Triple Encrusting: How to Make Double Fillings and Wrap Whole Egg Yolks and Chestnuts
From "Dough Around Filling" to "Dough Around Filling Around Filling"
Standard encrusting has two layers: dough and filling. More and more products on the market call for three layers, such as a ball of fresh cream inside red bean paste, or bean paste plus a molten sauce inside a sesame dough. Other products need to wrap something "whole": the strawberry in strawberry daifuku, the chestnut in chestnut manju, or the salted egg yolk in an egg yolk pastry.
These two needs call for two different options on an encrusting machine: a triple-encrusting unit handles "a third material that can be extruded," and a solid-ingredient feeder handles "whole items that cannot be extruded."
Can It Wrap Two Fillings at Once?
Yes, provided the machine can be fitted with a triple-encrusting unit. The principle is to add another feed tube at the center of the original concentric double-layer nozzle, delivering the third material to the innermost position. What is extruded is a three-layer concentric rope, which the shutter then cuts; see Co-Extrusion Principle.
RHEON's Japanese website divides the triple-encrusting units for the KASEIJIN (火星人) into three types according to material:
- Cycloid feeder: Suited to materials with some firmness, such as bean paste, mochi dough, and cookie dough, and can also feed custard and fresh cream. The manufacturer lists a maximum output of 130 kg/hour, with four selectable feed ratios of 1:1.5, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4, and it does not crush particles in the dough.
- Vertical screw feeder: Suited to materials with especially low flowability such as fresh cream, and can also feed sauces containing diced chestnut. Maximum output 33 kg/hour.
- Pump-type feeder: Uses a screw plus a mohno pump, suited to near-liquid materials such as sauces and sesame paste. Maximum output 24 kg/hour.
There is also a dedicated triple-encrusting unit for the two-row KASEIJIN, which works on both rows at once.
Can It Wrap Whole Egg Yolks, Chestnuts, or Strawberries?
Yes, with a solid-ingredient feeder. According to RHEON's company history, the low-bed KASEIJIN CN120, released in 1994, was the first in the KASEIJIN series that could be fitted with an option to automatically feed solids such as strawberries and chestnuts.
The key points of the manufacturer's description of the current solid-ingredient encrusting unit are:
- It can wrap whole chestnuts, strawberries, and mandarin segments, and can also wrap several red beans, raisins, or cheese cubes together.
- A switch allows two solid pieces to be placed in a single product.
- It has an air suction function to reduce air trapped around the solid, and the suction level can be adjusted by product.
- Maximum production capacity is 1,800 pieces/hour.
- It comes in "solid triple encrusting" (the solid is first wrapped in a layer of filling, then in dough, as in strawberry daifuku or whole-chestnut manju) and "solid double encrusting" (the solid is wrapped in only one layer, as in Scotch eggs); the latter requires separate dedicated parts.
The tagline for the Smart Solid Feeder in the Asia-Pacific market is simply "automatic egg yolk supply." The Japanese version explains that nuts, chocolate chips, or quail eggs can be poured loosely onto a rotating disc, whose tilt makes them drop automatically into pockets and then on to encrusting. This unit is exclusive to the CN700.
Which Options Do You Need?
Use this as a guide:
| What you want to make | Option needed |
|---|---|
| Dough + filling + a ball of cream or sauce | Triple-encrusting unit (choose the feeder type by material) |
| Dough wrapping a whole strawberry or chestnut | Solid-ingredient feeder |
| Dough + filling + a whole egg yolk (e.g., egg yolk pastry) | Solid triple encrusting |
| Dough wrapping a whole egg directly (e.g., Scotch egg) | Solid double encrusting + dedicated parts |
| Particles mixed into dough, then encrusted | A feeding mechanism that conveys particles without crushing them |
What to Check Before Adding Options
- Whether the main unit supports it: Options are often compatible only with specific models; for example, the Smart Solid Feeder mentioned above works only with the CN700.
- Size consistency of the solids: If chestnuts or egg yolks vary too much in size, the dough thickness will be uneven, so grade them by size first.
- Surface condition of the solids: Filling does not adhere well to strawberries that are too wet or egg yolks that are too oily.
- Temperature: Fresh cream and custard must be kept cold, and the production pace must keep up so they do not sit too long in the feed tubes.
Does Dong-Yih Have Equivalent Mechanisms?
Dong-Yih Machinery has not published information on its website about whether its models have mechanisms for triple encrusting or solid-ingredient feeding. You are welcome to call 06-257-4644 or leave a message on our Contact page to ask.
FAQ
Q: Can an encrusting machine wrap two fillings at once?
A: Yes, with a triple-encrusting unit that feeds a third material into the center of the nozzle, extruding a three-layer concentric rope that is then cut.
Q: Can it wrap whole egg yolks, chestnuts, or strawberries?
A: Yes. This requires a solid-ingredient feeder that places the whole solid in the center of the filling or dough and then wraps it. RHEON has offered this type of option since the CN120 in 1994.
Q: Does wrapping solids slow down production?
A: Usually, yes. RHEON's solid-ingredient encrusting unit lists a maximum capacity of 1,800 pieces/hour, lower than the main unit's encrusting capacity on its own.
Q: Will a molten sauce filling leak?
A: Liquid fillings require a metering pump suited to liquids, an outer filling layer that is thick enough, and a secure seal. The recipe's viscosity also needs to be adjusted so it can be metered consistently.