Verdigris Epic Fail

About a week ago I remembered that I'd forgotten all about the crock of verdigris I had "brewing" in the garden. We've had some pretty depressing weather since I sealed the jar with wax and set it aside. Granted, it was an extension of my Not-Even-Trying-To-Be-Period Verdigris which had been a success, but unfortunately this time it was an epic failure.

This is what I bought inside, a frozen block of teal-coloured water. The wax I'd used to seal the jar had melted and/or disintegrated at some point and the remnants were trapped in the ice, you can even see some on top. I set it aside for a few days so that the ice had time to melt and I could find time to clean up my mess.

Failed verdigris experiment. A frozen mass of copper acetate, copper piping, vinegar, wax and water.

I knew immediately that this was a bust, however I figured that I could at least see what I would get if I drained it through a coffee filter.

The answer, not much. Just a disgusting combination of sediment, teal-colouring, wax and soggy dead bugs. Definitely nothing useable. 

Remnants of the copper-water, a combination of sediment, teal-colouring, wax and soggy dead bugs. 

I threw it all in the rubbish with plans to start over.

The good news it that for my next foray into making verdigris I have purchased organic vinegar's (unfiltered apple cider with "the Mother" and a white wine vinegar) which attempts to get me a small step closer to what would have been available in period. I've also been donated some homemade wines so that I can attempt to create my own vinegar.

Experiments are pending.