Condensing Liquids

[Chief Longwind]

I'm just curious if this can be done with liquids other than apple wine and alcoholic drinks. I know that if you take apple wine, and partially freeze it, you can then strain out the ice, thereby concentrating the alcohol. If you do this a few times, you get applejack, a very potent alcoholic beverage. The same thing can be done with a pre-mixed screwdriver.

I now that if you partially freeze whole milk, ice crystals, or shards form in the milk. If you strain the milk through a fine mesh sieve, I'm thinking you could be making condensed milk. I don't know how far you could condense the milk with this method, but it might be an interesting experiment.

I'm just thinking out loud.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Cookie]

that's not really condensing in its true form though is it? Evaporation is bringing to its boiling point - or bring it to the boiling point of one of the components to then collect the steam of that component. Condensation is cooling that steam down so to extracting just that component at that temperature. It is a method of purification. the cooling down of steam into a liquid or solid is condensing, but it has to be steam first, not liquid. Just think of the noun "condensation" where as life gets colder at night you get condensation (or ice) on the windows in the morning.

I guess what you are talking about is simply solidification. I can't think whatelse it could be called.

I bring up all of this because condensed milk is made by evaporation, not solidification. Condensed milk has sugar added as a preservative. Evaporated milk is unsweetened.

I'm thinking you could be making condensed milk. I don't know how far you could condense the milk with this method, but it might be an interesting experiment.

You may do, but you would be getting unsweetened condensed milk because condensed milk is sweetened. I think you would actually be making evaporated milk if it worked at all. Melting those ice crystals would be more interesting to see if they are clear or cloudy or if they have a very slight colouration to them.

Condensed milk is cow's milk from which water has been removed. It is most often found in the form of sweetened condensed milk, with sugar added, and the two terms "condensed milk" and "sweetened condensed milk" are often used synonymously today. Sweetened condensed milk is a very thick, sweet product which when canned can last for years without refrigeration if not opened. Condensed milk is used in numerous dessert dishes in many countries.

another quote defines condensed milk as

milk that has been thickened by evaporation and sweetened, sold in tins

and evaporated milk,

Evaporated milk, also known as dehydrated milk, is a shelf-stable canned milk product with about 60% of the water removed from fresh milk. It differs from sweetened condensed milk, which contains added sugar. Sweetened condensed milk requires less processing since the added sugar inhibits bacterial growth

evaporated milk is milk which has had about sixty percent of the water removed via evaporation

so by definition, unsweetened condensed milk is evaporated milk.
So the outcome is that condensed milk is made by evaporation and then the addition of sugar. you are thinking of something totally different.

 

[classic33]

Milk would/will split into more than one liquid if you try freezing it. There's the fats to consider as well, all of which will seperate at different temperatures.

To get an idea, seal some in a clear plastic bottle and watch what happens.

 

[Chief Longwind]

Though freezng is the working agent rather than evaporation, you are still removing water from the liquid. But I believe that my terminology was wrong, as has been ponted out. The milk, with water removed would be concentrated, not condensed, or evaporated. If you emove all of the water, say by placing frozen milk into a vacuum, then I think you would get powdered milk.
Just kicking around ideas.
Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind
"There is no success that justifies failure within he home."

 

[Cinisajoy]

How does freezing remove water? When you thaw it, you have the same amount of liquid.

 

[Cinisajoy]

It works on alcohol because water freezes and the alcohol doesn't.

 

[classic33]

Though freezng is the working agent rather than evaporation, you are still removing water from the liquid. But I believe that my terminology was wrong, as has been ponted out. The milk, with water removed would be concentrated, not condensed, or evaporated. If you emove all of the water, say by placing frozen milk into a vacuum, then I think you would get powdered milk.
Just kicking around ideas.
Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind
"There is no success that justifies failure within he home."

Wouldn't the fats just follow the water?

Think it might not be possible to do with domestic equipment. Despite the water content.

 

[Cookie]

I think @Chief Longwind is looking at a partial freezing rather than a total freezing, so getting it to the slushy stage and seeing what happens.

 

[buckytom]

In my drinking days, I preferred ice beers. Much like te kick of a double or triple bock, but in more of a lager.

 

[epicuric]

I'm just curious if this can be done with liquids other than apple wine and alcoholic drinks. I know that if you take apple wine, and partially freeze it, you can then strain out the ice, thereby concentrating the alcohol. If you do this a few times, you get applejack, a very potent alcoholic beverage. The same thing can be done with a pre-mixed screwdriver.

I now that if you partially freeze whole milk, ice crystals, or shards form in the milk. If you strain the milk through a fine mesh sieve, I'm thinking you could be making condensed milk. I don't know how far you could condense the milk with this method, but it might be an interesting experiment.

I'm just thinking out loud.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

There is more to it - if you really want to know what happens and have a few hours to spare have a read of dairyprocessinghandbook.com/chapter/chemistry-milk

 

[sidevalve]

Freezing milk is no problem and works quite well - we usually have a pint in the freezer in case of emergencies [but it pays to change it every month or so].
Just thinking that the partial freezing of wine is in effect distilling and needs to be done with care.

 

[buckytom]

Beer can be frozen to create an ice beer with a slightly higher alcohol content.

Eiswein (ice wine), a sweet dessert wine, is made from grapes that are frozen while still on the vine which concentrates the juice that is squeezed from them.

 

[classic33]

Freezing milk is no problem and works quite well - we usually have a pint in the freezer in case of emergencies [but it pays to change it every month or so].
Just thinking that the partial freezing of wine is in effect distilling and needs to be done with care.

He want to try and remove the water, or reduce the water content though.