I don't think BS works without the presence of acid. At least, I think that's how Alton Brown explained it.
The FAQ has some BS info:
http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/FAQ/FAQ400s.htm
And this talks a bit about how baking soda lowers the acidity of things:
http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Seaso...Transcript.htm
Quote:
acidic batters rise more, spread less
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And this explains even more:
http://chemistry.about.com/cs/foodch...f/blbaking.htm