Tap water made my Gin run cloudy!

[JohnD]

Just diluting 700ml of 60% and I ran out of distilled water - So like a fool I added 100ml of tap water . The whole batch is now cloudy!
It tastes great but I don't like the colour - should I filter it?

[gaza the instructor]

It probably isn't the tap water JohnD. Sounds like the water
you have added has caused your Gin to louche ( go cloudy).
Don't worry you've done no wrong, when you added the water
it dropped the ABV to 40% or below, any fruit oils from
zest now turn the Gin cloudy.
The 2 cures I know are 1 Keep ABV above 40 (do mine 42).
2 Take the 1st 20ml off the still like fores.

This one drink cloudy no difference on taste.

[JohnD]

Cheers - I didn't know any of that! I have learnt to keep the ABV above 40% -

[H12rpo]

You can't make it go clear again once it's louched though by adding more higher abv to get it over 40% ......right?

Would it have gone cloudy when you added tonic water ? Cos that would dilute down below 40%

Just curious

[gaza the instructor]

It makes your Gin taste strong, so tell them to add
a bit extra on the tonic.
I noticed you said you did not add Angelica to the bots.
Angelica or Orris Root or both are fix agents in your
Gin and stop the flavour fading, or worse changing.
All cheap on the bay, what would we do without it.

[gaza the instructor]

Yes funny that isn't it, but add your tonic and no
change. Or has not happened to me so far.

[H12rpo]

My first attempt louched due to the Citris zest I included. The rest was just juniper berries and licorice root cardamom and rose petals. I'm not a gin expert but I thought the taste was rather good (macerated with neutral rather than with a pot still) .
My mate made some and added a couple of pinches of blue butterfly pea petals making a beautifully blue gin which as you added tonic turned colour through violet to pink.........bloody excellent party trick!
It didn't add any flavour ...just the effect
Available in powder or whole petals from the bay as ever

[Easydrinker]

You can't make it go clear again once it's louched though by adding more higher abv to get it over 40% ......right?

Would it have gone cloudy when you added tonic water ? Cos that would dilute down below 40%

Just curious

Sorry mate, it is late and I am about to go offline, but you can play with the louching effect, I have never tried with tonic, but with water and spirit it seems to kick in and out.
Part of life's rich tapestry.

Robert.