# Is my organic black strap molasses Ok?



## kevinj (11/2/15)

Bought a jar of organic black strap molasses today. Upon opened it about a cm or two of goo flowed out of the jar and down my hand, after cleaning up the mess i noticed the stuff on top looked and felt like foam and this appeared to go half way down into the jar. 
My question, is this stuff infected or is this normal?
Smells OK i think, use by date 2017.


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## Mardoo (11/2/15)

I've had the same thing with some blackstrap I got. Taste it. My e was fine and stayed fine til I finished it.


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## TimT (11/2/15)

Yeah I've got a small jar of molasses with the same foam on top. I think it's just some side effect of the jarring process, maybe a precipitate that results from pasteurisation?


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## MHB (11/2/15)

It's actually more likely to be a bacterial infection, in all likelihood a fairly benign one that wont survive any time in the boil, and you should always boil (at least to pasteurise) syrups before adding them to a ferment.
Most high sugar syrups are strong enough to dehydrate bacteria through osmotic pressure, this doesn't necessarily kill them, but makes them dormant, they can he-hydrate and re-activate if you don't kill them.
Some bacteria can survive - I have had whole drums of sugar syrup and LME arrive inflating and full of foam, clearly infected.

Tim - a precipitate is by definition found at the bottom of the container, so you have it ass up as is your want.
Mark


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## TimT (11/2/15)

I assumed they had some kind of pasteurisation process where they boiled the molasses in the jars to kill off any bugs and seal the jars. That might cause a foamy scum to rise to the top. Dunno, anyone know if something in the molasses production might cause this?

Mark - I just looked the word up; my use seems to be valid. The first entry is from Wiki, the second from the google dictionary.

_*Precipitation* is the creation of a solid in a solution or inside another solid during a chemical reaction or by diffusion in a solid. When the reaction occurs in a liquid solution, the solid formed is called the 'precipitate'.The chemical that causes the solid to form is called the 'precipitant'. Without sufficient force of gravity (settling) to bring the solid particles together, the precipitate remains in suspension._

_precipitate_
_verb_
_verb: *precipitate*; 3rd person present: *precipitates*; past tense: *precipitated*; past participle: *precipitated*; gerund or present participle: *precipitating*_
_prɪˈsɪpɪteɪt/_




_*1*._


_cause (an event or situation, typically one that is undesirable) to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely._
_"the incident precipitated a political crisis"_


_synonyms:_

_bring about, bring on, cause, lead to, occasion, give rise to, trigger, spark, touch off, provoke, hasten, accelerate, expedite, speed up, advance, quicken, push forward, further, instigate, induce _


_"the incident precipitated a political crisis"_









_cause to move suddenly and with force._
_"suddenly the ladder broke, precipitating them down into a heap"_


_synonyms:_

_hurl, catapult, throw, plunge, launch, project, fling, cast, heave, propel _


_"the crampon failed, precipitating them both down the mountain"_










_send someone or something suddenly into a particular state or condition._
_"they were precipitated into a conflict for which they were quite unprepared"_











_*2*._


_Chemistry_
_cause (a substance) to be deposited in solid form from a solution._


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## MHB (11/2/15)

Not agreeing with you on this one
I'm not sure how hard you looked, but in most uses Precipitate has a well understood meaning, not related to floating on top.
Apparently the point is fairly obvious in the wiki article you sighted, even with pictures for the challenged.
Mark


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## TimT (11/2/15)

In the quote from the wiki article it says

_Without sufficient force of gravity (settling) to bring the solid particles together, the precipitate remains in suspension._

Seems pretty clear, ie, a precipitate doesn't have to fall to the bottom to be a precipitate.


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## MHB (11/2/15)

So foam on top is a precipitate - right
You are going to go blind
M


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## Mr. No-Tip (11/2/15)

This thread precipitated quickly.


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## TimT (11/2/15)

Yes, a very precipitious decline Sir No-Tip, for which I apologise. 

I'm sticking with the theory that it has resulted from pasteurisation. KJG, at any rate, as Mark says, just chuck it in the boil and that should kill off any infections.


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## Markbeer (11/2/15)

my tip is add it after fermentation starts. retains more flavour. add a little water and boil it then cool it and add.


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