Old Ice Water vs. New Ice Water

Were you able to differentiate between two, with out seeing or knowing about it? I mean had you ruled out the possibility of psychological influence with an objective method?

Yes, there is a noticeable difference to the taste/texture (as if water has texture), or perhaps a better word is the "softness" of the water. I'm sure there are some psychological influences, but there is something more at work here.]

I'm guessing it has something to do with the ice itself, I dont know if the modern freezers with the "frost-free" features somehow soften the water in the ice before it freezes, or something of that nature... but I can only speculate. I'm no chemist, that's for sure.

Taster should stay aways from maker for that duration and should come in with some cotton in ears and black strap on eyes.

The solubility of O₂ in water increases with decreasing temperature. Perhaps as the water sits there, some oxygen from the headspace dissolves into the water. I am really doubtful if that would have a noticeable effect that you could taste though.

This isn't a complete explanation but..

If you pour water into a glass filled with cubes it takes awhile for the glass, water and ice to get to the same temp...not hours. Also you probably have an aerator in your tap. This defiantly speaks to your "softness and texture". Once that air finds it's way out or finds a dance partner on a molecular level you have a slightly different and stable mix.

This defiantly speaks to your "softness and texture".

de·fi·ance

  <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/audio.html/lunaWAV/D01/D0117400" target="_blank"><img src="http://sp.dictionary.com/dictstatic/g/d/speaker.gif" border="0" alt="defiance pronunciation" /></a> /dɪˈfaɪəns/ Show Spelled[dih-fahy-uhns]noun 1. a daring or bold resistance to authority or to any opposing force. 2. open disregard; contempt (often followed by of ): defiance of danger; His refusal amounted to defiance. 3. a challenge to meet in combat or in a contest. de·fi·ant·ly [dih-fahy-uhnt-ly]adjective 1. Descriptor of acting in a defiant way. You meant definitely, right? Otherwise, it really sounds funny.

Actually I had misspelled that. When I hit the spell check I was multitasking and simply picked the top choice in error. Thanks for taking so much time to point out my error in such a condescending fashion.

I think the Chlorine must be one of the main contributing factors... hadn't thought of that... Yet my buddy who Lives for his "Old ice water" is drinking from a well, far away from any municipal water source...

I know my mothers well used to have a slight sulphur taste when the water levels were high, and I used to let that water rest a while before drinking it, it seemed to make it a bit better as well...

But I'm sure that the chlorine plays a Major role at my hose as I'm connected to "The Grid"

I think this is a likely cause - not only chlorine but sulphur dioxide will evaporate while the water is standing. Volatile elements are degassed, and as someone else pointed out, suspended solids are decanted to the bottom of the glass.

One thing I wonder, whether there is also some degassing that happens in the ice making process? Ice cubes would then taste better than freshly poured water - they've already been 'standing' in the freezer long enough to degas...

Its the food factor. The ice is made in your freezer, it is picking up the flavors of the refrigerator as it freezes.

So I imagine that some days you have the roast beef water and others it the strawberry shortcake water.

All kidding aside it has to be chlorine, most wells are hyper chlorinated or its the fridge food effect.

This is no sillier that asking "How does a clown taste?"

I will agree with the chlorine bit. Maybe even a little potassium or flouride. Sounds reasonable. Or, maybe the good stuff that leached into the ice cubes from the plastic mold is adding some unknown but pleasant flavor agent.

I've noticed this as well. It's sort the same thing as a bed being more comfortable after you've slept in it a while.

I always assumed that it was that the ice cubes taste different - somehow "sweeter" I've always thought - than tap water. And after a while some of the ice dissolves and adds that flavor to the water.

Which suggests a couple of tests you can do.

1) put the ice in plastic bags and see if you get the same result - if you do then it's a question of what happens to water when it gets cold, not the taste of the ice.

2) melt some ice and compare that against the taste of your ordinary water and see if the melted ice water has the same "softness".

As i have no explanations to this issue, let me add another doubt! Why does water* left overnight in a glass taste worst than fresh water???? This is just the opposite to what happens with ice cubes. (*) I´m talking about any (well, mineral, tap) water

I have definitely noticed that after a glass has been sitting on the night stand overnight, or a day or more, it often tastes foul, and I'll need a fresh glass. I have always just figured that ordinary dust is settling in the glass, and dissolving in the water... but thats just an assumption.

You see!!!! I´m not the only one!!!! Some people believe that water sitting in a glass overnight absorbs the negative energy from the room. Does anyone know how "bad energy tastes?

I have sometimes been disappointed at the flavour of an old glass of water, but usually, I let my drinking water sit in a pitcher for a day to let the chlorine off, and in the quart jars I use for drinking for a day or so without noticeable deterioration.

Water has many amazing and subtle qualities. I've seen tiny dirt particles circulating on the surface of ice with no apparent cause, and a friend has seen it on a wet, sloped surface.

I don't think softer is the word. Once it reaches a uniform cold temperature it becomes denser.

Sounds like my last GF

I used to start out with dense GFs. Over time they would get smarter and figure out that I just didn't care.

Perhaps as the water oxygenates trapped sediments in the water tend to settle to the bottom of the glass. Ice does contain a lot of oxygen molecules trapped within, which is why water expands as it is frozen. Water is an excellent solvent, which is why so many substances dissolve in water. As it sits the most likely explanation is that sediments slowly filter out and settle to the bottom. Also perhaps since as it sits the water becomes cooler as the ice dissolves than when the ice was first added and that may add to the experience. But I expect sediment settling is probably the cause.

Exactly--The same reason that Decanters came about, which was for the purpose of pouring red wines, corked for many years, into a larger vessel, and to let them breathe , I.E. absorb oxygen-and to off -load pressurized gases-Now your glass of water does not contain pressurized gases, or, with the ice cubes, during freezing , does it? Just asking...

Ice does contain a lot of oxygen molecules trapped within, which is why water expands as it is frozen.

No! That is NOT why water expands when it freezes!

A simple Google search before stating such things could save you a lot of embarassment.

I lived in Miami, OK when I was in the 8th grade for about 8 months. This was a few, ahem, years ago.

I know that demineralized water will absorb CO2 or other gases in the air until it reaches equilibrium, so perhaps after a few hours of absorbing gases into the mix, your water acquires a pleasant taste. Then after several more hours, it passes a curve characteristic which tends to be more unpleasant. Perhaps you could run a test on various water sources (i.e. tap, well, bottled, etc.) and find which minerals or gases make the water more pleasant or less pleasant.

It's not as cold

See

A bit off the subject, but I have noticed the same effect with carbonated beverages. I always let my cola stand in ice for at least 15 minutes before drinking it. This however is easily explainable as the dissipation of the CO2. Without the carbonation, the flavor of the drink is more noticeable. My preference is probably a result of being born long enough ago to remember when there was as much cola syrup in a 6 ounce bottle (do you remember those bottles?) as you now have in a 16 ounce bottle. The dissipated version is closer to my memories of cola drinks when I was a child.

This could be a semi-proof of the chlorine theory. Less gasses = better flavor.

The explanation is:

As water freezes , air is trapped inside. Because of this ,fresh icecubes are kind of cloudy. When icecubes melt, air(oxygen) is released into the water.This gives the "better" taste. If you freeze "boiled" water you get crystal-colourless icecubes with no air inside.Good for drinks ,but not drinking water..

I believe you are experiencing a combination of several factors already mentioned. Also, what are the sources for the water and the ice? Ice makers built in to freezers almost always have some sort of inline water filter that may be absent on your tap. I have noticed that the water from the door of my fridge tastes much better than from the tap a few feet away. To eliminate that difference, compare glasses of water made in your usual way with cubes frozen in a tray from the same source as your usual drinking water.

why does Ice starts to taste and smell like Shi* after a couple weeks on the freezer?

Check your fridge for a dead Kritter ... it happens in mine every now and then!

"why does Ice starts to taste and smell like Shi* after a couple weeks on the freezer?"

Perhaps you should take an inventory of your freezer, and remove anything that may impart an objectionable taste to the ice. One thing comes to mind...

[edit] I see r&ddoc had a similar suggestion. Didn't mean to step on your idea.

No bad feelings!

Other unsealed food stored in the same compartment of the freezer where the ice maker and the ice cubes are may also affect the flavor and smell of the ice cubes.

Entrained air in the cubes may have an effect. Freeze one tray immediatly after filling, another after allowing it to "rest" and test the difference.

I agree with Ethanolics, as the water freezes (making the ice cubes), it dissolves significant amount of CO2. This dissolves in the water forming carbonic acid, then as the high CO2 ice cubes dissolve, the CO2 / carbonic acid is released into the surrounding water.

The extent of the pH effect will depend on the buffering capacity (alkalinity) of the water, but the small but significant pH change, is (what I would guess) is changing as the water stands (or rests).

This has nothing to do with O2, unless the water has something (ie. a flavour etc) which is able to be oxidised (and the resting duration is sufficient for this oxidation to occur - hours, days or weeks - but not minutes). Wine will oxidise (flavours, colours, etc) over hours at the fastest depending on catalytic factors present. But water has nothing to oxidise, and the O2 levels in water are already basically saturated, so any oxidation would have happened long before the water hit the glass. Hence this has nothing to do with O2.

My 10 cents - dissolved CO2 (forms carbonic acid) affecting pH. This combined with temperature is what I believe is being observed.

That all makes sense... CO2 could be a likely cause.

This is all kinda fun. You may have noticed I posted a link to physiology of taste - _{though one a bit 'tongue in cheek' - being my naughty 'cryptic' self.}

Have you ever notice snow _{(not the yellow kind)} has 'no taste'?

Might it be, your sensors just don't function at such low temperatures?

Winemaker also alluded to this, as wine makers, understandably, tend to be very aware of the relationship of temperature and taste.

Personally I wouldn't be surprised to find the reason behind this is "evolution', as drinking a large glass of ice water, when you are hot, can stop your heart. That it 'tastes better' warmer is perhaps a 'handy bit of selection'