For those of you that have sold these bottles... what are you charging? I'm getting $25 per bottle. I think that I may charge $35 for the 2-toned ones. I'm not sure if it is worth it except that it is fun. It takes me many hours and lots of bottles to get it right. I guess practice will help.
So anyway...what do you charge?
I haven't sold any yet. First beer bottle cake. Making this one for family. What should I charge for 3 bottles and cake shaped like a bucket? Someone will ask at the party. I've never done sugar work before. I talked to the people at culinart. They recommended the silicone spread. Should have it by Friday. I'll let you know how it works.
Since we are discussing the beer bottles again, I have a question about the ice. I posted in the sugar art section but no response, so maybe I can get an answer here. I am trying to make the ice using 1/2 sugar and 1/2 corn syrup but when I cook it it turns too brown for ice. I tried cooking it for a shorter time but then it is only soft and stretchy. I also tried another recipe from here which is 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup, and 1 tbsp water. Same results. Can someone help me to get clear ice.
Thanks a million,
Cynita
I've never tried to make "ice", but maybe you could use the white food coloring and say it's frosted ice? I bought mine at Hobby Lobby, it's in the same aisle as the cake decorating stuff, but usually hanging next to the Lorann oils.
I'm sorry I couldn't be more help. I wish you the best of luck.
Holly
I made the clear bottle without much trouble. I think you just have to catch it at exactly the right time. I used clear gelatin for my ice with half (or less) or the water.
APieceofCake75: I would charge $150 at least... but that depends on the size cake you are making too.
I might be missing posts, but I am surprised I am not seeing anyone mention Isomalt as an option to getting their bottles clear. You can cook it to a higher temp, which helps it set harder, and it doesn't turn yellow. Watch out for alot of those molding compounds - they aren't food safe unless they specify to be food safe. That means toxic.
Thanks so much for all the postings. I am trying this out next week so wish me luck.
I haven't read this entire thread yet, but I'm anxious to try making a sugar beer bottle. Thanks for all the info and I hope y'all don't mind if I start asking questions on the process!
I did make the beer bottle cake, unfortunately my cake was a disaster but making the bottles were much easier than I imagined. I followed Sweet Results instructions exactly and my bottles came out pretty good. Making the mold using latex rubber was not hard at all. When it cured, I just rolled it off of the bottle with no problem. Also, once the hard candy harden inside of the mold I just rolled it off as well. The mold will be inside out but I just rolled it back to the right side with the help of a large spoon. I made 5 bottles in one day using the same mold. It was pretty easy and fun.
Cynita
SweetResults,
any pics??
i'm kinda confused about a few things, a bit silly i know. anyways, when you make the second mold 1/2 bottle... are you doing the 1/2 bottle bottom to top of the same way you did the one for the mold?
Jenn - Can you explain the process of how you got the look of the bottle being full? w/the clear to? this is what i want to try.
Do you think if you pour in clear then make more mix to put the yellow, will it crack once it's all done? since the clear part will dry up first.
thanks!
Kat
You put in the clear (solid) and let it cool completely. Mix up the next color and then coat the insides of the rest of the mold (hollow). It won't crack.
Jenn - i'm gonna have to call you when i start making these!!
I love the lemon in the beer look. how'd you do that?! OMG i can fool my sisters FIL in the party. jaja.
I have everything i need at home to make them. i've been a little scare to do them. i bought gloves that Lowes sells, but i think my nephew took them by mistake. They have rubber in the palm side of the glove, you think that will be ok to handle the sugar?
The inside of the bottle is hollow. I just made a yellow slice of fondant with a green skin and "poked" it up in the neck from the bottom.
I don't know if explained about the clear very well. It only goes in the neck. If you dribble some elsewhere by mistake, it won't matter.
Gloves...I just used a pair of dressy suede gloves that I hate. Anything that will protect you from the heat will work.
Thanks to everyone in this thread that has offered there wisdom ... but I still have a couple of questions now that I am making them (right now) and keep in mind that I have zero sugar work experience.
I cooked the sugar/corn syrup solution for the amount of time that sweetresults said, the colour didn't change to golden - granted I started with clear corn syrup. So ... how long do you have to cook sugar to make it turn golden or when do you add colouring?
Thanks!
It really depends on your microwave. Cook it more and realize that it will keep getting a little darker after you stop cooking.
Just wondering if anyone has used this for a full size wine bottle yet and does it work the same way.
I have just made full size solid beer bottles. It should work the same. Just let it dry for several hours.
I was thinking the same thing but with using a coke bottle. When you pour the sugar is the bottle standing upright or is laying on it's side?
These are great thanks for all the info
Just wondering if anyone has used this for a full size wine bottle yet and does it work the same way.
I am doing a full size wine bottle and it is a nightmare - well for me anyway!!!!!!!
I think I'm doing something too big, especially as I have zero experience with sugar bottles, and anything to do with cooked sugar.
I made the mold fine. Melted the sugar - fine! Poured some in and started turning the mold - not fine!!! The sides kept collapsing and then sticking to the other side, so I was forever trying to pull it apart. Because I was doing this, a lot of the sugar went to the 'top' of the bottle and pooled there. This went on for ages it seemed. So I thought I'd let this bit of sugar harden, then try to pour in a bit of melted sugar at a time, shape it, let it harden, and so forth. This didn't work as the mold became miss-shapened.
So in the end, I restorted to making lots of cooked sugar and pouring it into the mold to make a solid bottle, and suspended it in my pantry from the wire racks with clothes pegs!!!!!!!
Woke up the next morning, and one side had come away from the clothes peg, and bent the neck of the bottle! So I just put it in the microwave for a minute, and realigned it. Then let if solidify.
I haven't yet taken the mold off - haven't had the courage after all of the above!
Luckily, this is only an experiment for my husband (bless him - he is so supportive!) as I am making him a celebratory cake. I know the bottle will be heavy, and plan to dowel the cake lots before putting the bottle on it!
However, if any of you have any tips or pointers, I would be very grateful for any advice. I would like to do this again, but with hollow bottles!!!!
SCS,
Did you try to make a solid mold for support? Maybe out of play doh or floam or something similar? I wasn't able to find a non-toxic latex locally so I tried to make a jalf mold out of crayola foam but it stuck to the sugar. I'm going to try play-doh next. I've used it to shape sugar but never as a mold.
I did try a solid mold for support, but when I layed the bottle down on it, the top still collapsed down. I did think of doing a supporting mold with the bottle standing up, but wouldn't the sugar pool at the bottom?
Also, when I did move the bottle upright, the part of the bottle, near the neck started to buckle a bit.
Maybe my mold wasn't big or supportive enough?
You have to tilt the mold slightly and pour the sugar in slowly, a little at a time, while rotating the mold. I don't always use a full batch of sugar mixture for the bottle if the sides seem thick enough. A solid bottle will tend to collapse. Pour some sugar in, let it cool a bit, rotate, pour a little more, etc.. This will keep it from buckling for the most part.
And you do need a solid half bottle mold for support of the latex mold.
Thanks for all the advice. I think I will try it again soon, and just try to be more patient with it, and take my time! I do think I put too much boiled sugar in it to start with.
With the supportive mold - is it to support the bottle lying on its side, or standing up?
crumbscakeartistry - looks great! Funny labels too!
SCS - yes the bottle is on it's side - sometimes I prop the mold a bit so the sugar does not pour out, but once it cools a bit it can stay on it's side.
SweetResults- thank you so much for such a great cake and great instructions!
I am experimenting with molds and sugar and am not having luck with the microwave method.
What is the temp to bring the sugar mixture to boil?
To achieve a nice clear color any tips?
Does anyone have a good source for isomelt if my experiments continue to fail?
Thanks Everyone!
Boy I wish I could help more, but I am just a Sugar Hack myself. I am not really sure what the temp is. And I've always had a bit of a yellowish tint, becuase when i went for clear it never seemed to harden properly. I pretty much have been going by "feel". But I think that you have to bring the sugar to the hard crack stage, maybe if you google that it will give you a temp?
Or take a look in the candy forum? I'm sure somone there would know where to get isomelt as well.
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