StillSmart

Re: Scorched popcorn

2014-01-08T01:42:48+00:00

I love Canucks. I almost are one. I'm in North Idaho, though - which is still pretty ok.

Statistics: Posted by Cherry Yidaki — Wed Jan 08, 2014 1:42 am

Re: Scorched popcorn

2014-01-08T01:36:04+00:00

The English Language.....don't ya just love it.

Statistics: Posted by Icefever — Wed Jan 08, 2014 1:36 am

Re: Scorched popcorn

2014-01-08T01:22:40+00:00

Bloody barbarians in Ontario! Huck means to throw, as in "huck me the ball".

Statistics: Posted by chill — Wed Jan 08, 2014 1:22 am

Re: Scorched popcorn

2014-01-08T00:58:21+00:00

chill wrote:
I don't make distinctions on the fly and don't even try. I just fill lots and lots of little jars.

And yes, please do huck that wash!

With you on cutting 'on the fly' and the small collections Chuck.
Good description of Carbon filtering.
Huck is obviously a Canadian word that I don't know.
But then the last time I was there Ontarians didn't know 'fortnight'.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Wed Jan 08, 2014 12:58 am

Re: Scorched popcorn

2014-01-07T21:52:11+00:00

It removes tastes and odours. It does not selectively strip out high and low alcohols or any other solvent-like impurities. It may remove some, but that is not the point.

Statistics: Posted by chill — Tue Jan 07, 2014 9:52 pm

Re: Scorched popcorn

2014-01-07T20:28:01+00:00

That is some cogent advice that went right into the notebook, chill. Thank you.

Please expand on the comment about not being able to remove heads or tails via carbon filtering. What the heck does the carbon do, then?

Statistics: Posted by Cherry Yidaki — Tue Jan 07, 2014 8:28 pm

Re: Scorched popcorn

2014-01-07T18:34:41+00:00

I don't make distinctions on the fly and don't even try. I just fill lots and lots of little jars. I fill less now than I know my standard washes better, but on average, I collect 4 x 100 ml after 250ml of heads (kept unsampled), and 4 x 100ml once I think tails might start. Where uncertain, I will collect 6 on each side. Start with as many as you can manage and whittle it down from there with experience. And don't be greedy. You can recycle anything dubious. I've contaminated more than one batch by adding a jar or two that I was on the fence about. No huge loss, I just diluted an re-distilled and accepted a small loss of alcohol as the price for my greed.

And yes, please do huck that wash!

Statistics: Posted by chill — Tue Jan 07, 2014 6:34 pm

Re: Scorched popcorn

2014-01-07T17:24:43+00:00

IceIceBaby! - Every step along the path ought to tickle our soles/souls, eh? I agree, and I don't worry about how long the journey is, neither.

chill - Well, I can certainly round up more jars. The ability to make the distinctions "on the fly," might prove elusive, at least for awhile. I'll keep on training my palate, though. One day this green cherry will ripen!

Edit - Hold the phone. On receiving some very good and knowledgeable advice as to why this avenue of discovery might be best left untrod, I am hucking it all and waiting for my next fermenter to die down so I can get started with a clean wash. Just so y'all don't look for further updates, because the huck starts - and stops - here. heh

Statistics: Posted by Cherry Yidaki — Tue Jan 07, 2014 5:24 pm

Re: Scorched popcorn

2014-01-07T03:58:02+00:00

I'd use smaller collection containers. I use 100ml containers until I know I am in hearts and then back to the 100ml when I am getting close to tails (the spirit starts coming out slower).

Filtering will remove some tastes but it won't remove heads and tails.

Statistics: Posted by chill — Tue Jan 07, 2014 3:58 am

Re: Scorched popcorn

2014-01-07T03:45:10+00:00

Cherry...it's all part of the game, and it's fun learning. I'm just starting to get my head around all of it, but I'll get there.. I hope.

Statistics: Posted by Icefever — Tue Jan 07, 2014 3:45 am

Re: Scorched popcorn

2014-01-07T03:04:56+00:00

Instead of a hot toddy I could have a hot snotty, eh?

On Hearts 1, would you have cut it due to smell, or taste? Would you trust filtering to get rid of the objectionables, or recycle the entire cut, had you been there sippin' slime squeezin's? heh

heh The rubbery taste was so feint (so to speak) that I hope(d) the carbon will polish it out.

Statistics: Posted by Cherry Yidaki — Tue Jan 07, 2014 3:04 am

Re: Scorched popcorn

2014-01-07T02:34:49+00:00

Hard to say with that wash. It won't make you go blind, but might cause excess mucus.

In any case...
Hearts 1 may have been cut a little early (still some heads in it)
Tails 4/5 the "faint rubber-like note" suggests that true tails are coming on, I would have recycled that one.

Statistics: Posted by chill — Tue Jan 07, 2014 2:34 am

Re: Scorched popcorn

2014-01-07T00:45:31+00:00

I know this wash has been condemned as anathema to all distillers of good and wholesome character, but I shan't shun it, since I already done run it, eh?

So, aidenmac's cutting guide in hand - and a mason jar of chill's good-n-hot water at hand, I did my first proper cuts today. I want to record this whole epic, if only as a cautionary tale. Feel free to point and gasp, but also if you see a place where information might be useful in future, comment.

"aired in covered jars for 36 hours

Heads 1 - smell: a little solventy, also oily/sweet. taste:sweet, aftertaste is solventy/bitter.

Heads 2 - smell: solventy. taste: sweet, aftertaste is solventy and nasty/bitter.

Hearts 1 - smell: maybe a little sharp, but not much. taste: sweet, almost no tongue burn. aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Hearts 2 - smell: faintly sharp, more buttery than anything. taste: lightly sweet, almost no burn. aftertaste is unremarkable/neutral.

Tails 1 - smell: buttery sweet. taste: slightly buttery, neutral. The "tastiest" of anything so far.

Tails 2 - smell: buttery. taste: lightly sweet, slight tongue burn

Tails 3 - smell: buttery. taste: slightly bittersweet. little tongue burn

Tails 4/5 - smell: buttery, faint rubber-like note. taste: neutral, slightly oily"

The heads cuts went into a heads jug for later use. Everything else I mixed together, since none of it ran to "wet dog" or "rotting cardboard" smell or taste -wise. This left me with a couple jars of 55% ABV hootch. I assembled the activated carbon filter that came with the still (cussing myself again for throwing out the little foamed-plastic washers it came with - but there were no instructions. I later found some on the web, but it was not in time to fish them out of the trash.), using homemade washers cut from coffee filters. "Activated" the charcoal with hot water. Diluted the alcohol to 40% ABV and added it to the bucket (what it would hold - about 1000ml, I guess). It took 3 hours to get it down enough to add the last 500ml. It's still trickling through now. I drew off a wee dram of the pre-filtered to sip on. I will report back as to how the filtering worked.

la chaim! y'all - Cherry

Statistics: Posted by Cherry Yidaki — Tue Jan 07, 2014 12:45 am

Re: Scorched popcorn

2014-01-05T19:43:36+00:00

*wailing and tearing at hair* But, but, but - it's my baby! First wash (well, it's twins) and all that...

I have all these nice jars of good-looking, clean, clear liquor sitting on the bar airing now. I want to at least see if I can make them drinkable.

But, I will not allow another fermentation that shows signs of slime to gestate all the way. Fermentation will be terminated like a set of Chinese triplets who lack Y chromosomes - or something.

chill/Chuck - That's way more reasonable. Thanks!

Statistics: Posted by Cherry Yidaki — Sun Jan 05, 2014 7:43 pm

Re: Scorched popcorn

2014-01-05T18:14:57+00:00

+1 Chuck

Definitely drain material

When brewing, we know what will be produced from the recipe we use and with a normal clean routine we get what we plan for. However, if we allow an unplanned ingredient such as wild yeasts or bacteria enter the wash there's no telling what nasty bi-product will be made in there possibly leading to some kind of slimy gunge in the bucket.

Now, in the normal course of events, distillation is just a process by which alcohol can be separated from the other components in the wash. Nothing gets made in the distillation process, it's just a method of separation....unless there are unexpected creatures lurking in the wash making things work differently.

I'd definitely chuck it and put it down to experience, Sorry

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Sun Jan 05, 2014 6:14 pm