I have a heavy crystal decanter I’ve been using for years. A while back I was having some guests for a week, and thought I’d save some money and grabbed a bottle of Jim beam to put in it, as opposed to the higher end I tend to go for, because none of my guest cared about Bourbon. I noticed the level going down further than I had consumed. This has never been an issue before, so I figured someone had just nipped it while o was asleep. The next day, there was condensation on the inside, and the level had dropped further.
Since I’d been using the decanter for so long, I assumed the frosting on the stopper had rubbed off and it no longer sealed.
When it was empty, I refilled it with larceny, my standard, and to my surprise, it didn’t evaporate at all for weeks.
Last night, I refilled it with beam again, and this morning, it had dropped and there was condensation on the side.
What really confused me, is Jim beam has a lower alcohol content than the Bourbons I usually fill the decanter with, so I would think it would evaporate as readily.
Why does only this one brand evaporate?
Quick searching gave me no results
Tldr: Why does Jim Beam evaporate in my decanter while nothing else does?
My suspicion is that your stopper isn’t sealing well, possibly from wear or just odd positioning. If you feel like ruining what’s left of that Jim beam in the decanter you can run a little experiment. Clear the condensation out of the decanter and mark the current level. Leave it for a week and see if the level dropped to establish a baseline. After marking the change, coat the stopper in Vaseline and leave it for another week. See if that helped or not. If it helped then you’ve got a leak
A quicker way to eliminate a variable would be to pour a glass of each to the same level and leave them both out for a day or two. If the levels remain consistent, it’s definitely something about the decanter.
You got kids?
Not what you’re asking for, but unless you know your decanter is made from lead free crystal (most aren’t), don’t store booze in it for any amount of time. You should be safe to use it to serve a spirit in, but lead leaches into the spirit much quicker than you’d realise
The lead adds sweetness though
Only if it’s lead acetate. You’d need vinegar or at least wine, not whisky.
Do people actually keep around lead crystal shit still?!
Yes. Most crystal has lead, it’s just how it works. It’s fine if you’re not a child and you don’t store it in there for long periods.
I have some and use the glasses regularly. The decanter is and finished in 1-2 days though.
If it has a deep resounding ring you might want to avoid it.
And its not dangerous, like leaching into everything? How can you know its safe besides simply throwing it away?
Theres no safe level of lead, it accumulates in the body.
Thats what I was thought
You can do your own research, but it takes time to leech. If you’re not storing in it for long periods it’s fine.
No lead. It’s not great quality or antique, I just liked the shape.
How many kids do you have.
None
None that you know of
None that know where i live*
I assume your decanter is transparent?
Lots of people assume Jim Beam whiskey got its name from some fellow names James Beam. But actually it’s a reference to its dual nature: the beverage can exist as both a liquid and an electromagnetic wave.
This is why Jim Beam is so cheap. They want to get it off the shelves before it disappears via Hawking radiation.
Your whiskey didn’t actually disappear. It changed.
Condensation means there is more water evaporating, not alcohol.
Keep it in a cooler place and this will reduce the evaporation rate.
Alcohol condenses too
I had considered that I wouldn’t see condensation from alcohol evaporating, but I only noticed the level visibly dropping with Jim beam specifically.
It could be as simple as the difference in color absorbing more heat from light, I suppose.
The water condensates after evaporating, the alcohol doesn’t.
Check your home for carbon monoxide.
God like reference 😂
Is your decanter over something warm? A TV? Cable box? Radiator? Heater register?
Something that will cause the likelihood of evaporation to go up?
If it’s lead crystal then don’t store alcohol in your decanter. It will slowly leach out over time. Crystal is meant to be used then stored away.
What temperature is your house normally? Also what are the high and low temps experienced?
Between 65 and 74
Are there any windows that ever allow sunlight to shine on, or near, where the decanter is located?
The boiling point of ethanol is 78. That could be your problem
Preface: Not a fancy alcohol enjoyer.
My quick searching gave compromised stopper, oxidation and environmental conditions as possible causes. As to why only Jim Beam reacts visibly, might be due to its recipe causing different or more intense chemical reactions.
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I wonder if the smaller amount of alcohol in Jim Beam evaporates more readily from the solution, for some reason? Maybe an age difference?
If it has a rubber stopper, maybe prime it with a bit of booze to seal gaps. Also if it’s older replace the rubber bits.
White label Beam is 80 proof and Larceny small batch is 92 so it seems strange that Beam would evaporate since its a 6% different alcohol content. If you normally drink barrel strength 120-130 proof stuff I could see it. Bad seal on the decanter lid maybe?