The brown color may be due to colored contaminates in the cider vinegar. Excessive heating can also char organic materials, especially if there's little water present to carry heat away. But yes, most of the solid is sodium acetate. You can get a purer product if you start with distilled white vinegar. Avoid drying things in the household microwave -- there's really nowhere for the water vapor to go, and excessive heating can damage the plastic parts of the microwave's chamber.