haberlandt2008

pH 8.7; adjusted to 9.4

There is no more ammonium hydroxide 4% (household) left.

Added 3 teaspoons of Royal Baking Powder (Sodium bicarbonate), to provide CO₂

NaHCO₃ + H⁺ → Na⁺ + CO₂ + H₂O

Hopefully it has also alkalized the solution by removing protons. Both sodium carbonate and ammonia are bases, although neither of these substances contains OH⁻ groups. Both compounds accept H⁺ when dissolved in water:

Na₂CO₃ + H₂O → 2 Na⁺ + HCO₃^- + OH^-

NH₃ + H₂O → NH₄⁺ + OH^-

Constructed a tube holding system because they were floating to the surface of the tank.

Changed the 6.5 L CO₂ reactor with two recycled milk TretraPak’s , and enclosed them in the 6.5 L in case of (predicted) explosion. The reactor bottle has to be kept higher than the tank due to communicating vessels.

Available buffers at 9-10 range:

Ammonium hydroxide seems to be (still) the most affordable solution, finding it in a higher concentration might help in the pH adjustment protocols.

Must Do’s

Buy concentrated ammonium hydroxide.

Buy “3″ one way valves.

Return special effects sodium alginate.

T.S

Spherification from blablabLAB on Vimeo.

First experiments conducted with coffee-liquor, alginate and calcium chloride (CaCl₂).

Results are disappointing taste-wise but spherification/encapsulation definitely works.

Protocol
Sodium alginate is mixed with the solution of interest (coffee & liquor) for spherification, some patience is required, since dry alginate lumps form, and those are hard to dissolve. Heating solution helps. Experiment was carried with 2 g Na⁺Alginate/250 ml volume concentration.

A solution of CaCl₂ on distilled water was prepared for the gelation process with a 4g CaCl₂/500 ml concetration.

It seems that speed of alginate gelation is positively correlated with salt concentration. In this case, after 5 minutes the external layer was still a little bit weak.

A  3D experiment must be designed to study the degree of gelation (hardness of the sphere) plotted against alginate and calcium chloride concentrations.

We have to work to improve the method to drop the mix without losing the rounded shape to avoid non encapsulation.

A sphere size that intensifies organoleptic values must be determined.

blablabLAB