# Water filter + cheap liquor = better liquor?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 20, 2005, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818 "2005-01-20T23:39:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cornelius_Tuggerson)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2005, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/1 "2005-01-20T23:39:52Z")
This is a common urban legend around here. According to some of my friends if you get a bottle of Aristocrat and use a Brita water filter on it it’ll significantly imrove the quality (almost enough for it to taste like Stoli accoring to some sources). So are the impurities in cheap vodka the kind of impurities that water filters can take out? And does the quality really improve or is it just placebo effect? Hit me with the SD.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/2 "2005-01-20T23:43:16Z")
Cheap booze is cheap booze, and no amount of filtration is going to have that big an effect on the taste. Take the money you would spend on a filtering system, and buy better hooch. 😃
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/3 "2005-01-20T23:48:28Z")
Vodka Filtration Science: [Practical Applications of the Philosopher’s stone. For drunks.](http://www.ohmygoditburns.com/wordpress/index.php?p=4)
> [@](#):
>
> 9:03 - First filtration finished. Second tasting.
> Ken notes that we’ve spilled some on the carpet (for my homies)
> Fletcher notices little bubbles, which we later decide are probably due to pouring the vodka back into the bottle, through the funnel.
> Comments:
> Fletcher - “I don’t think it’s AS bad.” and “I was full well prepared to cry, and I didn’t, but it still hurts.”
> Adam - “Less offensive.”
> Ken - “Smoother.”
> All - Still has a bad aftertaste.
> …
> 9:44 - End of 3rd filter cycle.
> At this point the Vladimir has pretty much the same odor that it did before.
> Comments:
> Adam - “Even better, less noxious aftertaste.”
> Fletcher - “Less aftertaste” and “Chill it, and you could probably fool most people.”
> Ken - “At this time, I prefer this over Ketel One.”
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### Author:  [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/4 "2005-01-21T00:06:58Z")
> [@faldureon](#):
>
> So are the impurities in cheap vodka the kind of impurities that water filters can take out? And does the quality really improve or is it just placebo effect?
It works in my experience. I ran some medium-quality vodka (Smirnoff) through my Brita filter about 5 times, compared the filtered and unfiltered vodka side by side, and the filtered stuff definitely tasted smoother.
Of course, it won’t work with other liquors where having flavor is considered a _good_ thing.
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### Author:  [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/5 "2005-01-21T03:25:56Z")
[Oh My God It Burns.](http://www.ohmygoditburns.com/wordpress/) Scroll down about halfway to read the actual experiment.
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/6 "2005-01-21T03:39:26Z")
> [@Mirror Image egamI rorriM](#):
>
> [Oh My God It Burns.](http://www.ohmygoditburns.com/wordpress/)
Hi **Mirror Image egamI rorriM**! 😃
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### Author:  [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/7 "2005-01-21T03:40:13Z")
Hey.
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### Author:  [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/8 "2005-01-21T16:22:00Z")
Bought a Brita and Gordon’s Vodka (as it was special offer at safeways) last night. Vodka without filtering was rough and not good to drink neat. Then filtered the Vodka 5 times, after which it had become very smoothe and quite good enough to serve neat. The $19.99 Brita filters precisely 1 liter at a time. I presoaked the brita filter in water for 15 minutes before using. The $11.00 1.75l vodka is now better than Absolut which retails around $39.99 for 1.75l, so a single use has payed for the Brita as far as I am concerned.
I would be interested to know all the reasons that a filter should be changed every few months. I think it is due to the potential build up of bacteria on the filter, if this is the reason, then using a filter for high proof spirit will mean the filter doesn’t need changing as the spirit is anticeptic and will kill most bacteria.
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### Author:  [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/9 "2005-01-21T17:18:18Z")
Wasn’t there a thread about this exact topic just a couple of months ago?
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### Author:  [@SpaceDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpaceDog)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/10 "2005-01-21T17:29:39Z")
> [@Stainz](#):
>
> Wasn’t there a thread about this exact topic just a couple of months ago?
[Yup.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=287413)
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### Author:  [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/11 "2005-01-21T17:38:42Z")
I’ll have to pour my bottle of Belvedere through and see!!
😃
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### Author:  [@Sengkelat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sengkelat)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/12 "2005-01-21T17:48:18Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#):
>
> I would be interested to know all the reasons that a filter should be changed every few months. I think it is due to the potential build up of bacteria on the filter, if this is the reason, then using a filter for high proof spirit will mean the filter doesn’t need changing as the spirit is antiseptic and will kill most bacteria.
There are plenty of bacteria that can live in vodka. But I’m not sure that bacterial growth is why you should change the filters. In addition to mechanical (particulate) filtration, the Brita cartridge contains activated charcoal. This binds to various nasties like ammonia and removes them, but eventually the charcoal will become less effective at doing so. This can be undone by baking the charcoal, but because of all the plastic you really can’t bake a Brita filter.
I’m not a chemist, so I don’t know how it all works – my information comes soley from my limited knowledge of aquaria.
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### Author:  [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/13 "2005-01-21T19:06:04Z")
Hey **Bippy** , have you done a blind tasting? No I don’t mean drink vodka until you’re blind drunk, but tasting the vodka without knowing whether it’s cheap, expensive or filtered cheap.
I’d be interested to know if there’s a difference when you don’t know what you’re tasting (and don’t have anyone who knows in the room with you either, because you can get an amazing amount of info from their unconscious expressions).
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### Author:  [@TheBoneyKingofNowhere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoneyKingofNowhere)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/14 "2005-01-21T19:20:22Z")
I’m just wondering if the filter would expire/age more quickly - ala one’s liver, over reapeated uses (please filter in moderation) 😛
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### Author:  [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/15 "2005-01-21T19:54:18Z")
> [@Quercus](#):
>
> Hey **Bippy** , have you done a blind tasting? No I don’t mean drink vodka until you’re blind drunk, but tasting the vodka without knowing whether it’s cheap, expensive or filtered cheap.
> I’d be interested to know if there’s a difference when you don’t know what you’re tasting (and don’t have anyone who knows in the room with you either, because you can get an amazing amount of info from their unconscious expressions).
When I next have someone over I’ll blind test them on the vodka, but seriously the difference isn’t subtle, so it would take some serious lack of taste buds not to notice the difference. It’s nothing like as minor as the difference between Coke and Pepsi.
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### Author:  [@Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cornelius_Tuggerson)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/16 "2005-01-21T20:10:31Z")
Hmm well I think the responses in this thread warrant further experimentation. And what do ya know - its a friday! As the proverb goes - “Yet another night with no reason not to drink”. 😃
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### Author:  [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/17 "2005-01-22T03:58:40Z")
> [@Sengkelat](#):
>
> There are plenty of bacteria that can live in vodka. But I’m not sure that bacterial growth is why you should change the filters. In addition to mechanical (particulate) filtration, the Brita cartridge contains activated charcoal. This binds to various nasties like ammonia and removes them, but eventually the charcoal will become less effective at doing so. This can be undone by baking the charcoal, but because of all the plastic you really can’t bake a Brita filter.
>
> I’m not a chemist, so I don’t know how it all works – my information comes soley from my limited knowledge of aquaria.
I’m not one to yell “CITE” but what kind of bacteria can live in 40% alcohol?
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### Author:  [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/18 "2005-01-22T05:12:02Z")
> [@Wonko The Sane](#):
>
> I’m not one to yell “CITE” but what kind of bacteria can live in 40% alcohol?
[This one](http://mednews.wustl.edu/tips/page/normal/4155.html), perhaps.
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### Author:  [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2005, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/19 "2005-01-22T12:41:12Z")
> [@Sengkelat](#):
>
> In addition to mechanical (particulate) filtration, the Brita cartridge contains activated charcoal. This binds to various nasties like ammonia and removes them, but eventually the charcoal will become less effective at doing so.
It’s a filtration column, so eventually all your chemicals bind to whatever they’re going to bind to, and start washing out in concentrated form.
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### Author:  [@Josh\_dePlume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Josh_dePlume)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-filter-cheap-liquor-better-liquor/285818/20 "2005-01-22T16:03:46Z")
So why don’t the makers of cheap vodka do this themselves and sell it as expensive vodka? I second the call for blind taste tests; these non-blind proclamations are meaningless.
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