haberlandt2008

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.

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