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Post by run222 on Apr 28, 2010 10:29:09 GMT -5
All,
Usually when I make a batch of chocolate, I start the mixing in my Ultra on Friday evening, shut it down overnight after a couple of hours, let it run for 7-8 hours on Saturday, shut it off overnight, get it started on Sunday morning then temper/mold on Sunday evening. The total actual mixing time is around 20 hours. If I could not start on a Friday and wanted to finish on a Sunday, is there any obvious problem with letting the Ultra run overnight while I am sleeping? I would never let it run if I am not in the house, but it would seem to be OK to let it run while I am asleep, I mean other than the noise, is there anything else I should be worried about? Do others let there Ultra's run overnight?
Thanks for any advice, Adam
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Post by cheebs on Apr 28, 2010 12:09:12 GMT -5
Adam, As long as you're in the house there should be no problem. If you're really paranoid train a cctv camera on it. I've let my grinders run through the night always. Just be mindful of the belt conditions, in case it breaks during the night. This only would happen with an extremely worn belt. For dark I usually let the Ultra run for 48 hours uninterrupted.
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Post by redstar on Apr 28, 2010 14:38:26 GMT -5
You guys are braver than me. Mine overheated and switched itself off after 10 hours once - the fan trained on it had vibrated and moved so that the air wasn't cooling the motor. Let me know how you get on!
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Post by Brad on Apr 28, 2010 15:48:26 GMT -5
Howdy;
As far as I know the ultra and Santha's aren't CSA/UL approved, which opens a whole panacea of legal issues if one happens to burn down a house.
The bottom line is that regardless of what anyone tells you, they aren't designed for chocolate making and the stresses related to such use. The belts wear, and can pack up inside the unit, the fans and motors are sub-standard, and the bearings in the bottom of the bowls fail after a while. Even after extensively modifying mine, I ran it in the middle of my garage or basement floor, and had it plugged in to a very sensitive thermal breaker (similar to the ones used for hot tubs) before I began running it 24/7. Even then I was always checking on it.
Take your chances and be careful, but still have fun, as there aren't really any alternatives if you want to make chocolate.
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