Does hard alcohol go bad or rancid?!
Answers: I have bottles of vodka and scotch that were opened a year ago. I was wondering if they get oxidized or something and go bad.
Jeez, I hate the Wikepedia/Web cut-and-pasters...blah, blah, blah...
Your bottles will lose some of their qualities over time to evaporation.
Normally it takes a couple of years to notice the difference.
I don't think so, most alcohol gets better with age yadida...ill put it like this if you dont want it i do ha ha
I don't think so, I have vodka that was opened a year ago and I had some last night it was fine.
I would say there is a possibility since they are opened. If they had been left closed they would be fine. I know that they last quite awhile. A year may not be enough for it to go bad. Since it is fermented anyways to attain the alcohol in it. I say smell it and taste a little. It may taste off and it may lose some of its potency. If you are not sure toss it and go get a new bottle. Also hard alcohol with a high proof can go in the freezer and not freeze but it will last longer and taste better in your drink. Good luck and happy drinking.
it is still good but it might not taste the same
the longer more stronger its still good
Hardly ever...although the higher the alcohol content, the more likely they could evaporate if not sealed properly.
By the way - keep your vodka in the freezer - its excellent to take a shot of the stuff when its ice cold!
No, they really, go thru a process like other spirits, after awhile they start to get this stuff on the top, if you shake it every month, it will make into vinegar. Her is the processes-
Wooden barrels are laid on their sides. Bungholes are drilled into the top side and plugged with stoppers. Holes are also drilled into the ends of the barrels.
The alcohol is poured into the barrel via long-necked funnels inserted into the bungholes. Mother of vinegar is added at this point. The barrel is filled to a level just below the holes on the ends. Netting or screens are placed over the holes to prevent insects from getting into the barrels.
The filled barrels are allowed to sit for several months. The room temperature is kept at approximately 85°F (29°C). Samples are taken periodically by inserting a spigot into the side holes and drawing liquid off. When the alcohol has converted to vinegar, it is drawn off through the spigot. About 15% of the liquid is left in the barrel to blend with the next batch.
The submerged fermentation
method
The submerged fermentation method is commonly used in the production of wine vinegars. Production plants are filled with large stainless steel tanks called acetators. The acetators are fitted with centrifugal pumps in the bottom that pump air bubbles into the tank in much the same way that an aquarium pump does.
As the pump stirs the alcohol, acetozym nutrients are piped into the tank. The nutrients spur the growth of acetobacters on the oxygen bubbles. A heater in the tank keeps the temperature between 80 and 100°F (26-38°C).
Within a matter of hours, the alcohol product has been converted into vinegar. The vinegar is piped from the acetators to a plate-and-frame filtering machine. The stainless steel plates press the alcohol through paper filters to remove any sediment, usually about 3% of the total product. The sediment is flushed into a drain while the filtered vinegar moves to the dilution station.
The generator method
Distilled and industrial vinegars are often produced via the generator method. Tall oak vats are filled with vinegar-moistened beechwood shavings, charcoal, or grape pulp. The alcohol product is poured into the top of the vat and slowly drips down through the fillings.
Oxygen is allowed into the vats in two ways. One is through bungholes that have been punched into the sides of the vats. The second is through the perforated bottoms of the vats. An air compressor blows air through the holes.
When the alcohol product reaches the bottom of the vat, usually within in a span of several days to several weeks, it has converted to vinegar. It is poured off from the bottom of the vat into storage tanks. The vinegar produced in this method has a very high acetic acid content, often as high as 14%, and must be diluted with water to bring its acetic acid content to a range of 5-6%.
To produce distilled vinegar, the diluted liquid is poured into a boiler and
The production of vinegar. brought to its boiling point. A vapor rises from the liquid and is collected in a condenser. It then cools and becomes liquid again. This liquid is then bottled as distilled vinegar.
As long as the lid is on, it should be fine for years. Eventaually, enough alcohol could evaporate and then it would be subject to spoilage, but keep the lid on tight, and it will be fine for a long time.
They'll be fine as long as nothing was spilled or spit into them when they were open. They'll be fine, just shake the bottle before opening.