Eberhardt Single Arm Mixer
When I brought Excelsior Bakery it came complete with a Pre WW2? single arm mixer of prodigious size and weight. No sheet metal here- it is constructed from cast iron, even the mixing bowl, and must weigh close on a ton. I am told that at full capacity it can hold 100kg of dough which is far more than I could ever reasonably expect to produce in a single batch even if I did ever operate on a semi commercial basis, but possibly I can run it with a quarter batch. With its age there is no written instruction or information that I have been able to find so I consigned it outside with the thought that it would make a good garden ornament. However, I it is such a beautifully made piece of equipment, I cant bear to put it outside so I have decided to give it a reprieve and reinstate it as from what little I have been able to find it should produce a superb dough with its gentle kneading action and slow speed, so very little risk of over heating or oxidizing my dough.. The brand is Eberhardt, but is identical to the Thoroughbred brand machines that seemed to be common in commercial bakeries here in Australia. Just wondered if by chance anyone here has experience with this type of machine, and what are your thoughts. The pic is of an identical machine.
We had an Eberhard in the back room of a bakery that i worked at in western Canada. If I remember correctly, the arm had somewhat of a different shape at the end. The travel of the stroke looks quite similiar though. We used the maschine once per week to mix an 80% rye bread, it did a very good job of that. Eventually though, it got a little too loosie goosey in the gear dept. After that the rye was mixed in a large one armed Kemper.
I hope that you have room to hang on to this, it deserves more than to have geraniums growing in it.
Our local baker, here in Switzerland, has retired and appears that he has taken up gardening. The bowl in the back there is from an Artofax mixer
cheers
Daniel
What part of Aus are you at ? i used a single arm Stirling mixer for over a year at a hot bread shop in Garden City shopping centre in Booragoon (WA) it was painted bright orange and was a very good machine, We used it to mix a dough from 75kg flour down to quite small amounts 5kg or so.Im sure it would take the 100kg but 75 kg was all we could handle in one mix. Although all the doughs we made were INSTANT it was a nice slow mixing action that you didnt need to worry about overmixing if you took your eye off it.
Im sure if you wanted to part with it there would be people that would love to have it.
kind regards Derek
Hi Derek,
I am in Tasmania, and have no plans to dispose of it. Have actually pulled it right down for a total refurbishment and repaint, and if I can mix small amounts of dough will stop using my Spiral which might be good for today's intensive dough's but I don't like the idea of beating my dough to death and filling it with too much air to ruin the taste because of the oxidation. The old Baker here used to mix dough and then leave it in the bowel for its bulk fermentation 8hrs minimum with a very small amount of yeast so things progressed nice and slow, and that is what I want to experiment with and aim for.
Great news that is definitely the way to go, you may need to get some tubs to allow your doughs to do their slow ferment, leaving it in the mixer is fine if you are only making the one dough. The Bourke st Bakery is a good book and their method of producing a base dough that can be used for a number of derivatives might suit you well.
Too bad fathers day was last week, my kids bought me two bread books!
Tasmania is high on my list of places to visit now that i have retired so hopefully i will get to see this machine in action in the not to distant future.
If you have any problems (bread related) that you need to share and want to PM me with id be more than happy to respond, on the basis of two heads are better than one.
kind regards Derek
i reckon that picture of the mixer would be great for your Avatar as i see you don't have one yet, its also good if you fill in your details and people can see where you are from etc when you click on the members name.
regards Derek
If I may offer some unsolicited advice... Commercial dough mixers tend to be run into the ground. If possible change grease/oil (as applicable) if you're going to be using the machine.
Old grease either turns to goo, or hardens into something vaguely resembling dry chewing gum. It all depends on if the machine was overused or sat.
A mechanist friend of mine has a third generation commercial machinist shop. Roughly 80% of the equipment was made before 1950 and been in use since new. His advice was to keep it (machines) clean, keep it lubricated and fix it up before you have too.
I've seen Diosna style mixers, but never anything exactly like your Eberhardt. If you get it running; would it be possible to see a video of it in action?