Quote:
Originally Posted by boobookitty
Yah, I've just been steadily increasing dosage. Don't want to switch to vinegar; can't imagine the quantity I'd need if close to 50ml a day of vodka hasn't had a result yet.
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The conversion usually goes something like this. 80 proof vodka is 40% ethanol. Vinegar is 5% acetic acid. Both have two carbons, so, they are basically interchangeable (more below on this assumption). 40% / 5% = 8, which is the factor to increase the volume. For example, 50 mL of 80 proof vodka is 400 mL vinegar.
About the equivalency assumption. It’s an approximation. In terms of the amount of carbon, 1 g of ethanol provides 24/46 or 0.52 gram while while 1 g acetic acid delivers 24/60 or 0.40 gram. The other approximation no one discusses is that acetic acid is more oxidized than ethanol and cannot supply the same level of energy nor the same molecular fragments as ethanol. The level of the impact of these differences has not been discussed but I wonder if it is the basis for cyanobacteria not being able to use acetic acid.