There is no better way to understand how chemical processes work than to do it for real. The autumn harvest from the Academy’s greenhouse produced an abundance of grapes allowing students to get to grips with turning organic fruits into vinegar.

The Laureate students help to tend the vine throughout the year gaining insight into how photosynthesis works in organic matter, the capillary action within the vine, and science behind plant growth.

But that’s only part of the process. After harvesting the bumper crop and participating in the traditional style of grape treading, students took the resulting liquid into the chemistry lab to take the product on it’s transformational journey from grape juice to vinegar.

They were able to experience the chemical process in which ethyl alcohol undergoes partial oxidation that results in the formation of acetaldehyde. From this the acetaldehyde was converted into acetic acid – vinegar. Bringing to life the chemical reaction from Vine to Vinegar as we all now know:

CH3CH2OH > CH3CHO > CH3COOH