Ice Molds

Ozzie_Isaac

You are bad influences, stepped up my game with a proper mold.

SGH

Some of you fellows take ice a little to serious. 

Ozzie_Isaac

SGH said:

Some of you fellows take ice a little to serious. 

How you do anything, is how you do everything.

HeavyG

Ozzie_Isaac said:

SGH said:

Some of you fellows take ice a little to serious. 

How you do anything, is how you do everything.

Need to see a pix of your sock drawer.

GrateEggspectations

I just throw water in the YETI and then pick out the ice spheres a couple of hours later. 

pgprescott

GrateEggspectations said:

I just throw water in the YETI and then pick out the ice spheres a couple of hours later. 

The Yeti is more expensive than the molds! 😂

OntarioDave

pgprescott said:

I use the technique shown above sometimes but nothing beats the insulated molds for convenience. 

I bought the silicone molds as well. I can't seem to get the ice balls & cubes clear. I've double boiled filter water, used distilled water......never as clear as advertised, but, they're still cool.

pgprescott

OntarioDave said:

pgprescott said:

I use the technique shown above sometimes but nothing beats the insulated molds for convenience. 

I bought the silicone molds as well. I can't seem to get the ice balls & cubes clear. I've double boiled filter water, used distilled water......never as clear as advertised, but, they're still cool.

These are directional freezing molds. They are insulated on 5 of the 6 sides. They also have a reservoir of water below the molds in the insulated area. This forces the water to freeze from the top down and forces the air bubbles down into the liquid leaving the ice clear. The water is a red herring. Waste of time. Just have to directional freeze. Usually takes 20-30 hours to freeze. Want to remove them in the window before the reservoir freezes up. They work perfectly. The cooler hack also works perfectly but it requires a little elbow grease to complete the task. The cooler is truly Artisen as it is hand cut and produces a great quantity of cubes. 

The less expensive molds without a reservoir and insulation will produce mice hard ice in the shape you desire, but never clear no matter what water you use. They trap air and air makes the ice hazy. 

OntarioDave

pgprescott said:

OntarioDave said:

pgprescott said:

I use the technique shown above sometimes but nothing beats the insulated molds for convenience. 

I bought the silicone molds as well. I can't seem to get the ice balls & cubes clear. I've double boiled filter water, used distilled water......never as clear as advertised, but, they're still cool.

These are directional freezing molds. They are insulated on 5 of the 6 sides. They also have a reservoir of water below the molds in the insulated area. This forces the water to freeze from the top down and forces the air bubbles down into the liquid leaving the ice clear. The water is a red herring. Waste of time. Just have to directional freeze. Usually takes 20-30 hours to freeze. Want to remove them in the window before the reservoir freezes up. They work perfectly. The cooler hack also works perfectly but it requires a little elbow grease to complete the task. The cooler is truly Artisen as it is hand cut and produces a great quantity of cubes. 

The less expensive molds without a reservoir and insulation will produce mice hard ice in the shape you desire, but never clear no matter what water you use. They trap air and air makes the ice hazy. 

Well....now I know. I won't worry about it.
Thanks
Dave. 

SonVolt

OntarioDave said:

pgprescott said:

I use the technique shown above sometimes but nothing beats the insulated molds for convenience. 

I bought the silicone molds as well. I can't seem to get the ice balls & cubes clear. I've double boiled filter water, used distilled water......never as clear as advertised, but, they're still cool.

If you're not getting clear ice with distilled water then something's fucky. Are you pouring the water into the molds while still hot? I get crystal clear ice with these insulated molds straight from the hot water tap. 

northGAcock

ColtsFan said:

I like an ice sphere on occasion with a hot (high proof) bourbon or when having an old fashioned, but $1000 for a copper ice press? No thanks...My $12 Amazon silicone molds work just fine

Order yours now!

https://meltdownice.com/product/meltdown-solid-copper-ice-press/

Well you have shot a hole in my Christmas list of things to buy for you. Looks like I will move on to that suit of Armor. 

AprèsSki

I've been following this. Has anyone tried the Alton Brown directional freezing method? The pictures here are not representative of what he ended up with on the show. I am just waiting for a cheap styrofoam cooler to give it a try.

https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/alton-brown/dnpc-ice-cubes-dang-near-perfectly-clear-reloaded-8806463

pgprescott

SonVolt said:

OntarioDave said:

pgprescott said:

I use the technique shown above sometimes but nothing beats the insulated molds for convenience. 

I bought the silicone molds as well. I can't seem to get the ice balls & cubes clear. I've double boiled filter water, used distilled water......never as clear as advertised, but, they're still cool.

If you're not getting clear ice with distilled water then something's fucky. Are you pouring the water into the molds while still hot? I get crystal clear ice with these insulated molds straight from the hot water tap. 

That's what I told him. It's not the water its the insulated molds / directional freezing that creates the clear ice.

lousubcap

Interesting read-I use the round silicone molds at times and will also just use distilled water to open the bourbon flavors up depending on what I am drinking.  

Botch

nolaegghead said:

Never saw the appeal of Yuengling because it doesn't taste that good to me.  Maybe because it's hard to get in some places there's demand?  Anyway, it's ranked between 47,000th and 48,000th on the beer advocate.  Doesn't make sense, but look at the times.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/182/1351/

I attended Iowa State from '78 ~ '81, and always sold a couple cases of Coors from IA to someone at the Sioux Falls high school band parties; paid for the gas each time!  

Langner91

pgprescott said:

I use the technique shown above sometimes but nothing beats the insulated molds for convenience. 

If I had a dollar for every dollar @pgprescott has helped me part with, I'd have a lot more dolllars!  I had to buy one of these.  The thought of seeing my cloudy ice-ball sitting there, all sad, in my Crown Royal just wouldn't do!  I can't wait to try it!

OntarioDave

SonVolt said:

OntarioDave said:

pgprescott said:

I use the technique shown above sometimes but nothing beats the insulated molds for convenience. 

I bought the silicone molds as well. I can't seem to get the ice balls & cubes clear. I've double boiled filter water, used distilled water......never as clear as advertised, but, they're still cool.

If you're not getting clear ice with distilled water then something's fucky. Are you pouring the water into the molds while still hot? I get crystal clear ice with these insulated molds straight from the hot water tap. 

When I used distilled, I didn't boil it........could that be a problem?

SonVolt

OntarioDave said:

SonVolt said:

OntarioDave said:

pgprescott said:

I use the technique shown above sometimes but nothing beats the insulated molds for convenience. 

I bought the silicone molds as well. I can't seem to get the ice balls & cubes clear. I've double boiled filter water, used distilled water......never as clear as advertised, but, they're still cool.

If you're not getting clear ice with distilled water then something's fucky. Are you pouring the water into the molds while still hot? I get crystal clear ice with these insulated molds straight from the hot water tap. 

When I used distilled, I didn't boil it........could that be a problem?

I wouldn't worry about using distilled water, the directional freezing pushes impurities down and out of the mold via the hole in the bottom, so the method clarifies the water for you.  As far as boiling, supposedly hot water has less trapped air, so I just use hot tap water b/c it's easier.  

TechsasJim

I'm simple...just put spring water in the big silicon square molds.   Ice turns out slightly hazy but always rock hard and lasts way longer than the drink does.

The only way I would go any other route is if these laborious methods enhanced the flavor (or if my lazy way detracted).

SonVolt

TechsasJim said:

I'm simple...just put spring water in the big silicon square molds.   Ice turns out slightly hazy but always rock hard and lasts way longer than the drink does.

The only way I would go any other route is if these laborious methods enhanced the flavor (or if my lazy way detracted).

Laborious? It's the same method you use except hot tap water instead of cold. The molds are the same except they're insulated with a hole in the bottom. 

TechsasJim

SonVolt said:

TechsasJim said:

I'm simple...just put spring water in the big silicon square molds.   Ice turns out slightly hazy but always rock hard and lasts way longer than the drink does.

The only way I would go any other route is if these laborious methods enhanced the flavor (or if my lazy way detracted).

Laborious? It's the same method you use except hot tap water instead of cold. The molds are the same except they're insulated with a hole in the bottom. 

Well, Laborious may have been a stretch, but after seeing posts of people boiling water, etc I'm not going through that for Ice.   I also would not use hot tap water, as I said, I use spring water.    Fairly simple, open 1 16oz bottle of spring water and fill in the 8 cube mold and I'm off.

Like I said though, I'm simple...

pgprescott

TechsasJim said:

SonVolt said:

TechsasJim said:

I'm simple...just put spring water in the big silicon square molds.   Ice turns out slightly hazy but always rock hard and lasts way longer than the drink does.

The only way I would go any other route is if these laborious methods enhanced the flavor (or if my lazy way detracted).

Laborious? It's the same method you use except hot tap water instead of cold. The molds are the same except they're insulated with a hole in the bottom. 

Well, Laborious may have been a stretch, but after seeing posts of people boiling water, etc I'm not going through that for Ice.   I also would not use hot tap water, as I said, I use spring water.    Fairly simple, open 1 16oz bottle of spring water and fill in the 8 cube mold and I'm off.

Like I said though, I'm simple...

Way too much effort. 

You can just use any tap water either hot or cold really as long as you have the correct insulated molds. Just think of all the money you will save not wasting that expensive spring water. However, if you don’t like nice things, this simply is not for you

YukonRon

We use the Ice molds from MM they sent us for being Ambassadors. We were named Ambassadors because we had a credit card at the time. We get a lot of junk from them, but those ice molds work great.

TEXASBGE2018

This is what I get using my crappy $10 ice molds from amazon and hot water from the tap. That’s good enough for me.

SonVolt

I'm the weirdo that doesn't like the huge square/sphere ice cubs in my bourdon. I would have to use my bar spoon to break those into chunks. 

nolaegghead

Freak