Post by cronicbadger on Jul 5, 2018 0:32:09 GMT 10
Okay, I like a challenge. But this time I think I bit off more than I can chew.
I was at a meeting tonight and one of my colleagues handed out pieces of chocolate bar infused with gold leaf.
Yes, the precious metal. Apparently, food infused with gold is all the rage in Europe.
As the others around our meeting table started eating and commenting at the gritty texture of the gold, I pondered whether I should eat first, and pan later. After a while the generous gift-giver turned to me and asked,
"Marc, you don't like chocolate? Or gold?"
At that point I made my decision, and began carefully wrapping the piece of chocolate.
"No. I'll take it home and pan out the gold first."
Had I panned later, there would be too much classification involved. I prefer to work smarter.
Besides, I'm a fossicker, so for me, the idea of sending gold off down the sewer is as morally repugnant as kicking crippled puppies.
But now that I have this fascinating chocolate-gold hybrid staring at me, it struck me that I have no bloody idea how to extract the gold. I'm also getting hungry, and love chocolate.
There's not much of it, and it consists of very small particles and thin leaf gold - but I fossick at Uralla so know all about dealing with that stuff. It just requires a steady hand and some patience.
So, how should I approach this vexing problem?
I suspect surface viscosity will be a problem due to the fineness of the gold, so I may have to use detergent - but that will ruin any chance of reconstituting the chocolate, sans gold, for consumption.
Suggestions, anyone?
I was at a meeting tonight and one of my colleagues handed out pieces of chocolate bar infused with gold leaf.
Yes, the precious metal. Apparently, food infused with gold is all the rage in Europe.
As the others around our meeting table started eating and commenting at the gritty texture of the gold, I pondered whether I should eat first, and pan later. After a while the generous gift-giver turned to me and asked,
"Marc, you don't like chocolate? Or gold?"
At that point I made my decision, and began carefully wrapping the piece of chocolate.
"No. I'll take it home and pan out the gold first."
Had I panned later, there would be too much classification involved. I prefer to work smarter.
Besides, I'm a fossicker, so for me, the idea of sending gold off down the sewer is as morally repugnant as kicking crippled puppies.
But now that I have this fascinating chocolate-gold hybrid staring at me, it struck me that I have no bloody idea how to extract the gold. I'm also getting hungry, and love chocolate.
There's not much of it, and it consists of very small particles and thin leaf gold - but I fossick at Uralla so know all about dealing with that stuff. It just requires a steady hand and some patience.
So, how should I approach this vexing problem?
- Should I heat it up into a fondue and run it through a sluice?
- Or shave it into fine pieces and puddle it in a cake tin, then pan the heavies?
- Perhaps use some chemistry - dissolve the chocolate bar in hot water then add a substance to precipitate the suspended particles?
I suspect surface viscosity will be a problem due to the fineness of the gold, so I may have to use detergent - but that will ruin any chance of reconstituting the chocolate, sans gold, for consumption.
Suggestions, anyone?
