Ever had this happen???????

[adictv]

So I got a 20lt oak barrel, filled with water and left it for a few days then filled with 40% and left for 2-3 months. Now when I take a glass full from the tap and give her a taste???? Water????? Nothing but 2%????? So I take the back end of a spoon and put it in the barrel and give her a good mix and tap her again, presto 40% ????? Anyone had this problem of the alcohol separating?

[unsub]

I read somewhere that you should add alcohol to water not the other way around because you can get separation.

[Choice Bro]

Did you mix it with a spoon when you added the alcohol?
On a small scale the pouring action will stir it up a bit but on a larger scale it may not so will require a good mix.
Did you add the water first to allow the wood to absorb more water than alcohol to prevent the amount of devils share?

[kobold]

I read somewhere that you should add alcohol to water not the other way around because you can get separation.

no, it's the other way around. a h2o molecule is much smaller (and heavier (specific gravity/molar mass)) than ethanol, so when adding water to ethanol it will - much like pouring fine sand on rocks - fill up the void between the ethanol molecules all the way to the bottom of the holding vessel w/o mixing. otoh, since ethanol is lighter than water, when we add ethanol to water without agitation it will stay in a layer on top; exactly how those multicoloured layered cocktails are made. and again, it will also stay on top b/c it's molecules are larger.
:ugeek:

[crow]

Great analogy with the sand kobold best laymans terms explanation I've heard ,will be stealing this

[adictv]

I let it soak filled with water for a few days found I lost almost half. I added the alcohol first then the water and gave it a good mix then yeah every time I tap the barrel I have to give it a mix just to make sure I don't get water. Seems strange

[NotBenStiller]

so kobold says water into eth won't mix themselves and also eth into water won't mix themselves.
Moral of the story - make sure you agitate either way?

[unsub]

Ah you learn something new everyday! I had a 50/50 chance of getting it right! :-p

[kobold]

so kobold says water into eth won't mix themselves and also eth into water won't mix themselves.
Moral of the story - make sure you agitate either way?

no - and sorry for not being clear: adding water to eth will (self)mix, but adding eth to water won't. a surface layer of eth will form on top of the water.

ever added a splash of water to cask strength scotch and observed the glass? those tiny web like channels are the water dissipating into the alcohol solution.

edit: but yeah, agitate either way, jic.

[emptyglass]

Should roll you barrel every now and then.
When mine's full, I just stir it through the bung hole.

Seperation is not as much of an issue as evaporation. Damn drunk angels.

[Boomgate]

hehe he said bung hole....

[kiwikeg]

IMAG0905-1.jpg

Proof you need to shake it
60% rum after a week on wine barrel chips

[SBB]

:wtf: :wtf: Never had that happen to mine, It just sits on the shelf and slowly goes brown, something strange going on there in my opinion. I can see heads, tails and water having different densities, so maybe they might separate out.
But ethanol at 60% -65 .........Granted a little of all the above will be in the mix......but :? :? :?

[Kimbo]

I get it on the top quite often, while my sticks are floating.
Never top and bottom tho :think:

[Motard]

I've had one colour like KK's picture.

Top gets coloured while the chips float, then they sink and colour the bottom.

Looked so cool on the kitchen bench I didn't want to stir it :think:

[Sam.]

You should take off the top and bottom seperately and see what the difference is :handgestures-thumbupleft: