"Peper grain" from improper mixing?

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Bokaj14

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Jul 3, 2025
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Images of my plates with peper grain and my emulsion making setup:


I saw a few posts from a long time ago, especially ones mentioned by PE, stating that "pepper grain" can be caused by improper mixing or by too little or poor-quality gelatin. I was using only 500 RPM with a magnetic stirrer, while many recipes mention even 300 RPM…

Also, my peristaltic pump was dropping silver nitrate drop by drop, and the first few drops formed boba-like clumps that quickly dissolved—as far as I could tell (solution got cloudy).

In my case, I suspect the issue was improper mixing rather than the gelatin.

How much stirring should I be using?
And is it okay to add silver nitrate drop by drop, or should I lower the tubing into the solution or use a different method?
 
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