(if he did use ketone at all)
Yes, often, when I see people complaining that their amination/gassing didn't produce any product, I wonder if they even had any ketone to start with. This is why I recommend the bisulphite test to verify that you possibly have a ketone.
Some people say; why bother with bisulfite, just aminate but bisulfite is easier than Al/Hg/Nitro especially for people who are working in a back room with almost no equipment or experience.
Any spa or pool place will sell you a pound or two of pH/alkalinity decreaser for a few bucks, which is 94% sodium bisulfite
Really? I would have guessed that it would be much more likely to be bisulfate than bisulfite.