Why does meltwater taste different?

Question

I've noticed that water obtained from melting ice cubes (by keeping them in the open) tastes different from water cooled to the same temperature.

Furthermore, the taste goes away if you keep it in the open for a sufficient duration of time.

I can think of these possible explanations:

The Internet is giving me all sorts of varying answers.

Exactly what chemical differences exist between meltwater and cold water?

I might guess the dissolved gases (and specifically the chlorine/chloramine) would be ejected faster from melted ice (and slowly from standing water), but I don't know if that's the taste you're looking for.
@NickT: I'm not looking for the taste, I'm looking for all the physical/chemical differences. The taste is just a point proving the existence of those differences. You can make that into an answer, though I'd prefer something more than a "guess" ;-)

cbeleites · Answer 1 · 2012-06-04 17:18:57Z

up vote 3 down vote

(not yet a fully grown answer: experiment still pending)

I heard that $\ce{CO2}$/$\ce{H2CO3}$/$\ce{HCO3-}$ is responsible for "fresh" taste of water.

@NickT: Chloramine has a very characteristic smell, so Manishearth could most probably tell us whether this was the smell/taste.

So, here are first questions for @Manishearth:

does water that has been boiled and then cooled to the same temperature taste similar to the taste you're asking for?
What about de-ionized water?

Of course, there's also that average-of-all-that-has-ever-been-in-the-freezer taste...

answered Jun 4 '12 at 17:18

cbeleites
70317

	Nope, boiled water tastes bland, even when cooled. Regarding chloramine, I don't know the smell, but I don't think that that's it (if you want to check it out, lick an ice cube). I remember drinking from a stream in Yellowstone(meltwater), it had the same taste. So it's something natural, not having to do with artificial additions. – ManishEarth♦ Jun 4 '12 at 17:27
	@Manishearth: Chloramine is the "chlorinated" smell of swimming pools or sometimes drinking water (at least here in europe). I was asking about the boiled water because boilings gets rid of dissolved gas - like freezing. So now we know that you're looking for something that is not caused by loosing a gas. But I have to admit I have no idea what it is... any food chemists around? – cbeleites Jun 7 '12 at 21:43
	Nope, not that taste. And never tasted it in drinking water. – ManishEarth♦ Jun 8 '12 at 0:19

1 Answer