Tonight I used my 20 qt. American Eagle mixer for the first time. I used the beater (paddle) attachment to mix six DH dark fudge chocolate mixes at once. Even though I stopped to scrape down the bowl a couple of times--including the bottom of the bowl--and let the mixer run a little longer than the normal two minutes, the batter was still very lumpy. I ended up trying to whisk it by hand, which was only partly successful. Should I try using the whip instead? Do you need to beat longer with the bigger mixer and more batter? TIA

Perhaps next time put the dry mixes through a sifter before mixing? I would be afraid to mix it too long, as won't it get rubbery?

I would go ahead and bake it and see what happens! Maybe it is suppose to be lumpy?

I have a 20 qt. I sift my mixes, I never scrape the sides of the bowl.....I let the mixer do the work. I only run the mixer about 2-3 minutes. The batter comes out silky smooth.

It takes a few minutes to sift 8 or 10 mixes in a batch, but SO worth it!

Not sure if this really makes a difference or not, but it seemed to make a diff when I first started doing it. I add the oil dead last. Oil and water don't mix but oil and batter mixes great. So I mix the eggs/water/dry mix together to create a batter .... add the oil last. Seems to be better blending.

Oh, DUHHHHH!! Sift it!! Why didn't I think of that? I did run the mixer awhile before adding the wet ingredients, but that only partly broke up the clumps. And wouldn't you know it--I have a brand spanking new extra large sifter sitting right there in the drawer Thanks Indy.
PS--what's the maximum number of mixes you do in a bowl?

i use the wire attachment for just a couple minutes....it seems to work better than the paddle for me....for cake batter.

Oh the fun of learning new equipment!!!

You might just simply need to let it mix a little longer. When I went from my dinky mixer to the next size up, the more I added the longer the mixing process took for me so I learned to just watch for the consistency I'm needing instead of the clock. The only problems I ever experienced was from the "new crisco" which the mixer really didn't have anything to do with.

Ah yes, the New Crisco. I wonder if our exodus made much of an impact on the company. I switched to store brand, then high ratio. Really like the high ratio and will never go back. If trans fats get banned all together I don't know what I'll do. Perhaps learn to work with one of the meringue buttercreams.

Side note: now I know why my inspector required FRP board, gloss paint, and other washable surfaces in the mixing area. The "cakerator" on speed 3 created quite the amazing splatter!!

I'm feeling great--thanks for asking. The 2nd opinion surgeon at U of M said I need more surgery for some microcalcifications that showed on their follow-up mammogram. I showed the films to my original surgeon and he said no, not needed, a few calcifications left behind don't matter. Took the films to my radiation oncologist who actually has a brain and knows how to use it and he said "let's send these to the original radiologist and have him compare them to the first films and see if they might be cause for concern. Then they could do another stereotactic core biopsy (which is far less invasive and takes much less tissue) and maybe even be able to suck them all out. That way they could be tested and we'd know for sure whether or not they're more cancer. If not, then proceed with radiation. If yes, then more surgery." That just made so much sense! -- check out the little rascals and then make an informed decision.

Indyderbi,

How the heck do you lift the bowl on that 20 quart bad boy? I have a 12 quart Hobart and have been wanting to purchase a larger one as well but didn't know if I could lift the darn thing.

with some cookie doughs, it gets a big heavy. I wouldnt' want to get a bigger one unless I hired a nice young strong young man ... hmmm...... now why would I have to wait until I got a bigger mixer bowl to do that? [/list]

I find, too, that if you mix part of the liquid into the cake mixes so that it makes a kind of thick paste, it is able to squish out all the lumps...then gradually add the rest of the liquid and it gets alot smoother.

Cool I want a 20 qt mixer. haha.

I can get six mixes in my 12 quart, but tried the 7 pound powdered sugar and looked like the Rice Krispie treat lady after that. It went everywhere even with a large towel wrapped around it. That baby can move...............Hum............nice hunky guy, icing........would make it difficult to concentrate on decorating and it would be difficult to explain to my Health Inspector why my help didn't have a shirt on

indydebi,
Would you mind sharing your mix method for icing in the 20qt hobart?

Most of the time mine comes out fluffy. Or sometimes it will be perfect adn then by the next day it's fluffy. I do have the icing to the brim.

Maybe I have too much of something: My recpie is 18 # sugar, 1#butter, 6 1/4 # high ratio, 3-4 cups water adn flavorings.

Korkyo--you're using too much liquid and not enough fat

So would I increase my butter or the shorting?
Would 2 cups be good for the water.?

Korkyo-- I use 1# of fat per 1# of PS, and about 4 teaspoons of liquid. This makes a stiff icing.