipping options using UPS and the postal service to Australia. Thank you for your compliments - It means alot.

- Dominic www.MakeYourOwnMolds.com

on

thumbs asked - What are your tips on how to make the labels for the bottles? -- You can use frosting sheets from Icing images, lucks or CK Products and print the label with edible ink. You need to back that label with a very thin sheet of fondant or the label will dissolve a little on the the bottle which will distort the label.

cakedecolover asked - While pouring the Copyflex in 3 parts into the mailing tube how long do we have to wait in between each time for it to settle? -- Actually what you saw in the video was accurate. Its not a real long time you just want to let the CopyFlex achieve a level state before pouring more.

Jacque2241, cakebreak, jobueno, SusiesHarmony, vickymacd, -- Thank you for taking the time to comment on the video. I am glad you enjoyed it and if you intend to make this mold, I am always available to help you.

Dominic

on

I am working on adding a sugar bottle mold kit to my website. Until then, here is what you need to make this sugar bottle mold. Sugar Bottle Mold Making Kit from MakeYourOwnMolds.com 2 lbs. CopyFlex Liquid Silicone 2 oz. Jar – Seal-Dit 2 oz. Jar Anchor-Dit 1 lb. Safe-D-Clay 3 lbs. Isomalt

You can buy Isomalt at www.MakeYourOwnMolds.com - My brand is called ClearCut Isomalt - it is chemically pure and of very high quality.

I added a brown paste candy color to my Isomalt when it cooled to around 300 degrees. I put the color on top of the Isomalt and stir very shallow until all the moisture evaporates from the paste color. It hisses and bubbles and then stops when all the moisture is gone. Then I stir the color into the whole batch. I then put the colored Isomalt in a 275 degree oven and let it relax and calm down for about 30 minutes. After that there are no bubbles in the Isomalt and it pours beautifully at 275 degrees. If you want to call, don’t forget its toll free 1-800-333-5678

on

esperales0411 -- Thank you for the feedback - If you make this mold, you will not be disappointed. Take your time and follow the steps and you will be a sugar bottle making machine!

Preciosa225 -- You should consider this mold as a commercial piece of equipment that you can turn to whenever needed. I would venture to say that you could make hundreds of bottles from this mold - maybe more. Though cooked sugar and Isomalt are hot, they are not abrasive nor do they contain any deteriorating chemicals. Pouring temperatures of 275 degrees is a "walk in the park" for CopyFlex.

on

Ktroske - You will need more CopyFlex for a whiskey bottle because it is larger than a beer bottle. I would think that you would need 4 or 5 pounds just to be safe. You would also need a larger diameter tube to accommodate the whiskey bottle. But the method is exactly the same which will work for any bottle.

Dominic

on

Tonid55 - I have been receiving many requests like yours and am in the process of investigating the feasibility of providing molds for sale. It would be a good idea for you to join my mailing list on my website www.makeyourownmolds.com because when the molds become available an announcement would come right to your email. In the mean time don't you think it would be kind of fun to make this bottle mold with your mother? You have an in depth video to follow so I really think it will come out well and, as always is the case, you will save money when you make the mold yourself. I cannot describe the great feeling you and sense of satisfaction you get when you successfully make your own mold - it can be fun and very gratifying. Be careful though, you may get addicted.

Dominic

on

Hi Meg, One of the best ways to clean your mixing containers is to just let the copyflex cure and then peel it off. With brushes and utensils, I just wipe repeatedly with a paper towel until an almost imperceptible film remains and then I wash with dish washing liquid. I have found that Goof Off will dissolve unmixed CopyFlex and also the hand soap GOOP removes CopyFlex from your hands.

Hope This Helps, Dominic

on

Honeybeepleez - It is always a pleasure to hear from someone so far away as New Zealand. I am truly amazed by the worldwide community that exists here at Cake Central. To answer your question, I ship my products globally and my website is configured to not only accept orders from your country, but will also give you many shipping options from which you can choose. I hope you will give mold making a try - it can be very rewarding and will enable you to create your own unique style.

Dominic

on

Hi Everyone,

Since I made the video on how to make a sugar bottle mold, many of you have requested that I make kits available that include everything needed to make this mold. Well, I just want to let you know that I have put them up on the website and they are available at: http://www.makeyourownmolds.co.....-mold-kits As always, I appreciate your comments, questions and recommendations.

Dominic

on

Hi ktroske - Bubbles are caused by not allowing sugar mixture to relax and de-air before pouring. Pitting is an unavoidable problem when pouring sugar into silicone molds. Here are my suggestions for limiting the number of pitts or bubbles in the sugar. 1. Pour your sugar at 265 degrees. If you are cooking the sugar on the stove and then pouring directly into the mold at high temperatures, you are going to get many pitts and bubbles. You should put the sugar mixture in a 270 degree oven and allow the sugar mixture to cool to this temperature before pouring, All of the bubbles created during the cooking process will be gone. 2. Do not allow the sugar mixture to stay in contact with the silicone mold for a long time. The heat from the sugar mixture makes the pits and bubbles grow. Fill the mold and then pour the sugar mixture out. If the bottle isn't thick enough, fill the mold again when the sugar coating on the inside of the mold has turned solid. If you follow these guidelines, I think you will have better results.

Dominic

on

Hi JaxAngel,

You need 2 pounds of CopyFlex for a beer bottle mold. I would think that you will need 4 to 5 pounds for a wine bottle because it is twice as large as a beer bottle. The most important consideration to make when planning the wine bottle mold is the tube you will use for the wine bottle. A 3" diameter tube is easy to find, but a wine bottle may need something 4.5 to 5 inches in diameter. Shipping supply companies often carry tubes of this diameter. If not, you should be scouting around for a suitable container that will serve as your mold box. Make sure you don't use anything too large because you will waste alot of silicone. You want a clearance around the wine bottle to be about 1/4 of an inch - 1/2 of an inch at the most. I am working on getting tubes of different sizes to offer to someone like you to help with the project. Hope to have something in a couple weeks.

Hope This Helps, Dominic

on

Hi Judyz - Because water boils at a lower temperature at high altitudes, your Isomalt will be properly cooked at lower temperatures than at sea level. For instance, at 5000 feet, candy cooks to a hard crack stage (lollipops) at 290 - 300 degrees instead of 318 degrees. Since your elevation is even higher, I would think that you should cook to a temperature of about 280 to 285 degrees. But there is going to be a little trial and error here until you find the precise cooking temperature for your altitude. Hope This Helps, Dominic

on

Hi Paige - glad you liked the video. You can use this method of mold making whenever you can find a tube that gives enough clearance around the object for molding. Finding tubes with larger diameters can be difficult. I am looking in a source for these to make it easier on everyone.

Skmaestas - your cake was fabulous!

on

Alexsmommee - Very good suggestion. I am working on stocking paper tubes. Should have some news on that shortly.

athena24 - You sure can re-use Isomalt. I like to hold and pour Isomalt in a oven safe (Pyrex) measure. When I am done for the day, I cover the measure tightly with multiple layers of plastic wrap and keep at room temperature. When I want to use it again, I reheat in the microwave on medium. First 10 minutes, then less until it is all melted and you see just a few bubbles developing in the melted Isomalt. You can do this several times and then you will see a slight caramelization starting to take place - that is when I add color and continue using it.

Dominic

on

Mignon - I do not quite understand what you meant when you wrote, "I made it solid as I did not know how to close the opening of the mold." You can always call me toll free 1-800-333-5678 or please post here.

on

Mignon - If you want a bottom on your bottle, you don't pour all the sugar out of the mold, just most of it. Then you place the mold on a silpat mat or other non-stick surface and the reserved sugar inside the mold will fill the bottom. Allow it to cool and and mold your closed bottom with a perfect bottom. - Dominic

on

Thank you Kimbercakes16, We look forward to seeing your creative sugar and isomalt projects in the MakeYourOwnMolds.com forum! Dominic

on

Hi TekilaGold - I have stored cooked isomalt pieces for eight months in a tightly sealed container with Silica Gel used to absorb any moisture that may creep into the container over time. You can get silica gel at craft stores and put it in a double layered tight or stocking footie.

Dominic

on

Hi Kellylsmith73 - Even though Isomalt is more resistant to humidity than natural sugar, it still is a sugar. Unfortunately, you cannot add anything that will combat the weeping you describe. What you can do is to buy some silica gel at a craft store and put it in an old sock or stocking. Store your bottles in an air tight container with the silica gel pouch which will absorb the moisture from the air and your bottles will remain bright and shiny for a very long time. Please note that silica gel from craft stores is toxic so you must keep it in something that ensures no direct contact like a sock or a stocking or the foot from a pair of tights. Use a double layer and tie a knot so it cannot come out.

Hope This Helps,

Dominic

on

j1handal, I am so glad you had fun making your bottle mold! Have you had a chance to use the mold yet? I'd love to see photos of bottles you have made!

on

mbl11374 Thanks for your question.

- Add color when Isomalt cools to about 310 degrees. Higher temperatures can denature the color and make it less bright and vivid. Use paste, powdered or gel food coloring. If using a paste or gel color, apply color on top of Isomalt and stir the food coloring shallowly so it remains on top of the Isomalt. It will bubble profusely, which indicates that the moisture in the food color is evaporating.

- Keep stirring color on top of Isomalt until the bubbling stops and all moisture has evaporated. This prevents water from being reintroduced into the Isomalt. Once the moisture has evaporated, it is safe to stir the food coloring deeply and incorporate it throughout the entire Isomalt mixture. Stir until an even color is achieved.

on

Aimee17, Congratulations on making your own mold. While I can not speak for the particular isomalt you purchased, The Clearcut Isomalt from MakeYourOwnMolds.com can be reheated in the microwave, and repoured. How far in advance you make your products is really dependant on your current local weather. Isomalt onced cooked is very succeptable to humidity. Hence the stickiness of your bottles. If you store your molded Isomalt items in sealed plastic storage container, with a food safe silica gel pack available at: http://www.makeyourownmolds.com/food-grade-silica-gel-packets reinforce the seal with plastic wrap, and this should make a container that will keep your bottles and other isomalt peices from getting sticky.

Isomalt is a type of sugar that will disolve in water. So soaking your cooking pot, and other kitchen items in water will cause the isomalt to dissolve, and makes clean up very easy!

on

daudiabaker,

It is so wonderful to hear the excitement you have for mold making! I will warn you it can be very addicting! Please post photos of your glass slipper. I love to see the work of my customers, and thank you for your complements on the glassware video, they truly mean a lot!

Happy to be here, Dominic

on

Esalota,

I am glad you have had such great success with the mold making kit and video. Thank you for your praise and complements. It is much appreciated. What mold do you think you will make next?

Happy To Be Here, Dominic

on

Wow what a great thing to find easy to understand and such a good looking end product many thanks

on

2leas,

Thank you for your compliments. I hope you will give it a try and make your own sugar bottle!

Happy to be here, Dominic

on

Hello Dominic, I have watched your tutorial and am excited to try it myself. I was looking at your website and saw that you have a full kit available. I was just wondering how many bottles I will be able to make out of the amount of Isomalt available in the kit?

on

I am also wondering if there is any way of making the sugar bottle two tone? I am thinking of a clear bottle with yellowish beer inside, like a bottle of Corona?

on

Dear BakingGirl,

Thanks for your questions. For One Sugar Beer Bottle Mold Making Kit: This mold kit includes enough silicone material to make one food grade reusable molds and enough Isomalt to create two to three sugar beer bottles You can purchase the kit here: http://www.makeyourownmolds.com/1-beer-bottle-kit

Give us a call at 1800.333.5678 for instructions on how to make a two tone Corona Bottle!