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acidhead1279
Master Of AllThings Hip



Registered: 03/01/03
Posts: 532
Loc: somewhere on the other si...
Last seen: 6 years, 9 months
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Karo Tek and Super Heated Water?!?!?
#22079607 - 08/12/15 01:04 AM (8 years, 5 months ago) |
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So I decided I was going to take some LC from a grain culture, and move it to some Karo water to continue growth for later.
Using the old tried and true method, I got a 1/2 pint jar, threw some water and corn syrup in it, and loosely set a lid on top.
Set the microwave for 5 minutes, and after about 3 minutes the water exploded out of the jar and all over the place.
Thinking it was a fluke, I tried again... and again... and again...
I started to get frustrated so I started doing some research, and I found out about Super Heated Water, which for whatever reason, was happening in EVERY container I had, EVERY TIME.
I won't go into WHY it happens here, there's plenty of info on the web about it, there's even a Myth Buster's episode about it, although some of the stuff they say is clearly incorrect, but I will tell you all how to get around it should it happen to you.
Simply put a tooth pick or other small, textured object in with the water. It will cause the water to boil properly and not explode everywhere.
Weird I know, but super interesting...
EDIT:
On further experimentation, an object that does not float is even more effective. Try a couple of dice... Watch the bubbles only form from the little black dots.. So weird.
-------------------- Farewell FRSE! We had such good times together.
Edited by acidhead1279 (08/12/15 01:29 AM)
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Inocuole
Scalpel of Evil's Bane



Registered: 11/21/11
Posts: 24,863
Loc: ★
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Re: Karo Tek and Super Heated Water?!?!? [Re: acidhead1279]
#22079613 - 08/12/15 01:07 AM (8 years, 5 months ago) |
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blackout


Registered: 07/16/00
Posts: 5,266
Last seen: 2 months, 25 days
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Re: Karo Tek and Super Heated Water?!?!? [Re: Inocuole]
#22087618 - 08/13/15 02:51 PM (8 years, 5 months ago) |
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Superheating is dangerous, but it can be done in a controlled manner. It would depend on your microwave and jar and the amount of liquid. I have successfully had cycling superheating in LCs by using a defrost cycle. I typically will bring jars to the boil and lower the power to the lowest setting for another 10-20mins.
If you have jars on full power and/or have too little water in them it can blow the lids off, or break jars, or I even had the microwave door blow open a few times. In most mirowaves when you lower the power it does not lower the actual power continuously but it introduces pauses. You can usually hear this power coming on and off in microwaves. You will hear a hum when its heating, and you can visibly see the liquid reboiling, then it turns off and will continue to boil and then settle down. If the power and amount of liquid is just right then on the defrost cycle it will superheat and explode just as the power is about to turn off. This gives it some time to cool and is not a violent explosion. Then it goes through another superheating cycle the next time over and over.
You may want to superheat as it is getting your LC past 100C without the need for a PC.
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Juiceh
Dabbing All Day



Registered: 09/25/12
Posts: 3,208
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Re: Karo Tek and Super Heated Water?!?!? [Re: acidhead1279]
#22087669 - 08/13/15 03:01 PM (8 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
acidhead1279 said: So I decided I was going to take some LC from a grain culture, and move it to some Karo water to continue growth for later.
Using the old tried and true method, I got a 1/2 pint jar, threw some water and corn syrup in it, and loosely set a lid on top.
Set the microwave for 5 minutes, and after about 3 minutes the water exploded out of the jar and all over the place.
Thinking it was a fluke, I tried again... and again... and again...
I started to get frustrated so I started doing some research, and I found out about Super Heated Water, which for whatever reason, was happening in EVERY container I had, EVERY TIME.
I won't go into WHY it happens here, there's plenty of info on the web about it, there's even a Myth Buster's episode about it, although some of the stuff they say is clearly incorrect, but I will tell you all how to get around it should it happen to you.
Simply put a tooth pick or other small, textured object in with the water. It will cause the water to boil properly and not explode everywhere.
Weird I know, but super interesting...
EDIT:
On further experimentation, an object that does not float is even more effective. Try a couple of dice... Watch the bubbles only form from the little black dots.. So weird.
Were you using distilled water?
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blackout


Registered: 07/16/00
Posts: 5,266
Last seen: 2 months, 25 days
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Re: Karo Tek and Super Heated Water?!?!? [Re: Juiceh]
#22087690 - 08/13/15 03:05 PM (8 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Juiceh said: Were you using distilled water?
I doubt it, even if he was it's not important, I can get repeated superheating with regular tap water.
Some sites try and make out like if must be distilled, and is a very rare occurrence and must be in flawless containers with no scratches and be totally devoid of gases. I find it easy to achieve it.
When devoid of gases it is easier for it to happen. One typical way is people reheating tea or coffee which has been made with boiled water so has little dissolved gases in them. They then disturb the liquid with a spoon to stir it and it explodes.
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bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,889
Loc: Milky way
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Re: Karo Tek and Super Heated Water?!?!? [Re: blackout]
#22088234 - 08/13/15 05:10 PM (8 years, 5 months ago) |
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The more pure the water and more "perfect" the container the easier it is to do and the hotter you can get it before it spontaneously nucleates
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Inocuole
Scalpel of Evil's Bane



Registered: 11/21/11
Posts: 24,863
Loc: ★
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Re: Karo Tek and Super Heated Water?!?!? [Re: bodhisatta]
#22088671 - 08/13/15 07:13 PM (8 years, 5 months ago) |
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Brb gonna do this to my old lady's bath water.
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acidhead1279
Master Of AllThings Hip



Registered: 03/01/03
Posts: 532
Loc: somewhere on the other si...
Last seen: 6 years, 9 months
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Re: Karo Tek and Super Heated Water?!?!? [Re: Juiceh]
#22319513 - 10/01/15 02:47 PM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
Juiceh said:
Were you using distilled water?
No, just straight up tap water. In regular jars and tupperware.
Here's a question...
STILL attempting to get some Karo water up and going. Got some good agar cultures that I want to expand into a LC. Anyway, put some water and some Karo in a jar, sealed it up, and PC'd it. Well, it freaking exploded in the PC. I've PC'd just water plenty of times with no issues, anybody got any idea what's going on???
-------------------- Farewell FRSE! We had such good times together.
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Kizzle
Misanthrope


Registered: 08/30/11
Posts: 9,855
Last seen: 20 hours, 45 minutes
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Re: Karo Tek and Super Heated Water?!?!? [Re: acidhead1279]
#22319694 - 10/01/15 03:35 PM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
Simply put a tooth pick or other small, textured object in with the water. It will cause the water to boil properly and not explode everywhere.
I would use a nonporous object if anything or you'll reduce the effectiveness of the sterilization.
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acidhead1279
Master Of AllThings Hip



Registered: 03/01/03
Posts: 532
Loc: somewhere on the other si...
Last seen: 6 years, 9 months
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Re: Karo Tek and Super Heated Water?!?!? [Re: Kizzle]
#22319764 - 10/01/15 03:49 PM (8 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
Kizzle said:
Quote:
Simply put a tooth pick or other small, textured object in with the water. It will cause the water to boil properly and not explode everywhere.
I would use a nonporous object if anything or you'll reduce the effectiveness of the sterilization.
Finally found some containers that don't super heat, so I'm just going with those. They actually turned out to be perfect.
Thanks!
-------------------- Farewell FRSE! We had such good times together.
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