HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Spitzer, G. Articles by Epple, W. F. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Spitzer, G. Articles by Epple, W. F.

A Method for the Saponification of Butter Fat for Determining the Reichert Meissl Number

Dairy Department, Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station, LaFayette, Indiana

ABSTRACT

In this laboratory for the past fifteen years many thousand Reichert-Meissl determinations have been made. During this period we have used, at different times, one or the other official methods. After numerous trials we confined our work to the saponification of the fat under pressure with alcohol, preferring this method to the other two methods. In spite of its apparent simplicity, it frequently happened that the alcohol was not completely removed, due to the solution and mixture with the soap formed during saponification.

We, therefore, tried to saponify the fat without the use of alcohol. After numerous trials we found that by adding concentrated solution of potassium hydrate directly to the 5 grams of fat, the fat being previously heated to 80° to 100°C, shaking slightly to thoroughly mix the fat and potassium hydrate solution. This mixture was placed in an electric oven for thirty to forty minutes. At the end of this time saponification was complete.