Parafilm & Other Bottle Preservation Techniques! (For Open & Sealed Liquor Bottles)

[@stockicide]

For those who want more information about Liquorhound's argon setup, he talks about it in the second half of his video titled "Breckenridge Bourbon & Vodka Review - My Argon Spirit Preservation Setup" (starting at 10 minutes and 18 seconds into the video).

[@NothingMaster]

Excellent, informative video. Thanks for sharing.

[@DonnerPassWhisky]

Great topic. For some reason where I live open bottles get cloudy and throw a sediment after 7-9 months open. This has happened with bourbon, rye, scotch, 40% to cask strength. I keep them in the center of the house and away from light. My way to keep this from happening is having a library of 4 & 8 ounce sample bottles that I use to keep samples of everything I open. Usually more than one sample. I then drink what's left in the bottle as I like within 6-8 months. Cheers

[@stephentatoul215]

Thanks!

[@LiquorHound]

Thank you and cheers! 🥃

[@jg4767]

Very informative thanks!

[@LiquorHound]

Glad it was helpful and thank you for watching! Cheers!

[@mblitch]

What about the vacuum tops, often associated with wine bottles. I worry that it isn't easy to see if the seal is lost. Also seeking advice on cork replacements. Too many times have I felt the cork twistin the bottle, so I'd like to get some replacements to have on hand.

[@zen_gypsie2189]

Thank you great techniques.

[@marcwhiskey]

Maybe it's just my palate but I have not really noticed a ton of difference in bottles that have been open over a year or 2. But I guess you'd have to compare side by side with something.

[@tommyb6422]

What about the Vacu Vin option? Designed for wine but should work for whiskey’s?

[@ccuellar6212]

I never thought of protecting my back stock 😳

[@scottf.8627]

Would you parafilm your unopened bottles as well? I don't have many of them usually only when I have a "backup" bottle. I've been gassing my opened ones ever since you released your first video on the subject and I have been very pleased with the results! Thx again LiquorHound for your fantastic content! Cheers!

[@DayKlight]

i normally dont parafilm my unopened bottles, since the seal is normally pretty good, except when it has some deep scratches or some tearing, but then depending on the seal, you maybe want to remove it and reseal it with parafilm, so it doesnt tear through the parafilm with some sharp aluminum edges from the original seal.

[@LiquorHound]

So I only really Parafilm my sealed bottles. I have a buddy that seals his opens with the 2” Parafilm and he’s had good results with the corks holding up well. That’s great that you’ve been taking care of your open bottles! You’re welcome and cheers!

[@Best_Served_Neat_On_Ice]

A couple quick questions ... You're absolutely certain argon gas has no effect on the flavor of a spirit? And I know you've talked about giving whiskeys some air time before gassing them but what about other spirits? Specifically I'm wondering about rum, vodka, tequila, and Cognac. Any of these that you gas right away after the first crack? Or do any of them benefit from time letting the air in the bottle work on them a bit before gassing?

[@LiquorHound]

No noticeable effect that I’ve witnessed. I have bottles that are 20-30 years old that still taste amazing. I do gas other spirits like some high end vodkas and gins, but especially rums, single malts, and brandies. Lesser clear spirits I don’t usually hang on to too long. Cheers!

[@dkfromthebay]

Parafilm is gas permeable, at least for O2 and CO2, so would be interesting to see if it prevents ethanol evaporation.

[@LiquorHound]

Yeah, I think its main benefit is that it keeps the corks from drying out and shrinking up. Cheers!

[@andrewlazer7006]

Can I shrink warp my cork ?

[@jmiller8745]

I have a few bottles that I vacuum sealed them in a foodsaver unit where once the air is eliminated, the plastic bag is void of all air!

[@LiquorHound]

That should do the trick! Cheers!

[@williamsedlock3903]

Nice video I wonder if you have any advice on that parafilm when you remove it does it damage any of the bottles I have a lot of bottles and was curious on some of my older very expensive ones I have shrunk wrap the top two or three times and even sometimes shrunk rap the whole label area to keep perfect and I have always tried to maintain my bottles by laying on the side once a year for 1 hour being very picky about the maintenance All bottles are sealed for the last three decades haven't seen any major loss except for some of the older older '60s bottles from michter's Fitzgerald seem to lose but nevertheless then looking for some ideas on preserving some of the full line collection great videos once again first time watching

[@LiquorHound]

I’ve never noticed any damage removing parafilm from old bottles. Just be sure to never parafilm waxed bottles (it’ll stick like crazy). With a good parafilm seal, there’s really no need to turn them on the sides. The trapped water moisture will keep the cork from shrinking. Thank you for the great comment and sorry for my delayed response. Cheers! 🥃

[@skraegorn7317]

Thanks for making this! I was wondering if you had made a video on caring for your collection. Parafilm works wonders, especially for wine collectors. With wine you've got plenty of 30+ year old bottles with corks that can degrade and destroy the contents of the bottle. Do you recommend storing corked bottles on their side? I know that that's a common technique for wine collectors to preserve the corks.

[@LiquorHound]

Nice! Yes that Parafilm really helps the corks from drying out. With wine, you definitely want to store them on their sides - if you’re not using Parafilm. I’d think that if it was wrapped properly, it shouldn’t matter too much. But with spirits, you never want to store sideways. The alcohol is too strong and will degrade the cork (and possibly taint the spirit). Cheers!

[@Best_Served_Neat_On_Ice]

Any thought on tipping a sealed bottle occasionally to keep the cork moist? How long does a cork last before it starts drying out to the point it could let ethanol out and air in?

[@LiquorHound]

Great question! I’ve never really liked wetting the corks, because I’ve seen a great rye get corked when it fell over for a few hours. That said, I’ve also seen some corks dry out, so I wouldn’t advise against it (if it’s just a quick splash every now and then). If your collection isn’t too big, a 2” parafilm wrap works great at trapping the water moisture in the bottle and thus keeping the corks from drying out. Thank you and cheers!

[@stephentatoul215]

Great video! Thank you. Question: why argon rather than CO2 or Nitrogen? CO2 I believe is heavier, we use it in beer to create the blanket/oxygen barrier. Since I have the CO2 available already would that be equal to Argon or is there some Argon advantage that I am not aware of? Thank you in advance for your answer.

[@LiquorHound]

I’ve just always use argon over nitrogen because it’s heavier. C02 is slightly heavier than argon, but I’ve always been leery about using a gas that can go into solution (granted that’s only under pressure). I’m sure you’ll be fine using it though. Thank you and cheers!

[@jg4767]

I bought some of the Private Preserve for my vermouth because of how quickly it goes off. Even with 375 ml bottles I end up having to use vermouth for cooking. This also keeps me from buying a lot of vermouth I'd love to try because they only come in 750 ml bottles. Anyhow, I realized that not all the vermouth I want to preserve has cork tops. Have you successfully used the Private Preserve on screw top bottles? If not, do you think it can be done successfully?

[@williamsedlock3903]

Great advice on the glass cap with the silicone in my older years I haven't seen these fancy things lol old man grow die from the liquor store is rolling in his grave at the growth of whiskey and bourbon these days I can remember cleaning the parking lots in 1980s and him complaining doesn't anybody drink whiskey anymore lol

[@vrccim5930]

Thanks.

[@lordgarth1]

I’d be curious to know what’s left to oxidize that hasn’t already done so over the years that whiskey has been exposed to oxygen in the barrels. I do get the evaporation idea if the seal is allowed to age and shrink.

[@LiquorHound]

Well, my thought is that unchecked oxidation is a constant force. So you’re correct in that it was oxidizing in the barrel (for years), but we also have to remember that the flavors were also constantly developing due to temperature fluctuations, as well as wood and oxygen exposure during that time. So when the bottler felt it was “ready”, it was bottled. As long as that cork seal was good, it will remain very close to what the bottler intended. The minimum amount of trapped oxygen in the neck of a bottle has a tiny surface area to interact with the spirit, so oxidation is slowed tremendously. But once it’s opened and poured from, or if the volume dips below that neck (on say a sealed bottle with a bad cork), there’s more surface area exposed, and the process speeds up and the oxidation/degradation continues. That’s why you’ll usually notice the flavors change as a bottle “opens up” over many months to a couple years. That change also depends heavily on proof - the lower the proof the faster. And in my opinion, the complexity of the spirit is also a factor. A less complex spirit doesn’t show change (oxidation) nearly as fast as more complex ones. All that said, I’ve experienced unchecked oxidation in positive and negative ways. Some bottles get better and others eventually lose so much flavor that they’re no longer enjoyable. Thank you for the great and thought provoking comment. Take care and cheers!

[@mitar512]

Hi. For wrapping an unopened whisky bottles, would you recommend a classic transparent plastic film instead of parafilm? Like a kitchen foil, used to wrap up the food for example. Also, is it possible that the original wooden box affects somehow the spirit in an unopened bottle? Because some boxes have a specific wooden smell, like sawdust, very pungent. So if the cork is breathable to some extent, does this affects the spirit? Thanks.

[@LiquorHound]

So either will work. Parafilm is good at keeping the moisture in the bottle (which prevents the cork from drying and shrinking). I’d suppose a wooden box could influence a bottle with a bad cork, but I don’t believe I’ve experienced that. Cheers!

[@insurroundsound]

LiquorHound, before you parafilm unopened bottles, am I supposed to remove the plastic store seal first? Or do you just go right over it? Thanks in advance.

[@LiquorHound]

No. I go over the factory seals. Cheers!

[@utoobia]

After you’ve gassed and corked the bottle, you do NOT need to worry about jostling or shaking the bottle and disturbing the layer of gas. It will settle right back down onto the whisky within a minute. Absolutely inconsequential in terms of oxidation.

[@ralpha7352]

Is teflon tape safe to use ?

[@LiquorHound]

I’ve heard of people doing that, but I’m not 100% sure how safe it is. I know others use a cellophane and parafilm combination that seems to work well. Good luck and cheers!

[@ranman1959]

Everything I've read, including the datasheet from the manufacturer, says that Parafilm is gas permeable (including oxygen). It does however prevent loss of moisture. Perhaps that keeps the cork from drying out which I guess would keep oxygen out of the bottle. I've used silicone tape to seal bottles for travel. It looks like electrical tape but there is no adhesive and sticks only to itself. I try to put my sealed bottles on their sides once or twice a year to try to keep the cork from drying out; my oldest sealed bottle is over 14 years old and I've noticed no drop in the fill line.

[@faust451]

That is my understanding regarding Parafilm as well - it is gas permeable. I too use both silicone tape as well as teflon tape (plumber's thread tape) with good results on bottles that have been open for over a decade.

[@LiquorHound]

Yep, I’m pretty sure that’s how it works. It traps the moisture inside the bottle, which keeps the cork from drying out and letting the alcohol vapors out (or outside oxygen in). I’ve had bottles parafilmed for 10-12 years as well and also haven’t noticed a drop in volume. Now given the pricing of Parafilm lately (it’s up to $40-$60), Teflon and silicone tape might be nice alternatives. Thank you for the comment and cheers!

[@damarei]

Saying that parafilm is "gas permeable" is like giving someone directions by just saying the street name. You're missing information. Cheesecloth is also gas permeable. Do you think cheesecloth and parafilm are equivalent in sealing a bottle? People really need to learn to ask themselves these types of questions.

[@Raymaster7482]

I like to use a self-bonding tape (f. ex. 3M from Scotch) instead of Parafilm. Imo it works better at sealing the bottle off

[@LiquorHound]

Probably a nice option as well. Thank you and cheers!

[@jonzylka9474]

Easy solution…. Just drink the damn whiskey and enjoy it. Good whiskey is meant to be shared with people you love, not sit and stared at on a shelf…

[@LiquorHound]

Nothing wrong with that. In my situation, I do share all my bottles - hence the argon to keep them flavorful. It’s necessary since there’s so many bottles, that it could be many months until one makes the rotation. The Parafilm I use to keep my backups in good shape (for future sharing). Cheers!

[@jonzylka9474]

@@LiquorHound Lol… I hear ya buddy!!! I do the same. Just a little jealously with your unbelievable collection. BTW… love the Saints Alley collection. Job well done!!

[@LiquorHound]

Thank you sir and cheers!