Been having some problems with my Italian Meringue.

It doesn't happen when I make a large batch, but it happens with I make a smaller batch (which is still a lot).

I whip my egg whites until soft ball stage (until a ball forms inside the whisk).

I cook my sugar syrup to 116-118 degrees celcius.

I pour the sugar syrup into my egg whites while the egg whites are whipping at speed 10 on a kitchenaid mixer. I usually pour where the egg whites meet the side of the bowl.

I lower the speed to 8 and whip until the bowl is room temperature.

Now, when I make a LARGE batch, it comes out nice and fluffy and glossy. This is with about 300g of sugar. When I half the batch and use 150g of sugar and pour it into my egg whites, I get all these sugar granules stuck to the bottom of my mixer bowl, and when I scrape the meringue out, sometimes there is bits and pieces of sugar granules in the meringue. But it doesn't happen when I make a big batch.

What am I doing wrong? Cooking the sugar too much?

I cook my sugar a little hotter - 250 degrees Fahrenheit.  I pour in slowly while Kitchenaid is on a lower speed - maybe 4?  I'm not sure of the setting.  But I know it isn't on 8 or 10.

I have the opposite problem - I like my Artisan better than my 7 qt for Italian Meringue.  It doesn't seem to get stiff enough in the bigger mixer.

Liz