Strikeitrich,
Welcome to the forum.
I have not heard of vinegar and salt used in a gold cell.
Although Have heard of using salt (NaCl) concentrated brine, in a membrane cell to dissolve gold anode, the Shor patent's I think use this (or other chloride salts like potassium or ammonium chloride, also I feel they got the Idea from Emil Wohlwill.
Emil Wohlwill in his 1896 patent he mentions his use of electrolysis of gold using HCL hydrochloric acid in solution of gold chloride (AuCl3), to purify the 95% gold anode, to really pure gold, the current density and temperature are important so that the chlorine gas (very bad gas to breath), is kept into solution so when the gold at the anode is oxidized (looses an electron) and dissolves in the chloride solution, that three chlorine gases (3Cl2) join to the gold (Au), and make AuCL3 gold chloride solution, if too much HCL or too high current (amperage), or too high of temperature the chlorine is generated in excess and escapes as that bad gas, Emil Wohlwill also talks about using the other salts but potassium chloride or ammonium chloride can give problems if any platinum is involved.
He also discusses using the normal DC (direct current) but also riding an AC current with it, to help with any silver in the anode where silver chloride that can form on the anode (silver turns to hard crust stopping the gold from oxidizing or dissolving into solution), another later Wohlwill patent (maybe his son or relative) talks of using pulse width modulation (basically a DC current that has a pulse or short duration pulse of reverse current to remove silver chloride from anode).
Hokes book (a download in the book section will help you to understand what most of us here are wanting to learn).
Hope you like school, because you have just joined one of the best schools for learning about these valuable metals in the world. This is also one of the friendliest schools I have ever been to, everybody helping each other to learn, no bully's (Harold kicks their hind end off the forum real quick), one of the most fun schools for me as I love learning about this. I hope you do too, well to Strikeitrich you need to gain a good understanding (education), and this forum will help with that education, but remember with this comes responsibility, so be extremely safe so you do not harm yourself or others, educating yourself well in safety and all that this study involves, because if you did not you would not be rich but a poor man paying hospital bills. The education will make you rich
(And money is not in my mind what make’s you rich it is the education you gain).
Be safe have fun.
