whiskey turned cloudy, why?

[nickbbb]

So I poured me a glass of whiskey that I just cut from 78 to 40% well a little was left in the glass and know it's extremely cloudy in the glass I drank from. What would cause this?? Have never had a problem with my sweet feed whiskey until this. Thanks in advance.

[scuba stiller]

Perhaps gas and minerals in the water.

[nickbbb]

Well it was clear while drinking it. Then the next morning it was cloudy like oil after frying fish.

[Braz]

My wife has noted that my brandy and my UJSSM based rye will occasionally cloud up if if she lets a bit sit in the bottom of the glass overnight. It doesn't always happen, but sometimes. We've not been able to come up with a reason. I think it may depend on the humidity level in the house but I have no good data to verify that theory.

[nickbbb]

Well that's exactly what happened. I'm glad it wasn't just me!

[still_stirrin]

Well you've heard of "the angel's share" and the "devil's cut". That must've been the "devil's backwash"!
ss

[heartcut]

Could be higher alcohols from tails. They can form a solution in high abv spirits but go into suspension when the abv is lowered.

[MichiganCornhusker]

Could be higher alcohols from tails. They can form a solution in high abv spirits but go into suspension when the abv is lowered.

+1
I just had a jar of rum that was crystal clear at 120 proof, but when I took it down to 90 proof it went very cloudy. I don't care because it tastes great, but was surprised.

[nickbbb]

So how would I go about keeping it from happening again? Or is going to happen no matter what? I usually do 5 stripping runs to make 1 spirit run.

[rager]

So how would I go about keeping it from happening again? Or is going to happen no matter what? I usually do 5 stripping runs to make 1 spirit run.

i wouldnt worry to much about it. make some more and try again and see what happens. its nothing that is going to kill you. unless you are overly OCD id keep on keeping on

what kind of water did you use to cut it down?


cheers

rr

[nickbbb]

Filtered tap water from the door of the fridge.

[dstaines]

So how would I go about keeping it from happening again? Or is going to happen no matter what? I usually do 5 stripping runs to make 1 spirit run.

This doesn't happen to me every time, but often enough, and usually (but not only) on things that have been single-run. I agree that it has to do with diluting the water. I had a jar of XX brandy at 100 proof that I diluted down to 80. I knew to look out for cloudiness so I was relieved that nothing happened. Grabbed that jar on my way out the door the next day to a buddy's party and - crap - cloudy. My best educated guess is that the higher more oily alcohols that come through at the end of the heart/start of tails stay suspended at higher proof, and tend to become colloidal at lower proof but that it takes a while for them to glob up.

I'm not so experienced that I can give you advice on how to prevent it, but I have been able to FIX it once it's happened. Just put the jar in the freezer for a day to get as much of those oils to come out of suspension, then chill-filter through a wad of cotton ball, rolled up strip of clean cotton tshirt, or a plug of toilet paper in the neck of a stainless funnel (I've used all of those filter media successfully). Coffee filters have too large of holes to grab the suspended... whatever-it-is. It will take a long time for it to drip all the way through, so I just keep the whole setup in the freezer and top off the funnel as it drips through. Once it warms back up it should be back to clear.

It will taste *ALMOST* the same. Ever time this has happened to me I have felt that it tasted very subtly more rich and full flavored before chill filtering

[rager]

Filtered tap water from the door of the fridge.

try distilled water

[shadylane]

I say the cloudiness is from minerals in the water.
Bubba said it's from the angels pissing in the jar after drinking their share.

[T-Pee]

Nasty bastages. Really.

tp

[woodshed]

Too far into tails. And do not use a cotton ball (bleached and god knows what else) , t shirt (any idea what all they put in detergent), Toilet paper( see cotton ball).
You put the cloudy in that drink. Best to figure out how to stop doing so than figure out how to fix it after the fact.

[nickbbb]

Awesome advice fellas! So I am thinking tighter cuts and better water. This was the first time I had anything go wrong with my whiskey (that I know of) whiskey usually doesn't last long around this place!

[NZChris]

Not all whiskey is clear. Whether, or not, cloudy is a bad thing is debated by those who can be bothered. You could try chill filtering if it bothers you.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

Well it was clear while drinking it. Then the next morning it was cloudy like oil after frying fish.

My wife has noted that my brandy and my UJSSM based rye will occasionally cloud up if if she lets a bit sit in the bottom of the glass overnight. It doesn't always happen, but sometimes. We've not been able to come up with a reason. I think it may depend on the humidity level in the house but I have no good data to verify that theory.

I, too, have noticed this phenomenon of the last sip of whiskey going milky overnight. Even in jars that have tight cuts and have never been cloudy, even at 40% using distilled water to cut.

I did find a solution, that I highly recommend.

Don't leave anything in the glass when you head to bed.

Try it- you'll thank me.

[nickbbb]

Now that's my kind of theory!

[Twinrivers]

I keep a 5 gallon carboy that I dump heads and tails in. After about a year it finally filled up. Made 15 gallons of mash and topped off my pot with the whole 5 gallons of feints. It was a different kind of run. After cutting foreshots and heads (a lot of heads) I got into the hearts at 130 proof. Usually it's 140. The run was consistent and I kept collecting tasting ect. I noticed tails coming through early. Checked the proof and it was just under 120. I told myself that I can't be getting tails at 120 because it's not possible. I was wrong. I somehow convinced myself to collect down to 110 regardless of the smell. I pitched the first and last quart into the feints container as usual and went through my normal separation of hearts for aging and bottling of white dog at 90 proof. The next day I grabbed a quart of white dog out of the cabinet and it was cloudy. I cut it with distiller water. This is my procedure for every run and I have never had cloudy product. All I can think is that I tainted my white dog with supertails from all those feints going in the pot. Wierd huh??

[rad14701]

I keep a 5 gallon carboy that I dump heads and tails in. After about a year it finally filled up. Made 15 gallons of mash and topped off my pot with the whole 5 gallons of feints. It was a different kind of run. After cutting foreshots and heads (a lot of heads) I got into the hearts at 130 proof. Usually it's 140. The run was consistent and I kept collecting tasting ect. I noticed tails coming through early. Checked the proof and it was just under 120. I told myself that I can't be getting tails at 120 because it's not possible. I was wrong. I somehow convinced myself to collect down to 110 regardless of the smell. I pitched the first and last quart into the feints container as usual and went through my normal separation of hearts for aging and bottling of white dog at 90 proof. The next day I grabbed a quart of white dog out of the cabinet and it was cloudy. I cut it with distiller water. This is my procedure for every run and I have never had cloudy product. All I can think is that I tainted my white dog with supertails from all those feints going in the pot. Wierd huh??

You never stated what %ABV the boiler charge was... When pot stilling feints you should dilute way down below 40%... When I've been crazy enough to pot still feints I've diluted down to 20% or under... Ideally, you want to run your feints only run through a reflux column...

[Twinrivers]

I didn't check it but with 15 gallons of 8% mash and 5 gallons of feints I can't believe it would be all that high. I didn't run it through my tower. Just the good old pot/ thumper set up. There are so many variables here it totally has my head spinning.

[dstaines]

Nickbob

Digging up a dormant thread I know, but I thought you might be interested if you go back and read this. I just has the same phenomenon happen to me with a glass of wild turkey 101. There was about a quarter ounce of whiskey left in the glass from last night, and when I took it to the sink I saw that it was very cloudy. Much cloudier than I have ever seen my homemade whiskey turn when diluting. I had added no extra water to this glass at any point. So....so much for my theory. Its a mystery.