Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <flavor><freezing><cleaning><alcohol><drinks>
Title: How to remove the flavor from whisky stones?
Question: I made the mistake of buying these  awesome  whisky stones (soapstone) to chill my drinks. Besides the fact that they don't cool the drink down a lot, they acquire a freezer taste and ruin the flavor of the beverage. How can I eliminate this taste? I tried to wash them with soap and water, but I can still taste them.

Answers:
sents: text: To eliminate any off flavors that may have been absorbed, soak them in warm water for a few hours.
text: Be sure the stones are covered by at least a couple of inches, so that there's plenty of volume to absorb flavors.
text: Agitate them every now and again as well.
text: When you place them back in the freezer, be sure they're dry (any surface moisture will more readily absorb flavors) and keep them in a sealed bag or container.
text: For what it's worth, it sounds like your sub-par experience is similar to that of many whiskey nerds and my own.
text: There's really not much need for these things.
text: You can get a similar amount of chilling by using a thick-bottomed glass placed in the freezer for at least 15 minutes or so.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/25059/logophobe
score: 6
sents: text: If your "whisk(e)y stones" are actually stones, they are pourous all the way through.
text: You'll need the thouroughly saturate them with water and a bit of vodka to rid yourself of the water- and alcohol-soluble flavors that have been absorbed.
text: If you don't have the patience for the repeated soakings that will be required, I had good luck putting mine through a self-cleaning cycle in my oven.
text: You have to make sure that they're completely dried out or they'll crack/explode.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/27287/Mr. Mascaro
score: 5
sents: text: Soapstone whiskey rocks are a thing of the past.
text: There are much better whiskey stones out there that have a much better cooling power and have no taste.
text: I love my whiskey, but I love it cool.
text: I have tried whisky rocks made of soapstone and to tell you the truth, they are terrible.
text: I have also tried the glass and granite ones and those also do not provide much cooling power.
text: The stainless steel ones are by far the best I have ever tried, but it is important to make sure they are not just a plated version, also the majority of them are only 3/4 of an inch, but those are still too small to give the desired outcome, the best ones to use are 1 inch cubes.
text: The best ones I have ever tried are called Great White Ice whiskey stones.
text: They are 1 inch cubes and are pure stainless steel with a liquid cooling gel in their centers, are smooth and highly polished and they will never scratch anything.
text: They remain colder way longer
text: then any other type I have tried, and the best part is, they only have to be frozen from 1-2 hours.
text: They can also be used in any other type of drink, I also use them in my wine.
text: They have no taste and they will never break or rust.
text: Trust me you will never use soapstone whiskey rocks again after trying these!
text: You can get them on Amazon.
text: Here is the link [ http://www.amazon.com/Great-White-Ice-Whiskey-Stones/dp/B00CIXQ5C4][1]
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/36591/Jessica
score: 4
sents: text: Your experience and other answers are very different from my experience; for me, they work well to temper a wee dram.
text: :) If they're made of proper soapstone (a common material for whisky stones), you should be in good shape.
text: If it's something absorbent like limestone or something (which is sometimes used for coasters, and inappropriate for putting in anything)
text: you've got the wrong substance to start with.
text: Here's my thoughts, if it's soapstone: Good quality soapstone is essentially non-porous and generally resilient/resistant to staining/smell on its own.
text: If you think the smell/taste is in the water/ice that has condensed on the outside, give it a quick rinse in cold water after removing from the freezer and before putting in your glass.
text: This will rinse off the ice crystals and not meaningfully warm the cube.
text: Soapstone is rather soft (perhaps 4 on the Mohs scale for good quality stuff), and can be polished using conventional methods.
text: You can scrape and polish off some of the surface with stuff like green scrub pads (e.g., "Scotch Brite"), regular cheap sandpaper, and maybe steel wool or so.
text: If you think some bits are clinging to the outside, polish them off.
text: Finish with really fine grit to polish smooth.
text: Best not to breathe the dust...
text: This is how I treat my soapstone.
text: I find that they don't even absorb stuff like bitters.
text: They work for me, and I like them!
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/25286/hoc_age
score: 3
sents: text: Tried soaking my whisky rocks (which I think are soapstone) in lemon juice sealed in a Tupperware container.
text: Seems to have worked so far.
text: Gonna dry them out & keep them inside a container in the fridge.
text: Fingers crossed.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/38059/Colleen
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
When freezing the stones, make sure they're dry and in a sealed container to prevent absorption of flavours. To clean, soak in warm water or a mix of water and vodka, and rinse quickly in cold water when removing from the freezer to clear condensed water on the surface.
Whisky stones should be kept in a sealed container. If they have a smell/taste clean them with water and/or vodka. Rinse any ice off the outside before using them.