Castor oil: Contaminant water or breakdown product or what?

[dxw]

When I decanted some castor oil just now, the final parts of the pour included a thicker pearly opalescent liquid. It formed cute worms and blobs as I poured it. "No problems", I assumed it was just solid-liquid phase change ... not really thinking back to the fact that castor oil is liquid at much cooler temperatures than this.
So I melt my oils and have a similar collection of liquid at the bottom of the beaker full of liquid oils. It is heavier than the oils and is semi-clear pearly opalescent. It is not mixing with the melted oils, clings to the pyrex beaker but also forms discrete blobs when I scrape it loose. The blobs will coalesce when forced together. It's kinda cute stuff whatever it is.

I have now removed most of it, and what I do next will depend on what it is.

I've never had water contamination before but am wondering if this sounds like the behaviour of water. If it's likely to be water I will just replace the removed liquid with fresh castor oil and continue. It's sorta gelatinous colloid(y).
If it's unknown or likely to be something else entirely I will scrap that oil batch entirely … and add this to the learning process.

The image shows the collection, with a little overlying melted oil, in a small pyrex bowl

 

[Obsidian]

I would guess its water but it looks a bit too cloudy. Could be contaminated water, I think I would toss it and start over.

 

[dxw]

I think I would toss it and start over.

Thanks. I have set it aside, with a note re the 14g of liquid removed, and started a fresh batch with castor oil from a different bottle.

I vaguely remember there being simple chemistry tests for water contamination in oils/fuels, and will look those up tonight and maybe give that a try.