Baking&Snack - March 2017 - 102

PROOFERS

Left: A paternoster proofer Aaron Burke, territory manager, GTA/Western Canada,
moves pans up one tower ABI Ltd. Air flow, temperature and relative humidity rank
and down the next. first, with size, capacity and treatment of dough being more
Tromp Group
Right: The product specific to client and product. "Aside from size, capacity,
handling system moves controls and fuel options, we have also found that many clipeelboards loaded with ents these days are looking for closed-loop systems and/or
dough pieces through the systems that can accept whole racks so that product doesn't
proofer and to the oven. have to be transferred as often," he explained.
Rademaker USA

Keeping heat, humidity consistent
There's a big difference between intermediate and final
proofing. Intermediate proofers give yeast-raised dough
pieces a period of rest to help recover from the rigors of
dividing and rounding, but the final proofer is what enables leavening to bring bread and rolls to their optimum
volume before baking. Intermediate proofers usually operate at the plant's ambient temperature and humidity,
with care taken to avoid drafts that could dry dough surfaces, while final proofers apply controlled heat and moisture in a controlled environment.
"One of the main issues with proofers is always control
over heat and humidity," said Frank Achterberg, president, CBF Bakery Systems. The company designed its
step-style proofers with cooling, as well as heating, capacity to guarantee better humidity control. "We did that right
off the bat," he observed.
Gaining and staying in control over humidity and temperature can be quite complex, according to Mr. Burke. To
achieve this, ABI combines precisely placed and tuned sensors, advanced ventilation and accurate temperature controls.
Pfening recently started to use temperature/humidity
sensors with heated sensor tips. "This reduces the buildup
of condensation inside the sensor, giving better accuracy
at higher humidity," Mr. Doan said. Engineers solved another problem involving false readings at high humidity
levels by switching to on/off control valves. The result, he
said, is similar to modulating valves but at lower cost.
Energy use is a significant factor in operating proofers.
One way to cut energy costs for proofers is through a stack
heat recovery system that moves excess oven heat into a
hot glycol system to supply the proofer or steam heated
coils or electric rods. More than a dozen such systems are

102 Baking & Snack March 2017 / www.bakingandsnack.com

in operation today, according to Dennis Kauffman, executive product manager, AMF Bakery Systems.
Steam makeup within the proof box also cuts energy
costs, said Jim Cummings, president, Tromp Group
Americas. This proprietary system generates steam only
when needed. "You don't have to keep a massive boiler
running all the time," he added.
Generating a homogenous climate within the proofer is
essential, according to Richard Breeswine, president and
CEO, Koenig Bakery Systems. "The humidity can be regulated with steam," he added, "or a new system altogether.
Koenig just developed a system of adiabatic humidification, which needs less cooling power."
Engineers at the Middleby Bakery Group (Auto-Bake,
Baker Thermal Systems, Spooner Vicars and Stewart
Systems) turned their attention to humidification and
specifically to steam. "There is no argument that the highest quality humidification system is low-pressure saturated steam," said Scott McCally, vice-president of engineering. "Then why are we and the rest of the world moving
away from steam in many applications? Steam systems
unfortunately come with many negatives, including high
maintenance costs and intense safety regulations."
Such drawbacks prompted development of Middleby's
high-pressure humidification system (HPHS). Precisely
machined nozzles disperse water in 2-micro-diameter
droplets for near complete evaporation. "This characteristic minimizes excess water in the proof box, which can
lead to significant sanitary issues," Mr. McCally noted. He
said that energy consumption by the HPHS is 50 times
less than an equivalent steam system.
To complement this approach, Middleby developed
a utility management system (UMS). It projects trends
and totals power, water and fuel usage to monitor cost
inputs by product and production run. "Operator behavior, production scheduling and seasonal variability can all have a significant impact on cost inputs," Mr.
McCally said. "The proofer UMS is the daily feedback
system that quickly identifies issues for swift action."
At Rademaker, engineers adopted a different concept: installing the HVAC systems inside the proof box.
"Housing it inside the enclosure reduces the energy cost

http://www.bakingandsnack.com

Baking&Snack - March 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Baking&Snack - March 2017