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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

GEORGE CALLICOUNIS
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,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
December 22, 2010

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