Vodka through the Brita Filter

[nirvana]

They did this on Mythbusters, If i recall the "expert" couldn't tell the difference.  They also had several different amounts of filtering.

You're also supposed to be able to make toothpaste with vodka and cinnamon left in a bottle for a week or so, and clean your feet with vodka.  To each their own.

[Regular]

Last time I drank vodka I drank a half gallon and passed out in the streets in my underwear.

[Shamus]

Crown Royal thru a r.o. filter defeats the purpose, just a FYI

shamus

[Chairboy]

Originally posted by Shamus
Crown Royal thru a r.o. filter defeats the purpose, just a FYI

I'm unfamiliar with Crown Royal vodka, I know only of the whisky.

[Shamus]

Originally posted by Chairboy
I'm unfamiliar with Crown Royal vodka, I know only of the whisky.

Was a joke..run any of this stuff thru an ro filter and you will be disappointed.

shamus

[Chairboy]

I guess I don't follow.  Why would you run whiskey through a brita?  Vodka quality is about purity, so this technique works w/ it.  When you say "any of this stuff" through a filter will leave you disapointed, do you mean the Vodka or the Whiskey?

[eagl]

Chairboy,

I think he's saying that since the principle behind an RO filter is that only pure H2O molecules can go through the semi-permeable filter membrane, running alcohol of any type through an RO filter would result in a disappointing product if you were looking for a cleaner or better tasting alcoholic product.

[Chairboy]

Perhaps that's what should happen, but research seems to suggest otherwise, specifically as applies to Vodka (which doesn't have flavoring agents the way Whiskey does).

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

That is, if as it appears in your post above, you're calling shennigans on the Britta method for Vodka.

[Suave]

They're doing it wrong. You've got to filter the water first, then add the etoh.

[eagl]

Brita isn't true RO.  It's actually a fine ceramic filter with a charcoal filter layer.  It does a great job of filtering out solids and chemicals that taste like crap, and the charcoal layer also grabs some dissolved metals.  But it's definately not an RO filter.

If it helps, just think of brita filters as a charcoal and fluff fishtank filter in a neat white plastic shell.

RO filters will stop everything including bacteria and other hazardous contaminants.  Brita specifically warns that their filters do nothing to stop stuff that will make you sick, and only "safe" water should be run through brita filters in the first place.

Given the purpose and design behind brita filters, it makes a whole lot of sense to me that vodka run through a brita filter might taste better.
I am not a vodka expert and have never tried it myself so I have no personal experience with this, but it seems to make sense to me.

[Suave]

Used to steal RO water from work for my reef tank at home.

Incedentally, the best and probably only portable non-electric water filter and purifier ( there's and important differance), Is made by a company called First Need. Cost $70 wieghs 15oz. Because iodine tablets don't make swamp scum anymore apealing to drink.

[WhiteHawk]

Im quite sure large commercial distillars filter the finished product exactly how they want it to look and taste so any attmepts to improve on this with GOOD COMMERCIAL vodka would  simply be a waste of GOOD COMMERCIAL vodka.  Large distillers have quality controll people who are real experts and genuises on the product they are trying to sell and if somebody could turn a ho  hum batch of vodka into a miracle brew with a charcoal filter, they would have done it at the factory.  Now if your getting your vodka by the plastic gallon jug out of somebodys trunk in the wee hours, you may want to strain it through a pasta strainer or something to remove the floaties.

[WhiteHawk]

Originally posted by Suave
Used to steal RO water from work for my reef tank at home.

Incedentally, the best and probably only portable non-electric water filter and purifier ( there's and important differance), Is made by a company called First Need. Cost $70 wieghs 15oz. Because iodine tablets don't make swamp scum anymore apealing to drink.

\


I bought a ge reverse osmosis filter from Home Depot last year and love it.  It costs 150, plus about 35 dollars per year for pre-filters.  It requires no electric.  removes 98% of everything except radon gas, and that usually isnt in water.  If you guys write to your water treatment facility they will supply you with a list of 'ingredients' that are in your drinking water.  Lets see, lead, barium, manganese, nitrates (fertillizer runoff), chlorine, fluoride, the list goes on and on.  They each have a maximum ppm level, but when you put all these things in one cup of water, it cant be good for you.  Keep in mind, we are the long term test subjects on how much of this stuff is really safe for people to consume.

[stantond]

I have heard of people using a distillation purifying unit to improve taste such as this kenmore model:

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?pid=03234480000

I suspect it would work but haven't tried it.

Regards,

Malta

[indy007]

This was on Mythbusters. They brought in a professional vodka taste tester.

They ran cheap vodka through 10 different times. He was able to put them in order perfectly in a blind taste test.

The summary was, it's simply cheaper to buy top shelf.