Anybody Ever Notice This With Distilled Water?

[Usge]

So, I had some all-grain/UJSM mix that was tasting pretty good. It came off around 155 proof. I used room temp distilled water to bring it down to 120 proof, then put it in a glass vase with some toasted oak cubes (from morebeer) and put a coffee filter on the top. On the 4th day, it tasted so wonderfully thick, caramel/vanilla, that I poured off just a wee bit as a teaser to take to my buds. We all drank it and they remarked how great it was and that it just didn't need anything more..they liked it the way it was. So, I thought, I'll pour half of it off when I get home, and leave the other half to see how things progress.

When I got home, 3 hours later, I poured half of it into a bottle, and poured a shot for myself. What happened? It was now very watery! Gone was the thick, chewy sweetness and left in it's place was watery junk. I let it air a day. Confirmed that it had indeed changed and was not the same as what I had poured off 3 hours earlier, and poured it all back into the glass jar, put the oak back in it, and gave it all a good mixing just for good measure. I let it sit for 3 weeks and it seemed to recover somewhat. Everyday it tasted a little different, sometimes going from better, to worse, sometimes the otherway. When it got to a point that I thought it tasted good, I poured it all off immediately and bottled it. I took that to my buds. We drank the first night and it was really good (although not as good as the first batch). The next night, we gathered for dinner and pulled out the same bottle, and there it was a again!!! It had gone to water. It tasted like only a remnant of what it was before...like someone had watered it down. The proof still registered 120.

I'm at a lost to explain this..other than it sounds like the water was separating from the likker and sitting on the bottom (which wasn't visually, or measurably apparent). Has anyone ever experienced this? I don't recall anything like this ever happening with bottled water, or tap water when I used it. I thought too I might be imagining things...but my friends confirmed it as well....that it was much more watery the 2nd day.

[violentblue]

my stepdad used to mark the level of the liquid in the bottle, so he'd know if we were sneaking a sip. by the time he got to the bottom of the bottle he was drinking almost straight water.

[Usge]

LOL. Wish that were the problem. I'm not sure if it separated or just changed really, or never bonded together, or ?? Thats why I was asking if anybody experienced it before. I never noticed this with bottled or tap water.

[Dutchmancreek]

I use only distilled water to cut my booze and I have never noticed anything like this.

[pintoshine]

That's got me scratching my head.

[Aidas]

It's never happened to me before either.

[Usge]

The whiskey had a very thick, almost brandy like consistency and had lots of vanilla/caramel/maple in it. It felt velvety/thick, almost oily on the lips and thick on the tongue. Then, the next try...the smell was still there, but the consistency was very thin and watery. The taste was very thin. It was like the difference between drinking distilled water, and drinking bottled water. It was a very noticeable difference.

At first I thought it was just me....taste buds...things taste different next day, etc. But, there were others who confirmed the change. Only thing I could figure was the wood was pulling stuff in and letting it out as it sat on the bottom, and that was what was changing things? Dunno. Thanks for the feedback though. I'm sort of afraid to use it to cut my all-grain for the Holidays. Guess we'll just have to drink it straight

[punkin]

Try this for an experiment;

Take your normal cutting quantities for mixing a bottle, say cutting from 65% down to 40%.

Take one bottle and put the whiskey in like normal, then pour the watr in on top.

Observe.

Now do the reverse. Put your water in the second bottle and pour your whiskey in on top.










ICouldWatchItAllDayPunkin

[pintoshine]

I don't know if this is related or not but I did experience a rather odd thing that I brought on myself.
I had some 95% that I was cutting between to 750ml bottles. I put filtered water in the 1 gallon carboy and the 95% in on top of it. I shook it kind of half heartedly. I measured it and adjusted for tem and it measured 100p on the spot. I poured half the amount into on bottle through a coffee filter, just in case, and filled the other bottle also.
When I took on of the bottles over to a friend house it tasted like 30%. When I got home I tried the other and it measured 70%. I concluded the alcohol floated and did not mix well with my half hearted shake.
Needless to say mix the crap out of the water and ethanol and measure between successive mixings now.

[Usge]

Thanks for feedback/advice. That sure sounds about right Pint. But, it's a little odd that it happened twice.....the first one from not being mixed well enough. And, the 2nd time..after I took the then watery stuff and put it back on oak for 2 more weeks.

Following your advice Punkin....gonna proof down just a couple of pints, and put it on oak. (I'll shake it up good...as per Pinto). Then see what happens.
Rest of it is gonna be Xmas Whitedog—white xmas. Got some thirsty friends already

[punkin]

I was just telling you to try it and watch something very pretty

Dunno that it'll make much difference if you shake it up real good, but observe it before you shake it up.

[Damandaplaya]

Any thoughts on Glaceau Smart Water? After the fact, I read it is vapor distilled water that is electrolyte enhanced. That water, when it is cold seems to just disappear in your mouth. I was under the impression that it would be good water to cut with, I may have been incorrect. As an experimanet to capture the flavor of charred pecan wood, I cheated and took 750 ml of PGA (190 proof) and cut it with 1 liter of Smart Water and stress aged with pecan / charred pecan. There is an immediate reaction when sipped.