Why isn't my rock candy forming!?

Question

well yesterday i made two jars of the whole contraption. hers what i did

i boiled 2 cups of water then added 4 cups of sugar. i stirred it until it looked clear and it wasnt bubbling, it was just hot.then i wet the string and rolled it in sugar the put it in the jarvv of syrup. a day later, all thats on the strings is like a coat of something along the string. idk if thats right but they dont look like crystals. whats wrong!

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

1. Heat the water in the saucepan over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil.


2. Completely dissolve the sugar in the boiling water, stirring continuously with the wooden spoon until the solution grows clear AND IT REACHES A ROLLING BOIL. <- that's where you went wrong


3. Remove the solution from the heat, and then carefully pour it into the jar. Cover the jar with a small piece of waxed paper.


4. Tie the weight to one end of the string, and then tie the other end to the middle of the pencil. The string should be about two-thirds as long as the jar is deep. Dip the string into the sugar solution, remove it, lay it on a piece of waxed paper, straighten it out, and let it dry for a few days.

5. Gently suspend the prepared string in the solution and let sit at room temperature, undisturbed, for several days. You can check each day to see how much your crystals have grown. It’s tempting, but don’t touch the jar until the experiment is finished—it usually takes about seven days. <- and again

6. At the end of the week, the crystals on your string should be clearly defined, with sharp right angles and smooth faces of various sizes. In the field of crystallography, these are called monoclinic crystals. Their shape is determined by the way the individual sugar molecules fit together, which is similar to the way the shape of a pile of oranges is determined by the shape of the individual oranges and the way they stack together.

Source(s):

http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/can…

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

thks a ton. im gonna try it. is a rolling boil like bubbling? idk but thks a million

Answer 2

When making any candy you need to bring it to the exact right temperature. There are different stages of temperatures for candy making.
They are:
Thread
Soft-ball
Firm-ball
Hard-ball
Soft-crack
Hard-crack
Light Caramel
Dark Caramel
For rock candy you need the Hard-Crack stage. The temperature of the sugar water must reach 300-310 degrees F (149-154 degrees C)
and a drop of the boiling sugar water should instantly form a crystal when dropped into cold water. You need a candy thermometer. You probably only got to the thread stage.

Answer 3

Did you throw in the rocks? :-)

Answer 4

Get Over It has answered your question. Give her the points.