Whiskey

[euge]

I have the 2 3/4" spheres of ice moulds. Pretty cool but even with ro water about 7ppm they'll have a giant hemispherical inclusion that sometimes splits the ice neatly in half after a couple drinks.

This is promising: http://www.amazon.com/Neat-Ice-Kit-Double-Mold/dp/B00O2CO93G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1456593530&sr=8-2&keywords=clear+ice+cube+maker

Anyone tried boiling the water first before making cubes? Evidently dissolved gasses interfere with the clarity of the ice as it freezes.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

I use RO water also...definitely not clear but they don't split. Might have to try boiling the RO and see if it works on clarity.


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[euge]

Boiled (nuked) 3 ppm RO water, let it cool down now have and two spheres in the freezer. Will try a test-run this evening.

[toby]

How are you guys drinking your Bourbon these days?

I drink all my Bourbon and Scotch with a few drops of the purest water I have on hand.  I will also 'sacrifice' and use a spherical whisky stone.

[MDixon]

I taste them all neat and with a cube, but find a large cube is perfect and I too can get two pours out of it. I like the way the flavor changes as the cube melts.

[euge]

Well the "boiled water" and clear ice was mostly a fail.

1. The ice was a bit clearer but the inclusion was as bad or worse even. The sphere split in half immediately- before it'd even tasted whiskey!

2. The ice tasted unpleasantly weird. 

3. It also melted faster (seemingly) as it was gone by the time I finished 3oz in normal fashion.

My ice is already pretty darn good. Ultra clear ice seems more like "flair" than actually improving the experience.

[MDixon]

I have a whole house filter and then pull the water from the fridge which has another filter. That is where we get the water we drink and it is good.

If you want to get crystal clear ice you have to insulate as it freezes as I understand it. That allows the air to come out during the slow freezing process. I see some notes on the web about insulating with salt water on the outside of the ice cube tray.

[mchrispen]

Yeah. Hard boil on the water, DI if you have it. No gasses to escape and slow the freezing as much as possible. I use a small cooler in the deep freeze. Does pretty well - just a few bubbles but fairly clear. Seems to melt much slower.


Love the large cubes, but the wife bought me little deathstar spheres

[euge]

Obsessive compulsive me I'm trying another batch with an insulated freeze-down approach. Looks promising.

Still I think it's all about looks.

[Joe Sr.]

I have the spheres, too.  But it's a PITA getting the ice out of them.  I have to run warm water on them to get them out.

Any tricks you want to share?

As far as clear ice, I've never worried too much.  I use warm water when I think of it, but I prefer to use filtered water.

[euge]

Got the blue ones off Amazon. Cheap.

At first the sphere molds were fairly rigid but loosened up a little; plus, not overfilling and allowing for some expansion seems to make them easier to detach.

Filled them full for the experiment.

[euge]

Allrighty then.

There has been significant success.

1. The flaw has been eliminated.

2. Clear ice with bubbles. No giant white flaw. Ice spheres look like the glass ornament on your grandma's fancy table.

Not perfect but I think I'm really close.

16oz double walled plastic glass
1/2 cup plastic container (ziplock or rubbermaid)
the ice mould
RO water.

Fill both mould and 1/2 cup container to brim with water. I used RO. Upend mould into full container leaving it at a slight angle. You don't want the hole in the mould facing directly down but offset a little.

This cup holding the mould is placed into the opening of the double-walled cup. Place this into the freezer.

Ideally all the water in the mould will freeze and push the gasses and impurities away into the unfrozen water in the 1/2 cup container which will also slightly freeze.

I got real close without having to use the suspended and partially submerged perforated icetray in a cooler in the freezer method.

[MDixon]

Opened up the Stagg Jr. last night. I have had it before, but I don't recall it being so over the top hot. Had to allow the ice cube to melt substantially before it suited my palate.

[ethinson]

How are you guys drinking your Bourbon these days?

I like 3oz with three clear cubes of ice. That's it.

Was thinking the more complex examples should be enjoyed with a splash of "branch-water" instead of ice...

I've gotten to the point now where I drink pretty much everything neat.  Sometimes if I'm at a bar and I have an ice water as well I'll toss in a drop or two.  I try not to order anything I wouldn't drink neat.

We have quite a few good choices here in Oregon.  Hogshead Whiskey by McMenamins is one of my favorites, but it's spendy.  Their Billy Whiskey is also good and a little cheaper.  Woodford Reserve is my go-to Kentucky.  Burnside Bourbon by Eastside Distilling here in Portland is good but can be hit or miss.  First time I tried it I loved it, the next time not so much.

Picked up a bottle of Rebel Yell the other day, and I'm sure it's probably full of adjuncts to be at the price point it's at (18$ per 750ml) but it's not bad on it's own.  It's light colored but very smooth.  I got it mostly for making hot toddy's for my sick wife so wasn't gonna break the bank on it, but it turned out decent.  Made a good Old Fashioned as well.

[jeffy]

How are you guys drinking your Bourbon these days?

I like 3oz with three clear cubes of ice. That's it.

Was thinking the more complex examples should be enjoyed with a splash of "branch-water" instead of ice...

I've gotten to the point now where I drink pretty much everything neat.  Sometimes if I'm at a bar and I have an ice water as well I'll toss in a drop or two.  I try not to order anything I wouldn't drink neat.

We have quite a few good choices here in Oregon.  Hogshead Whiskey by McMenamins is one of my favorites, but it's spendy.  Their Billy Whiskey is also good and a little cheaper.  Woodford Reserve is my go-to Kentucky.  Burnside Bourbon by Eastside Distilling here in Portland is good but can be hit or miss.  First time I tried it I loved it, the next time not so much.

Picked up a bottle of Rebel Yell the other day, and I'm sure it's probably full of adjuncts to be at the price point it's at (18$ per 750ml) but it's not bad on it's own.  It's light colored but very smooth.  I got it mostly for making hot toddy's for my sick wife so wasn't gonna break the bank on it, but it turned out decent.  Made a good Old Fashioned as well.

I liked the Hogshead when I had it a while back.  McMenamins makes a pretty good gin, too.  Of course this review is biased because whenever I have had it I was on vacation.