Top Shelf cloudy brandy and malt whisky

[Zocco]

Hi all,
I am new here but it looks like a good place to be. I have been using the Still Spirits top shelf range of essences for a few years now and have been having problems with the spirit going cloudy when the brandy or malt whisky essence is added. It does not happen every time and I have not found a problem with any of the other essences (yet).I dont think I am doing anything different each time. I was wondering if anyone else has come across this and could suggest a way of overcoming it.
I am using a spirit made with a home made reflux still which consistantly produces high quality alcohol of almost 95% purity. This is then diluted to 40% with distilled water made with the same apparatus. Thanks.

If any one would like to know how the still was made I would be happy to put details on the appropriate page. It was not particularly cheap and would require some soldering skills but the results are at least as good as the best production models. >:D

[MrCat]

A quick search shows that a few people have had issues with hazy essences but in most cases (and mine...) it has been due to the water you are cutting the spirit back with (mine was entirely due to the water).

I'm not sure how this is happening when you are using distilled water as that has fixed the problem in every other case

http://www.stillsmart.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=645&p=8158&hilit=cloudy#p8158

http://www.stillsmart.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=716&p=6308&hilit=cloudy#p6308

http://www.stillsmart.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=523&p=4728&hilit=cloudy#p4728

If any one would like to know how the still was made I would be happy to put details on the appropriate page. It was not particularly cheap and would require some soldering skills but the results are at least as good as the best production models. >:D

Please post some details in the Build your own thread http://www.stillsmart.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=15 - I'm sure we'll be interested.

I'm looking at building a VM next month so I'm reading up on everything!!

[Capt-Cudellez]

Hi Zocco, does it settle out if you leave it sitting a few weeks? I always get a cloudiness to my rum, I think it's from the small amount of treakle I add before aging, I have to let it settle out then pour off the liquid again.

[Zocco]

Thanks for the interest guys. I guessed it may be to do with the distilled water and this could be the case as it looked like it may have been lime from the hardness of the water. However after distillation there should have been no calcium left in the water and I would have expected it to occur when the alcohol was cut with the water and not when the small amount of essence was added later unless it was some kind of chemical reaction.

After your replies I dug out a bottle of brandy that I made a couple of months ago and it is now clear, I could have sworn it was a bit cloudy when I first made it. However there is no sediment in the bottle so it seems that over time what ever it was has become reabsorbed and not settled out. I have not yet tasted it.

I have made several types of rum and it has never happened with this only the brandy and malt whisky. I will get a water hardness testing if it happens again and that will at least show if there is a problem with the water.

With regards to the construction of the still I will need a few days to prepare a few notes and gather my thoughts and hope to include sources of supply for materials with approximate costs where possible. So I will probably submit the information in stages over 2 or 3 weeks.

[Lexus]

For years ive used still spirits sachets with no problem with clouding, the first time i used the top shelf malt whisky it went cloudy. i put a sachet of finest reserve in the same vodka and it was crystal clear.This is NOT a water problem.Any way are we expected to experiment with waters to try to resolve the problem.

[KerryW]

not sure on the still spirit essences but I would like to see the still design if you would like to share,, thanks

[Electrif]

the first time i used the top shelf malt whisky it went cloudy.

Same with me, only essence I've had problems with.