Oaking in glass - Spirit turned cloudy...

[zed255]

I was searching around and have not seen anything quite like I have just experienced.

I used water from my grandmother's well to avoid using municipal water, which I have done before without issue. I proofed some new make rum down to 65% ABV with no clouding. I further proofed some to 45% ABV to try it white without any issue with sediment or clouding. So far so good, the water and this rum seem to get along.

I took 5l of this rum at 65% ABV, which was perfectly clear, and put a previously used toasted and charred oak stick in it. This oak was previously used to test out oaking some neutral, which was also done at 65% ABV. There were no issues with the oaked neutral clouding, though there was a slight bit of sediment after several weeks sitting after proofing to 45% ABV (the neutral IIRC was proofed with municipal water). I chose to do this to avoid adding too much oak to my rum thinking that the harsher tannins are likely in my neutral and not going to end up in my rum.

Now I'm only a few days in on the oaking of the rum and it is getting some colour but is also slightly hazy. Might this go away over time? Any clue why adding oak made the rum go hazy? Would I have been better to have used a new piece of oak?

[Boda Getta]

I suspect the haze won't be an issue as it takes on more color from the oak.

BG

[zed255]

Took a little time but the rum has cleared. There is a little precipitate now in the bottom of the ageing vessel but the spirit is clear.

[fizzix]

Odin's Gin once came through a little cloudy and it cleared up after running it through coffee filters.