this post was submitted on 22 Dec 2023
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[–] [email protected] 57 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Wait till you get a load of that Swiss alchemist who isolated sulphur in powder form, which was later used to quickly start fires, as in matches.

Looking for gold, he thought - what else has the color of gold? The answer struck him in a moment of inspiration - urine.

This crazy bastard boiled gallons and gallons of piss in his home workspace. One can only begin to imagine the stench during those alchemical sessions... and how he was perceived by the rest of the neighborhood. Not a very popular man, I would imagine.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, I think it was phosphorus. Even more apt, considering the atomic symbol is "P"!

[–] [email protected] 39 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Ammonia from fermented urine was commonly used for washing thousands of years ago. I can’t imagine he smelled much worse than anyone else processing the stuff.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 10 months ago

But don't underestimate that added step of boiling it, until he was left with only a powder extract. Heat will amplify the smell and make the gases expand.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

Toured a leather co-op in Morocco (Fes) where they process everything naturally. They collected pigeon droppings for similar reasons. Locals call it caca channel.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

In my experimentation with soda making in the eighties, I discovered that CO~2~ injected water tastes really acidy. Club soda has sodium bicarbonate added to offset the flavor (and cheap ones don't balance it very well) and then Tonic Water (with quinine) leans into the sour.

This is the reason that Coca-cola syrup has to have a crazy amount of sugar, or a high-powered artificial sweetner. The other solution is to make your fizzy water less fizzy, but when you're a teenager who believes fizzy is God, that's preposterous.

PS: Also don't mix citrons (e.g. oranges or lemons) with milk, which will do terrible things as well. We have to do weird industrial / chef magic to make orange or lemon flavored ice cream and such.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago

Noted, I will mix orange or lemon with milk on my next cereal breakfast

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago

Iranians have yogurt soda so you know, I just found out today at lunch

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago

Instant Spoiled Milk can also be made by adding a mirror vinegar. It's also a cheat way to make buttermilk.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago

From now on I'm calling seltzer water spoiled water

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Tumblr is full of nerds who'll authoritatively say shit like this while paralyzers exist.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I'd like to downvote you

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago

They actually make carbonated water by dissolving CO2 in water. This creates a small amount of acid, not the other way around. And it really isn't enough to taste sour- especially since the water often contains bases to offset that effect.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago

That makes sense. My son and I were having fun and tried orange juice in the soda stream. It was pretty awesome. Next idea: milk. Bad idea.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

hey he should sell the instant spoiled milk

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

joe barnard

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

If you want sour milk drink ayran.