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KNOTT’S
POP-CORN BOOK
DEDICATED TO
THE HEALTH
THE HAPPINESS
THE WEALTH
OF ALL PEOPLE

CONTENTS:

[Pop-Corn, the Grain and its Handling]

[The Popping of Corn]

[Factory Planning]

[The Right Way to Handle the Batch]

[What to do with Corn that Does Not Pop]

[Raw Materials]

[Paper and Packages]

[The Cooking of Syrup]

[Recipes and Formulas]

[Distribution]

[National Confectioners’ Association]

[How to Figure Costs]

[Pop-Corn Machinery]

COMPILED BY

E. R. KNOTT

PUBLISHED BY

E. R. KNOTT MACHINE CO.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Copyrighted, 1920
By E. R. KNOTT

E. R. KNOTT
MACHINE COMPANY
BOSTON

WHEN BETTER POP-CORN
MACHINES ARE MADE
KNOTT WILL MAKE THEM

The Illustration in Colors

You see a few of the many attractive styles in which you can put up pop-corn made on Knott’s Pop-Corn Machines.

The top package, a pop-corn brick, is extensively sold from Maine to New Jersey along the Atlantic coast at beaches and parks in summer.

The center picture of bar pop-corn, either ground or whole, is a New England favorite. The top bar has the paper folded back as it is held while eating by biting off the bar.

The lower left is a package of whole corn fritters or crispettes, while at the right is shown a crispette on top of some ground corn fritters.

The center upper piece is called “two-fers” because it sells two for a penny. It is a New England piece. The lower center is a penny cake.

These last four pieces are winter goods.

The flavors are Molasses (yellow), Chocolate (brown), Vanilla (white), Checkerberry or Wintergreen (pink).

This Book has been Printed:—

(1) Because now is the time to enter into the manufacture of pop-corn.

(2) Because every district will soon have its pop-corn factory.

(3) Because your customers will realize that only goods of local manufacture and high quality, under your trade-mark, are dependably fresh and wholesome.

(4) Because people are buying more pop-corn than ever before.

(5) Because the demand for pop-corn ground and whole, in squares, bars, fritters, etc., in New England is as substantial as the demand for crackers.

(6) Because pop-corn has great possibilities.

(7) Because pop-corn may be put before the public in many ways.

(8) Because if one style is not salable in a certain locality there are enough that will be, as there are plenty of styles to choose from.

(9) To show that you should trade-mark your goods.

(10) To show that the “price toboggan” had better coast empty.

(11) To give you guidance, so that no matter what may be your problem you may eventually achieve success.

(12) Because pop-corn makers are scarce as compared to the demand for them, and it is hoped that this will assist in the training of capable men.

(13) Because pop-corn made on quality builds business.

(14) Because we want to increase the consumption of pop-corn.

This is the kind of a book that you get properly balanced in your mind if you READ IT THREE TIMES, one after the other. Even after the third time you will find something that you passed over without noticing at the other readings.

CHAPTER I
THE WORLD-WIDE FOOD-CONFECTION

AFTER every man, woman and child gets to know its pleasant taste and its food value, the world consumption of pop-corn is going to be something tremendous.

The ear

Consider that pop-corn contains the whole of the grain, and that the grain is thoroughly cooked. It is a healthful, nourishing food. It is pure. It is a poor man’s confection and food combined. It is too palatable for the rich man to ignore. It is considered by “Uncle Sam” to be such a valuable article that through the United States Agricultural Department, he has published two pamphlets for free distribution, Farmers’ Bulletins No. 553, “Pop-corn for the Home,” and No. 554, “Pop-corn for the Market.” By permission of the department we avail ourselves of some of the information there given.

Unpopped Kernels and Popped Kernels of White Rice Pop-Corn

(With Permission of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.)

Out of the more than twenty varieties of pop-corn you are advised to use White Rice, as that makes the largest popped kernel compared to the size of the raw kernel, and it is the most common commercial pop-corn.

As it is the expanding of the moisture in pop-corn by turning into steam that explodes and cooks the grain, it is necessary to have the right quantity of moisture, about twelve per cent., and to have that moisture evenly distributed throughout the kernel, and the kernel otherwise in fit condition for popping.

Some of the things that spoil the popping quality of corn are:

Seed from which the crop is raised not being acclimated to the locality in which it is planted.

Other kinds of corn growing near the pop-corn.

Picking before the pop-corn has fully ripened, or picking after the coming of frost.

Not sufficient ventilation while curing.

Too much drying out; shelled corn dries out faster than corn on the cob.

Shelling the corn too long before popping.

Defects in the kernel itself.

Damage from moths which produce weevils.

Insufficient heat, giving poor popping results.

You see that it is really a delicate proposition to deliver pop-corn to you that will give you the best results. Therefore, it is not safe for you to buy pop-corn of any but reliable dealers.

Seventy pounds of ears, air-dried, constitute a bushel.

Fifty-six pounds of shelled pop-corn make a bushel.

One hundred pounds of ears should give eighty pounds of shelled pop-corn.

There are the same number of food units in:—

• One brick of Pop-corn.
• One-fifth of a pound of Roast Beef.
• Four servings of Oatmeal.
• Four Eggs.
• One-third pound Roast Lamb.
• One pint Milk.

To be more accurate, here is the percentage of proteid, fat, carbohydrates and the number of calories in one pound of each of the foods noted.

Chart of Manufacturing Procedure

This chart of manufacturing process shows at what point each ingredient enters the batch.

It shows the arrangement of operations.

It shows what type of goods is the easiest to make and what takes the most machinery to complete. It condenses on one page the underlying principles of pop-corn confection manufacture.

Study it carefully. In this chart you will find the answer to your question of how to arrange your factory—at what point in the work a certain material is added to the confection.

It shows what materials are required to manufacture pop-corn confection and shows what set of machines are necessary to make a particular type of corn confection.

It shows what machines are the essential ones in the business.

SCHEDULE OF EQUIPMENT

Key

This schedule illustrates in a different way from the “Chart of Manufacturing Procedure” on [page 9] what you require as an equipment for the manufacture of any one of the regular types of Pop-Corn Confection.

Pop-Corn Bars, “Penny Squares and Bars” as the line is called, requires as you see by the ×’s, these machines—Popper, Sifter, Stock Tanks, Measure, Stove, Mixer, Grinder, Press, Cutting Machine, 5 Pans—thus you get a definite list of the tools for a complete plant, for the particular product.

CHAPTER II
PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE

YOU, when you first tasted a delicious brittle kernel of Pop-corn, coated thinly with candy, you did not think of the skill attained by practise, the skill that was necessary in order that your piece of pop-corn confection might have the right amount of candy on each kernel of pop-corn and the kernel be of its original full-sized fluffiness.

It is an operation that appeared to you as simple and easy of accomplishment when you first saw it performed in the hands of an expert. Then when you tried it? Well, you had “An experience.”

You found that somehow the corn did not act for you the same as for him.

It did just what you did not expect it to do. It formed into one big ball of condensed pop-corn. Or it became cold before you got it really mixed and you could not then mould it into confection; or instead of the kernels being of their natural large, fluffy nature, you probably found you had ground them to one-half their natural bulk. In other words, you found you had something to learn and you were up against a man’s job. No, you did not give up, but you “cleared for action,” or in other words you stripped off the coat from your mind as well as from your back and studied and tried, studied and tried, until you had the principles, then by practise you acquired speed.

Pop-corn confection is made from the starting of a batch to the completed confection while the original heat is in that batch. A batch of candy is solid compared to a batch of pop-corn, so that a batch of candy may be held to a working temperature by keeping the batch near a fire, while pop-corn cannot be so handled, it must be worked in small batches at a speed to reach the finished confection while the original heat lasts. The working of candy and the heat in it has a tendency to turn the candy back to sugar—that is, to grain it. Candy coated pop-corn, to get the brittle, perfect confection—that is not grained—must be finished confection, while the candy coating is still hot. You see, then, the great advantage to be realized in using the quickest method. Knott’s machines are recognized as the best for the speed that produces quality.

As one item in the process of manufacture, consider the mixing of the corn and candy.

Hot air rises and cold air descends; you know that, but did you ever consider that it has a lot to do with your results in making pop-corn?

You know that popped corn is light and fluffy and air passes through the collection of kernels easily. Think of how hot a kernel must be to pop and yet you know that it is hardly any time at all before the kernel is cold. The air surrounding the kernel is heated by the hot kernel: that air rises and is replaced by cooler air which in turn extracts the heat from the kernel and so the process continues with speed until the kernel is the same temperature as the air.

You have often used the pouring of a liquid to more rapidly cool it. You have lifted spoonful after spoonful of coffee letting it run off the spoon to cool it. Did it ever occur to you that the pouring of the hot, boiling syrup onto the pop-corn in a mixing tank is a cooling process? Because of hot air ascending and cool air descending, that candy that you would thus pour onto the pop-corn will cool at a most rapid rate while you are getting the candy kettle out of the way and your paddle down into the batch to mix the corn and candy. The doing away with this pouring of the candy is necessary to the production of the best goods. You can eliminate it by cooking the candy in a deep kettle and pouring the pop-corn into that kettle on top of the candy and mixing the batch in that kettle.

To coat a kernel of pop-corn with candy is not only for the purpose of tickling the sense of taste, but by the use of that thin covering of candy you keep the dampness out of the kernel. To be most effective, the coating must completely enclose each kernel and yet for the confection to be of the most delicate and brittle texture you must have but the least film of a coating of candy covering each kernel and every kernel the same as every other. To get the best results, you must use the one best method of manufacture.

If without any time passing, that is, instantaneously, you could distribute the candy at the instant it reached the point to which you boil it, the candy then being at its most liquid state, if you could distribute the candy thus instantly over the kernels, you would have the ideal thin coating of candy over each kernel of pop-corn. You would have the most delicious piece of confection you ever set your teeth into.

When mixing by hand, one-half of the time is used in the down stroke of the paddle, which, of course, is necessary before you can make the up stroke, or lift the paddle to mix the corn. Yet, of course, that uses valuable time during which the batch is cooling. A machine so constructed as to have a rotating paddle always under the corn to lift the corn up the sides of the kettle and guiding it to fall down the center of the kettle, such a machine uses no time in return strokes and mixes the batch almost instantaneously.

At this point in our consideration of the subject, let us see what we have learned.

It is best to mix the candy and pop-corn in the way that will be the quickest, the quickest way being to boil the candy in a deep kettle and mix the batch in that same kettle by the use of a pop-corn mixing machine.

Now suppose you use this method for mixing the batch, what size batch will produce the greatest profit?

You know with pop-corn confection, the lighter it is, the better it is. Of course the lighter it is the less material to the piece and the greater the profit. The size of batch you make has an important effect on the lightness of the confection.

Candy coating of the pop-corn must be soft when the cakes are pressed in order to have the cake well held together when cooled. You are cooking above 280 degrees, so your candy must be at a high temperature when the cakes are pressed to attain the result. At that temperature, the candy changes quickly from a plastic to a brittle condition. A batch is too large when the last of it to be moulded is too cool to produce good light confection.

The batch may be kept from cooling so fast by keeping it enclosed in a heated tank, but watch the results and don’t expect this to help much. You must have the tank open to take out the corn to fill the moulds and while it is open there is bound to be a rush of hot air out of the tank and a rush of cold air into it on the principle discussed in the first part of this article. This movement of air takes the heat out of the batch at a fast rate so that it counteracts the effect of the heating of the tank.

One good way is to use the hot kettle you mix your batch in to hold the batch while you scoop the corn out onto the moulds. The quickest way if you are using a set of moulds is for you to arrange the moulds on the bench, make a batch just the right size, dump the batch on top of the moulds and fill them. Then put them through the press. This has the advantage of getting the corn into the moulds at once while the candy coating is soft.

When the candy coating of the kernels is too cool when put in the moulds and pressed, the whole kernels will be broken and you will get so much corn into each mould that the cake will be solid, hard to bite into and heavy.

You see it pays better to run small batches. Your cakes will be light and fluffy and therefore better liked by the consumer. Your materials will make more goods. A day’s work on this plan will show the greatest profit.

Consider the utensils used by this method.

Only two kettles, so you have one on the fire while you are mixing in the other. You have no jacket tank to clean, to grease, with the cost of the grease, to heat by gas, with the cost of the gas. The use of the pop-corn mixing machine in this method assures the same sized cakes being made of less material. The same material produces at least 20 per cent. more finished confection because of the quick and complete mixing.

CHAPTER III
ARRANGEMENT OF OUTFIT

YOU will agree with me that unless you have your outfit arranged right you will be wasting steps, and that one worker will be in the way of another.

The best way is to have the room arranged so that the raw corn starts down one side of the room and the finished goods come back on the other, so that the process of manufacture passes around the room in a continuous progress toward the shipping point.

This sketch gives you an arrangement to consider. You should make your Popper and Mill Stand, Stock Tank Stand, Kettle Stirring Stand and Bench so that you can move them, and thus try various distances and arrangements to fit the particular line of goods that becomes your leader.

It is just as bad to have machines too close together as to have them too far apart, even when arranged in good working order. In the plan above, room is left for barrels to stand in front of the popper, at the side of and in front of the mill and room for two at the Kettle Stirring Stand, one for whole corn and one for ground corn.

ALL POWER EQUIPMENT

Several conditions of manufacture are changed as the quantity of production is increased.

You should pop your corn in a separate room from the place in which the cooking is done. The heat from the poppers—even with the windows open in summer—is very uncomfortable and the escaping gas and burning dust makes the air very unhealthy. Have your poppers so arranged that the bad air will rise and escape without disturbing the workers. Ordinary windows are not enough. Put a ventilator over the poppers. Place a hood, or canopy over your stoves connected by pipe to outdoors, so that when any syrup or molasses gets on the stove and creates a smoke, it will pass off without making the workers uncomfortable.

The arrangement of your factory space as to the location of the doors, windows, stairs and elevator will effect your placing machinery.

Whether you use individual motor drive, or shaft driven machines, will effect the arranging of your plant.

What you intend to manufacture and what machines you buy will also determine how you use your floor space to the best advantage.

Individual motor drive enables you to locate your machines to better manufacturing advantages.

As your business changes in what you make, as you increase or change your goods and as you add more machines, you can more easily move machines to keep the best manufacturing arrangement.

As to cost of operation, it is hard to say under modern conditions whether one way is cheaper than another. With separate motor to each machine, you have no overhead shafts and belts to drop oil and dust and compel you to locate by them. You are not liable to have your plant idle because the one motor is out of order, or one belt has parted, you can keep making something if one machine is out of order, for all the others will be running.

POP-CORN POPPER

Many manufacturers make a stand for their popper out of three-quarter inch gas pipe, which is fireproof, clean, simple and cheap. It is best to have three pipes for the popper to rest on, one across near the front and two across near the back. These two project to the right twelve inches for the shelf for mill (Stock No. [2001-1]). By the use of elbows, tees, flanges and piping you can make a stand to rest on the floor or hang from the ceiling and bring the popper to the right height for your barrels. When hung from the ceiling it leaves the floor clear, and in every way is to be preferred if you make the construction rigid. Determine the height of the barrel you are to use under your Knott Rotary Sifter (Stock No. [112]) and have the top of the stand for popper twelve and one-half inches higher than that.

Use an iron box or barrel under the popper to catch the unpopped kernels. In that way you risk no fire should a blazing kernel fall into it. A blaze in pop-corn is easily smothered by stirring up the corn.

You are urged to use an iron barrel under the Knott Rotary Sifter (Stock No. [112]) to catch the siftings.

Order your popper made ready to attach Knott’s Rotary Sifter, it costs no more.

To Operate Popper.

Remove the pop-corn popper cylinder.

Directions for Gasoline Fuel.

See that the valves are closed.

Use only the best gasoline.

Do not fill the tank while the burners are lighted, nor remove the tank to fill it. Do not let the tank run dry.

If gasoline burners should leak at any time at the hexagon stuffing box on the valve stem, tighten with pliers. Repeat this operation if any further trouble occurs from this source. If this doesn’t overcome the trouble remove the stuffing box and wrap some cotton cord or linen thread well saturated with common soap around the valve stem. Then tighten stuffing box.

To prevent smoking up the cylinder you are recommended to use alcohol (denatured or wood) in generating cups; light and allow to burn out, then turn on gasoline and light at the perforated cone at top of burner; turn low.

If you are not used to gasoline burners, get some one who knows how to show you.

Directions for Gas Fuel.

It is essential to have an uninterrupted and sufficient supply of gas.

Do not use a rubber tube to carry gas to the popper if you can connect the popper directly by pipe. The tubing greatly reduces the pressure. Run a three-quarter-inch pipe to a small sized Popper; and an inch pipe to the large sized Poppers. See that the gas comes to this through no smaller pipe.

Light the burner and turn low.

The distance the pop-corn cylinder is away from the burner is very important. If your cylinder is too near the burner, your corn will be really under the heat and not in it. If the cylinder is too far away from the burner, the corn will be too far away from the hottest part of your fire. This will show by your corn being roasted instead of popped and by your popped kernels being small. The distance between cylinder and the burner should be about 1 inch. This does not mean ¼ inch or ½ inch, neither does it mean 1¼ inch or 1½ inch. The pressure of the gas may require that you make a new adjustment of the burner up or down to get absolutely the best results with the gas you must use.

To Pop the Pop-Corn.

Make yourself thoroughly familiar with the motions of operating the popper with raw corn without fire before trying to pop corn.

A power-driven machine should have the power turned on before the burner is lighted. This prevents the liability of your forgetting to keep the cylinder revolving over the fire. If the cylinder is not in motion, the fire will burn a hole in it or get it out of shape.

Having oiled the shaft with heavy oil, replace the cylinder.

Put in a scoopful of corn.

This illustrates method of placing corn in cylinder

Turn up the fire and revolve the cylinder clockwise, eighteen or twenty revolutions to the minute.

The popping should begin in one and one-half to two and one-half minutes.

After the popper has been running a little while and becomes thoroughly warmed up, popping may begin in one and one-half minutes.

When the popping is about two-thirds completed, if you are using gasoline fuel, turn down the inside burner only. When gas is used turn the valve off about half-way.

In case pop-corn catches fire in the cylinder, put in a scoop of raw corn, which will extinguish the blaze.

After a little practice you will know from the discharging corn just what moment to turn the cylinder slowly backward and stop to dump the unpopped kernels. On the power machines you must draw the bolt on the crank before you can turn it backwards.

Put in another scoopful of corn.

Turn up the burner, and if you are using gasoline, first the outside and then the inside one, so that the lighting will be from the outside.

Proceed as before.

PEANUT CYLINDER

This machine may be used as a peanut roaster by using a special peanut cylinder in place of the pop-corn cylinder. These cylinders are carried in stock at the factory and will fit your popper.

To Roast Peanuts.

Open the slide, insert the funnel and put in peanuts until the cylinder is three-quarters full. Then close the slide; remove the pop-corn cylinder; light the burners; put the peanut cylinder in the machine, then revolve the cylinder at the same speed as the pop-corn cylinder, about eighteen to twenty revolutions per minute.

Test the peanuts by running a tryer in the hole in the cylinder.

It will require twenty to thirty minutes to roast.

Empty the cylinder by drawing it part way out, turning it hole downward and swaying it back and forth.

Stock No. 2003-2. Kingery Popper: “The One Liked the Best”

• Stock No. 2003-1 Kingery No. 50, gas fuel and motor without blower
• Stock No. 2003-2 Kingery No. 58, gas fuel with motor and blower
• Stock No. 2003-3 Kingery No. 51, gas fuel with 24-inch pulley
• Stock No. 2003-4 Kingery No. 250, gas fuel and motor attached. Nickel plated
• Stock No. 2003-5 Kingery No. 258, gas fuel with motor and blower. Nickel plated
• Stock No. 2003-6 Kingery No. 59, gas fuel, 24-inch pulley and blower
• Stock No. 2003-7 Similar to No. 2003-2, but without stand
• Stock No. 2003-8 Similar to No. 2003-2, but without stand or motor
• Stock No. 2003-9 Popping machine of 4 bushel per hour capacity, with motor and with atmospheric gas burner
• Stock No. 2003-10 Similar to No. 2003-9, but with gas burner and blower

Stock No. 2003-2. Capacity, 12 bushels per hour. Dimensions of body, 37 inches high, 28 inches wide, 14 inches deep; gas machine, 18 inches deep.

Smaller machines or machines arranged in series.

We recommend this machine, we know it is right.

Kingery poppers are generally used in factory production because of their efficiency. The best popper is Kingery No. 58, arranged with gas fuel, electric motor and a blower that forces air into the burner, which mixing with the gas gives a much cleaner, hotter fire with less gas. A fire that pops corn into larger kernels, pops a larger per cent. of the corn and does it in a shorter time.

SIFTER

About fifty, more or less, of unpopped kernels will be blown out by the popping corn or carried out with it at each popping.

These must be sifted out of the popped corn before you make up your confection. You do not want to bite down on a hard kernel and break a tooth, so that it is necessary for you to make certain that every hard kernel is eliminated.

The pop-corn cannot get by without being sifted and every hard kernel is taken out.

The screen does not clog because it turns over twenty times a minute. No pop-corn kernels are broken, as the pop-corn tumbles over and over in a veritable cascade seven times in passing from the hopper through the cylinder.

By a long series of experiments the construction was determined that positively took out every hard kernel.

Stock No. 112. Model C

(Patent applied for)

With the sifter and driving parts as shown on [page 20] you receive drills and tap for bit-stock so you may put up the machine yourself by following the direction sheet.

Screen 12 inches in diameter by 19 inches long with baffle plates that compel the corn to travel in a cascade over 21 feet of screen before it gets out, the pop-corn tumbling over itself so there is nothing to break it up.

Built on cast iron frame, rigid construction, cannot clog, ample capacity, cannot choke, does not break up pop-corn, you can take it away and put it back while popper is running.

Ample capacity to handle pop-corn from large popper.

Siftings must all fall inside of your barrel whether it be 18 inches or 21 inches in diameter.

The power it takes is so small you need not think of it.

• Stock No. 112 Knott’s Rotary Pop-corn Sifter with driving parts complete

GRINDING POP-CORN

Grinding pop-corn is not the same as crushing raw grain. Pop-corn should be torn apart when it is ground and not mashed, as it is the fluffy, light texture you desire to maintain.

Knott’s Mills (Stock No. [2001] and Stock No. [109]) accomplish the same work in different ways, but the former is of disc construction and the latter of the cylinder type. The former is slower but uses much less power.

In case of Mill, Stock No. 2001-1 (see [page 24]), which is power-driven, the construction is such that it will make no great difference whether the pop-corn is put in before or after the mill is started.

Adjustment is made by the thumb screw in the hub of the pulley. Turning in causes the mill to grind finer.

In case the pop-corn does not feed in the hopper a stick run down in the Hopper (Stock No. [2020-1]) or a common knife stuck in between the machine and the Hopper will cause the machine to start grinding again.

Hopper (Stock No. [2020]) for this mill holds a bushel of pop-corn.

Knott’s Grinder, Stock No. [109] is the machine for efficient work. Every last bit of pop-corn put in the hopper will be ground without attention.

Never open the slide to let the pop-corn to the grinder until after the power is on. If the power is put on after the pop-corn is let into the machine it will choke, in which case you will have to shut the slide and turn the machine over by hand to clear it.

Adjustment is made by the thumb screw on the side of the machine. Screwing it in causes finer grinding. By tightening up the lock nut on the adjusting screw you lock the adjustment.

Stock No. 109-1

Illustrations on [page 23] show how the stationary burr bracket is swung out to drop out nails or gravel.

Use this grinder with legs to straddle a barrel and hopper that holds a barrel of pop-corn and place on the stand by the side of the grinder an electric motor totally enclosed type Stock No. [2016-5], No. [2016-6], No. [2016-11], No. [2016-12].

Stock No. 109-4—Knott’s Pop-Corn Grinder

This shows the stationary burrs swung out to drop out nails or gravel, without changing the grinding adjustment.

Your pop-corn is pulled apart—not mashed. Adjustable; no dust. Uniform grinding. All metal. Will last a lifetime. Large quantity capacity.

Stock No. 109-4—Knott’s Pop-Corn Grinder

Showing stationary burr in position for grinding.

Use our motors either Stock No. [2016-5], or No. [2016-6], or No. [2016-11], or No. [2016-12].

• Stock No. 109-1 Knott’s Pop-corn Grinder with legs to straddle a barrel and galvanized iron hopper of one barrel capacity
• Stock No. 109-2 Knott’s Pop-corn Grinder with hopper, without legs
• Stock No. 109-3 Knott’s Pop-corn Grinder with legs, without hopper
• Stock No. 109-4 Knott’s Pop-corn Grinder without legs or hopper
• Stock No. 109-10 Revolving Burrs, each section
• Stock No. 109-11 Stationary Burrs, each section

Stock No. 2001-1

Knott’s Pop-Corn Mill

Your pop-corn is pulled apart—not mashed. Adjustable. No dust. Uniform grinding. All metal. Will last a lifetime. Small quantity capacity.

May be driven with one of our Stock No. [2016-1], or No. [2016-2], or No. [2016-7], or No. [2016-8] electric motors.

• Stock No. 2001-1 Knott’s Pop-corn Mill with 7-inch pulley for 1½-inch flat belt
• Stock No. 2001-2 Knott’s Pop-corn Mill with hand crank
• Stock No. 2020-1 Hopper of galvanized iron of 1 bushel capacity for Knott’s Pop-corn Mill

For greater output consider our Stock No. [109] Mill.

Stock No. 2013-1

Knott’s Molasses and Syrup Tanks

The time saver, clean way, heavy sheet steel, with steel band top and bottom, electric welded, galvanized after manufacture; Stebbins’ side-opening molasses gate, screwed in; 14 inches in diameter and 17 inches deep.

• Stock No. 2013-1 Knott’s Stock Tank galvanized

You make the stand so your two quart measure (Stock No. 2010-1) may be stood on a shelf under the gate, thus giving clean, quick method of filling measure.

One tank is for the purpose of holding molasses and the other you should have for syrup made by melting, just bringing to a boil your sugar and corn syrup in the proportions the recipes you are using call for. Use a thermometer and see that it registers 220 degrees, no more or less.

Placing the syrup right off the stove in the covered tank causes it to hold the heat so as you draw it for each batch, you start each batch with hot syrup, which saves time in cooking and accuracy in measuring, aids much toward uniform products.

Stock No. 113-1

Knott’s Pop-Corn Stove

Stove top of seven rings, drum of heavy sheet steel, with steel band top and bottom.

Burners of ample capacity and interchangeable.

19 inches in diameter, 25 inches high and weighs 57 pounds.

• Stock No. 113-1 Knott’s Pop-corn Gas Stove
• Stock No. 113-2 Knott’s Pop-corn Gasoline Stove
• Stock No. 113-3 Knott’s Pop-corn Gas Stove with Electric blower

The Knott Pop-corn Stove is made to be used especially with the Knott Pop-corn Kettle (Stock No. [2004-2]) which fits into just the right position so that the fire may boil the syrup for a batch in a few minutes.

These stoves are made so that if you want the other fuel burner you can get it from us and put it in by the aid of a screw-driver.

Read the directions under Pop-corn Popper for generating the gasoline burners and follow them in using gasoline stoves.

The gas stove burner you can regulate for air supply and for gas. This burner is a special one which we recommend because the heat is drawn to the center in a revolving shape like a whirlwind, concentrating the heat on the bottom of the kettle where you want it.

The Electric Blower Stove gives a much hotter fire and the cost of running it is small.

Stock No. 2004-2

Knott’s Pop-Corn Kettle

Copper kettle, 19 inches in diameter by 17 inches deep, with single grip handles.

Special sizes. If you want them tell us.

Made light for lifting, but especially strong and durable to stand the stirring of pop-corn.

Weight about 14½ pounds.

Knott’s kettle is the right one to use for all around factory pop-corn work. It is the style used in the pop-corn factories of New England, because they find this method requires the least labor and because it uses less candy to cover the corn. It enables you to cook the candy higher than other methods and thus increases the keeping quality of the pop-corn confection.

You boil your syrup in this kettle. Because you are boiling for each batch less than a gallon of stock, it is not convenient when working fast to use a thermometer. Pop-corn makers use one of four tests, according to their experience in the business. 1.—The so-called “water test,” half a teaspoonful of syrup dropped in cold water. 2.—The test by the color of the syrup. 3.—The test by how it leaves the paddle when scooped up on it. It will string off or come off in lumps, so-called “ragging off the paddle.” 4.—A test by the steam or smoke which rises from the kettle.

You are advised to get a confectioner’s thermometer and make the other tests at the same time you use the thermometer, doing it with syrup over a slow fire and in that way learn how the syrup you finally determine to use will act at the temperature you require.

Practical experience is the one way to learn. Do not expect to make a good batch the first time nor the third time, but you need have no discouragement if you have not reached perfect results on your twelfth batch.

In beginning, you are likely to cook candy too high to be easily worked into shape.

Efficient pop-corn making is not to be learned very easily; it comes with practice.