Whiskey changing color after open air breathing.

[Aaron871]

I made an Irish whiskey.

I aged it on 1" x 1" x 3/4" charred white Oak.

I cut the oak into pieces (150 pieces) and charred it with a 500,000 BTU propane torch in a metal bucket. Best I could tell it was charred perfectly. I rinced the oak with water thoroughly. I placed the oak pieces inside of a 15 gallon beer keg and poured the whiskey in on top of it. I placed a coffee filter over the top of the keg with a rubber band.

After sitting a week on Oak my whiskey had a faint tint to it. I filtered some through a paper towel, it tasted like a smooth but immature Irish whiskey, I was very pleased with it so far.

After sampling it, I left the jar on the counter "open air" for about four hours. In those four hours it drastically changed color to that of a peach. I pulled and filtered some more whiskey the next day and left it out in the open air and it changed to the exact same color in a matter of a few hours.

Why is this happening?

[Aaron871]

Forgot to mention, I aged at 126 and after filtering through the paper towel I proofed to 80 with filtered well water. I use this same water to proof my vodka with no issues.

[Skipper1953]

Iron?

How was the well water filtered?

[BoomTown]

Iron?

How was the well water filtered?

Are you suggesting that iron in the water used to dilute it would have contributed to the color change?

And....the color change is obvious, but did the taste change too?

Boom

[pfshine]

Hmm. Do you see any flockulated junk in the bottom of the jar?

[Aaron871]

I have a whirlpool whole house filter system. My water is from a well in the Appalacian mountains, tastes great but I have to filter some sediment.

There is no junk floating in the whiskey after filtering. The paper towel picks up black particles from the charred wood but I don't see anything getting through the towel.

The taste does change, it's hard to describe. Its not terrible. It's not better. Almost like there are more esters (I'm not yet a great connoisseur of whiskey yet). Seems a bit more fruity in the nose.

[still_stirrin]

...The taste does change, it's hard to describe. Its not terrible. It's not better. Almost like there are more esters (I'm not yet a great connoisseur of whiskey yet). Seems a bit more fruity in the nose.

Tempering from 126 proof to 80 proof will allow your taste buds to function better, giving you a better chance to actually taste the alcohol. Tasting at 126 proof will cause some of your senses to numb, masking some of the flavors in the liquor. It damages your tissue, so be very careful doing it. Tasting at 80 proof is safer.

I temper to 90 proof, as that's where I like the alcohol to be. It is "warmer" but still brings out the wood's flavor complexities. I like it neat or poured over a couple if ice cubes, depending on the time of day.

I can't explain the color change after pulling off of the wood. It shouldn't change except possibly clear a little as the minute particles which may be suspended in the liquid settle with time. Often paper towels and even coffee filters are not fine enough to get all of the sediments out. Aging in glass may reveal a slight settlement in the jars with time.
ss

[IanD]

It's probably metal contamination. Maybe zinc or iron. What was the bucket that you charred the oak in made of? If it wasn't stainless then that's what I would suspect.

You can test for this quite simply. Pour two small glasses of the undarkened liquor, add a pinch of citric acid to one and leave both overnight. If the treated one remains pale whilst the other darkens then you have metal contamination.

See here in relation to cider making. http://www.cider.org.uk/cider_darkening ... h_1957.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[still_stirrin]

Interesting read IanD.

I would never have thought of metal salts as the cause. I learned something. Thx.
ss

[Aaron871]

It's probably metal contamination. Maybe zinc or iron. What was the bucket that you charred the oak in made of? If it wasn't stainless then that's what I would suspect.

You can test for this quite simply. Pour two small glasses of the undarkened liquor, add a pinch of citric acid to one and leave both overnight. If the treated one remains pale whilst the other darkens then you have metal contamination.

See here in relation to cider making. http://www.cider.org.uk/cider_darkening ... h_1957.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

It was not a SS bucket.
I will test this, this weekend.
Can I buy citric acid at a grocery store? Will it taint the flavor?

[Skipper1953]

Iron?

How was the well water filtered?

Are you suggesting that iron in the water used to dilute it would have contributed to the color change?

Boom

Just a WAG on my part but apparently not beyond the realm of possibility.

You should be able to get citric acid at a grocery store or most any other store that sells food canning and preserving supplies.

[cuginosgrizzo]

I get the citric acid at the Homebrew shop

[Aaron871]

It's metal from the rusty barrel band....

[T-Pee]

As an aside if you aren't aware, do your aging at cask strength (55%-65%).

mw

[Aaron871]

I casked at 126 and I taste at 80.....

Is this safe to drink or should I give it to my neighbors that I don't like?
It's actually very good already.....

[HDNB]

so the root cause was rust from the old stave that you never cleaned off before putting the wood in the booze?

fascinating.

i've prolly swallowed more rust laying under a truck than that without ill effects.

[Aaron871]

so the root cause was rust from the old stave that you never cleaned off before putting the wood in the booze?

fascinating.

i've prolly swallowed more rust laying under a truck than that without ill effects.

After going back to my oak stash, I have to assume that was the cause. Kind of a stupid mistake but who'd ah thought it would change the color of the whiskey at open air.

I'm embarrassed to admit the mistake, I take pride in exceptional cleanlyness and safety. I'm also impressed that the "Whiskey Gods" knew it was metal in the aging process.

Thank you...