StillSmart

Just finished stripping one of my initial washes that had stalled out, gotten slimy and took forever to finish. I racked it to a bucket when it stopped bubbling, stirred it well - though I got no foaming; it seemed already degassed, let it sit on the cool stone floor overnight. It didn't clear much, but since it was a sugar wash, it wasn't very dark/opaque to begin with

I did my best to follow the aidenmac chart and collect down to readings under 20%ABV. Out of 5 gallons of 15.3% wash I got a little over a gallon of 30-ish% strip that smells and tastes (not totally unpleasantly) a bit like slightly scorched popcorn.

I wonder, is that flavor from the still-suspended yeast in my not-completely-cleared wash burning? There wasn't a residue or scorch marks in the pot afterward.

I added a couple of tbs of baking soda to each "catch," after noticing. I'm hoping when I check back the smell/flavor will be muted or gone.

Anyone use a DIY clearing agent of some sort? I read somewhere about tossing crushed egg shells in.

I rarely taste stripped wash. It never tastes good. That is not the point. It is quite possible that what you are tasting is cooked yeast. It does not need to burn to taste unpleasant. I doubt that adding baking soda will do any good. As for clearing agents, time and cold are the only DIY ones that I know of. Eggs are used for clearing soups, but you need to boil them. You could also boil some ground meat in it. Buy some Sparkolloid, you will be happy.

Chuck

Cherry Yidaki wrote:.......Out of 5 gallons of 15.3% wash I got a little over a gallon of 30-ish% strip that smells and tastes (not totally unpleasantly) a bit like slightly scorched popcorn......

I'm not sure if you're working in US or Imperial gallons but either way these figures don't work

There appears to be something preventing you from getting the best from your efforts. I suspect that either the ABV of the wash was actually much lower than you thought or the wash was infected leading to such a poor yield, which might account for what you referred to as "slimy"

Yup! definitely something you need to identify and sort out

Personally, I don't go for high strength washes because of the associated risks and my standard wash would be 25lt @ 11% from which I expect to collect 8lt @ 50% When this is diluted to 30% for the spirit run it becomes 13.3lt.

Next wash you need to keep it simple. You could try something like Vodka Star if you want an all in package that's reliable or a simple sugar wash like the Lentil Wash. No complications and just find a way to keep the temperature steady through the night and day and once the yeast is in, leave the wash alone until it's finished

AM

I'm using American gallons, since that's what I'm used to and they're pretty close to 4 liters for most purposes

I don't know what the "slime" was. When I'd dip a tool (hydrometer, ph meter, racking siphon, etc.) in it I noticed that it came out with clear, viscous, glycerine-like strings depending. Nothing ever smelled or tasted "off," so I let the wash keep going until it stopped.

I bet the "snot/slime" did alter my SG readings, though. Once the run was over I cleaned everything thoroughly with oxyclean and hot water. I think I'll try that lentil wash next, with bread yeast.

When I started filling my distiller to do a spirit run it became more obvious that something had to have been wonky with the wash/hydrometer readings. Setting the spirit hydrometer right in the pot gave me a reading of 25% ABV.

My notes for the spirit run read thusly:

1/4/2014 - 1400 hrs - 2nd distillation of Wash #2. Stripping runs A, C and D = 1 gallon of 25% ABV. ("B" is 1400ml of 22% ABV)

The baking soda has improved the aroma, but the taste is mostly the same. Will save the other bottle to run with some other strip, or add to a wash that needs volume.

First drips - 1455 hrs
50ml - 1501 hrs - foreshots - discarded
150ml - 1511 hrs - heads 1 - 75% ABV
100ml - 1518 hrs - heads 2 - 75% ABV
500ml - 1558 hrs - hearts 1 - 72% ABV
500ml - 1648 hrs - hearts 2 - 60% ABV
100ml - 1700 hrs - tails 1 - 45% ABV
100ml - 1711 hrs - tails 2 - 37% ABV
100ml - 1723 hrs - tails 3 - 30% ABV
100ml - 1735 hrs - tails 4 - 24% ABV
50ml - 1743 hrs - tails 5 - 20% ABV

In labeled jars, separated as noted above (except tails 4 & 5, which I combined), covered with paper towels to let air 24 hours before taste testing and cutting.


I will pop this in the activated charcoal filtering bucket once cutting is concluded. If I can drink it, I will celebrate. If I can't drink it, I'll save it to beef up weak washes or for a heads run. Either way, I'm having fun and learning how to do everything better.

chill/Chuck - I see Amazon is selling Sparkolloid for $6.50 American per ounce. That seems spendy. I'll check my brew store and see what they're selling it for. Thanks.

I don't know what the "slime" was. When I'd dip a tool (hydrometer, ph meter, racking siphon, etc.) in it I noticed that it came out with clear, viscous, glycerine-like strings depending.

Ick! I would have had that down the drain as fast as I could! That is really not right.

4oz for 3.79: http://www.brewhaus.com/Clearing-Agent- ... -P853.aspx

+1 Chuck

Definitely drain material

When brewing, we know what will be produced from the recipe we use and with a normal clean routine we get what we plan for. However, if we allow an unplanned ingredient such as wild yeasts or bacteria enter the wash there's no telling what nasty bi-product will be made in there possibly leading to some kind of slimy gunge in the bucket.

Now, in the normal course of events, distillation is just a process by which alcohol can be separated from the other components in the wash. Nothing gets made in the distillation process, it's just a method of separation....unless there are unexpected creatures lurking in the wash making things work differently.

I'd definitely chuck it and put it down to experience, Sorry

AM

*wailing and tearing at hair* But, but, but - it's my baby! First wash (well, it's twins) and all that...

I have all these nice jars of good-looking, clean, clear liquor sitting on the bar airing now. I want to at least see if I can make them drinkable.

But, I will not allow another fermentation that shows signs of slime to gestate all the way. Fermentation will be terminated like a set of Chinese triplets who lack Y chromosomes - or something.

chill/Chuck - That's way more reasonable. Thanks!

I know this wash has been condemned as anathema to all distillers of good and wholesome character, but I shan't shun it, since I already done run it, eh?

So, aidenmac's cutting guide in hand - and a mason jar of chill's good-n-hot water at hand, I did my first proper cuts today. I want to record this whole epic, if only as a cautionary tale. Feel free to point and gasp, but also if you see a place where information might be useful in future, comment.

"aired in covered jars for 36 hours

Heads 1 - smell: a little solventy, also oily/sweet. taste:sweet, aftertaste is solventy/bitter.

Heads 2 - smell: solventy. taste: sweet, aftertaste is solventy and nasty/bitter.

Hearts 1 - smell: maybe a little sharp, but not much. taste: sweet, almost no tongue burn. aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Hearts 2 - smell: faintly sharp, more buttery than anything. taste: lightly sweet, almost no burn. aftertaste is unremarkable/neutral.

Tails 1 - smell: buttery sweet. taste: slightly buttery, neutral. The "tastiest" of anything so far.

Tails 2 - smell: buttery. taste: lightly sweet, slight tongue burn

Tails 3 - smell: buttery. taste: slightly bittersweet. little tongue burn

Tails 4/5 - smell: buttery, faint rubber-like note. taste: neutral, slightly oily"

The heads cuts went into a heads jug for later use. Everything else I mixed together, since none of it ran to "wet dog" or "rotting cardboard" smell or taste -wise. This left me with a couple jars of 55% ABV hootch. I assembled the activated carbon filter that came with the still (cussing myself again for throwing out the little foamed-plastic washers it came with - but there were no instructions. I later found some on the web, but it was not in time to fish them out of the trash.), using homemade washers cut from coffee filters. "Activated" the charcoal with hot water. Diluted the alcohol to 40% ABV and added it to the bucket (what it would hold - about 1000ml, I guess). It took 3 hours to get it down enough to add the last 500ml. It's still trickling through now. I drew off a wee dram of the pre-filtered to sip on. I will report back as to how the filtering worked.

la chaim! y'all - Cherry

Hard to say with that wash. It won't make you go blind, but might cause excess mucus.

In any case...
Hearts 1 may have been cut a little early (still some heads in it)
Tails 4/5 the "faint rubber-like note" suggests that true tails are coming on, I would have recycled that one.

Instead of a hot toddy I could have a hot snotty, eh?

On Hearts 1, would you have cut it due to smell, or taste? Would you trust filtering to get rid of the objectionables, or recycle the entire cut, had you been there sippin' slime squeezin's? heh

heh The rubbery taste was so feint (so to speak) that I hope(d) the carbon will polish it out.

Cherry...it's all part of the game, and it's fun learning. I'm just starting to get my head around all of it, but I'll get there.. I hope.

I'd use smaller collection containers. I use 100ml containers until I know I am in hearts and then back to the 100ml when I am getting close to tails (the spirit starts coming out slower).

Filtering will remove some tastes but it won't remove heads and tails.

IceIceBaby! - Every step along the path ought to tickle our soles/souls, eh? I agree, and I don't worry about how long the journey is, neither.

chill - Well, I can certainly round up more jars. The ability to make the distinctions "on the fly," might prove elusive, at least for awhile. I'll keep on training my palate, though. One day this green cherry will ripen!

Edit - Hold the phone. On receiving some very good and knowledgeable advice as to why this avenue of discovery might be best left untrod, I am hucking it all and waiting for my next fermenter to die down so I can get started with a clean wash. Just so y'all don't look for further updates, because the huck starts - and stops - here. heh

I don't make distinctions on the fly and don't even try. I just fill lots and lots of little jars. I fill less now than I know my standard washes better, but on average, I collect 4 x 100 ml after 250ml of heads (kept unsampled), and 4 x 100ml once I think tails might start. Where uncertain, I will collect 6 on each side. Start with as many as you can manage and whittle it down from there with experience. And don't be greedy. You can recycle anything dubious. I've contaminated more than one batch by adding a jar or two that I was on the fence about. No huge loss, I just diluted an re-distilled and accepted a small loss of alcohol as the price for my greed.

And yes, please do huck that wash!

That is some cogent advice that went right into the notebook, chill. Thank you.

Please expand on the comment about not being able to remove heads or tails via carbon filtering. What the heck does the carbon do, then?