I don't know what is going on!! I've made this a few times before without problems. this is my 3rd time trying today and I'm extremely frustrated. I beat the egg whites to peak, I boil the sugar and water to 240.. I slowly pour the sugar syrup into my ka into the whites.. this is where the problem is.. The mixture has tiny little grains in it.. what is that from?? is it the sugar crystalizing?? What am i suppose to do? is there a certain pot I should use when boiling the sugar? I've done this 3 times today and have wasted tons of eggs and sugar today... I won't add the butter because I know the graininess won't go away.. please help!!

What recipe are you using?

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Boil to 240
do not stir, except to mix before boiling

5 eggs whites
1/4 cup sugar
beat to stiff peaks

add hot sugar mixture in a stream to peaks (with mixer on high)
continue whipping until mixture/bowl is semi cool
add 1 lb. unsalted butter in cubes
continue whipping until fluffy

HI

I was using one that I found on here..

1/2 cup of cold water (120ml)
2 1/4 cups of caster sugar (530ml)
1 cup of eggwhites (10) I use pasturized eggwhites only!
1 1/2 pound of soft unsalted butter (680gr)
1 tsp of vanilla extract

I'll try yours.. Is there a certain type of pot I should be using?

I haven't made IMBC many times, but one important thing is when you want to boil the sugar and water you stir it just a few times so the sugar gets moistened and wet, but after that, you have to live it alone the whole time while it is boiling. DO NOT STIR IT. Stirring the sugar water mixture causes the sugar to crystalize.
HTH
Have you tried SMBC? It is a little more time consuming, but you do not have to worry about the problems with sugar and water.

When cooking your sugar, it's possible that some sugar granules will stick to the side of your pot. These can be melted down by going over them with a pastry brush and fresh water. If you don't remove these, then they could aid in the getting the rest of the sugar to start to crystallize (which you obviously don't want).


Adding a couple tablespoons of corn syrup to the cooking sugar will also help prevent crystallization.

why don't you try Swiss meringue instead???
I think it's waaaaaay easier and gives me the same results.

Do you pour the sugar syrup into your KA straight from the pan? I use the Cake Bible's Mousseline Buttercream recipe which calls for pouring the syrup into a glass measuring cup after it reaches 248/250, and then pouring into your KA with the beater OFF in three increasingly larger amounts. This prevents any of the sugar from whipping onto the mixer blade and then flinging into the bowl.

I use a little $20 Calphalon nonstick quart-sized saucepot.

SMBC is easier...SORT OF. If you are like me, you are humanly incapable of making SMBC that does not involve scrambled egg whites ...so I stick with IMBC!

So I used Dyann bakes swiss meringue recipe.. omg! It's so much easier and it taste so good. =)

I have been told, but I haven't tired it, that you can add more water to your syrup if it crystalizes and start over. There is also a recipe in the Cake Bible and uses a mix of corn syrup and sugar and you don't have problems with the sugar crystalizing. I do think it tends not to be as firm. Good Luck