StillSmart

I have been making a neutral spirit call it vodka for a while now with my T500 using a birdwatchers recipe and I tend to make in batches of 3 litres as I have a well know red labeled vodka 3 litre bottle. I have just noticed some white flakes floating in the bottom and can't identify it and it defiantly wasn't there when I filled it, it was filled about a month or so ago. Now when I removed the aluminium top I also noticed the bottle top was grey as was the inside of the cap, after wiping these with a kitchen towel it left it almost black as though the spirit had been dissolving the cap, I also ran the vodka through a coffee filter to remove the white flakes and once finished was left with the white flakes in the bottom but also strangely a grey fine powder that wasn't invisible before.

If the spirit is dissolving the cap why didn't it do it with its original contents, I know the original contents was 37.5% and my stuff was 40% but that shouldn't make a difference.

Anyone come across this before??

Try adding some higher proof to bring the abv up to 50%. If the flakes disappear then it could be stuff coming out of suspension.

The single malt guys who dont chill filter keep the spirit at 46% to stop getting sediment. (apparently it is long chain amino acids that are responsible)

If 46% is a bit high for vodka, then others on here have changed the water they cut their spirit with.

Are you using tap water, or distilled water from the shops?


Not sure what is going on with your lid, have you lost the little round gasket they normally have fitted?

Capt-Cudellez wrote:Try adding some higher proof to bring the abv up to 50%. If the flakes disappear then it could be stuff coming out of suspension.

The single malt guys who dont chill filter keep the spirit at 46% to stop getting sediment. (apparently it is long chain amino acids that are responsible)

If 46% is a bit high for vodka, then others on here have changed the water they cut their spirit with.

Are you using tap water, or distilled water from the shops?


Not sure what is going on with your lid, have you lost the little round gasket they normally have fitted?

I use tap water and the gasket in the lid is still there

As asked before...

Are you cutting with bottled mineral water. Could be the said minerals.

Do you live in a hard water area. Could be calcium in your tap water if that's what you are cutting with.

The way you describe the flakes and white powder sounds like a mineral.

I am using tap water to cut and we do have slightly hard water though not needing softeners and the reason I ignored this is down to the fact that I have 40% neutral in a couple of demi john's and neither have any flakes and they have been stored longer

Sounds like the aluminium was oxidizing.