Re: Gum solution problems

Hans Nohlberg (chiahans@tripnet.se)
Mon, 03 Nov 1997 11:24:52 +0100

Dick,
>
>Gum is quite a variable substance. I have a rather long and interesting
>paper on gum Arabic on my web site that came from the Sudanese government.
>

We will check your web site - thanks!

>It may be the Glyoxal is reacting with something in the old gum. You don't
>say how you are dissolving this stuff and my experience was that it would
>often ferment. If you add the glyoxal when you are dissolving the gum then
>it might not ferment, but then that may have caused problems, especially
>if you are dissolving lumps in a muslin or cheesecloth bag.

We dissolve the gum lumps in boiled but cooled (20C) water and when all
lumps are dissolved we strain it, check the Baume and then we add
formaldehyde. The gum we used was the best we have found during the years.
Bright lumps and when in solution still very transparent. This time we
wanted to try glyoxal but we did not get the chance....
The only difference this time was that "glyoxal was in the air". The gum
lumps were placed in a brown paper bag in another bag 5-7 meters away from
the sizing tray!

>I prefer to dissolve powder in a blender by slowly adding it to cold
>water while it is whirring, you can make it thick enough to walk on Use a
>high quality food grade gum, some grades will kick out enough dirt to
>start a garden.
>
We have tried gum powder several times but the one we have used gives a
very brownish solution.

Thanks for your help

Hans&Chia