StillSmart

Corn will. Lentils won't.

In a Lentil wash the lentils are merely there to add a little nutrient for the Yeasties, their major food is the sugar that is added.
I am sure that a small amount of corn could do the same job.
Some people, myself included, have done/do all corn washes, where the only sugar that the Yeasties get to eat comes from the corn.
These need an enzyme to release the sugar.
I hope that is clear now.

Robert.

Clear. Thank you.

Another thing, I have some allisons dried active yeast (yellow tin).
It says on the tin to activate it in warm water with a little sugar.
Do I do this or just chuck it in as per the instructions for this wash?

Thanks.

I use the very same yeast, almost exclusively.
I sprinkle it on the top, leave it 5 minutes and stir in.
Leave a while longer and stir in again.
I do this until I become bored and the brew seems to be happy.
Watch out for yeast monsters trying to escape the brew bin, and beat them back with a slotted spoon.;
No pre-activation needed,
Some may pre-activate, or even grow yeast up before pitching, but at what I consider the low cost of Allinson's, I simply add 100g to a 23 lires wash.
Job done.

Robert.

Thanks Robert. I gotta say, I'm excited about a cheaper more natural way of doing this.
More like a 'real' home made likker.

I had imagined giving a lot this stuff away, and I have. Or selling cheaply to regular spirit drinkers like my Dad and my 11 year old daughter.

But the shear amount of time this stuff takes to make with an AS sure does put a premium on it in my mind.

I think I just need to get into a rhythm and start stockpiling.

I threw a tasting/getting shit faced party the other day with my brothers and didn't make a dent in my small stock, so something is working!

Cheers, Marc.

Your post made me smile!
Make sure your daughter is not selling your hard worked for product at school!
When you settle to a rythm with the AS, it becomes easier.
If you have freezer space consider freeze stripping.
Maybe consider running the AS on a timer if you can locate it somewhere safe, I don't but others do.

Robert.

Did you really mean selling it to your 11 year old daughter?

Of course not Mash. I wouldn't really charge her anything.

Guess we caught Mash before his first coffee

Robert.

Coffee Easydrinker.
How do you brew that ?
Is it alcoholic?
Do you have to make cuts?

How does this wash taste as a spirit? The original source 'Scarecrow' was dubious about it's flavour.

I realsise this is an old thread, or does it still hold true? If not, what's the latest and greatest concoction?

This will give you a neutral spirit/vodka with little or no taste to it.

I think that many here now use their own variation of a lentil wash for their regular neutral.
My own variation adds chopped raisins and a little Di-Ammonium Phosphate.
And I use Yellow split peas, not lentils,(half the cost).
I don't see me straying anytime soon, it produces a consistently good product.

Robert.

Says I need a starting pH of 5.2, my water is soft at 7-8 pH.

I've read that yeast fall asleep when pH falls below 4.

As pH drops as the wash goes on, why would I lower it to start with.

Much confused.

Marc.

5.2 - 5.4 is the ideal ph for yeast to start a wash/brew.
They are generally happy to finish at 3. something.
Most people try to raise not lower, the PH a little by adding Bicarbonate of soda for the first couple of days of wash activity, (I do).
Come back if you are still struggling to understand.

Robert.