StillSmart

.. youve got the wrong mob Bob..

LMAO. Brilliant

Just put down my third or fourth 50 litre wash.

Just a reminder to anyone trying this to stick to the sugar ratio in the recipe.

Wash number one was ready to strip in a week.

Wash number two I upped the sugar by a few hundred grams just to make it an even half kilo. It took the best part of three weeks before it was ready to still.

Wash number three I've gone back to Teds ratio and the airlock is slowing down by day three.

AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY TED CREATED VODKA AND HE SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD

Yeah bang on - I am going to dig out my PH meter today and out another wash on.

Mash wrote:Yeah bang on - I am going to dig out my PH meter today and out another wash on.

I must have done close to 1000 litres of various washes now and I have never taken the eBay PH meter out of its packet or adjusted the PH. I used the strips on my first few cachacha washes and noted that the PH was a little high. Sorted itself out as the wash ran. In fact the less I worried about stalled ferments and pitching temps the more successful my washes were. If you follow proven recipe it'll all come out in the wash. No I'm not apologizing for that pun

You won't have any PH issues with this FFV recipe . One less thing to worry about brother !

You can throw a few sea shells in the wash when you start it and it will keep the pH stabilised during the fermentation.

Should I start a thread about which sea shells should be used?

Its a great bit of chemistry in action Mash. The shell gets smaller every time you use it and the wash adjusts its own PH.

Any clean white sea shell will do. Inglishill prefers oysters because he likes eating them.

I've read that this adding of shells is actually not useful, the leaching of calcium is too slow to meaningfully impact the pH. Given how much baking soda I need to add to move pH, that seems reasonable. It is a nice idea though.

Based on my experience with high OG sugar washes, I think your lack of pH problems can be attributed to the low sugar (fast ferments, less stressed yeast results in less pH change) and the addition of Wheat Germ.

And lack of problems with PH is not a problem I intend doing anything about.

chill wrote:I've read that this adding of shells is actually not useful, the leaching of calcium is too slow to meaningfully impact the pH. Given how much baking soda I need to add to move pH, that seems reasonable. It is a nice idea though.

Based on my experience with high OG sugar washes, I think your lack of pH problems can be attributed to the low sugar (fast ferments, less stressed yeast results in less pH change) and the addition of Wheat Germ.

You may have read about it, have you actually done it?

Granted, if you are using a generational wash then an adjustment may be called for.

But caco3 will be used as a buffer, and so if you use it at the start you won't get in the shit, using it to adjust is a waste of time.

Lots of blokes don't understand that, but hey, I am just a new fellow on the block that gets banned from message boards like this pretty quick for saying what I think.

I'm just trying to help out.......

I am happy to go into the science of it, although I am renound for going off topic.

Thing is, if you tell me I am wrong because of something you have read, we ain't going to get along all that well.

I have never bother about ph. My grape wines get through in about 7-8 days I know these are ph 3.2 -3.4.

Never tested my sugar washes but was going with my next one and adjust to 3.2 with Citric Acid. Shells are principally chalk, how does that help?

inglishill wrote: I am just a new fellow on the block that gets banned from message boards like this pretty quick for saying what I think.

First of all welcome to our forum inglishill...I was somewhat taken aback by the above statement that you get banned from message boards for saying what you think, could it be the way your saying it???
The latter part of your 2nd post comes across as being a little confrontational right from the onset.

We pride ourselves on here as being one of the friendliest still sites around, nothing is too much for us, we are very forgiving.

I've been on other stilling sites when I began this hobby....the ones where when a newbie ask a Q, your told to surf for it yourself. The sites with flame wars, where the site then splits in two...just to start all over again.

We're an easy come..easy go sort of site...so as I said at the start welcome, please stay and join in.

In the middle of relocation process presently - going from the pointy bit down to Marton, 'nother week before settled in the new joint....so all booze manufacture presently stilled...

But, Fast Ted's recipe is at the top of the hit list when I crank up.

Icefever wrote:

inglishill wrote: I am just a new fellow on the block that gets banned from message boards like this pretty quick for saying what I think.

First of all welcome to our forum inglishill...I was somewhat taken aback by the above statement that you get banned from message boards for saying what you think, could it be the way your saying it???
The latter part of your 2nd post comes across as being a little confrontational right from the onset.

We pride ourselves on here as being one of the friendliest still sites around, nothing is too much for us, we are very forgiving.

I've been on other stilling sites when I began this hobby....the ones where when a newbie ask a Q, your told to surf for it yourself. The sites with flame wars, where the site then splits in two...just to start all over again.

We're an easy come..easy go sort of site...so as I said at the start welcome, please stay and join in.

Thanks for the welcome :-)

I'll try and dial it back a bit:-)

I am pretty easy going for the most part, really, I'll even take time to prove it :-)

inglishill wrote:Thanks for the welcome :-)
I'll try and dial it back a bit:-)
I am pretty easy going for the most part, really, I'll even take time to prove it :-)

Thanks dude..

Now we have you in the chair with the light shining in your eyes, we have some questions. Where were you on Jan 4th...no forget that sorry...

What's your still? and what's your poison?.... how long have you been stilling?? .........shit better start a new thread.

All in good fun mate.

Welcome aboard inglishhill.
I am sure you'll be fine.
I have done a few sites. This one is a pleasure. You took me by surprise with you comments. I have to take a deep breath sometimes, I am sure we all do.
Sometimes people don't hear what your saying. Sometimes people have different agenda's. Sometimes we talk utter shite. But do all rub along and enjoy just that.

Pull up a chair, put on a brew and enjoy.