Whisper "Don't pop!"
October 25, 2017 2:51 PM Subscribe
Soap bubbles can freeze. Who knew?
Well, THAT one is irritating on a number of levels. Here is the one I meant to post.
It's only irritating for the music. The bubbles are pretty cool.
posted by SLC Mom at 3:16 PM on October 25, 2017
It's only irritating for the music. The bubbles are pretty cool.
posted by SLC Mom at 3:16 PM on October 25, 2017
I did this with my kids on one of the really cold days last winter. They lost interest in it a lot quicker than I did.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 3:22 PM on October 25, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 3:22 PM on October 25, 2017 [3 favorites]
Mod note: edited the post to include the right video
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 3:35 PM on October 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 3:35 PM on October 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
make a water balloon and stick it in the freezer for a few hours, take it out, pop the balloon, and gently pour out the water.
Less delicate but also fun: I've also put one balloon inside another, inflated them both, tied off the inside one, then filled the outer one with water. If you let it freeze with the air-filled balloon at the top, you can make an ice bowl.
posted by amtho at 4:06 PM on October 25, 2017 [3 favorites]
Less delicate but also fun: I've also put one balloon inside another, inflated them both, tied off the inside one, then filled the outer one with water. If you let it freeze with the air-filled balloon at the top, you can make an ice bowl.
posted by amtho at 4:06 PM on October 25, 2017 [3 favorites]
Back when Mom used to care about Christmas, one year she did the whole back entrance up with water balloon candle spheres, and it was really awesome.
posted by Sphinx at 4:29 PM on October 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Sphinx at 4:29 PM on October 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
If you let it freeze with the air-filled balloon at the top, you can make an ice bowl.
But it's not great for food related stuff because when the ice melts the water tastes all balloony.
posted by aubilenon at 4:33 PM on October 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
But it's not great for food related stuff because when the ice melts the water tastes all balloony.
posted by aubilenon at 4:33 PM on October 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
does the balloon peel off? how do you avoid breaking the ice?
posted by AFABulous at 4:55 PM on October 25, 2017
posted by AFABulous at 4:55 PM on October 25, 2017
This reminds me of Trinity, one of my favorite computer games. It features a delightful segment in which you have to figure out how to freeze a soap bubble. What happens afterwards is best forgotten.
posted by Alensin at 4:55 PM on October 25, 2017
posted by Alensin at 4:55 PM on October 25, 2017
The balloon comes off very fast, when you pop it.
For food, maybe make a thick bowl then rinse it out.
posted by amtho at 5:03 PM on October 25, 2017
For food, maybe make a thick bowl then rinse it out.
posted by amtho at 5:03 PM on October 25, 2017
The SF Exploratorium used to have a display with dry-ice solid CO2 in the base and bubbles blown in from above. The bubbles froze on the way down, and I think actually stopped sinking before they reached the bottom because the CO2 was denser than the air in the bubble. (But my Exploratorium days were 20+ years ago so maybe this is misremembered.)
posted by anadem at 8:01 PM on October 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by anadem at 8:01 PM on October 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
Less delicate but also fun: I've also put one balloon inside another, inflated them both, tied off the inside one, then filled the outer one with water. If you let it freeze with the air-filled balloon at the top, you can make an ice bowl.
next do chocolate
posted by aniola at 8:24 PM on October 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
next do chocolate
posted by aniola at 8:24 PM on October 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
You can make the ice bowl with a bowl and a smaller bowl. Use tape on the bowl rims to keep them in place and fill the space with water.
posted by Room 641-A at 7:36 AM on October 26, 2017
posted by Room 641-A at 7:36 AM on October 26, 2017
The SF Exploratorium used to have a display with dry-ice solid CO2 in the base and bubbles blown in from above.
Viewable here! I have since the days the Exploratorium moved off gopher wished they would better catalog their stations. There are some that I'm sure have fascinating backstory and just having time to deep-dive some of the things at a more leisurely pace would be great.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 2:10 PM on October 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Viewable here! I have since the days the Exploratorium moved off gopher wished they would better catalog their stations. There are some that I'm sure have fascinating backstory and just having time to deep-dive some of the things at a more leisurely pace would be great.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 2:10 PM on October 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
You can make the ice bowl with a bowl and a smaller bowl.
Even easier; fill big bowl with water. Float smaller bowl in big bowl. Add random weights (or water) to small bowl until it sinks to an appropriate level. Doesn't matter if water spills from the big bowl. Freeze.
Tape comes in handy, not to hold the bowls together, but to separate the walls of the bowls so you get a nice even ice bowl.
To help separate everything after it's been frozen, you can immerse the bowl/ice superstructure in a (n even) larger bowl of not-freezing water. To facilitate removing smaller bowl, remove weights and fill with not-freezing water.
Or use those bendy silicone bowls and just peel them off.
If you pre-boil the heck out of your water, you'll get nice clear ice. Prolonged boiling helps de-gas the water.
posted by porpoise at 5:47 PM on October 26, 2017
Even easier; fill big bowl with water. Float smaller bowl in big bowl. Add random weights (or water) to small bowl until it sinks to an appropriate level. Doesn't matter if water spills from the big bowl. Freeze.
Tape comes in handy, not to hold the bowls together, but to separate the walls of the bowls so you get a nice even ice bowl.
To help separate everything after it's been frozen, you can immerse the bowl/ice superstructure in a (n even) larger bowl of not-freezing water. To facilitate removing smaller bowl, remove weights and fill with not-freezing water.
Or use those bendy silicone bowls and just peel them off.
If you pre-boil the heck out of your water, you'll get nice clear ice. Prolonged boiling helps de-gas the water.
posted by porpoise at 5:47 PM on October 26, 2017
Tape comes in handy, not to hold the bowls together, but to separate the walls of the bowls so you get a nice even ice bowl.
Thank you, I couldn’t figure out how to describe it.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:56 PM on October 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Thank you, I couldn’t figure out how to describe it.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:56 PM on October 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
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A technique I used years ago to create semi-spherical, thin-walled ice was to just make a water balloon and stick it in the freezer for a few hours, take it out, pop the balloon, and gently pour out the water. (Although letting them freeze completely can offer more interesting results sometimes)
posted by gwint at 3:15 PM on October 25, 2017 [1 favorite]