Electrostatic Icing Sugar

I've noticed my confec sugar having static but didn't give much thought to it.  It piqued my thoughts but as usual I forgot about it/dismissed it.  I wonder if it is the container in which it is stored, weather conditions - inside and out, etc.  When I mixed the sugar with water it did not perform as you describe/d.  I have mine in a rubber maid container but almost always store in a Tupperware container.  I may be wrong but I think, in the rubber maid - it is does have static.  I jut made a bath of ri and it is almost like marshmallow - ?.  Not sure how to describe.  I hand stirred it then the next day I re- beat it.  It settled a little but was usable.  Interesting post...  I hope to see other comments.   

I didn't say that sometimes I'll use a spoon to hold down the icing while I am sifting.  Confectioner sugar is processed down to be very fine (you already know this) and I can imagine it becomes somewhat aerated - ?  You want to know how to ensure your confectioner sugar is always electrostatic, right?

 

Like marshmallows is a perfect description! Exactly that is what the RI seemed like!

I absolutely don't care about the electrostatic effect - it nearly drove me nuts. It is the final marshmallowy result I liked

You might be right about weather conditions, that's the only explanation I can think of. Everything else was identical as always - same icing sugar, sieve, bowl, spoon...

We had a very warm and sunny day yesterday, followed by black clouds that looked like a thunderstorm and a partial eclipse this morning. Maybe these things did affect the sugar.

I have experience it.   I don't worry about it, it only takes more time to siebe it.  It can help not to use a plastic siebe, is better if you are using cotton clothes and no plastic tools nor bowls, it only reduces it.  

Laegwen  Our weather here is cold  brrrrr and yesterday snowy   wet   brrrrrr     inside I had the heat to 77  and still felt the chill   ithought about this yesterday ...    my containers are old   not the newer plastic used   something free  lol   I don't remember   pcf ?  not sure   sometimes i'll cover the opening with plastic wrap then put the lid on      the container my sugar is currently in is the Rubbermaid and I didn't put plastic wrap over the opening     I used the icing yesterday to pipe letters  it was wonderful   the icing I had been using was too hard for me to get a good flow   it just kept messing up  which in turn made me mess up   lol      but yesterday  minus a few mishaps  I could use that icing for lettering     i'm going to keep on practicing lettering  but  I want to see what it'll do for flooding  etc.        when I mixed this batch it looked too loose so I added 1 T confec sugar and  less then a half t meringue powder   mixed it again and it still wasn't stiff    I put it in an airtight container  didn't cover it with plastic wrap  which I usually do   and it puffed    usually I have a terrible time with this type icing   i'll toss it   this time  I tried it anyway and as mentioned  it worked very well    today is cold   heat to 76  lol  and in a bit ill see how it works   sorry for not using punctuation   lol  eyesight isn't good right now    

hopefully I am not bugging or irritating you    I have another thought     othr than my containers being old and not of the newer plastics used   chemical free   plastics ?   I put my containers and lids in the dishwasher  hot hot  cycles   I am certain this may cause static    i only noticed the difference in my product when i used the Rubbermaid container      i will have to use this container again to see if this is what makes the difference  

If the air is to dry increments static.  An humidifier can help.  But not when you are decorating, because it could be a problem too.  There are other materials that increase the static like rougs and some kind of floors, for them there are antistatic sprays. For clothes the softeners help, or antistatic towels for dryers.

 

 

Do you have a metal mixing bowl? Metal sieve, metal bowl, water and/or wet icing, plus an electric appliance? If your mixer has a short, you may be in for a shock. Who knows, maybe a rubber spatula will save one of our lives someday, lol.

Can't remember if it's high pressure or low pressure, but I can feel the ozone crackling in the air just before a thunderstorm. Maybe that was the issue? Where I grew up in New Mexico we often had thunderstorms, and always lots of static with balloons and such. Now I live in a rainy climate that rarely has thunder or lightning, and I almost never have static issues. We really need to get some physicists and chemists to take up cookie decorating.

Who knows, maybe there was a lightning bolt headed for you, but stopping to eat an extra cookie savel your life!

I have a possible answer for you, if you were making the icing on Tuesday. According to our local news, Earth was hit with a severe solar storm, causing geomagnetic disruptions. It was rated a 4(severe) on a 1-5 scale, with only a 5 (extreme) being rated worse. Apparently it was caused by major solar flares, and could have taken out the power grid in some areas. These types of storms can disrupt satellites, and can wreak havoc with gps systems. As a bonus, the aurora borealis was visible from much further south than usual.

I am just guessing here, but it seems like a good candidate. As far as repeating the experience, good luck. Maybe next time they forecast a solar storm you can be ready and waiting with your icing sugar, lol!