FAQ – Ice Cream Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

What is icecreamcalc?

It’s a software for ice cream recipe management and balancing. It calculates useful properties of your recipe and can be used to develop and/or trouble shoot recipes. It has over 100 standard ingredients and multiple recipes. You can also add your own ingredients.
It’s a Windows desktop application.

Does it work on IOS/MAC?

No, it’s a Windows desktop application. You can install a virtual machine software like VMware and install Windows in there.
Edit. There might be a solution see this page MAC Support

Do I need internet access?

No. But with internet you have access to the latest up to date ingredient database.

Is it free?

YES. It’s 100% free.

How do I add a recipe?

When starting the software the last used recipe will be loaded or if it is the first time a standard default recipe is loaded. To create a new recipe from scratch just press the New button and start adding your ingredients.

How do I save a recipe?

You can save your recipe on disc or use the Share button to save the recipe online.

How do I interpret all those numbers?

It can be a little overwhelming at first with all these calculations. The chart in the main window will display the most useful data and give you recommended ranges. If any of these values are way above or below you might need to investigate your recipe. I also recommend reading up on ice cream science to be able to take full advantage of the software. A good start is the book Hello my name is ice cream by Dana Cree. You can also check the documentation and all the references in there.

The calculations are not the same as this other calculator?

This is not an exact science with a standardized set of calculations. Different software/spreadsheets might implement this in slightly different ways. The ingredients might not be exactly the same etc etc. My best advice is to make a lot of ice cream and take notes on how the numbers looks for recipes that turns out well.

How do I manage add-ins?

There is a special button for add-ins. Add-ins are ingredients that you add after the ice cream has been churned and they are not used in the calculations.

Where can I write recipe instructions?

There is an Info button where you can write anything you like and this is saved with the recipe.

How do I add an ingredient to my recipe?

You press the ‘+’ button above the ingredient list.

How do I remove an ingredient?

You press the ‘-‘ button above the ingredient list.

My ingredient is in a volume measure?

The software uses metric weight as input of the ingredients. If your recipe is using volume like CUPS or DL etc you have to convert that to grams. By double-clicking in the Weight cell a simple Volume-to-Weight converter is started with the most common ingredients.

I can’t find the ingredient I want?

If you can’t find a specific ingredient you will have to add it. This can be done in several ways. Start by pressing the Database button to open the ingredient database. In here you will find a ‘+’ button. Press this button to create a new ingredient. The fill in the data in the dialog box. You can also use the USDA Food Data Central button to add ingredients.

How can I add new ingredients to the database?

The best practice is to go into the database dialog and find a similar ingredient. The press the ‘+’ button to make a copy of that ingredient. Change the name and modify the parameters. You can also use the USDA Food Data Central button. You can also add ingredients by using the nutrient label information if you have it.

The cream I use is not the same as in the recipe?

There is a Milk/Cream button where you can change the type of milk and cream you are using and still make sure the properties of the recipe stays the same. What matters in the end is the combined fat percentage of the milk and cream. If you don’t use this button you risk changing the fat content of the recipe.

What is balancing?

It means changing the amount and ratios of your ingredients to reach specific parameters of for example fat, msnf, solids etc.

What is Sugar?

Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Table sugar, granulated sugar, or regular sugar, refers to sucrose, a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar
When your recipe asks for “sugar” you should use SUCROSE.

What is PAC?

PAC stands for Potere Anti-Congelante. PAC or AFP or FPDF stands for Anti-Freezing Power and Freezing Point Depression Factor. This defines how much an ingredient lowers the freezing point of water. 100 PAC corresponds to 100 g of sucrose in 1000g of water. So PAC is defined relative to sucrose.

What is POD?

POD stands for Potere Dolcificante. It is the relative sweetness compared to sucrose.
How sweet is an ingredient compared to sucrose.

What is MSNF?

MSNF stands for Milk Solids Not Fat. This is the lactose, caseins, whey proteins, and minerals (ash content) of milk products.

What is Total Solids?

Total solids is everything in a recipe that is not water. It’s one of the most important parameters to control. If the total solids is to low that means that you have to much water. Controlling the water is key to good ice cream.

What is Hardening Factor HF?

Hardening factor is a parameter that can be set in an ingredient. It is mostly used in chocolate and nuts and is used to predict the hardness of the ice cream.

What is Freezing Point?

Freezing point is the temperature when the ice cream start to freeze.

What is Freezing Curve?

Freezing curve is a curve showing the amount of frozen water at different temperatures. It is used to predict the hardness of the ice cream.

What is Evaporation?

When cooking your base you will lose some water to evaporation. This can be accounted for in the software.

My ice cream turned out bad, what should I do?

Look here Adjusting the recipe