I'm trying to extract ginger using 95% ethanol (reflux method). The ethanol-ginger mixture should be heated at 60°C for a set time (time depends on sample volume), but I'm currently using an electromantle (heating mantle) with no precise temperature settings, so I couldn't set 60°C.
For now, I keep the temperature settings at number 2. Since ethanol boil at 78.37°C, I will change the setting to 1 when small bubbles form assuming that can maintain the temperature to 60-70°C. I think it's a bit inaccurate, but is there another option to set the temperature?
Is there any problem of extracting ginger at 78 °C ? If not, I shouldn't bother about that. Otherwise you will spend too much effort on something that isn't necessary. If it's really necessary, then I'd look for other azeotropes with boiling point close to 60 °C. I hope I could help you!
@pedronakasu Thank you for sharing! So far from papers I read, the extraction part just briefly mentioned the temperature to be around 60°C. I would like to preserve the 6-gingerol compound in ginger as much as possible as it was reported to undergo transformation to another compound (6-shogaol) if stored too long or dried at high temperature (above 80°C). Nothing much on the effects of extraction temperature. I agree with you, I really would like to spend less time on this, but somehow I feel insecure about the small details since I have left chemistry work for so long. I'll try to plan it out, though. Thank you!
At 60 C there is no reason to read head temperature, check liquid temp
@andraskovacs Thank you. Means, like removing the condenser and interval checking of the ethanol temperature using thermometer?
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