How do you make clear ice?

[Geoff8201]

This is something I should know the answer to, but frankly I don't. The things I've been told to try I've also been told don't work from others... so before I start viciously experimenting I think I'll get some more input first...

Basically the question is, how can you make nice clear ice cubes that aren't cloudy? Like the ice used in nice restaurants for cocktails.

I've heard lots of things from triple filtering, to use only spring water or distilled water, pre-boil before freezing, and freezing it super slowly... maybe a combination of all the above?

Or might it just be easier to go out and buy Ready Ice from the grocery store, and call it a day?

[TheNiche]

Slow freezing allows crystalization of the ice, and that's what makes it cloudy. I would think that a flash freeze would solve the problem. Or at least result in much finer crystals.

Personally, I don't care. Ice is ice is ice.

[editor]

This is something I should know the answer to, but frankly I don't. The things I've been told to try I've also been told don't work from others... so before I start viciously experimenting I think I'll get some more input first...

Basically the question is, how can you make nice clear ice cubes that aren't cloudy? Like the ice used in nice restaurants for cocktails.

I've heard lots of things from triple filtering, to use only spring water or distilled water, pre-boil before freezing, and freezing it super slowly... maybe a combination of all the above?

Or might it just be easier to go out and buy Ready Ice from the grocery store, and call it a day?

When I got a water filter, I made ice with it specifically to see if it made a difference in the cloudiness. It didn't.

[cottonmather0]

http://www.howstuffworks.com/question205.htm

The short answer is that you can't in your home freezer.

[Geoff8201]

Slow freezing allows crystalization of the ice, and that's what makes it cloudy. I would think that a flash freeze would solve the problem. Or at least result in much finer crystals.

Personally, I don't care. Ice is ice is ice.

On most days ice is just ice, but the reason why I'm searching for how to make the purest ice is because when sipping a good whiskey on the rocks, for example, underlying flavors can be ruined by a sudden release of treated city water. The easiest solution would be to freeze spring water in ice trays, flavor problem fixed, but it still wont be clear. The clearness makes such a nice looking drink, enough to make you jealous when you see perfect clear ice out at a nice bar or restaurant.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/question205.htm

The short answer is that you can't in your home freezer.

Thanks for the info.

Yea, my freezer doesn't even have a water line hooked to it, why bother, cause if it did it would only make that half moon shaped ice and not even a bit of it turns out clear. I've seen those under the counter ice maker units, and they make better ice than a typical Icebox unit would, however it still isn't completely clear either and all the ones I've seen require cleaning quite often (slime in the ice machine!) and some always need service.

[TJones]

On most days ice is just ice, but the reason why I'm searching for how to make the purest ice is because when sipping a good whiskey on the rocks, for example, underlying flavors can be ruined by a sudden release of treated city water. The easiest solution would be to freeze spring water in ice trays, flavor problem fixed, but it still wont be clear. The clearness makes such a nice looking drink, enough to make you jealous when you see perfect clear ice out at a nice bar or restaurant.

There is only ONE true Whiskey and that is John Daniel's No.7. It is to be served in a shot glass, SO, no need for dainty little cubes. If you want to make a drink with ice, buy a blender and make a Margarita !!!

[memebag]

68 degrees is the optimal temperature for whiskey. Don't pollute it with ice.

[editor]

It's his booze. He bought it with his money. Let him drink it the way he wants.

You wouldn't let someone tell you how to cook your barbecue.

[TJones]

You wouldn't let someone tell you how to cook your barbecue.

If they knew a better way, and could prove it.....

[20thStDad]

68 degrees is the optimal temperature for whiskey. Don't pollute it with ice.

Depends on the type. I always ask for it chilled, so it probably starts out around 50 and is at 70 by the time I'm done sipping. I like it cooler at first to let the taste buds get the first crack, and by the middle of the glass I get the full experience of the aroma as it warms up.

Clear ice would be neat though, I thought as I swirled the Maker's Mark in the glass with my very foggy ice-maker-made cubes to chill it last night.

[TJones]

I think the closest you could come to clear ice is by raiding your local Mickey D's. They sell it by the bag, at least some do.

[RedScare]

There is only ONE true Whiskey and that is John Daniel's No.7. It is to be served in a shot glass, SO, no need for dainty little cubes. If you want to make a drink with ice, buy a blender and make a Margarita !!!

What in the hell is John Daniels No. 7?

[Jeebus]

What in the hell is John Daniels No. 7?

Its what you call it after about 6 rounds.

[RedScare]

Maybe the WalMart house brand?

[TJones]

What in the hell is John Daniels No. 7?

When you have known Jack for as long as I have.....

[Geoff8201]

What in the hell is John Daniels No. 7?

It's the black label (it's not named that, I'm referring the the actual color of the label), the one that is most commonly sold. Below that is the Green label and never had it, can't comment.

Personally if I'm going for Jacks on the Rocks, or just by itself I go for sipping some Gentleman Jack. I'll save the Black label for Jack and Cokes and Lynchburg Lemonades.

All in all I'm a crown man. Crown Royal, or Crown Royal Reserve. But sometimes I'll go off and sip some Bourbon, or Scotch.

Sipping it on the rocks cools it down from room temp to a lower more enjoyable temperature, and as the ice melts, the water helps release flavors in the whiskey that you wouldn't otherwise get. Also helps to dilute the alcoholic percentage so its more sippable (especially for the ones who can't drink it straight).

[memebag]

Depends on the type. I always ask for it chilled, so it probably starts out around 50 and is at 70 by the time I'm done sipping. I like it cooler at first to let the taste buds get the first crack, and by the middle of the glass I get the full experience of the aroma as it warms up.

Clear ice would be neat though, I thought as I swirled the Maker's Mark in the glass with my very foggy ice-maker-made cubes to chill it last night.

If you have to have it cold, just put it in the refrigerator for a spell. Ice cubes just seem fundamentally foreign to whiskey.

It's his booze. He bought it with his money. Let him drink it the way he wants.

You wouldn't let someone tell you how to cook your barbecue.

In fact, I'll let anyone tell me anything, and I'll return the favor.

[RedScare]

This is why I drink rum. Not as many rules.

[BryanS]

It appears that the trick to making clear ice is layering it in sheets. Like how mother nature does it. Like expensive ice making machines.

I am half tempted to conduct my own science experiment. It seems that if you freeze small amounts of ice, at any given time, you will obtain the desired result. Take an eye dropper, drop a few drops of water into each cube bin of a standard ice tray. Put into the freezer, and wait 24 hours. Then repeat. After about one month of doing this... you should have a full tray of crystal clear ice cubes.

[TheNiche]

If you have to have it cold, just put it in the refrigerator for a spell. Ice cubes just seem fundamentally foreign to whiskey.

No, not necessarily. If it's a cask strength whiskey then a reasonable number of distilled water ice cubes (or just some amount of distilled water) are preferable to chill the drink and also cut the strength to the individual's preference. Cask strength isn't commonplace except among scotch whiskies, but the number of non-scotch whiskies is increasing along with the betterment of the world's palet. I haven't been drinking whiskey very often lately, but when I do, this is how I do it.

Incidentally, ice cubes are pretty darned fundamentally foreign to the American south, but traditional sweet tea wouldn't be much of anything without them. Sometimes foreign is better.

[TJones]

It appears that the trick to making clear ice is layering it in sheets. Like how mother nature does it. Like expensive ice making machines.

I am half tempted to conduct my own science experiment. It seems that if you freeze small amounts of ice, at any given time, you will obtain the desired result. Take an eye dropper, drop a few drops of water into each cube bin of a standard ice tray. Put into the freezer, and wait 24 hours. Then repeat. After about one month of doing this... you should have a full tray of crystal clear ice cubes.

YOU have waaaaaaaayyyy too much time on your hands my friend. We need to get you a real hobby.

[plumber2]

We installed some very nice iecmakers in the Tenneco Building break rooms several years back. I think they were built by Sub-Zero. These units must have been very expensive to operate but they made perfectly clear ice cubes. The units were designed to have water continuously flow over the top of the freezing trays unit it was was frozen. An elctrical grid heating element then cubed the ice and it dumped into a harvest tray. The units, by dumping the unused water into the drain, was vey wasteful and inefficient by todays standards, but it produced crystal clear ice cubes, whcih is what the customer wanted, and paid for.

[20thStDad]

If you have to have it cold, just put it in the refrigerator for a spell. Ice cubes just seem fundamentally foreign to whiskey.

I like whiskey with about an ice cube's worth of water in it. As the night goes on it doesn't matter much. Ice is not allowed to touch my scotch, but it's good for my whiskey.

No, not necessarily. If it's a cask strength whiskey then a reasonable number of distilled water ice cubes (or just some amount of distilled water) are preferable to chill the drink and also cut the strength to the individual's preference. Cask strength isn't commonplace except among scotch whiskies, but the number of non-scotch whiskies is increasing along with the betterment of the world's palet. I haven't been drinking whiskey very often lately, but when I do, this is how I do it.

Incidentally, ice cubes are pretty darned fundamentally foreign to the American south, but traditional sweet tea wouldn't be much of anything without them. Sometimes foreign is better.

Yes. But no ice in my scotch, only my Maker's and Woodford Reserve (thanks for that tip crunch!).

[kylejack]

On most days ice is just ice, but the reason why I'm searching for how to make the purest ice is because when sipping a good whiskey on the rocks, for example, underlying flavors can be ruined by a sudden release of treated city water. The easiest solution would be to freeze spring water in ice trays, flavor problem fixed, but it still wont be clear. The clearness makes such a nice looking drink, enough to make you jealous when you see perfect clear ice out at a nice bar or restaurant.

I have discovered the source of your problem. You are putting ice in fine whiskey.

[Geoff8201]

I have discovered the source of your problem. You are putting ice in fine whiskey.

Apparently you must like it straight, and only straight? Drink it however you please, your way is not wrong, and neither is mine, even for top shelf Whiskeys. Personally I like it with ice quite a bit (but clear ice consisting of water only, no chemicals, treatments, minerals or trapped air; hence the reason for this thread). And when I say I put ice in, it's not a lot of ice, just a cube or two to chill the drink, reduce the alcohol percentage slightly and add dimension to it...

...Nearly the same way explained by experienced bartender Dale Degroff in his book "The Craft of the Cocktail" (page 17), and enjoyed by Master Blender for Crown Royal, Andrew McKay.

[TheNiche]

Apparently you must like it straight, and only straight? Drink it however you please, your way is not wrong, and neither is mine, even for top shelf Whiskeys. Personally I like it with ice quite a bit (but clear ice consisting of water only, no chemicals, treatments, minerals or trapped air; hence the reason for this thread). And when I say I put ice in, it's not a lot of ice, just a cube or two to chill the drink, reduce the alcohol percentage slightly and add dimension to it...

...Nearly the same way explained by experienced bartender Dale Degroff in his book "The Craft of the Cocktail" (page 17), and enjoyed by Master Blender for Crown Royal, Andrew McKay.

Everybody has their preferences as to method; the only wrong approach is to have a closed mind.

Personally, I really like the flavor that is impregnated in ice (small cubes) that has been used in a good whiskey. Makes good meltwater. The flavor is light but very complex. But if you're going to do that, then you do have to use more than a few cubes.

[kylejack]

Apparently you must like it straight, and only straight? Drink it however you please, your way is not wrong, and neither is mine, even for top shelf Whiskeys. Personally I like it with ice quite a bit (but clear ice consisting of water only, no chemicals, treatments, minerals or trapped air; hence the reason for this thread). And when I say I put ice in, it's not a lot of ice, just a cube or two to chill the drink, reduce the alcohol percentage slightly and add dimension to it...

...Nearly the same way explained by experienced bartender Dale Degroff in his book "The Craft of the Cocktail" (page 17), and enjoyed by Master Blender for Crown Royal, Andrew McKay.

Why isn't that master blender making a master blend? Snicker. But no, ice shuts it down, and the fragrance is one of the most important parts of drinking whiskey and scotch.

[TheNiche]

Why isn't that master blender making a master blend? Snicker. But no, ice shuts it down, and the fragrance is one of the most important parts of drinking whiskey and scotch.

Alcohol can overpower the fragrance and taste. Cutting it with some water actually helps to bring out the flavor better. Ice is one way to introduce that water, and as the drink warms back up, you get to experience the full range of the liquor.

[crunchtastic]

Alcohol can overpower the fragrance and taste. Cutting it with some water actually helps to bring out the flavor better. Ice is one way to introduce that water, and as the drink warms back up, you get to experience the full range of the liquor.

I've heard this very thing from a number of people who drink much better liquor than me. I do put a cube or two, max, in my rye and bourbon. Speaking of, a Specs run is in order. 2 weeks before Christmas and the only booze in the house is some half empty Limoncello in the freezer. That just won't do!

Anybody with good cocktail ideas for bourbon or rye, please do pass them on. I'm looking to vary from manhattans/old fashioneds & plain mixed drinks.

[musicman]

Anybody with good cocktail ideas for bourbon or rye, please do pass them on. I'm looking to vary from manhattans/old fashioneds & plain mixed drinks.

you might check out emeril's website. i've had very good luck with his beverage recipes. i'll bet you his mint juleps would be good. if you're a vodka person i do highly recommend his green lime coolers and if you're a tequila person his blue curapolitans. both VERY tasty and robust.