Diagnosis · Lumps — powder not dry blended
Each particle seals itself before the water reaches the core
The moment dry gellan touches water a hydrated shell forms around the particle and locks the dry core inside. That is the fish eye. Dry blending separates the particles long enough for water to reach all of the powder at once.
What to do
- Dry blend one part gellan with about ten parts sugar, salt-free starch or maltodextrin. The ratio matters less than the separation.
- Add the blend into the vortex of vigorously agitated water, not onto the still surface.
- Where dry blending is not practical, use an agglomerated (instant) grade — it is manufactured specifically to disperse without high shear.
- Never add gellan to a cold still tank and then try to stir the lumps out. Once the shell has formed it may never dissolve.
The reading behind this
How this conclusion was reached
What is actually going wrong?
Lumps, fish eyes or undissolved powder
Did you dry blend the powder with sugar, salt or a starch carrier before adding it to the water?
No, it went in straight from the bag
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 — 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 cloudy or dull
- Gel melts when warm
- Particles settle
- Slimy mouthfeel or off flavour
Other tools
Keep going
Three more decision aids for the same problem set.