white Flakes

[stillvodka]

Hello

If you have distilled spirits at 92%abv pure crystal clear coming straight from the still, and then you cut it down to 45%abv with pure natural spring water straight from the ground from a world renowned spa town, why do your spirits go opaque cloudy and have white flakes floating around in them.
What can i do to sort it out, i have filtered it through a filter, a good cotton filter, it goes clear once through the filter but it then goes flaky again

I would really appreciate help with this.

Thanks

[hornedrhodent]

="stillvodka"
pure natural spring water straight from the ground from a world renowned spa town,

Mineral in the water?
Does it do it with distilled, deionised or tap water?

[stillvodka]

I have not tried tap water, because it seems nobody ever mentions tap water with regards use for cutting spirits, please don't say that's where my problem can be solved! it's not is it

[stillvodka]

Forgot to say, i have not tried distilled water, i have used bottled still water, from the highlands of scottland, bottled at sorce so they state

[Uncle Jesse]

does the cloudiness dissipate after a while?

remember that alcohol and water mixing causes some weird reactions. for one, the alcohol will absorb some of the water since it's anhydrous by nature.

cloudiness doesn't make me wonder, but if it doesn't go away after setting for a few hours then i'd be curious as to why.

[stillvodka]

I leave it for a few days and it does settle out to the bottom, but it is quite easy to disturb.

[stillvodka]

What do everyone else use to cut spirits with, am i the only one who have encountered this problem? i am not the only one am i

[TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY]

Normally I cut with spring water from the grocery, but I do run out on occassion. When I do run out I use tap water from my well. I have seen no adverse effects from either. However, if I don't change the filter for my ice maker on time, the ice will cloud my spirit, but this is only with an all grain spirit, not UJSM/sugar likker. So it seems the ice maker will concentrate the minerals from my well if they are not filtered properly and the all grain is more oily. Beverages are still tasty, just not as clear as I would like.

So put me down for too much mineral concentration in your water.

[Tater]

TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY might wanna run icemaker to hot water line .Waterheaters catch minerals.Tempering with water from hot side may help with flakes as well.

[birdwatcher]

I have a dug well with great water. Nevertheless, we boil our drinking water, just to be sure.

I use this water to make my vodka. 100 ml ethanol, 137 ml water.

Crystal clear.

Cheers,

G

[pintoshine]

When I get tap water for my cistern, It condenses out calcium like crazy. It is the same as described. The calcium coagulates out readily because of the aluminum sulfate the water company uses too. Easily disturbed and continues to disipate over time. I have resorted to distilled water all the time. My own or store bought.

[stillvodka]

Thanks for the replies,
Only problem now is, i have 4 gallons of cut spirits and all of them have the cloudy flakes, do you think i need to put them back through the still, i cant think what else to do really, don't look very nice.

Thanks

[hornedrhodent]

="stillvodka"

Thanks for the replies,
Only problem now is, i have 4 gallons of cut spirits and all of them have the cloudy flakes, do you think i need to put them back through the still, i cant think what else to do really, don't look very nice.

Thanks

I dont think they'd come over - If they do let us know.

[goose eye]

these boys round here only use distilled water
so im tole

[birdwatcher]

Thanks for the replies,
Only problem now is, i have 4 gallons of cut spirits and all of them have the cloudy flakes, do you think i need to put them back through the still, i cant think what else to do really, don't look very nice.

Thanks

I would be inclined to try filtering, through activated charcoal.

G

[stillvodka]

Bloody hell, I better get the still fired up, see what i can do, don't know why i asked really, should of known better really.

[midnightvisitor]

I have the same problem you are describing, I get about 95% and cut it down to about 45% with tap water and my mix goes cloudy, and it has a terrible bitter taste. So what i do is just let it sit undisturned for a week or 2 then do the same if you were racking wine, syphon of the top and keep the bottoms and pour it into another container eventually you will have enough to syphon the tops off this one as well. I eve used distilled water and had the same problem with cloudy spirits, i have no idea what it is, maybe i run my still too hard lol and push something up the column.

[stillvodka]

That's what i do now, i leave them to settle for a couple of weeks siphon of the top really careful, it works a treat, crystal clear now.