Sucrose Begins to Cook
From the channel, sucrose is deposited into different heating vats where it begins to cook. Just like in any kitchen, testing is critical to a "good batch". Here, our guide shows us a test tube sample of the sucrose in this vat. The white appearance coming from the vat is the steam off the sucrose. All vats are visually checked periodically as the sucrose cooks.
You will see in a moment, each vat has a test point like this.
Next, the sucrose is clarified by adding milk of lime and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide bubbles through the mixture forming calcium carbonate, a chalk-like crystal which attracts the non-sugar plant materials like wax, fats, and gums from the juice. In a clarifier, the calcium carbonate and the other materials fall out of the sucrose solution and settle to the bottom.
Now we are taken to the top of things.