What is Cremor Tartrato?
Cremor tartrate (or cream of tartar ) - chemically known as potassium bitartrate and also known as potassium acid tartrate - is the potassium salt of tartaric acid (a carboxylic acid).
Above: cremortartar crystals in an empty wine bottle. Below: chemical formula of potassium bitartrate. From //en.wikipedia.org
It has the chemical formula KC 4 H 5 O 6 and constitutes a residual by-product in the wine-making process.
Training in Beverages and Foods
The cream of tartrate crystallizes inside the barrels or bottles during the fermentation of the must and / or the maturation of the wine, falling to the bottom in the form of a colorless, odorless and tasteless sandstone.
The crystals (commonly called "wine diamonds") are formed above all in bottles kept at temperatures below 10 ° C and rarely return to dissolve in the drink; in wines that mature in a horizontal position, the crystals are deposited on the cork (probably, in the "classic method" of vinification, they are eliminated thanks to the "disgorgement" maneuver).
Recall that the presence of cream of tartrate in the wine is an indicator that this has not undergone a purification of a chemical nature.
In addition to wine, the crystals are also formed in cooled or cooled grape juice.
To avoid the precipitation of crystals in the grape juice to be preserved (in the short term in the refrigerator or pasteurized) or in the jam, or in the jelly, or in the sorbets or Sicilian mustard, the grape juice should be cooled for about 12 hours ( promoting crystallization) and then filtered with two layers of gauze. Sometimes, the crystals remain attached to the surface of the cooled container (during decanting) making filtering superfluous.
The raw form of cremor tartrate (known as beeswing ) can be collected and purified to obtain a white, odorless acid powder, used in various culinary or domestic purposes that we will present in the next chapter.
Purposes
In the food
In food, cremor tartrate is used for:
- Stabilize the egg whites increasing their volume and heat tolerance
- Stabilize the whipped cream while maintaining its consistency and volume
- Anti-caking and thickening agent
- Prevent the crystallization of sugar syrups
- Reduce the color loss of boiled vegetables
Furthermore, cremor tartrate is used in:
- Chemical yeast, as an acid ingredient to activate bicarbonate
- Sodium-free salt, in combination with potassium chloride.
A similar acid salt, the acid sodium pyrophosphate, can be confused with cream of tartar since (in chemical yeast) it performs the same function.
Home Use
Cremorate tartrate can be mixed:
- to an acid, such as lemon juice or white vinegar, to produce a polishing detergent for metals such as brass, aluminum or copper;
- simply with water for other cleaning applications, such as for removing "light spots" from porcelain.
Sometimes, this mixture is mistakenly made with vinegar and baking soda (baking soda) which actually react by neutralizing itself, creating carbon dioxide and a solution of sodium acetate.
Cremor tartrate was often used in traditional dyeing, in which the complexing action of tartrate ions regulates the solubility and hydrolysis of biting salts such as tin chloride and alum .
When mixed with hydrogen peroxide, it forms a paste that can be used to remove rust on some tools, particularly manual files. The paste is applied on the arna, left to work for a couple of hours and washed with a solution of baking soda and water. Finally, rinse again, dry and apply a little oil to prevent further oxide formation.
Medical Uses
Cremor tartrate was used as a purgative. On the other hand, this application is to be considered quite risky, since an excess of potassium in the blood (called hyperkalemia ) causes very serious and, in some cases, fatal heart failure.
It is true that, if the renal apparatus works perfectly, the onset of hyperkalaemia is rather unlikely; however, since it is not always said that the human organism is in homeostasis and in perfect health, the use of cremor tartrate as a laxative is to be considered obsolete.
Use in Chemistry
Cremor tartrate is considered by NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) the primary reference standard for the buffer solution (pH buffer: aqueous solution consisting of a mixture of weak acid and its conjugate base, or vice versa).
With an excess of salt in water, a saturated solution is obtained at a pH of 3.557 at 25 ° C. If diluted in acid, cremor tartrate dissociates into tartrate acid and potassium ions.
Before using cremor tartrate as a standard, it is recommended to filter or decant the solution at a temperature between 22 and 28 ° C.
From the lighting of the cream of tartrate you can get the "pearl ash". This process is now obsolete but makes an excellent quality of "potash" (potassium carbonate, for the artisan production of soap and glass) through the extraction from the ash of wood or other vegetable components.
