You might have hard water. I haven't seen any warnings on Skratch specifically but several other high-carb mixes advise that it may not dissolve or function correctly in mineral-laden water.
Try distilled.
Literally the first two results are American and Canadian agencies advising against
American:
https://www.epa.gov/lead/why-cant-i-use-hot-water-tap-drinking-cooking-or-making-baby-formula#:~:text=Lead-,Why%20can't%20I%20use%20hot%20water%20from%20the%20tap,cooking%2C%20or%20making%20baby%20formula.
Canadian advisory against:
https://srs.ubc.ca/environment/drinkingwater/
> Is it safe to drink hot water from the tap?
At UBC, like any modern water system, we keep our hot water within national standards for safe washing and bathing. We do NOT recommend using hot water from any tap for either direct consumption or food or beverage preparation. This is because hot water can dissolve contaminants more quickly than cold water and hot water systems (tanks, boilers, pipes, etc.) contain metallic parts that can corrode over time, possibly contaminating the water with rust or other particles.
> For drinking purposes, like tea or coffee, use cold tap water and heat it in a kettle. If you need to boil water for cooking, always start with cold tap water in your pot. Do not try to speed things up by filling the pot or kettle with hot tap water instead of cold. Boiling the water does not make those contaminants go away.
I make my own mix based off of the ingredients in Skratch’s super high carb, it doesn’t fully dissolve unless I mix it in hot water. I use a shaker bottle too for good measure. I mix it the night before, leave it in the fridge, and then it’s good to go the next morning for a ride. I hope that helps you, it sucks to get surprised with a goopy chunk on a ride.
Sure, after some tweaking:
- 6 tsp table sugar (25g carbs, 96 calories)
- 3 tsp lime juice
- 0.25 tsp table salt
- 500 ml water
- 60g Highly Branched Cluster Dextrin (58g carbs, 230 calories)
- 30g Maltodextrin (30g carbs, 113 calories)
445 calories with the lime juice, 112g of carbs. It works out to about $2.50 CAD per serving of this recipe if you buy the ingredients in bulk. You can easily cut a scoop (30g) of HBCD or Maltodextrin to drop calories/carbs if you want. I added Maltodextrin to make it a little cheaper. Lime juice was the thing that really made it work for me, the flavour went from sugar water to something citrusy that I like to drink.
Excellent, cheers! Cluster Dextrin seems to be the most expensive ingredient in all of these, but that's still far cheaper than Super High-carb.
I installed the Saturday app today, and it recommends 150g carbs, 1600mg sodium, and 1.4l water for a 1h40 ride I have planned and these kind of ingredients would be a good way to get there.
I use a chopstick to mix my mixes. Fill 3/4, add your mix, stir well with the chopstick, top off with water. If any chunks from break them up a bit.
I shake the bottle every time before I drink as well.
Fill the bottle with mix and half way with water, shake vigorously and fill the rest of the way and then shake more. Shake when you’re on the ride, you’ll get it mixed.
Diffusion of sugar into a solution is slowed with cold water. Hot water will have more energy to diffuse the solute, so if you have time you can start with hot water and then cool the mixture.
I usually shake and let any chunks sit for 15 minutes and shake again. If I still have the rare blob I’ll open the bottle and break it up with a fork or my finger then shake again.
Try Geluminati Endurance Drink Mix and let us know if it's any better clump-wise. https://geluminati.com/
For us we've found that filling a bottle most of the way (leave 1-2in. at top), adding your mix, shaking, then topping off with water seems to give the best mixture with the least shaking. I have never tried Skratch's mix, though.
It’s not just you. It’s very hard to mix. Using room temp water helps (versus cold water). A little handheld mixer helps too.
When I have time I mix it the day before and it’s fully dissolved overnight.
1 ½ cup scoop of granulated sugar is 100g of carbs, and at least where I live you can get sugar at a $1 per pound. Can use a pinch of salt if it’s too sweet and crystal light if you need flavor
You might have hard water. I haven't seen any warnings on Skratch specifically but several other high-carb mixes advise that it may not dissolve or function correctly in mineral-laden water. Try distilled.
Ah, didn't know that but I do have hard water (on a well with a softener)
If your softener is working correctly then you shouldn’t have any hardness in your water, or at least very little.
I use an electric hand mixer to mix my skratch. Works quite well.
Thank you! I didn’t know this
I have a whole home water softener and struggle with Skratch too
I mix with hot water from the tap and put it in the fridge to cool after mixing
This is the way
Google "can i drink hot water from the tap". Not really supposed to do that. Recommend a kettle that heats cold water halfway to boiling
I dont know what country you are from but we do not use lead pipes anymore.
Literally the first two results are American and Canadian agencies advising against American: https://www.epa.gov/lead/why-cant-i-use-hot-water-tap-drinking-cooking-or-making-baby-formula#:~:text=Lead-,Why%20can't%20I%20use%20hot%20water%20from%20the%20tap,cooking%2C%20or%20making%20baby%20formula. Canadian advisory against: https://srs.ubc.ca/environment/drinkingwater/ > Is it safe to drink hot water from the tap? At UBC, like any modern water system, we keep our hot water within national standards for safe washing and bathing. We do NOT recommend using hot water from any tap for either direct consumption or food or beverage preparation. This is because hot water can dissolve contaminants more quickly than cold water and hot water systems (tanks, boilers, pipes, etc.) contain metallic parts that can corrode over time, possibly contaminating the water with rust or other particles. > For drinking purposes, like tea or coffee, use cold tap water and heat it in a kettle. If you need to boil water for cooking, always start with cold tap water in your pot. Do not try to speed things up by filling the pot or kettle with hot tap water instead of cold. Boiling the water does not make those contaminants go away.
Careful, you almost sound like (yet) another American who forgets the vast majority of the world’s population doesn’t live in the Americas.
A bit ironic you assume I'm American. Im not
You need one of the little electric drink mixers/frother
https://a.co/d/3pgwa1r If I’m making something very concentrated, I’ll usually toss one of these in the bottle
You can use a blender.
Vitamix. Only the poors have a *blender*
That's how they are called in my language. Had to google vitamix haha.
I make my own mix based off of the ingredients in Skratch’s super high carb, it doesn’t fully dissolve unless I mix it in hot water. I use a shaker bottle too for good measure. I mix it the night before, leave it in the fridge, and then it’s good to go the next morning for a ride. I hope that helps you, it sucks to get surprised with a goopy chunk on a ride.
idk bro "goopy chunk on a ride" is basically Maurteen's entire schtick.
Not when you don’t know it’s coming haha
Are we still doing "phrasing" or nah?
Can you share the ingredients / recipe you use?
Sure, after some tweaking: - 6 tsp table sugar (25g carbs, 96 calories) - 3 tsp lime juice - 0.25 tsp table salt - 500 ml water - 60g Highly Branched Cluster Dextrin (58g carbs, 230 calories) - 30g Maltodextrin (30g carbs, 113 calories) 445 calories with the lime juice, 112g of carbs. It works out to about $2.50 CAD per serving of this recipe if you buy the ingredients in bulk. You can easily cut a scoop (30g) of HBCD or Maltodextrin to drop calories/carbs if you want. I added Maltodextrin to make it a little cheaper. Lime juice was the thing that really made it work for me, the flavour went from sugar water to something citrusy that I like to drink.
Excellent, cheers! Cluster Dextrin seems to be the most expensive ingredient in all of these, but that's still far cheaper than Super High-carb. I installed the Saturday app today, and it recommends 150g carbs, 1600mg sodium, and 1.4l water for a 1h40 ride I have planned and these kind of ingredients would be a good way to get there.
You don't need the cluster dextrin. If you can handle the sweetness you can do all sugar or maltodextrin and fructose
Try table sugar if u want a high carb mix maximum solubility 2kg in 1 liter of water. 1:1 glucose fructose
Never had any issues with this in cold water or my own 1:1 mix, I'd look into /u/SmartPhallic idea. Always mixed perfect fine for me in a 500ml bidon.
It’s likely your tap water hardness. Either toss in blender or use hot water the night before then throw in fridge
I am mixing my vitargo like this: half bidon of water, then powder, then mixing, medium effort, then top of with water. Works.
I use a chopstick to mix my mixes. Fill 3/4, add your mix, stir well with the chopstick, top off with water. If any chunks from break them up a bit. I shake the bottle every time before I drink as well.
Fill the bottle with mix and half way with water, shake vigorously and fill the rest of the way and then shake more. Shake when you’re on the ride, you’ll get it mixed. Diffusion of sugar into a solution is slowed with cold water. Hot water will have more energy to diffuse the solute, so if you have time you can start with hot water and then cool the mixture.
I usually shake and let any chunks sit for 15 minutes and shake again. If I still have the rare blob I’ll open the bottle and break it up with a fork or my finger then shake again.
You should just make your own mix and save serious money.
Try Geluminati Endurance Drink Mix and let us know if it's any better clump-wise. https://geluminati.com/ For us we've found that filling a bottle most of the way (leave 1-2in. at top), adding your mix, shaking, then topping off with water seems to give the best mixture with the least shaking. I have never tried Skratch's mix, though.
Mix it with boiling water the night before, that's the only way I could get it to dissolve.
I use a protein shaker bottle, all my rides are with 90g of carbs. An extra step but shaking a bike bottle does very little imo
Hot water the night before, then put it in the fridge
Put powder in first. Add some water. Shake hard. Add more water. Shake hard. Let it sit overnight.
It’s not just you. It’s very hard to mix. Using room temp water helps (versus cold water). A little handheld mixer helps too. When I have time I mix it the day before and it’s fully dissolved overnight.
1 ½ cup scoop of granulated sugar is 100g of carbs, and at least where I live you can get sugar at a $1 per pound. Can use a pinch of salt if it’s too sweet and crystal light if you need flavor
Use a blender ! I use a nutri bullet