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Chemistry Forums for Students => Undergraduate General Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: WK95 on December 12, 2013, 02:09:45 PM

Title: Analyzing Jungle Juice from college parties?
Post by: WK95 on December 12, 2013, 02:09:45 PM

Let's say I go a college party and acquire a sample of Jungle Juice (An improvised liquor for mass consumption generally produced by mixing a variety of liquors, alcohols, juices, etc.)

What sort of tools would I need to be able to analyze it to determine it's contents and their accompanying concentrations? I also want to measure the alcohol by volume.

Is it possible to analyse it without expensive chemistry equipment.

Title: Re: Analyzing Jungle Juice from college parties?
Post by: Arkcon on December 12, 2013, 09:13:54 PM

Briefly, no.  Generally we use gas chromatography to analyze alcohol and minor components in liquor.  But that's to understand the specifics about a liquor we already know what it is in general.  Jungle juice analysis would be too much work for little answer.  Unless it was spiked with a toxin, then its worth our while to understand it.

Title: Re: Analyzing Jungle Juice from college parties?
Post by: WK95 on December 13, 2013, 05:56:17 PM

I was just curious because I wanted to do it for fun not for any serious reason though.

Title: Re: Analyzing Jungle Juice from college parties?
Post by: curiouscat on December 14, 2013, 12:39:42 AM

Quote from: WK95 on December 13, 2013, 05:56:17 PM

I was just curious because I wanted to do it for fun not for any serious reason though.

Most of it is bound to be water, ethanol and sugar. I'd say 95% or more.  The other taste imparting ingredients are typically in very small quantities.

You can use fairly standard lab procedures to estimate ethanol, water and sugar. The rest is hard without a GC etc.