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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
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Silica showing up in vodka bottles after storage
December 22, 2010
GOOD MORNING
I AM AN ENGINEER IN AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE PLANT.
WE ARE BOTTLING VODKA 40 % ALC/VOL INTO NEW GLASS BOTTLES .
SOMETIMES WE FIND COLLOIDAL SILICA FLOATING IN THE DRINK AFTER TWO MONTHS OF STORAGE.
WE ARE USING DEIONIZED WATER AND HIGH QUALITY ALCOHOL FOR THE PRODUCTION .
DO YOU THINK IS A PROBLEM OF REACTION OF THE ALCOHOLIC SOLUTION WITH THE GLASS OR IT COULD BE A WATER PROBLEM?
HOW CAN WE PREVENT THIS?
THANKS
CHEMICAL ENGINEER - KALAMATA GREECE
Hi, George.
You don't need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, so I don't think we need to be alcoholic beverage bottling experts to say that glass doesn't dissolve in vodka. I would suspect that either the bottles are dirty with silica dust, despite being new, or the water needs finer filtration after the dimineralization.
Regards,
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Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
December 22, 2010
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