Test batches?

What’s the minimum size batch you can make in a 60 quart mixer? I’ve made 10lb (flour weight) batches but I’d like to try smaller. I just don’t know how small you can go before you start to have trouble mixing. Of course I can use my smaller mixer, but I’m just curious.

You can use a batch of 5lbs flour plus ingredients. That’s min but workable, I do test batches all the time with that weight…

I made a mistake, the text batch mixer is a 30qt…sorry for the confusion…

Most planetary mixers with a reverse spiral dough arm will mix a dough as small as 1/3 of the rated capacity for the bowl. For a 60-quart mixer that will be 50 divided by 3 or about 16-pounds of flour. Doughs smaller than that do not receive good mixing action and will require that you mix the dough at a higher speed than normal which just introduces another variable which you don’t want with test batches.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

Thanks, as always, Tom!

Thanks for that information. I am picking up a used ABS 60 Qt mixer, and curious what the recommended minimum dose would be.

nsxbill;
the maximum dough size for that mixer will be based on about 40-pounds of flour weight so a minimum dough weight would be based on 13-pounds of flour weight IF the mixer has a reverse spiral dough are, but I don’t think it has. I believe your mixer will have a straight “J” hook which means that you are going to have to stay pretty close to full load capacity to get decent mixing action as the dough will exhibit a monkey like tendency to climb up the hook with smaller dough sizes. I believe that they do make a 30-quart bowl and hook for that mixer which would allow you to more easily mix smaller dough sizes but again with a “J” hook you’re going to need to stay pretty close to full bowl loading capacity.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor