Pigment from walnut stain.

[Marcus Bretto]

Hi all! About a year ago, I prepared walnut stain from husks by submerging them in a 50/50 mix of alcohol and water, and filtering off the solid contents after it had sat for a few days. Now, looking at my stain, a decent bit of the colorant has dropped out of solution and found itself in an insoluble layer on the bottom of the jar. Just for kicks, I decided to try using this sediment as a colorant and it's a much more lovely warm golden brown than I'm used to getting from walnut stain alone. I've made lake pigments from the same batch of walnut hulls in the past, and this sediment goes far beyond the lakes in its color quality and warmth. Any ideas as to what might be happening in the jar overtime to make this sediment? My hope is to recreate it without having to wait so long.

-M

[Marty Kasprzyk]

19 hours ago, Marcus Bretto said:

Hi all! About a year ago, I prepared walnut stain from husks by submerging them in a 50/50 mix of alcohol and water, and filtering off the solid contents after it had sat for a few days. Now, looking at my stain, a decent bit of the colorant has dropped out of solution and found itself in an insoluble layer on the bottom of the jar. Just for kicks, I decided to try using this sediment as a colorant and it's a much more lovely warm golden brown than I'm used to getting from walnut stain alone. I've made lake pigments from the same batch of walnut hulls in the past, and this sediment goes far beyond the lakes in its color quality and warmth. Any ideas as to what might be happening in the jar overtime to make this sediment? My hope is to recreate it without having to wait so long.

-M

If you wanted to make this settling process much faster you might want to try a fining agent used for clarifying wine, beer, and spirits.  I use "Dualfine",  www.ldcarlson.com

It will take only a few days to settle out the sediment and it is very inexpensive.

[David Beard]

Wasn't egg somehow used as a traditional fining agent?

[Marty Kasprzyk]

3 hours ago, David Beard said:

Wasn't egg somehow used as a traditional fining agent?

Yes.  For red wines egg whites albumin (protein source) are used for absorbing harsh and bitter tannins.  These tannins taste harsh because they are trying to turn the skin (protein) inside your mouth into leather.  Tannins from wood are used for tanning leather. 

Red wine also often tastes smoother when it is served with cheese (protein source) because the tannins can react with the cheese instead of you.

I have used pure food grade gelatin instead of egg whites.  Hide glue would probably work too but I don't like the smell. 

[David Beard]

That sounds rather different than helping precipitate the sediment from walnut stain.

 

[Carl Johnson]

Isinglass is a traditional fining agent for beer & wine made from the swim bladders of fish and widely available.

[Marty Kasprzyk]

22 hours ago, David Beard said:

That sounds rather different than helping precipitate the sediment from walnut stain.

 

The walnut stain is a type of tannin and I would expect egg whites to cause it to precipitate and settle out quickly.

[David Beard]

1 hour ago, Carl Johnson said:

Isinglass is a traditional fining agent for beer & wine made from the swim bladders of fish and widely available.

Isinglass can be confusing. There are two very different usages. One refers to the minersl mica and the chemical formula that mica is made of.

The other refers to a variety of animal protein glue made from fish.  This glue has much in common with hide glue, and nothing really in common with mica.

I believe hide glue, and fish glue, and egg white have all been used for fining.