I use rum/vodka to fortify wine and make liqueurs, and I noticed
something strange when I shook a bottle of plain white rum. (The same
thing happened with vodka.) When I shook the bottle, the liquid's
appearance changed in three quick stages:

- cloudy all over (first 1-2 seconds)
- started to clear, but a thin layer (< oz.) of white foamy/starchy
substance surfaced (3-7 seconds)
- everything cleared back to normal (8-10 seconds)

I'm aware that cheap alcohol is usually not filtered as much as
top-shelf brands, so I'm suspecting the shaking caused a temporary
"centrifugal effect" that, for a short time, surfaced many of the
impurities. If I poured out the little oz. or so of the foamy liquid,
would the remaining liquor be cleaner?

no

that foam you see is just air getting whipped into the liquid.
Distillers call that the bead and you can estimate the percentage
alcohol of the spirit by the size of the bead.

You cannot purify a spirit in that way.


John Public wrote:
> I use rum/vodka to fortify wine and make liqueurs, and I noticed
> something strange when I shook a bottle of plain white rum. (The same
> thing happened with vodka.) When I shook the bottle, the liquid's
> appearance changed in three quick stages:
>
> - cloudy all over (first 1-2 seconds)
> - started to clear, but a thin layer (< oz.) of white foamy/starchy
> substance surfaced (3-7 seconds)
> - everything cleared back to normal (8-10 seconds)
>
> I'm aware that cheap alcohol is usually not filtered as much as
> top-shelf brands, so I'm suspecting the shaking caused a temporary
> "centrifugal effect" that, for a short time, surfaced many of the
> impurities. If I poured out the little oz. or so of the foamy liquid,
> would the remaining liquor be cleaner?

Google using a brita filter.

There was a story a couple years ago about some college kids using one
to purify cheap vodka.

I believe the end result after three passes was that you couldn't tell
the difference between cheap stuff and expensive.

John Public wrote:
> I use rum/vodka to fortify wine and make liqueurs, and I noticed
> something strange when I shook a bottle of plain white rum. (The same
> thing happened with vodka.) When I shook the bottle, the liquid's
> appearance changed in three quick stages:
>
> - cloudy all over (first 1-2 seconds)
> - started to clear, but a thin layer (< oz.) of white foamy/starchy
> substance surfaced (3-7 seconds)
> - everything cleared back to normal (8-10 seconds)
>
> I'm aware that cheap alcohol is usually not filtered as much as
> top-shelf brands, so I'm suspecting the shaking caused a temporary
> "centrifugal effect" that, for a short time, surfaced many of the
> impurities. If I poured out the little oz. or so of the foamy liquid,
> would the remaining liquor be cleaner?

http://www.ohmygoditburns.com/wordpress/index.php?p=4

Amazing what I learned from this thread. :*)

--
DAve

Marty Phee wrote:
> Google using a brita filter.
>
> There was a story a couple years ago about some college kids using one
> to purify cheap vodka.
>
> I believe the end result after three passes was that you couldn't tell
> the difference between cheap stuff and expensive.
>
> John Public wrote:
>> I use rum/vodka to fortify wine and make liqueurs, and I noticed
>> something strange when I shook a bottle of plain white rum. (The same
>> thing happened with vodka.) When I shook the bottle, the liquid's
>> appearance changed in three quick stages:
>>
>> - cloudy all over (first 1-2 seconds)
>> - started to clear, but a thin layer (< oz.) of white foamy/starchy
>> substance surfaced (3-7 seconds)
>> - everything cleared back to normal (8-10 seconds)
>>
>> I'm aware that cheap alcohol is usually not filtered as much as
>> top-shelf brands, so I'm suspecting the shaking caused a temporary
>> "centrifugal effect" that, for a short time, surfaced many of the
>> impurities. If I poured out the little oz. or so of the foamy liquid,
>> would the remaining liquor be cleaner?

Would you explain that?

Droopy wrote:
> no
>
> that foam you see is just air getting whipped into the liquid.
> Distillers call that the bead and you can estimate the percentage
> alcohol of the spirit by the size of the bead.
>
> You cannot purify a spirit in that way.
>
>
> John Public wrote:
>> I use rum/vodka to fortify wine and make liqueurs, and I noticed
>> something strange when I shook a bottle of plain white rum. (The same
>> thing happened with vodka.) When I shook the bottle, the liquid's
>> appearance changed in three quick stages:
>>
>> - cloudy all over (first 1-2 seconds)
>> - started to clear, but a thin layer (< oz.) of white foamy/starchy
>> substance surfaced (3-7 seconds)
>> - everything cleared back to normal (8-10 seconds)
>>
>> I'm aware that cheap alcohol is usually not filtered as much as
>> top-shelf brands, so I'm suspecting the shaking caused a temporary
>> "centrifugal effect" that, for a short time, surfaced many of the
>> impurities. If I poured out the little oz. or so of the foamy liquid,
>> would the remaining liquor be cleaner?
>