The Kool-Aid fiasco

[TravisNewman]

So earlier today, we finished out the pitcher of kool-aid, and made another. When we got home from watching Sin City (fantastic, by the way), we went to the kitchen for some kool-aid. Upon pouring the glass of kool-aid, we realized it was very clear. I thought that maybe I didn't shake it well enough, and that since it was sitting there for hours, it had just kinda solidified in the bottom. We tried stirring it, but it was too clumpy to mix. So we poured that out and cleaned the pitcher, and started a new one. I shook it thoroughly. Very thoroughly. But when I poured it, it was close to clear again. This time stirring DID work, since it hadn't had a chance to get too clumpy. But what the heck could have caused this? The sugar hadn't gotten clumpy or anything. The kool-aid powder seemed perfectly fine. The water doesn't appear to be any different, and tastes just like SW-VA tap water should. So what's the deal? Maybe it's the Spring Equinox, and the force of gravity is higher? If you can stand an egg up on it's end on the Equinox, maybe it could have some effect on the kool aid not wanting to mix? No. Upon some Googling, I found that the equinox was 14 days ago. So how did this happen?

Does anyone know what could have caused this? Maybe some Physics majors or something out there?

[HungSquirrel]

Where do you live? How far above sea level? I ask because the acceleration of objects due to gravity (g) varies depending on how far apart the two objects in question (in this case, the lump of Kool-Aid and the center of the Earth) are.

Of course, that shouldn't matter because I presume mixing Kool-Aid worked before where you live. I just wanted to say something geeky involving physics. :P

[reddeathdrinker]

So earlier today, we finished out the pitcher of kool-aid, and made another. When we got home from watching Sin City (fantastic, by the way), we went to the kitchen for some kool-aid. Upon pouring the glass of kool-aid, we realized it was very clear. I thought that maybe I didn't shake it well enough, and that since it was sitting there for hours, it had just kinda solidified in the bottom. We tried stirring it, but it was too clumpy to mix. So we poured that out and cleaned the pitcher, and started a new one. I shook it thoroughly. Very thoroughly. But when I poured it, it was close to clear again. This time stirring DID work, since it hadn't had a chance to get too clumpy. But what the heck could have caused this? The sugar hadn't gotten clumpy or anything. The kool-aid powder seemed perfectly fine. The water doesn't appear to be any different, and tastes just like SW-VA tap water should. So what's the deal? Maybe it's the Spring Equinox, and the force of gravity is higher? If you can stand an egg up on it's end on the Equinox, maybe it could have some effect on the kool aid not wanting to mix? No. Upon some Googling, I found that the equinox was 14 days ago. So how did this happen?

Does anyone know what could have caused this? Maybe some Physics majors or something out there?
Fascinating.....there are a lot of factors that may contribute to the phenomena you have experienced.

But first, please clear up one thing for me.







What the hell is Kool-Aid?

[HungSquirrel]

I guess it isn't sold in the UK. It's a powdered drink mix. One packet of powder and some sugar can flavor two liters of water.

[TravisNewman]

Yes, kool-aid worked before today. We've been doing it the same way for the close to 9 months we've been living here. It's freakin' bizarre.

But if it helps, I live in the New River Valley, Virginia. Closer to sea level than most of the rest of southwest VA I'd assume, since we're in a valley.

If you live somewhere that kool-aid isn't sold, you need to import some. It's the elixir of the gods, I tell you.

[bored2k]

I guess it isn't sold in the UK. It's a powdered drink mix. One packet of powder and some sugar can flavor two liters of water.
http://one-selection.de/ebay/kool_aid_box/KoolAid_Grape.jpg (http://www.kraftfoods.com/koolaid/)

[gylf]

The kool-aid faq: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/food/kool-aid-faq/

Did you use warm water or cold?

[gylf]

We forgot to mention what the kool-aid man is famous for: in every commercial the kool-aid man (as shown above on the container) would smash through a wall and in a deep voice yell "OH YEAH!!". This was usually in the course of saving some poor children from thirst, if I recall.

[TravisNewman]

Wow, comprehensive FAQ.

We used "cool" water I guess, straight out of the cold tap, not the hot tap. It's what we always have used, and what I used for as long as I've been making KoolAid (since as long as I can remember I've been addicted to the stuff.. so... about 20 years or so, I've been doing this the same way, even using the same pitcher).

[kassetra]

But first, please clear up one thing for me.


What the hell is Kool-Aid?

WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I guess it would sound freaky to anyone not used to this stuff...

It's awesome though, and I swear every child in North America has been raised on Kool-Aid for at least two generations now.

[kassetra]

It's what we always have used, and what I used for as long as I've been making KoolAid (since as long as I can remember I've been addicted to the stuff.. so... about 20 years or so, I've been doing this the same way, even using the same pitcher).

Y'know... I've only had that happen to me once... and it was because I put the Kool-Aid and the Sugar into a wet pitcher before I poured in the water... And they just kind of turned into a giant ball of clump.

[TravisNewman]

And again, we always use the wet pitcher. Frequently we don't even rinse it out (though we do keep it clean) so that we'll get some flavor cross-pollination. But yeah, there was still a little kool-aid (first time) or water (second time) in the bottom, but that's nothing new. That's what we always do.

[gw90se]

Did yoiu check the expiration date?


Seriously
Contact the Kool-aid folks. Maybe they'll have the answer and you might even get a few freebies. Some manufacturer's do that.

[TravisNewman]

Did yoiu check the expiration date?


Seriously
Contact the Kool-aid folks. Maybe they'll have the answer and you might even get a few freebies. Some manufacturer's do that.
*gasp* free kool-aid! *squirms with excitement* I might have to try that ;)

But yeah, expiration date is fine.

[primeirocrime]

maybe something in the density of the water. it's tap water right? sometimes the concetration of salts change in tap water. Or some freak electro-static event...
ESP-EMP kind of a thing???????

maybe that is warning from god to stop drinking that stuff. You should try tang instead. It's also from kraft. eek!

[MetalMusicAddict]

I live in the New River Valley, Virginia. Closer to sea level than most of the rest of southwest VA I'd assume, since we're in a valley.

You should come up to D.C. We have great water here. :---)

[paretooptimum]

I feel obliged to point out to non-American Ubuntuers that additional information on one of the United States greatest contributions to world civilization is available at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kool_aid

Remember kids, artificial color has been shown to cause hyperactivity in children.

[dusu]

Hi every one,

I did not know of Kool Aid before, but there's one thing clear about what happened to panickedthumb : it most probably has nothing to do with physics (that is gravity or anything like this !), but with chemistry.
You just managed to make some chemical reaction :) .
What should you expect anyway from some chemical product :D ?

[HungSquirrel]

Technically, chemistry is a subset of physics. ;)

[dusu]

Technically, chemistry is a subset of physics. ;)

Well, of course, but at this rhythm, computer science also, since your proc is governed by quantum physics, etc...
(sorry but you're talking to a physics researcher :D )

What I just meant is that what happened to panickedthumb "has nothing to do with physics", in the sense of gravitational forces...

Any way, I have to improve my explanations, since I'll be a physics teacher next year :mrgreen:

[jdong]

Ok, equinoxes and moon phases typically do not cause drink mixes to refuse to dissolve....

The most probable explanation is that your water supply was hard -- since there's quite a bit of mineral crap already dissolved in the water, it won't take much more stuff (Kool-Aid).

[jordanau]

The temperature of the water could have made the difference. Hot water dissolves things better than cold water. The temperature of the water possibly couldn't handle the amount of material that you wanted to dissolve.

Gravity in itself would not affect the koolaid any differently than the water.

Density of water doesn't change very much with temperature or elevation, seeing as how it is virtually incompressible. That shouldn't affect it either.

Also you might want to consider washing the pitcher. You might have had some kind of buildup over years of not washing the pitcher.

[DirtDawg]

I know what the problem is: You're drinking Kool-aid! Blech! :-&

[TravisNewman]

The equinox was a joke ;)

I'm betting on hard water, because we ALWAYS use as cold as possible water.

[PMO6022]

I really don't think the temperature of the water could have caused this. According to the graph (see http://www.nzifst.org.nz/unitoperations/conteqseparation10.htm)
The solubility of sucrose in water at 0 degrees Celsius is 180kg / kg H20, which is equivalent ot 180 grams sucrose / gram H20. Since the density of water is 1g/ml, that means 180 grams of sucrose can be dissolved in 1 ml of water at zero degrees C.
http://www.nzifst.org.nz/unitoperations/unopsassets/fig9-8.gif

[az]

Technically, chemistry is a subset of physics. ;)

Technically, _everything_ is a subset of physics.

---

I think the issue has something to do with chelation.

---

When we were kids, mom made kool-aid with only half the sugar.

Life was dull.

[jordanau]

I really don't think the temperature of the water could have caused this. According to the graph (see http://www.nzifst.org.nz/unitoperations/conteqseparation10.htm)
The solubility of sucrose in water at 0 degrees Celsius is 180kg / kg H20, which is equivalent ot 180 grams sucrose / gram H20. Since the density of water is 1g/ml, that means 180 grams of sucrose can be dissolved in 1 ml of water at zero degrees C.
http://www.nzifst.org.nz/unitoperations/unopsassets/fig9-8.gif
your math is wrong. 179 grams of sucrose, according to Perry's Chemical Engineer's Handbook, will dissolve into 100 grams or H20 at 0 degress C. I don't think that water could hold 180 times its mass in sugar.

[poofyhairguy]

Ok, equinoxes and moon phases typically do not cause drink mixes to refuse to dissolve....

The most probable explanation is that your water supply was hard -- since there's quite a bit of mineral crap already dissolved in the water, it won't take much more stuff (Kool-Aid).


Does it hurt to take showers thumb?

[TravisNewman]

*LOL* no. No it doesn't. But hard water doesn't hurt when you take showers, trust me, we've had it all our lives where I grew up. It doesn't clean as well though.

[lukem]

Maybe something in all that wind caused a mysterious change in your water! :-s

[poofyhairguy]

It doesn't clean as well though.


I think I isolated your problem somehow. The same force must cause both. Kevin Mitnick would be proud.

[TravisNewman]

Made Kool-aid tonight, and everything is now fine. I'm guessing since the storms we had the past few days, there were more mineral deposits in the water than normal.

[DirtDawg]

When we were kids, mom made kool-aid with only half the sugar.

Mine did too! Cheap-ass mom. Still, I think that meant she used something like 4 cups of sugar instead of 8.

[TravisNewman]

no, that'd be 1/2 instead of 1