cube-cola 28/4/2005: emulsification report

Production halted after a successful batch 1 due to emulsification issues: the first stage or the recipe consistently failed (in a complete emulsification of the 8 essential oils, gum arabic and water. After a fair amount of experimentation we apprehended the limits of our scientific knowledge and contacted an expert, Dr Peter Barham of H H Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, for emulsification consultation.

Emulsification meeting 26/04/2005: summary of possibilities (no particular order)

The point of emulsification process is to break up the oil into the smallest possible droplets, each coated with the emulsification agent. Emulsification is an all-or-nothing event. If the mixture fails to emulsify to a stable state at the start, no further adding of ingredients will aid it. Conversely if a mixture has succesfully emulsified (eg. batch 1) & after a period of time separated, you should be able to re-emulsify it years later by giving it a good go in the blender.

How the ingredients are mixed is critical. The emulsifier should be added very gradually to the oils (or vice versa). Methods to test:

Other variables which could have had an effect in preventing emulsification:

Other things to try:

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