Wapsi Square Forum

My guess is that Nadette's parents simply keep the cabin stocked with some goodies on the off chance that they or the family would want to drop by, so that they don't need to go through a whole rigamarole of shopping for supplies before heading out on a whim. The kids just happened to get into the wrong refrigerator and grabbed the adults' goodies by mistake.

I'm reminded of years ago when I was driving somewhere in England, and I stopped at a rest stop to get something to drink. I decided to try a can of lemonade, and was happily driving along again when I glanced at the can and noticed that it said something like "5% ALCOHOL BY VOLUME" on it. Oops. It was good lemonade, though.

Warrl wrote:Actually, freezing is a way to increase the concentration of alcohol. The water it's mixed with will freeze first, so you want to catch the stuff while there's still some liquid. Separate out the liquid and then throw away the ice.

And if you manage to leave it in your freezer until there is no liquid left at all, then you must have some very impressive kitchen appliances.

Gyrrakavian wrote:

TazManiac wrote:

Opus the Poet wrote:Iowa bourbon?

Well, 1st off it's Paul writing this stuff, but in any case you might be surprised not only by the old timey small batch distillers (not just pre-prohibition but pre-statehood) but also the current upwelling in boutique distillery production.

edit- Yep, IOWA; http://whiskey.underthelabel.com/l/450/ ... on-Whiskey

So long as it tastes good, I don't care what state it comes from.

...unless we're talking states of matter. I'd imagine freezing it ruins it (though it'd take some effort to freeze it). And I don't know of any baking recipes that call for bourbon. Though, I'd imagine it'd be something to do with chocolate.

Actually my grandfather used to freeze his, said it took out impurities. Like water or coke

Warrl wrote:

Gyrrakavian wrote:So long as it tastes good, I don't care what state it comes from.

...unless we're talking states of matter. I'd imagine freezing it ruins it (though it'd take some effort to freeze it).

Actually, freezing is a way to increase the concentration of alcohol. The water it's mixed with will freeze first, so you want to catch the stuff while there's still some liquid. Separate out the liquid and then throw away the ice.

This is my guess for what "ambrosia" originally was. The ancient Greeks associated it with their gods, who were thought to live on a mountaintop... where one would routinely find freezing temperatures in winter. They certainly didn't have heat-based distilling apparatus, so this is probably the only way they'd encounter alcohol at concentrations higher than those produced directly by fermentation.

And I don't know of any baking recipes that call for bourbon. Though, I'd imagine it'd be something to do with chocolate.

Bourbon bacon brownies

Or, for more variety...

What you are describing is the method for making applejack. Repeated freezing, partial thawing, and re-freezing grows pure ice crystals while concentrating the alcohol in the cider. All it really requires is cold nights and patience.

Gyrrakavian wrote:So long as it tastes good, I don't care what state it comes from.

...unless we're talking states of matter. I'd imagine freezing it ruins it (though it'd take some effort to freeze it).

Warrl wrote:Actually, freezing is a way to increase the concentration of alcohol. The water it's mixed with will freeze first, so you want to catch the stuff while there's still some liquid. Separate out the liquid and then throw away the ice.

This is my guess for what "ambrosia" originally was. The ancient Greeks associated it with their gods, who were thought to live on a mountaintop... where one would routinely find freezing temperatures in winter. They certainly didn't have heat-based distilling apparatus, so this is probably the only way they'd encounter alcohol at concentrations higher than those produced directly by fermentation.

And I don't know of any baking recipes that call for bourbon. Though, I'd imagine it'd be something to do with chocolate.

Bourbon bacon brownies

Or, for more variety...

sheik wrote:What you are describing is the method for making applejack. Repeated freezing, partial thawing, and re-freezing grows pure ice crystals while concentrating the alcohol in the cider. All it really requires is cold nights and patience.

Also the process for making winter wine.

And for those that don't know - which Paul obviously does - an active ingredient in many common liquid cold medicines is alcohol . . . which explains why Atsali feels like she had too much cold medicine.

--FreeFlier

DilyV wrote:Where did my post go? . . .

I've been having problems with that too . . . I thought it was me hitting preview or save draft instead of submit because they're in the position that submit is on another forum, but if I'm not the only one, I wonder . . .

Is anyone else having trouble with vanishing posts?

--FreeFlier

sheik wrote:What you are describing is the method for making applejack. Repeated freezing, partial thawing, and re-freezing grows pure ice crystals while concentrating the alcohol in the cider. All it really requires is cold nights and patience.

One problem with this method is that it also concentrates the nastier small-molecule fermentation products that you try to dispose of in evaporative distillation. So, stuff made this way will give you a worse hangover than beverages that are carefully distilled. And some people can metabolize methanol better than others, so there is a degree of real risk.

I wonder if it being Iowa bourbon is a way of saying this is not the good stuff . . .

--FreeFlier

FreeFlier wrote:I wonder if it being Iowa bourbon is a way of saying this is not the good stuff . . .

--FreeFlier

... or a shout-out to Paul living in Iowa these days?

FreeFlier wrote:

DilyV wrote:Where did my post go? . . .

I've been having problems with that too . . . I thought it was me hitting preview or save draft instead of submit because they're in the position that submit is on another forum, but if I'm not the only one, I wonder . . .

Is anyone else having trouble with vanishing posts?

--FreeFlier

Mine actually posted and went back to the forum where it showed.... I even came back to it before I logged off then when I came back this afternoon, it was gone...

DilyV wrote:

FreeFlier wrote:

DilyV wrote:Where did my post go? . . .

I've been having problems with that too . . . I thought it was me hitting preview or save draft instead of submit because they're in the position that submit is on another forum, but if I'm not the only one, I wonder . . .

Is anyone else having trouble with vanishing posts?

Mine actually posted and went back to the forum where it showed.... I even came back to it before I logged off then when I came back this afternoon, it was gone...

I wasn't sure if I was getting that or not.

I'm using FireFox.

--FreeFlier