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Taste: ISU scientists dish up specially made frozen
treat
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| The large stainless steel container, about 5
feet tall and as deep as a freezer, suddenly began to vibrate,
rumble and groan. On any other occasion, it would soon have drawn a
curious crowd. But this time, it was isolated in a research room at
Iowa State University in the food sciences building. One of the
pipes leading into the big tank turned frosty white as it continued
its grinding and groaning. Soon the steel container was surrounded
by a vapor cloud as nitrogen from the contraption escaped into the
air. Hovering over the machine were two researchers - the "mad
scientists," watching the gauges and holding their large sampling
spoons. Sputter, sputter, splunk. In a matter of seconds, the
machine had produced its unique product - Nitro Ice
Cream. |
What started as a
"lark" is now in the works as a major business for the two "mad
scientists," known to most people as T.J. Paskach and Will
Schroeder. During the recent ice cream making venture, the two were
continuing their data collection, another in a long series of
fact-finding experiments, as they work toward marketing their ice
cream product. Their hope is that Nitro Ice Cream soon will become
the hottest ice cream concession concept at shopping malls,
airports, fairs and theme parks in the United States. And soon
(sometime this summer), the reality of an ice cream shop in Ankeny
will come to fruition.
"This
is going to be the Starbuck's version of dairy ice cream," Schroeder
said with pride as he handed out samples of the nitro-frozen
product, fresh from the machine. "We've figured out how to make real
ice cream."
Paskach said
their company, Blue Sky Creamery, is dedicated to producing the
highest quality ice cream available in the world, using their
patent-pending Nitro Freeze process.
"By making this superb
quality ice cream right in front of our customer's eyes, we aim to
develop a following of loyal, repeat customers who are eager to
relate their unique Nitro Ice Cream experience to family and
friends," he said.
And that
has pretty much already happened. Although their product so far has
only been produced at Veishea, state fairs in both Iowa and Oklahoma
in the past three years (and this summer in Minnesota), the two
noted they already have a few faithful
customers.
"Down at the fair
last summer, we had the same people show up every day," Paskach
said. "We had one guy that kept coming back and paying the $6 gate
fee just to eat our ice
cream."
Schroeder said making
ice cream with nitrogen isn't an entirely new concept. What is new
is their method and the technology used to make a product that is
smoother and fresher than any other brand. He noted that in
comparison tests for texture advantage that they were running this
past week, the Nitro Ice Cream was being served along with some of
the more expensive premium brands of ice cream. It was hoped the
participants in the taste-testing would find the Nitro Ice Cream the
best or at least comparable. He added that in producing a quality
product, and serving right from the freezing machine, some of the
degradation is eliminated which occurs in ice cream over time. He
added that each step, from the production to the marketing to the
home freezing, decreases the quality of the
production.
The idea for
Nitro Ice Cream spawned from a 1999 Veishea project. A rough
prototype of the current machine was used to make the fast-frozen
product. The next year, the two men decided to use the same concept,
but "we wanted to make ice cream for hundreds." The formula, which
fills a good portion of the machine is a special blend of cream,
sugar and flavoring, which both Paskach and Schroeder think is in
itself a quality product. The ice cream mixture and the liquid
nitrogen are then syphoned into a chamber and ... Voila! instant ice
cream.
Schroeder said the
nitrogen is 320 degrees below zero when it meets up with the liquid
mixture. The technology the two have worked out for their product
eliminates ice crystals that are formed through the regular freezing
process. This is one of the reasons ice cream loses its flavor and
quality once it has been frozen.
Both Schroeder and Paskach
have advanced degrees in chemical engineering. They said many people
in their department make fun of their ice cream "gadget"; however,
it is not unusual to find people in the food industry with chemical
engineering degrees.
"The
whole concept is to freeze better ice cream," Paskach said. "When we
re-designed our (prototype), it was phenomenal. In moments we were
looking at each other thinking, 'Are you thinking what I'm
thinking?'"
Thus the idea
took hold as the two continue to research and negotiate for shop
space to make a hand-dipped ice cream. Their machine, as is, is
ready to roll. They are looking at making some re-designs in
cosmetics changes, perhaps looking at a smaller version that can be
more mobile for people who do the fair routes.
Both Paskach and Schroeder
said they not only hope to have their ice cream become an instant
success, but the machine too will be a marketing factor. They noted
that their device can easily be hooked up to a 110 outlet, making it
easy and accessible for smaller businesses in creating an instant
product. The cost factor of production is comparable, and the ice
cream can be served at a price that is compensatory with other
premium products.
"We did a
lot of research," Paskach said, adding they hope to be the next Ben
and Jerry's ice cream. "But a lot of it is by trial and error. As
engineers, we know the mechanics of fluids. I think our degrees have
played a major role in designing the technology. We are excited and
on track,"
Schroeder said it
really all comes down to
quality.
"People are
surprised that (the ice cream) is not at all what they expect," he
said, adding there is a company who makes nitro ice cream that is
served as pellets. "We know ours is good, and it is a real dish of
ice cream. It's the technology that makes it
better."
Both
men know they could easily take their chemical engineering degrees
in different directions - Paskach has worked in the petroleum field.
"But this is fun in a
different way," Paskach said. "It's a lot more about business but
challenging."
Kari
Martindale, of Ames, is one of the Nitro Ice Cream's No. 1 fans. She
added that the two "scientists" are well-known for their ice cream
on campus.
"Their ice cream
is fabulous," she said. "They gave me a sample of their cappuccino
flavor (last) Friday, and it was
wonderful.
Martindale said
she eats a lot of ice cream and considers herself a good taste
tester.
"It is very similar
to homemade ice cream, and it is fabulous," she said. "I saw their
machine at the Iowa State Fair and was watching them make ice cream.
I was flabbergasted how it goes through this nitro freezing. They
will have tremendous success; they're
go-getters."
Ken Jolls, a
member of the engineering department, said he thinks the two have
put their technology to good
use.
"They've gone through
several generations of equipment, plowing the profits back into
better and better gear," Jolls said in an e-mail. "It started as a
lark; they put something crude together to use for the department's
Veishea exhibit. It's at a pretty fancy level now, but the overall
story is a great exercise in grass-roots entrepreneurism. Maybe the
best I've heard."
Staff writer Jayne Bullock can be reached
at 232-2161, Ext. 343, or by
e-mail at jbullock@amestrib.com
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| ©Ames
Tribune 2002 |
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