Vodka Essence?!?

[HookLine]

Was in a local brew shop today getting some corks, and noticed among their large range of essences they had 3-4 brands of 'vodka essence'.

WTF is that?

I thought the essence of vodka was just plain ethanol and water.

(I ain't spending money to find out. )

[Froggy]

I've seen those as well and I did at one time buy a bottle of it to see what it smelt like. I cant remember where I put it though
I'll try to find it and I'll let you know.

[pintoshine]

This is a mystery isn't it. It could be just some 95.4% you could add to water to get a 'vodka' flavor. Or maybe it is distilled water to add to 95.4% to get a 'vodka' flavor. Let's hope it's not the latter because that would really get me cranked up.

[Jetzon]

Maybe its relabeled Nip Bottles, Like they serve on an airplane I tried that essence stuff a few years ago. I tried Bourbon and the other was Tequila That was Nasty stuff! I used a Good vodka and it sat for a year. Last run I did I dumped the Tequila bottle into the Keg, I'm doing a run right now with the Bourbon poured into keg. Ive got 6-8 more essence bottles. Free! lol

[HookLine]

Maybe it is 800% vodka. Just add water.

[Rudi]

Either way wether its 95.4% or distilled water it comes in a 50ml or smaller bottle and I presume it is designed to add to 40% white spirit (to use their term) Its a rip off. Just checked dont know the volume but it costs AU$7.25

[RadicalEd1]

Hmmm, this irks me along the same lines as a lot of those gimmiky liquors. Like a few of my buddies were raging over some "grape vodka" they had bought. Much more expensive that the standard store bought with a mostly neutral flavor. In fact, I would rank it well below several reasonably priced vodkas on the market (ie Svedka). Stuff had a noticeable heady taste/smell. But it was "made from grapes", and that made it special to them.

I gave up trying to explain that vodka is a neutral spirit, and if they wanted flavor they should add some kool-aid or buy some brandy.

[HookLine]

Either way wether its 95.4% or distilled water it comes in a 50ml or smaller bottle and I presume it is designed to add to 40% white spirit (to use their term) Its a rip off. Just checked dont know the volume but it costs AU$7.25

They are the same size as the other essence bottles, look the same, cost the same, just have clear liquid in them, with a label saying 'Vodka Essence'. (And it wasn't lemon vodka, or similar, they had those next to it. It was plain 'vodka essence'. )

[Rudi]

Sounds like the old tin of pure dehydrated water just add water

[demonx]

I have a Vodka essence here:

Ingredients are listed as follows:

Natural and Artificial flavours
Propylene Glycol (1520)

I did a google search and this is what come up for Propylene glycol:

Propylene glycol is commercially produced from propylene and carbonate. Humectant, wetting agent, dispersing agent, radiator anti-freeze, petroleum based; its glycerine like taste has made it popular for children's medications and other elixirs; used in many toothpastes, topical creams and ointments, in cosmetics, hair products and deodorants, artificial sweetener bases, liquid food colour, essences, sweetened coconut, chewing gum, chocolates. Total recall of all medications in USA (if you still have some old ones, throw them out!) and has been linked with fatal heart attacks (when given intravenously), central nervous system depression and cosmetic or pharmaceutical contact dermatitis. Suspected as a neurotoxic hazard.

And this:

Propylene Glycol

A cosmetic form of mineral oil found in automatic brake and hydraulic fluid and industrial antifreeze. In the skin and hair, propylene glycol works as a humescent, which causes retention of moisture content of skin or cosmetic products by preventing the escape of moisture or water. The Material Safety Data Sheet warns users to avoid skin contact with propylene glycol as this strong skin irritant can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage.

I read all this after I poured a heap of the essence in my mouth trying to work out what it tasted like! Jokes on me I guess.

[Rudi]

mmmmmmmm yumy

I knew there was a reason I stopped using flavours now I know what it is

[demonx]

I have about a dozen different essences in the pantry - they all have that same chemical in them. ALL of them.

[punkin]

Long story, but i accidently drank about half a stubbie of brake fluid once.

Didn't seem to harm me much, scared the shit out of me though...

[HookLine]

Is that what got you into homemade?

[punkin]

Is that what got you into homemade?

Haven't learnt to make brake fluid yet.
Still don't drink much of what i make, guess i'll always be a (nearly said 'soldier of fortune', damn deep purple songs in my head all the time) beer man.

Haven't even tried the Lime Vodka yet cept for a sip...Given 8 bottles away as gifts to friends though


Just a passion for excellence i guess, more a fixation now though...






BrakeFluidsOnMyThingsToDoListPunkin

[Rudi]

you musta been real thirsty Punkin half a stubbie before you realised it was brake fluid

[demonx]

you musta been real thirsty Punkin half a stubbie before you realised it was brake fluid

He was probably just used to drinking turbo wash's at the time!

[punkin]

you musta been real thirsty Punkin half a stubbie before you realised it was brake fluid

Was on about my 97th beer or so at the time. We were 'working on a race car', which as all guys know, is 70% standing round it bullshitting and drinking beer.
I reached out and grabbed my stubbie off the roof of the vehicle, tilted back the head and chugged. It was a good three or four chugs before i realised all was not well. That i was drinking from a twist top and i never drink twist tops, also beer seemed to be sliding down too well.

Who'd bleed brakes into a stubbie bottle, and more interestingly why they bother on a burnout car is more than i can comprehend....

[CoopsOz]

Now that is farking funny, I have tears in my eyes!

[jdonly1]

HAHAHahaha funny shit

[The Chemist]

Vodka essence!! There truly is "one born every minute"...

[Enlikil]

I wonder how much we could sell..

Vodka essence.
1 pre measured vial of activated stone carbon.
Instructions. Pour into 750 ml of vodka.
Shake up. Put in freezer.
Shake once a day for 2- 8 weeks
Filter, and drink.

Or we could just put in some propelne glycol.
And water. and a drop of 3 star vodka and call it good enough

[Mr.Moonshine]

It's my understanding that the vodka essence stuff is used because the still spirits essenses use carbon treated turbo yeast sugar wash. 'cause you're running the distillate through the carbon, it removes all of the flavour, so the vodka essence bottle claims to "Replace lost esters required in a good vodka". Sounds like crap to me, I certainly never bought it. That said, when you buy a still from the brewcraft shops in Aus you get a promo-kinda book which tells you how to run the still, as well as a whole bunch of recipes using their essences. It's alot cheaper to just use the still to run your own washes once you get a hang of it though :p

[boingk]

Here we go, some more info on the subject:

The oral toxicity of propylene glycol is very low. In one study, rats were provided with feed containing as much as 5% propylene glycol over a period of 104 weeks and they showed no apparent ill effects.

Serious toxicity will occur only at extremely high intakes over a relatively short period of time that result in plasma concentrations of over 4 g/L.[6] Such levels of ingestion would not be possible when consuming reasonable amounts of a food product or dietary supplements containing at most 1 g/kg propylene glycol.

Prolonged contact with propylene glycol is essentially non-irritating to the skin. Undiluted propylene glycol is minimally irritating to the eye, and can produce slight transient conjunctivitis (the eye recovers after the exposure is removed). Exposure to mists may cause eye irritation, as well as upper respiratory tract irritation.[7] Inhalation of the propylene glycol vapors appears to present no significant hazard in ordinary applications.

Propylene glycol does not cause sensitization and it shows no evidence of being a carcinogen or of being genotoxic.

All snipped from this Wikipedia document: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_glycol

I'm not advocating the vodka essence, but the glycol seems safe enough. I mean, a 5% PG diet for 2 years with no ill effects? Damn...

Anyway, some food for thought.

Cheers - boingk

[Rudi]

mmm spose its safe enough for rats to drink essence's?

[Hack]

I'm still struggling with the concept of how a vodka essence would be useful.

[Rudi]

Particularly usefull for the pocket of the company who produce it

[Dnderhead]

I got 6oz bottles of nothing, Will sell it at 6$ plus shiping ,US, any takers?

[tracker0945]

I got 6oz bottles of nothing, Will sell it at 6$ plus shiping ,US, any takers?

Could you supply in metric Dnder? Can't sell in Imperial in Oz.

Cheers

[HookLine]

I got 6oz bottles of nothing, Will sell it at 6$ plus shiping ,US, any takers?

I have a cubic metre of vacuum, for an exorbitant fee.