StillSmart

Re: Oops wash not cleared

2014-01-02T04:51:28+00:00

That gave me pause. I was sure that some of the arguments I'd seen had come from you. So, I retraced my steps and found that with the usual newbie goofy-footedness I misinterpreted the conversation about adding baking soda to stripped wash - first run - before doing a second distillation.
http://homedistiller.org/distill/dtw/strip

Also:
"Re: missed cuts
Postby chill » Mon Aug 05, 2013 6:13 pm

Another thing to try: Collect your heads until you get 2L. Then add 2L of very hot water to that and stir in baking soda until no more will dissolve. It should bubble and fizz. Loosely cap to allow gas to escape and let sit overnight or longer. That should break down some of the ethyl acetate and hence result in extracting more alcohol from the heads portion.

Chuck"

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2608&p=15611&hilit=baking+soda#p15611

I now see you were posting about the procedure even today.

Good thing I asked, I think. I now have it straight in my head. Thanks.

Statistics: Posted by Cherry Yidaki — Thu Jan 02, 2014 4:51 am

Re: Oops wash not cleared

2014-01-02T00:05:00+00:00

Adding honking amounts of baking soda to the wash does not seem like a good idea. I can't see how it would absorb bad odours and flavours. It would retard the yeast action, but likely not to the point of facilitating clearing. I'd only add some if my ph had dropped to 3 or less and then only to get it up to 4.5 or 5 at the most.

Chuck

Statistics: Posted by chill — Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:05 am

What about baking soda?

2014-01-01T21:12:20+00:00

I see mention of people adding honking amounts of baking soda to their wash when it's finished to absorb some bad odors and flavors. If you put it in your slow/almost finished wash wouldn't it change the ph enough to stun/kill/cramp-the-style-of your yeast so the batch would clear and you could move on?

Just wondering.

Statistics: Posted by Cherry Yidaki — Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:12 pm

Re: Oops wash not cleared

2013-12-07T02:09:01+00:00

If it is just slow, you can wait. I'd rack it off to get most of the yeast out. Mine were infected and it was very clear that something was very, very wrong.

Statistics: Posted by chill — Sat Dec 07, 2013 2:09 am

Re: Oops wash not cleared

2013-12-07T00:30:29+00:00

Old yeasties never really die.
They just seem to fall to the bottom of the fermenter and rootle around looking for the last bits of sugars.
I have a couple of very slow,not stuck washes at the moment that are doing my head in.
If they start digesting the alcohol,as in Chucks case,well really what can be said?
Maybe time to throw them out and start again?
I hate waste.

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Sat Dec 07, 2013 12:30 am

Re: Oops wash not cleared

2013-12-06T19:41:52+00:00

You must have pitched the sparky without racking off first you bold boy I usually beat hell out of the wash then let it settle for twenty four hours then rack off to another bucket leaving the yeast cake etc behind before preparing the sparky and tossing it into the wash. After another 24 hours crystal wash unless, as Chuck said, you have an infection in which case you're wasting your time

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Fri Dec 06, 2013 7:41 pm

Re: Oops wash not cleared

2013-12-06T17:37:44+00:00

My latest whisky wash produced by the Breumaister is odd too

Used some turbo clear last time which was ok ish

Back to normal sparkaloid and it has cleared but there must still be a bit of fermenting going on as there are slow moving globules of yeast majestically going up and down making a scene reminiscent of an old Yes Roger Dean album cover crossed with Avatar wierd

Statistics: Posted by Admiral Toad — Fri Dec 06, 2013 5:37 pm

Re: Oops wash not cleared

2013-12-06T17:11:55+00:00

I have had washes that Sparkolloid would not clear! I am pretty sure they had an infection as they kept producing more gas (a LOT more) and it was not possible to stir it out. This went on for weeks after it hit 0.090! I have no idea what it it was. On a couple of the batches it consumed ALL of the alcohol before I got it into the still. >:(

Chuck

Statistics: Posted by chill — Fri Dec 06, 2013 5:11 pm

Re: Oops wash not cleared

2013-12-06T08:09:18+00:00

Occasionally you get a wash that will not clear using conventional clearing agents but there is an alternative. Sparkolloid will clear a foggy day and I've never come across a wash it couldn't make crystal clear.

You don't say if you had degassed the wash, also have you racked off to a clean fermenter leaving most of the grunge behind.

Beat the gas out of it and leave it outside overnight and you should get a good improvement but get yourself some Sparkolloid for backup for future use.

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:09 am

Re: Oops wash not cleared

2013-12-06T02:35:13+00:00

RumJohn wrote:
Attn: vinio-tinto. Thanks for the explanation. Still not sure how a wash can be referred to as 3x distilled before it is distilled.

That will be marketing RumJohn,it allows all sorts of claims.
Not necessarily true ones.
Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:35 am

Re: Oops wash not cleared

2013-12-06T00:09:03+00:00

Attn: vinio-tinto. Thanks for the explanation. Still not sure how a wash can be referred to as 3x distilled before it is distilled.

Statistics: Posted by RumJohn — Fri Dec 06, 2013 12:09 am

Re: Oops wash not cleared

2013-12-05T10:54:46+00:00

Thanks for the input folks.The triple distilled was a still spirits yeast with carbon added.It is starting to settle slightly so will give it a couple of days and run it through the t500,dilute down to 20% then run it through again.I always use conditioner in the still as a precaution.
Mark

Statistics: Posted by trelliS — Thu Dec 05, 2013 10:54 am

Re: Oops wash not cleared

2013-12-05T06:17:18+00:00

Good point VT, I always use distiller's conditioner in my stripping runs. I have it on hand and better safe than puked on.

Chuck

Statistics: Posted by chill — Thu Dec 05, 2013 6:17 am

Re: Oops wash not cleared

2013-12-05T05:58:45+00:00

RumJohn, a "triple distilled wash" is made from a turbo yeast by Still Spirits for use in their stills, it normally consists of yeast,carbon and finings and works out at about 14%. I used to use it, but the black carbon made a mess, if I need to use a turbo it's Vodka Star nowadays, a lot better end product.

TrelliS, as chill said, run it, just don't fill it to the max in case it puks

Statistics: Posted by vino-tinto — Thu Dec 05, 2013 5:58 am

Re: Oops wash not cleared

2013-12-05T05:20:49+00:00

Attn: TrelliS

I am a little unclear on: "My triple distilled wash hasn't cleared ." If indeed you have already distilled 3x and reduced a high wine back to say 40%ABV and that is cloudy - that will be due to a high concentration of fusil alcohols.

In that case you could redistill as high a %age as you can get to remove all flavour and smell, finishing with a neutral.

Shoot for QUALITY NOY QUANTITY.

Statistics: Posted by RumJohn — Thu Dec 05, 2013 5:20 am