World's Largest Jello Pool- Can you swim in Jello?

Summary

The video documents the ambitious project of creating the world's first Jello pool, a childhood dream turned engineering challenge. Overcoming the difficulties of boiling and refrigerating a large volume of Jello, the creator, with the help of his brother, conducted experiments to determine the ideal gelatin mixture temperature. They utilized custom propane burners and spigots, along with natural night-time cooling, to achieve the desired firmness. The result was a successful Jello pool party featuring belly flops and neighborhood kids, proving that with creativity and persistence, even the most unusual ideas can be realized.

Takeaways

• 🍮 The video documents the first-ever attempt at creating a real pool of Jello, which is a significant engineering challenge.
• 🔍 The creator's childhood curiosity about belly flopping in a Jello pool inspired the project.
• 🕒 It took over six months of planning and experimentation to find the right conditions for creating a Jello pool.
• 🌡️ The Jello mixture needed to reach a temperature higher than 160 degrees Fahrenheit to set properly.
• 🔥 A custom setup with 55-gallon drums, propane burners, and spigots was used to heat the Jello mixture.
• ❄️ Refrigeration was achieved by leveraging natural outdoor temperatures during a specific time of the year.
• 🏊‍♂️ The Jello pool was filled layer by layer, with each layer needing time to cool and firm up.
• 🌞 Direct sunlight was found to soften the Jello, affecting its solidity, highlighting the importance of temperature control.
• 🎉 The successful Jello pool was celebrated with a neighborhood party and various activities, including belly flops.
• 🤔 The project was driven by the spirit of proving the feasibility of an idea, rather than practicality or necessity.

Q & A

What makes creating a pool of Jello a difficult engineering challenge?

Creating a pool of Jello is challenging because it requires boiling large amounts of water, mixing it with gelatin powder, and refrigerating it to get firm, which is difficult on a large scale like a pool.

Why haven't previous attempts to create a Jello pool been successful?

Previous attempts either relied on bad CGI or failed experiments due to the complexities of heating and cooling the Jello properly, making it hard to achieve the desired firmness.

What steps did the creators take to make the Jello pool a reality?

The creators dug a pool in the backyard, experimented with small-scale batches to determine the ideal gelatin-to-water ratio and temperature, used custom propane burners to heat the mixture, and relied on cold weather and a swamp cooler for refrigeration.

How did the creators ensure the Jello mixture would firm up in the pool?

They determined through experiments that the mixture needed to be heated to over 160°F and then cooled using cold night air and a swamp cooler to efficiently remove the heat.

Why did the creators choose a specific time of year for their project?

They chose a time in April when night temperatures were cool enough to act as a natural refrigerator but not so cold that the Jello would freeze, based on historical temperature data.

How did the creators plan the process of filling the Jello pool?

They planned to fill the pool over seven days, adding about 10 barrels of Jello mixture each day to allow each layer to cool and firm up before adding more.

What tools and techniques did they use to cool the Jello pool efficiently?

They used cold night air, convection cooling with a swamp cooler, and placed the barrels above the pool to use gravity for easy transfer of the Jello mixture.

What was the effect of sunlight on the Jello pool?

Direct sunlight over time began to soften the lower layers of the Jello, making it less firm and solid as the day went on.

How did the creators and their neighbors interact with the finished Jello pool?

The creators invited their nephews and neighbors' kids to belly flop into the Jello pool, leading to a surreal experience of moving through a thick, slimy, and slippery substance.

What improvements would the creators make if they were to attempt the Jello pool again?

They would consider adding a heat exchanger pipe system to keep the Jello cool longer and possibly use some sugar to improve the Jello’s consistency.