I often have 500ml bottles of water freeze in my truck but have noticed a problem. After the water thaws there is a very small amount of white, cloudy sediment in the bottom of the bottle, I do not know if this is something seperating out from the water or if it is from the plastic bottle. Does anyone have an idea of what this stuff is?

Mike

I'm with SBRaider. It is a pain, but I take it out of the car every night and put it back in in the morning. That is the only method that works for me up in Northern New England.

probably just the dissolved minerals going out of solution as the temp declines. warm it back up and they should disappear.

I too have noticed that white sediment when I've frozen bottled water in the clear plastic PETE bottles, particularly if I've frozen, thawed, re-frozen, and re-thawed. I doesn't go away when re-heated in my experience. I haven't seen that white sediment when I use one of my Nalgene bottles. I've had good luck with freezing water in my Nalgene bottles when I fill them maybe 3/4 full and then placing them on their side in the freezer.

Partially filled metal containers work well for long term emergency storage where it could stay frozen for months on end. Metal containers make it easier to melt a big block of ice rather than trying to chip it out of a plastic bottle.

For shorter term storage you can try wrapping your water bottle with some kind of insulation and store it upside down so that the ice forms in the bottom first and does not block the drinking spout. Also add a bit of gator aid or other mix which will lower the freezing point of the water.

Hi Jim,

I am glad to hear that someone else has noticed this sediment also. I still do not know what it is?

Mike

This thread reminds me of being back in college and visiting friends at the University of Maine. We stored our excess party beverages outside, and at one point someone uttered the phrase:

"We all need to drink faster, because the beer is starting to explode."

It is an age old problem to be sure. Like some of you have mentioned, the 2-liter plastic soda bottles usually do not crack when the water inside freezes, at least in my experience.

What I would really like is non-freezable water that is drinkable! It can take alot of fuel and time to melt ice.