How are you guys doing the cooking/double boiling part? When I make it at home, I use my mixer bowl over a pot of simmering water. Obviously I'm not going to be able to do that with the mondo mixers at my commercial space...

No one?

i always cook the sugar first while my egg whites are beating, then slow the mixer down and pour the sugar down the side of the mixer, then add the butter.

I don't use a double boiler. I just use a sauce pan. Make sure you whisk. Your only going to about 140 so it isn't that long. Stick your finger in, and when it isn't sugar gritty it's done. The double boiler is to make sure you don't get sweet scrambled egg whites for breakfast

Mike

GAH! Thanks Mike - I'm scared to death to not double boiler it. I tried (actually - completely accidently.. was not thinking) to just use a sauce pan once and my meringue never whipped up. It just stayed "soup." I wonder if I heated it too fast?

I use IMBC only, and think that when making large quantities, it is easier to mix up IMBC than SMBC. I would think it very difficult to mix a large quantity of SMBC in a double boiler.

Try IMBC. It's very similar - using all the same ingredients - and it holds up better than SMBC. Plus, you don't kill your arm whisking the eggs and sugar for so long, especially when making large quanties.

Good luck!

There may have been some oily residue in your pan and that's why they never whipped up. Any grease will stunt the whipping process.

I agree with Designer cakes. Large quantity of IMBC is much easier to do than SMBC.

I put my 20qt bowl right on a big pot of water and do it... have made an 80qt bowl before and we did the double boiler thing in a regular stirring bowl (large) then poured it into the big mixer one.