Best way to break cake inserts

[PyroAce]

So I enjoy making multi shot cakes, with the inserts how do you guys normally break them, I have them packed with 6mm stars, I put meal in there as burst, but I don't get a big break, I think it might be more because I don't seal the top of the inserts enough so they just break open at the top too easy and not in the center?

[Andres1511]

Meal will almost never work as breaking charge.

Use at least Pulverone, and in bombettes for cakes I use flash.

Bad enough, u create a huge flash of light too, but for me it is the only thing that works for breaking bombettes.

Be VERY carefull with flash, it is dangerous, and sensitive.

If you're a beginner, don't use flash.

[ivars21]

Whistle mix or slow flash are usually used to break bombettes.

[TYRONEEZEKIEL]

Polverone would not work for break either. You would need at least granulated meal to get something to happen. The Chinese use flash to break theirs. This is why the inserts break with a bright white light

[ExplosiveCoek]

Slow flash is also not recommended as you'll get blowouts on one end most likely. 7/3 is recommended as a booster.

[schroedinger]

One tnose small inserts i pref to use about 2 g of ffg bp (corned) amd .5-.7 g of 7/3 flash, if the stars are more delicate with lighning 1 g of 5/3/2 kno3 flash. Also nad very god results with straight 5/3/2/1 (kno3, s, al, red gum) flash coated onto rape seeds.

[pyrojig]

In our commercial cakes I have noticed that most if not all use a slower grade of flash. While it may not always be nitrate flash, there are diff. grades of AL that can optimize the speed of the flash burst. I find that for a beginner cake bombettes are a bitch to make, and ( I have made many in my earlier years) more time consuming than most shells. I would suggest using straight granulated whistle made from the wet process( thinner/acetone+ a mineral oil or vasaline at 2% or so) . One could use a red gum or other binder with excellent results for granulated the whistle burst , or coating it on a medium ( like rice hulls) .

But as always industry goes with the more cost effective approach and not the visual consideration ( flash breaks) .

[PyroAce]

I'm not a beginner (lol I know I asked a beginners question though) I'm no expert either, but I have been making for a few years now. I'm not a massive fan of flash because of it's properties, nitrate flash however I don't mind because it is a bit less sensitive, but I have been told the break from nitrate flash is a bit distracting because the flash is quite substantial and not as simultaneous as normal flash?

Do you guys just tip the flash in the top of the insert and let it settle down amongst the stars, or do you do the same as a canister shell and have the tube filled with break and pull it out, I can't remember the name of this?

[Andres1511]

It's called a canulle I think. & i just fill flash and stars randomly, on such small calibers it doesn't matter if the break charge is in the middle.

 

@tyroneezekiel: granulated meal is pulverone ?

[ExplosiveCoek]

You won't even need pulverone in there . Just 1 or 2 grams of hotflash, depending on the size of the insert. That is al that is needed.

 

No plugs that are blown out anymore, I guarantee it. Quite symmetrical spread of the burst too. Just dump the flash in there and seal it.

[pyrojig]

Well I have only seen the comercial ones with flash and random stars in it. One could tone down the breaks with using bright AL or maybe using riced bp as a filler to lessen the amount of flash in the burst.

[schroedinger]

On those small thing just make up a loading board capable of holding about 25 inserts.

Get your stars and funnel, drop 'em in.

Now do the same for your burst charge.

To settle the burst charge into the casings tap the board a little and add end caps. This way it takes about 5 minutes to fill and close those 25 shots, if you have everything prepared first.

Like always with loading boards make sure to have only the things on in the work area that you need now, so prepare a small tub of stars, a small tub of burst (60g is enought for one board) and always put away everything that isn't needed in the actual step (even the empty tubs)

[Col]

I use granulated bp and a 0.3g whistle boost for 16mm id x 50mm long inserts. Cases consisting of simple cardboard endcaps glued into soft spiral wound tubes do better with flash.

[pyrojig]

Col you brought up a great point !! It does depend on the casing and its construction . The burst will be majorly influenced by this .