Potato moonshine.

[Icefever]

I know a few on here have tried a potato vodka....I remember the horror stories of all the mashing of spuds...the gelatinous like consistency.
Trying to clean up after...I was looking over the recipe site from the banana wash, when I spied the following...

http://moonshinerecipe.org/potato-moonshine/

I must admit it looks easy...(from where I'm sat )

[Mash]

Not quite cricket though?

20lbs. of White Sugar and 2.5lbs. of Potatoes. This is a sugar wash with taters in it init ?

[Icefever]

It's what it is Mash, I've posted the link just in case anyone wants to give it a go.

[Mash]

I have to say it a lot easier that tatty moonshine. jeepers that was something else.

[gaza the instructor]

We suffered from a fly invasion
during potato vodka experiment.
Now banned from the house!!!

[Mash]

LOL You or the potato vodka banned from the house

[Icefever]

Probably both.... just to make sure.

[Mash]

Probably both.... just to make sure.

LOL. I don't know you knew my wife !

[gaza the instructor]

Nice one guys.
Still allowed in only to eat and pay bills.
Still trying to clear the little monsters,
my C.A.G. Rossie has fresh fruit, that don't
help matters.
The Vodka I think was worth the flies

[Caracasbrewer]

Just done a run of potato vodka, only 1 ltr of spirit from 5kg pots, mashed into 23ltrs water with 1kg malted barley and 1kg wheat. Any ideas what the yield should be?

[Mash]

Just done a run of potato vodka, only 1 ltr of spirit from 5kg pots, mashed into 23ltrs water with 1kg malted barley and 1kg wheat. Any ideas what the yield should be?

Welcome to the board.
Let me read that back to you before I answer (just in case)
You did a brew (or wash) with 5kg of tatties and 1kg of barley & 1 kg wheat in 23l
Ran it through the still and got 1 lite of spirit.

There is a couple of bits missing to answer your question accurately..
Have you watered it down yet?
What still?
What cuts did you make?
How did you mash the grain?
What was the SG when you started.

That said .... and guessing now, but ... 1 litre sounds about right.
There wasn't a great deal of sugar available for the yeast to convert.
Given the ingredients I don't think you did too bad at all. Well done.


How did you find us ?

[Caracasbrewer]

Hello, thanks for the welcome. I've been brewing full mash beer for a few years and I decided to try distilling so this is all fairly new to me.

To answer the questions
I watered down to 45% but I didn't filter since the output was so small.
I ran the wash through a T500 reflux.
I didn't make any cuts but I took out the first 50ml.
I mashed the grain in the potato water at about 65C, but I put the wheat in with the pots for the boil.
I didn't take the SG when I started since I really didn't expect to get anything out.

Thanks for taking an interest

[Curmudgeon]

Ignore the following. I'm an idiot.

In very very general terms I have a ballpark target of 1 bottle (750 ml) to 1 litre of 40% spirit per gallon of mash. 1 litre would be for a sugar wash that was 14% abv, 1 bottle for a molasses wash that was maybe 10% etc.

My vague theoretical understanding is that converting potato starch to fermentable sugar isn't easy or ideal, so I'd think 1 litre from a single run without cuts and 1 bottle (750ml) from a double run with cuts would be very acceptable.

Edit : I completely misread quantities in original post, but will leave this here as testimony to my stuipdity. I was thinking in terms of 1 kg of sugar or equivalent. How much sugar is in 5kg of potatoes I couldn't say

[packapoo]

Here Curmudgeon. You seem to deal in conundrums....

Been looking for an answer to this for a while, can't seem to get a handle - How much sugar in a kilo of malted oats

[Easydrinker]

"How many many's...?"

From my limited knowledge Caracasbrewer, what you pulled out was about what I would expect.
Welcome to a new member with the time and enthusiasm to expend more cash and kilojoules in mashing, brewing, stilling and cleaning up afterwards than a simple bag of sugar would cost to feed your yeasties.
Your enthusiasm and bonkersness shows that you have found your spiritual home!
See what I did there?

Buckle-up.

Robert.