The most common causes
| Cause | How you notice | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Too many portions at once | Fine at first, soft after a wave of orders | Give it a short break, pull portions evenly; long term: more output or a second cylinder |
| Heat and sun | Worse in the afternoon than in the morning | Shade, clearance for the air, ventilation; if it keeps happening, water cooling |
| Air outlet blocked or filter full | Machine runs loud and long, ice cream stays soft | Make room, clean the filter |
| Warm mix topped up | Soft right after topping up | Store mix chilled and top up chilled |
| Mix made up wrongly | Always too soft or watery | Make it up exactly as the maker specifies |
| Firmness or air set wrongly | Too soft, too airy | Check the setting against the manual |
| Wear or a fault | Problem stays despite everything | Call the technician |
What we do on a busy day in August
- Watch the machine first, not the ice cream: is it running non-stop? Is warm air not getting away?
- Give the machine a few minutes after a wave of orders
- Only top up with chilled mix
- Keep the air outlet clear; in an emergency, shade it from the sun
- If it happens every hot afternoon: that is not an operating error but the wrong machine for the site
When you need a technician
If the ice cream stays soft even when it is quiet, with chilled mix and the right settings, if the machine shows error messages or is unusually loud. In our regions a technician near you comes out; service by region.
Related
Frequently asked questions
At what temperature is soft serve dispensed?
At about −6 °C, much warmer than hard ice cream from the freezer at about −18 °C (according to LGL Bavaria).
Can too much air make the ice cream soft?
Yes. Too much overrun makes soft serve airy and unstable. The setting depends on the machine and the mix.
Does it help to set the machine colder?
Only to a point. If the output is not enough, the machine keeps refreezing and still does not catch up. Then a stronger or water-cooled machine is the solution.
Sources
We quote makers’ figures with their source. Experience from our kiosk is marked as such.
