Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Pop Corn Question !

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Ground Level » Pop Corn Question ! (Page 4)

This topic comprises 6 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Author

Topic: Pop Corn Question !

Don Furr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 509
From: Sun City, Ca USA
Registered: Nov 2002

posted 03-25-2008 08:54 AM

Speaking of coconut oil, when the big scare in the early/mid 90's came up about how bad coconut oil was I was operating 7 theatres at the time. We NEVER skipped a beat using coconut oil. Just about everyone else switched to one of those "fu-fu" oils but we just kept on clogging those arteries. [beer]

| IP: Logged

Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 03-25-2008 10:29 AM

And now we find out that they were more or less full of crap and coconut oil itself isn't necessarily bad for you. They had simply assumed that if hydrogenated coconut oil was bad that it meant coconut oil was bad... and now we know that the whole hydrogenation process itself makes any oil bad for you.

edit: And one thing that I remember my old manager saying was (according to her) the most important part of making popcorn taste better was to usually have the kettle set at a slightly lower temp than what the manufacturer recommended. And damned if her setup and procedure consistently made the stuff taste fantastic. Though when that theater had become an AMC (which had us switch from Canola to Coconut) it took some getting used to that the corn simply looked a different shade and smelled way different to me. Still tasted good. Then I later realized I had the allergy [Frown]

| IP: Logged

James Westbrook
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1133
From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa
Registered: Mar 2006

posted 03-25-2008 11:54 AM

Cinemark opened Movies 12 in Lubbock in 1990. When I stepped into the lobby, I noticed the popcorm smelled different than what I was used to smelling at UA (who I was working for at the time) and Mann. Cinemark was popping with Promise popping oil at the time. This was confirmed the day Cinemark took over the Mall theatre UA had owned (and me with it.) The UA district manager had already hauled out all of the UA concessions' cups, tubs, candy, butter and all of that as Cinemark had already ordered a truck of concession supplies to arrive that same day.
The first batch of popcorn popped with Promise confirmed my suspicions...
One of the older Cinemark hands told me Cinemark used cocoanut oil in the 80s as he recalled having to use the "Hot Rod" by Cretors to melt the cocoanut oil in the winter time before the pump could be installed in the new container. We had one, too, at UA. Canola oil does not solidify or gel.
How does the B.I.B. cocoanut oil work? Wouldn't the rack it is sitting on have to be extra hot to melt it? Or is something added to the Cocoanut oil so as it won't solidify in the box?

| IP: Logged

Don Furr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 509
From: Sun City, Ca USA
Registered: Nov 2002

posted 03-25-2008 12:01 PM

The answer is heated BIB racks. It doesn't take that much heat to melt the oil.

| IP: Logged

Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 03-25-2008 12:27 PM

Yeah you just use heated racks then load the poppers from the racks. Very easy.

| IP: Logged

Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 03-25-2008 12:56 PM

The old theatre I worked at years ago used coconut oil. We took the I think it was 5 gallon metal containers and sat them on top of the transformer unit in the transformer room. After a day or so it was all liquefied and we then took it to the popper for use.

| IP: Logged

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-25-2008 12:57 PM

We, also, ignored the coconut oil scare. That whole thing was stupid anyway. If you were LIVING on nothing but popcorn, then maybe they'd have a point, but a once-every-week-or-two snack? What's the problem?

I had one person ask if we were still using that "BAD" oil in the popcorn, and I said yes, and he said "Great! I was hoping you weren't going to change!"

| IP: Logged

Jeremy Weigel
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1062
From: Edmond, OK, USA
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 03-25-2008 08:43 PM

Man, I wish Regal would have ignored all that hoopla. They sent us dividers to split our bin/warmers and pop canola and corn oil versions for several months. And having only one popper it made it a pain in the arse! We had to wipe out the popper before switching oils. Eventually they settled on corn oil.

Corn oil tasted OK, but damn it was not easy to keep the popper clean. That stuff turns into a glue-like crap at high temps and burns too easily.

| IP: Logged

Sean McKinnon
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1712
From: Peabody Massachusetts
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 03-26-2008 08:28 AM

One thing I don't think that some theatres do is toss the first batch. The first batch will always taste like crap, it will pick any left over cleaning residue, and it is a good way to make sure the popper is heated properly. You should NEVER heat up an empty kettle, just throw a batch of seed and oil in when you turn the thing on when it pops toss that first batch and you are ready to go!

| IP: Logged

Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 03-26-2008 11:10 AM

quote: Sean McKinnon
You should NEVER heat up an empty kettle

I had too many times where kids would forget and leave the damn thing on after dumping their last batch for a while and nearly (or actually) catching on fire.

I distinctly remember walking into the building right after a manager sent this kid on break and was covering the lobby. He started up a batch of corn, walked into the back kitchen area, returned 10-15 seconds later, and the popper was already spitting out kernels. They were all tiny and tasted awful.

quote: Jeremy Weigel
Corn oil tasted OK, but damn it was not easy to keep the popper clean. That stuff turns into a glue-like crap at high temps and burns too easily.

Surprised they didn't just go with canola like most of the other chains that switched. I never noticed any problem cleaning with canola (or coconut after the switcheroo). Though I do remember a friend that worked at a Regal saying that the coconut oil they were using at the time got thick enough on the glass that they had to use newspaper to get it up.

| IP: Logged

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-26-2008 01:44 PM

OK here's another popcorn question. On the old Manley machine we used to have, the instruction book said it was vital to have the oil HOT before putting the seed in -- said the kernels would be fluffier. On our newer Cretors machine, they say to do the opposite: Put the seed in first, then the oil, then turn on the heat. I can see that if the kettle is already hot, but what about that first batch?

I figure the Cretors people are just covering their butts with that instruction, so I tell my people to let the oil heat a couple of minutes on the first batch before putting the corn in.

We don't toss the first batch, but we almost always make 2 or 3 a night, so the first stuff gets mixed in with the later. (We wipe the kettle with plain paper towels only, so there is no cleaning residue.)

| IP: Logged

Jeremy Weigel
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1062
From: Edmond, OK, USA
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 03-26-2008 03:38 PM

The canola oil as I remember tasted really bland. The corn oil tasted a little better. Both oils tended to gum up but the corn oil seem to be the worse. The stuff gums up just like the soybean extract butter flavored topping most of us use. We had to boil the kettle out with inside kettle cleaner every night to keep it from building up inside the kettle. We used the outside kettle cleaner to the build up down as well. The outside cleaner also has polishing agents in it aswell to keep that nickel plated finish looking great.

When Regal pulled out of this theatre, the first thing I and my GM recommended to the new owners was to switch back to coconut.

With coconut you don't need to "boil" out the kettle as often; maybe once or twice a month to keep ahead of any "char" that may start to accumulate. Basically you leave the kettle "seasoned" like a on old cast iron skillet. I believe that in our Cretors manual it actually recommends a once a week "boiling".

I also pull the drive shaft for the stirer out of the center pan stud every so often to clean the shaft with brillo and the stud out with a brass pipe brush to keep the char build up down so that it doesn't eventually seize the shaft and either brake the shaft or blow the motor.

As for the order in which you add the ingredients, adding oil to a hot kettle before adding the seed is asking for a grease fire; at least that is what I was always told. This might be why Cretors recommends adding the seed first then the oil.

Another key to big light and fluffy corn is making sure that your kettle is not getting too hot.

For our 20 oz kettle I believe the recommended temp range is 450-475 degrees (haven't looked at the manual in a while so I could be wrong) and popping time should only take about 2 1/2 minutes per batch. I remember I had to replace a thermostat on our machine some years ago and trying to find that sweet spot for popping. The new stat was set too high from and popped an entire batch in just a little over 1 minute. Sounds great, except that the corn was extremely small and dense.

I also recommend not adding ice the kettle to cool it down for cleaning. I know of a staff member (at what used to be the sister theatre to ours back in the Regal days) that did this and it cracked the kettle.

| IP: Logged

Brad Allen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 688
From: Evansville, IN, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 03-26-2008 07:23 PM

quote: Mike Blakesley
OK here's another popcorn question. On the old Manley machine we used to have, the instruction book said it was vital to have the oil HOT before putting the seed in -- said the kernels would be fluffier. On our newer Cretors machine, they say to do the opposite: Put the seed in first, then the oil, then turn on the heat. I can see that if the kettle is already hot, but what about that first batch?

I figure the Cretors people are just covering their butts with that instruction, so I tell my people to let the oil heat a couple of minutes on the first batch before putting the corn in.

We don't toss the first batch, but we almost always make 2 or 3 a night, so the first stuff gets mixed in with the later. (We wipe the kettle with plain paper towels only, so there is no cleaning residue.)

For the first batch, I've always put in the oil, then dropped in just 6 or 7 seeds, waited until they popped, then put in a full load o' corn. Works for me.

| IP: Logged

Rene Ferron
Film Handler

Posts: 52
From: New Brunswick, Canada
Registered: Feb 2008

posted 03-26-2008 07:48 PM

What would be the best corn to buy (Brand Name) ?

| IP: Logged

Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 03-26-2008 08:49 PM

Hey Mike - I bet you would love to have that Manley back in a hearbeat...nothing can outdo a Manley when it comes to corn popping. Cretors can't even come close to the results as what a Manley can produce since those cast aluminum kettles that Manley uses had the heat more evenly spread all over the base of the kettle than does these iron kettles that Cretors uses with the hot spots over the elements.

I remember the last Manley we had at our theatre before it closed down: got the oil so hot that it was clear as water without scorching it.

I service a drive-in in this area that still has their Manley..that was installed when the drive-in opened in 1953.

Yes, I do remember the instructions for the Manley and it's funny that nobody pay any attention to the instructions that Cretor uses. They still fire up the kettle, wait til it begins to steam up good, throw in the seed and dump the oil in to get the first batch as good as the rest.

On the question of the seed: There are so many packaging firms around the states that sells seed in the 50lb sacks that I would call it as all being the same..just don't get crazy on going brand name since your dough is keeping that brand name going.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 6 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.