I tried to make Rochelle's salt. It didn't work!
- 7 oz cream of tartar
- 1 cup distilled water
- heat to 180 F and keep there
- add 1/2 tsp sodium carbonate at a time until there is no fizzing
- filter and let cool
The solution ended with a strong yellow/brown tint. It took at least an hour of adding sodium carbonate. While cooling it rapidly formed a crystallized honey look and that was it. I reheated and added more distilled water to lighten it up a bit thinking it needed to evaporate slower. This time when it cooled nothing happened.
The sodium carbonate was 100%, and the cream of tartar was McCormick. It's possible that came with some impurities hence the brown/yellow grossness.
Is there as way to save this batch? Should I just try again? Is there a better recipe?
My first instinct is that it didn't work because you don't science with Imperial units.