In one method he uses a silicone mold to make a clear ice ball. Note that these molds are also available for making four, six and 25 ice balls, so this may be a more efficient method than it looks, and no wire should be required.
Experiments in Making Cocktail Ice
41–50 of 75 posts
Re: Experiments in Making Cocktail Ice
#42Anyone being successful with some diy Peltier or compressor solution to make big blocks? I need big blocks, more than my freezer can cope, but not enough to justify couple of thousand EUR worth of machine.
> I need big blocks
I did some searching and at least in my neck of the woods it seems that such blocks can be ordered and delivered. Maybe you don't need to DIY and you can just buy what you need?
Re: Experiments in Making Cocktail Ice
#43I’ve purchased this one[1] and it makes almost perfect cubes of ice that are very clear and melt evenly and slowly. In my cocktail glass it is so flat that the whiskey does not permeate the bottom. The result is a beautifully clear square in the center of my glass when looking at it from above. Trick is to let the ice temper for a few minutes to acclimate to the room temperature before pouring your drink over it. Oth…
I use this product too, love it!
Re: Experiments in Making Cocktail Ice
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
Water expands when it freezes, in my head thermos is an extremely rigid structure, how do you stop it from rapturing?
Well you make sure it isnt baptized. But also as the ice freezes I believe it becomes more buoyant and that rigidity causes the ice to be lifted up when it exerts force on the thermos interior.
Pun of the year.
Re: Experiments in Making Cocktail Ice
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
Water expands when it freezes, in my head thermos is an extremely rigid structure, how do you stop it from rapturing?
I think the idea is leaving it open so it freezes from the top down. From what I've read there, the trick of clear ice is directional freezing. I've seen some other ideas like freezing water in a camping cooler with its top open.
That's what I thought the idea was, too.
But then, why aren't my ice-cubes made in the regular fridge tray clear? The same principle should apply: they should be clear at the top, where the tray is open.
Re: Experiments in Making Cocktail Ice
#46Cocktail ice should be formed like a duck, swimming on the beverage.
I had a very expensive old-fashioned once where the bartender chiseled a sphere of ice out of a block. It took about five minutes. The diameter was about 8cm or so.
He created a very spherical sphere. I twizzled it round and round but could not detect any eccentricity. Clearance in the tumbler was even at all orientations.
A carved duck might be more immediately impressive, but the sphere did blow my mind.
It was a very good old-fashioned. I nursed it for 20 minutes - it didn't get watery, as they usually do.
Re: Experiments in Making Cocktail Ice
#47Cocktail ice should be formed like a duck, swimming on the beverage.
I had a very expensive old-fashioned once where the bartender chiseled a sphere of ice out of a block. It took about five minutes. The diameter was about 8cm or so. He created a very spherical sphere. I twizzled it round and round but could not detect any eccentricity. Clearance in the tumbler was even at all orientations. A carved duck might be more immediately impressive, but the sphere did blow my mind. It was a v…
Spheres have less surface area which reduce the watering down of the drink.
Edit: though I would bet that’s less of a factor than the initial temperature of the ice and the liquor.
Re: Experiments in Making Cocktail Ice
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think the idea is leaving it open so it freezes from the top down. From what I've read there, the trick of clear ice is directional freezing. I've seen some other ideas like freezing water in a camping cooler with its top open.
That's what I thought the idea was, too. But then, why aren't my ice-cubes made in the regular fridge tray clear? The same principle should apply: they should be clear at the top, where the tray is open.
The thermos wall is an insulator, unlike the tray.
Re: Experiments in Making Cocktail Ice
#49Anyone being successful with some diy Peltier or compressor solution to make big blocks? I need big blocks, more than my freezer can cope, but not enough to justify couple of thousand EUR worth of machine.
Can you justify a few hundred for a big chest freezer and a cooler? Then you can use the cooler method described in this link or in one of the other comments from ir77 on this thread. But just put the cooler inside the big chest freezer.
https://www.alcademics.com/2010/08/a-homemade-giant-crystal-...
Re: Experiments in Making Cocktail Ice
#50Former bartender here. Having nice cocktail ice chunks at home isn't as complex as this might make it seem. No need for a clunky box in your freezer or costly gizmos. I keep a travel-sized coffee thermos in my freezer with about 2-3 inches of water at the bottom. Takes 18-24 hours to create one chunk. If you time it right, 90% of the water freezes, and the water impurities pool at the bottom – pop out the frozen chun…
Will be trying this. Thanks for the tip!