The electrolyte (1 molar sodium carbonate solution) does a few things.
It lowers the resistance of the water so you can get reasonable amounts of current through it.
It prevents silver from plating out on the cathode which is a big problem without it because the electrolysis cell is basically an electroplating cell so without the electrolyte, you're plating all the silver you pull into solution on the cathode and making nothing or nearly nothing other than a silver plated cathode.
It raises the PH of the water into the 8+PH range which is required for the reducing agent to work properly. Reducing sugars only work in an alkaline environment and a lot of distilled water thats on the shelf absorbs CO2 from the air which lowers the PH (dissolved CO2 is known as carbolic acid).
So in a word, yes, with the electrolyte, things will change for the better. You will be able to get your desired constant current from the very beginning of the run.
Read the articles as has been suggested.
I have recently acquired the needed gear to produce Colloidal Silver and have had some good results. However, I'm not sure if I am adding enough washing soda solution to my cell. I monitor both voltage and current from my constant current supply. My electrodes which are both 1oz Canadian Maple leaf coins suspended by pure silver wires in distilled water. I turn on my power supply which shows 30 volts and mere microamps of current (using Walmart sourced distilled water). Then I add drops of the washing soda solution until the current climbs and reaches my preset limit where its current regulating (indicated by voltage dropping). I try to keep the voltage from 15-20 volts and this is where I begin to wonder if I'm doing it right. It takes less washing soda solution than I have read here. For a 4 liter (doing 1 gallon at a time) batch, it requires only 10-20 drops of solution. Either I have made my 1 Molar solution too strong or its taking less. I fear that this is causing my reducing agent to not properly reduce. I just started making it in 1 gallon batches and last night, the batch came out hazy/cloudy, and the color appears more towards chartreuse than the Johnsons baby soap yellow that I am more familiar with.
My equipment is a hot plate stirrer, 120 RPM stir bar and heating the water to 175F
DC generator producing constant current 20mA
4L water in a beaker
30 drops of 1 Molar solution
2 hours run time in the dark with the hopes of achieving 40ppm
Stir hot for 2 hours post after adding 4ml 50/50 corn syrup/distilled water solution
Results, looks like Colloidal Silver but tinging on green color, slightly cloudy, with a faint ultra violet hue near the surface.
Can anyone comment where I need to make adjustments?
Last photo shows flashlight illuminating to show color. The haze is not as bad as it looks until you shine light thru it.
I'm assuming the haze is ionic silver that has not been reduced?
Thanks for comments or helpful criticism.