Through-flow freezer and a method for starting up the same

A method for starting up a through-flow freezer, the method comprising the steps of:

• ensuring that passages through an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, respectively, are open;
• starting an inlet pump;
• pumping an ice cream mix into a freezing cylinder until the freezing cylinder has been filled to a predefined filling level;
• stopping the inlet pump;
• ensuring that the passages through the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe, respectively, are both blocked to be air-tight at least at a desired cylinder pressure of the through-flow freezer corresponding to a desired overrun in a final frozen ice cream;
• adding air through an air inlet until a certain amount of mix and a certain amount of air substantially corresponding to the desired overrun is entrapped in the freezing cylinder;
• starting cooling of the freezing cylinder and rotation of a dasher inside the freezing cylinder;
• waiting until a predefined set point or a viscosity of the contents of the freezing cylinder is reached;
• and
• opening the passages through the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe and starting continuous production by starting the inlet pump and an outlet pump and adding air n a measured amount corresponding to the desired overrun in the final frozen ice cream.