Baking & Snack - February 2022 - 82

DEPOSITING
Top: Mini products
are a popular way
to jump on the
better-for-you trend,
but these baked
goods require impeccable
precision
at the depositor.
©Lukas Hodon - stock.adobe.com
Bottom: Changes
in viscosity require
tweaks in processing
equipment such
as larger piping and
greater horsepower
to push batter
through the system.
ET Oakes
to enhance flow to combat viscosity changes. Viscosity
will also impact how deposits are cut off to ensure precise
portioning. Optimizing all of this will help not only
deliver an accurately weighed product but also the best
finished product quality.
Better batter flow
When it comes to unconventional batters, one of the most
common conundrums is increased viscousness compared
to conventional counterparts. This can impact flowability
throughout the depositing system. There are several design
choices that can be made to counteract these issues
and keep batter flowing through production.
" It's subtle adjustments, " said Bob Peck, vice president,
engineering, ET Oakes. " If viscosity increases, we have to
consider larger process piping to allow pressure for greater
pressure drops. And if viscosity does increase, the power
requirements can change. "
Gluten-free batters, in particular, because of their
stickiness, require more horsepower to move through a
depositing system.
" As soon as I hear gluten-free, I know I'm going to
need a machine with more power, " said Rod Gregg, executive
vice president, Hinds-Bock, a Middleby Bakery
company. " For those applications, we'll make a machine
with a larger flow path from the top of the hopper to the
nozzle. By increasing the opening in that flow path, we
cut down the resistance, so the batter flows better. "
He said bakers should only use depositors with larger
air cylinders to generate more power and give the batter
an assist when being fed into the machine. In the hopper
of the depositor, an agitator pushes down on the batter in
a circular motion. This isn't forceful, but rather, it applies
gentle pressure to help push the product along.
Managing flow is so important because it also impacts
finished product quality. Flow generates friction
and can have a detrimental effect on aeration and inclusions.
Stiffer batters may require greater force to move
them through the depositing system, but they also can
be more temperature sensitive, so larger piping and
agitators will help the batter move along a little easier
and help maintain product quality
from the mixer to the pan.
" The length and geometry of a
product path will affect batter quality
and final product presentation, " Mr.
Hagedorn explained. " A shorter path with
smooth product movement reduces friction
along with the temperature rise and loss of
ingredient integrity that comes with it. "
Handtmann not only shortened the path
for batter traveling in its systems, but it also
82 Baking & Snack February 2022 / www.bakingbusiness.com
http://stock.adobe.com http://www.bakingbusiness.com
Baking & Snack - February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Baking & Snack - February 2022
