"Lewis Perin" > wrote in message
news
> DogMa > writes:
>
>> [...pre- or post-brew mineral doping enhances liquor...]
>
> Let's ignore, for the moment, the very surprising post-brew result.
> If adding small quantities (the exact quantities we aren't sure of
> yet) of certain minerals to brewing tea makes it taste better, then
> maybe those - what, Mongolian? - rocks some people put in their
> kettles actually help. They release *some* amount of minerals in hot
> water, right? It's a question of amount, isn't it?
>
> /Lew
> ---
> Lew Perin /
> http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

Lew -

As we discussed earlier, I doubt that these rocks can give away even
micrograms or coupe of milligrams of any "material" in their current usage.
That was, as I pointed out to you during our last meeting, my opinion as a
geochemist. However, as I noted then, the presence of mica in these rocks
allow for some very unusual microchemistry and DogMa's experiments now open
door to a more positive opinion on the existance of such effect.
Another possibility would be the presence of titanomagnetite, which, under
certain conditions can be a very good absorber (or attractor) of H+ ion,
thus being a mediator of pH. Not that I claim that this is how it happens.
I am planning to have a better look at "the rock" and make a thin section of
it in addition to big geochem panel. I just need to find a place for it in
my current work

Sasha.