StillSmart

My last two washes I`ve added a cup of raisins with awesome results. The yeast goes crazy for these dried grapes. On one of the washes I forgot to plug in the aquarium heater and remembered 8 hours later and of course the temp had dropped to 18C and the wash stalled. Added a cup of raisins and plugged in the heater and within an hour, tremendous bubbling away.

Might just be my imagination, but the spirits seem to take on a really nice flavor, or non-flavor.. With the raisins added, am loving the results.

I've been meaning to try this. My guess is that the yeast will prefer them to lentils (more diverse nutrients).

My understanding is that the raisins supply "free Amino Nitrogen"
I'll leave you to Google it yourself,it is quite a complex and lengthy topic.
However,since I started using them,I am convinced minced raisins in a wash are a definite boon,and now always add them.

Robert.

Edit;
I have found prunes have the same effect.
I have yet to try other dried fruit.

“...have yet to try other dried fruit”

I have often wondered about using dried fruits but was always put off by the fact that many have been impregnated with stabilisers/preservatives.

If this is so, wouldn't it effect fermentations?

I have often thought that a good prune wash could be the basis for a nice Slivovitz. A drink I first came across in Dubrovnik, in what was then Yugoslavia.

I would love to make something similar.

I suspect that a wash,using just dried fruit may fail,if preservatives are present.
Using a small amount of dried fruit,for what they may add to a wash,such as "free Amino Nitrogen' is possibly outweighing any detrimental effect of any preservative present.
But what do I know?

Robert

I am a novice new to this spirit making and making spirit with my new airstill turbo yeast,carbon and the A+B clearing sachet,can I put a cup of raisins in at the start of my fermenting wash ? Will this help ?

Turbo yeast packages have plenty (too much?) of nutrients. What is your goal in adding the raisins?

Chuck

As Chuck said,the raisins won't help you here,as Turbo's come pre-packaged with sufficient food for that type of yeast,the reason that they are costly.

Robert.

Thanks for the reply I realise now u do not need to do this with turbos but can some one put on a basic wash that is cheaper than using the turbos with measurements/quantitys I can use with the airstill ? I have looked at the recipes on this forum and don't quite understand them all the jargon is all new to me as I am to this spirit making, many thanks for all help much appreciated.

Here you are.

There is also a PDF for printing ( if I uploaded it OK )



WWW (Wonderful Wheat Wash)

25 litres water
5.5 kgs sugar,
350 grams of chicken or malted wheat (nutrients)
1/2 tsp Epsom Salts (not essential)
1/4 tsp Vitamin B12
50 grams of Allinson's bread Yeast.

Mixing
Put the Wheat/malt in a jug - add 2lt hot water (just off the boil) - soak for 30 mins

Weight sugar into fermenter. Use hottest, hot tap water and top up to 10l and dissolve sugar.
Make sure it is all dissolved. To check - stir the fermenter vigorously until all the liquid is spinning. Any dissolved sugar will appear at a small heap in the middle of the fermenter.

Finally top up to 25l and get to 35°C

After Wheat has had a good soak for 30 minutes, give them a good stir and add to mix.

Aerate the wash with usual method. Whisking by hand whisk is as good as anything - but really go for it !

Temp should be 35c - Sprinkle on yeast. This might take a couple of minutes. Sprinkle it on, try your best not to let it clump. Wait for some to sink and then sprinkle on some more.

Leave for 15 mins completely undisturbed, before stirring.

Ferment.
Keep the ferment at 25-28C throughout and it should finish in 10 (ish) days. Any higher temperatures than this may produce off flavours.
Wrap in an electric blanket or use an aquarium heater, but you will need electricity to maintain the correct temperature.
Monitor the temperature daily. It will go up as the yeast gets really active in the first few days and you will need to lower the additional heating. It will go down towards the end of the fermentation and you will need to increase the additional heating.
..... alternatively, get a thermostatic stainless steel aquarium heater :-)

Racking
Check with a hydrometer, when you are satisfied it is finished siphon it into a clean container. Remove as much air as you can - treat it as wine. Seal it up and leave it somewhere cool (+3°C . Ideally certainly below 10° C) for a further 3 (ish) days. After this it will be clear enough to run without any further help.

Thank you so much Mashy I will try this one and let you know how it goes much appreciate regards John.

Let me know how you get on...

just a quick one about the raisins , would I be best soaking them or just put them straight in ?

thanks , woof.

Doubt it would make a difference

no probs ill just chuck em in then