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Handy Widget for Agar-Agar Clarification

I thought actually quite a few hours about the tricky parts of agar-agar clarification: the calculation of the variables: quantity of liquids, quantity of agar-agar, temperature of liquids...

And then I 'tried' to clarify pineapple juice and just made myself wrong: I wanted to clarify 0.75 liters - though then used [without valid reason] 1.5 liter juice without the adjustment of the agar - and the most stupid thing was, that I've only acknowledged my mistake, when the "to be clarified" juice was already in the ice water bath! Lame!

That is why I looked for a handy calculation widget, which I post here on my blog.
Unfortunately it was quite tough to find a proper tool.

I finally found editgrid.com, which is an amazing and simple tool, for just posting spreadsheets on blogs or on websites. It is not very elegant - however it works...

And with my embedded calculation, you will be able to just add the weight of the liquids and the temperatures and you will know, how much agar-agar you would need and if the temperatures are high enough.

To be able to use this tool [which is pretty simple] you need to know below points:

  • The two different liquids below are especially meant for clarification of heat sensible ingredients like juices. Either way, you can use just water for the 2nd liquid - or you can use half water, half juice for it. This 2nd liquid will be the heated liquid, which will be hydrating and dissolving the agar-agar.
  • If you would like to clarify a liquid which isn't heat sensitive, you can just use one liquid [and just put it into one cell].
  • Usually the main liquid is around 2 parts and the 2nd liquid is around 1 part.
  • To be accurate [and save] it is highly recommended to use a thermometer for the liquids and a scale for the weights.
  • The target temperature has to be above 36°C, to not prematurely jellify [which will result in a failed clarification].  To be anywhere near this target temperature you would need to keep the main liquid close to room temperature and the other liquid around the 80°C mark.
  • Please don't fill up a higher temperature than 100°C - as this is technically & physically pretty impossible. [and no - weisenheimer don't need to comment now, that anywhere below the mean sea level, water can boil at higher temperatures. This is anyway not practically].
  • Please don't even boil your liquid [just simmer], as the heat could destroy the ability of agar-agar to solidify.

Hope you can use and enjoy this little tool!



If you are editing - please have some patient - it takes few moments, until the form updates itself and shows you the agar-agar quantity, the target temperature and if it is too cold or adequate.


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