What even IS a COA and why should I care — my results so far

RunnerRach said:

They are not contradictory, they measure different things, and this is the single most common misreading of a certificate.

Vendor quality matters when discussing certificates of analysis. I've tested my last 4 batches through Janoshik and purity has ranged from 99.1% to 100.1%. Consistency is key.

For anyone new: always request the COA, and consider independent verification. The $300 for a Janoshik test is worth the peace of mind.

One thing that is still open after sophie_paris’s answer:

Why two laboratories report different purity for the same batch, and which number to believe?

dan_philly said:

Vendor quality matters when discussing certificates of analysis.

I tested my certificates of analysis batch through Janoshik — 98.4% purity. That's within acceptable range for compounded peptides. Turnaround was 12 business days.

The test costs ~$121 but gives you actual HPLC chromatography data plus mass spec confirmation. For the peace of mind alone, it's worth every penny. I test every new batch from a new vendor.

OP back with an update, since a thread like this is useless without one.

Purity and content being different measurements was the piece I was missing. The vial was overfilled and pure, which is a very different problem from the one I thought I had.

sarah_TO said:

I tested my certificates of analysis batch through Janoshik — 98.4% purity.

Agreed, and mass spec answers a question purity does not: identity. High purity tells you one thing dominates the chromatogram, not that it is the molecule you ordered. A mass within about a dalton of expected is the identity check.