Diagnosis · Gel cloudy or dull
Clarity problems are usually hydration or water, not grade
Haze in a gellan gel comes from light scattering. That means unhydrated microgel particles, insoluble material in the water, or a grade that was never going to be clear.
What to do
- Hydrate fully. Partially swollen polymer is the most common cause of a dull gel, and it also costs you gel strength.
- Filter or soften the water. Calcium carbonate, iron and fine suspended solids all read as haze.
- If you are on high acyl, expect less clarity than low acyl. Blend towards low acyl if clarity is a specification point.
- Read clarity on the cooled, set gel — never on the hot solution.
The reading behind this
How this conclusion was reached
What is actually going wrong?
The gel is cloudy or dull
Check this against your own system
This describes the usual cause. What actually fixes it depends on your water hardness, total solids and fill temperature — send those three numbers and we will come back with a starting point, or with a bench sample of the grade this points to.
Ask about this diagnosisOther conclusions
Everything else the tree can land on
- Gel too soft — no calcium present
- Gel too soft — water hardness unknown
- Gel too soft — high acyl grade
- Gel too soft — low pH hydrolysis
- Gel too soft — remaining causes
- Lumps — powder not dry blended
- Lumps — hydration window missed
- Lumps — process details to check
- Pre-gelation — in the line
- Pre-gelation — free calcium
- Pre-gelation — cold tank
- Syneresis — water weeping
- Gel melts when warm
- Particles settle
- Slimy mouthfeel or off flavour
Other tools
Keep going
Three more decision aids for the same problem set.