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Permalink Reply by Brady on May 7, 2009 at 1:12pm

I'd suspect the cup as well. Try the same thing with hot water and see what happens. Might be a funky batch of sealing compound?

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Permalink Reply by Alex C. McGregor on May 7, 2009 at 1:14pm

First off, I have to say that I haven't slept in way too many hours and upon reading the title I though you were talking about someone building wax sculptures inside paper drink cups... Anywho... Haven't had that happen. I've been using that syrup for white chocolate for years... never seen it. BUT you may want to check the cups that you're using. I have had two things happen with disposable cups. 1). wax shavings from the manufacturing process that when a hot drink is poored into the cup it can melt the wax and it will consolidate later on upon cooling. And 2). Paper shavings from manufacturing leaving floaties. But this isn't really a waxy feel. More like really finely shredded... well... paper in your mouth haha. Good luck homeslice.

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Permalink Reply by The Village Bean on May 7, 2009 at 1:24pm

Could be, although we've been using these cups forever with never a problem. Troubleshooting I made several different recipes, whip, lids etc. as I would ready to go out the drivethru window and then left them on back counter - I watched diligently (every half hour for 5 hours) how each decomposed so-to-speak and not one created a ring of wax. Just baffles me.

Brady said:

I'd suspect the cup as well. Try the same thing with hot water and see what happens. Might be a funky batch of sealing compound?

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Permalink Reply by The Village Bean on May 7, 2009 at 1:31pm

I actually removed the substance from the cup with my bare fingers - it looked, felt and smeared like grease that builds on gravy when cooled. Crazy huh?

Alex C. McGregor said:

First off, I have to say that I haven't slept in way too many hours and upon reading the title I though you were talking about someone building wax sculptures inside paper drink cups... Anywho... Haven't had that happen. I've been using that syrup for white chocolate for years... never seen it. BUT you may want to check the cups that you're using. I have had two things happen with disposable cups. 1). wax shavings from the manufacturing process that when a hot drink is poored into the cup it can melt the wax and it will consolidate later on upon cooling. And 2). Paper shavings from manufacturing leaving floaties. But this isn't really a waxy feel. More like really finely shredded... well... paper in your mouth haha. Good luck homeslice.

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Permalink Reply by The Village Bean on May 7, 2009 at 7:00pm

We're talking about a caramel mocha. I don't believe I've ever had a customer request honey in such a drink recipe to date. As well, our drive thru customers do not have access to our kitchen from their car to add honey. They too, a regular customer as well, were baffled by the "mystery" grease/wax ring.


january vawter said:

*ehem*

uh

Any chance this was commercial grade honey?

If the milk was (maybe) a little too hot there could be this sort of reaction. If your customer added some honey (as some are wont to do) it's entirely possible.

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Permalink Reply by Bryan Wray on May 7, 2009 at 10:17pm

Back at the first shop I worked at we would have a weird oily substance that would get kind of thick over the coarse of a day that would appear on a drink that had milk get too hot and was topped with whipped cream. It had more to do with our cheap ingredients and poor technique than the cup we were serving it in. Your ingredients sound fine, and the fact that you are asking the question implies to me that you have a decently solid technique.
I'm pretty stumped too, to be honest. I've been watching this thread all day, but I just haven't really had any light bulbs over my head for this one.

-bry

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Permalink Reply by Jesse -D-> on May 8, 2009 at 6:02am

caramel sauce traditionally has butter in it, or heavy cream. I would imagine that the build up is caused by what ever butter substitute Ghiardelli is using. It sounds like you had way too much build-up for it too have been the cup.

I think that your assessment of the situation must be correct:"shake well before using"

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Permalink Reply by The Village Bean on May 8, 2009 at 6:47am

I appreciate the comments. Thanks. Although our technique is sound and we use terrific products it would certainly not be beyond an employee to let her milk get away from her. I'm going to make one hotter than usual, whip it - then check to see what happens.
As well, who lets a caramel mocha sit around for hours then expects it to taste yummy - I would love to have replied "you've got to be kidding me?" although I refrained from sarcastic banter. Honestly, my first thought was they had indeed put something in it.

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Permalink Reply by Bryan Wray on May 11, 2009 at 7:00pm

CoffeeLady said:

I appreciate the comments. Thanks. Although our technique is sound and we use terrific products it would certainly not be beyond an employee to let her milk get away from her. I'm going to make one hotter than usual, whip it - then check to see what happens.
As well, who lets a caramel mocha sit around for hours then expects it to taste yummy - I would love to have replied "you've got to be kidding me?" although I refrained from sarcastic banter. Honestly, my first thought was they had indeed put something in it.

Maybe they put some wax build-up in it... :0)

-bry

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