StillSmart

Adding honking amounts of baking soda to the wash does not seem like a good idea. I can't see how it would absorb bad odours and flavours. It would retard the yeast action, but likely not to the point of facilitating clearing. I'd only add some if my ph had dropped to 3 or less and then only to get it up to 4.5 or 5 at the most.

Chuck

That gave me pause. I was sure that some of the arguments I'd seen had come from you. So, I retraced my steps and found that with the usual newbie goofy-footedness I misinterpreted the conversation about adding baking soda to stripped wash - first run - before doing a second distillation.
http://homedistiller.org/distill/dtw/strip

Also:
"Re: missed cuts
Postby chill » Mon Aug 05, 2013 6:13 pm

Another thing to try: Collect your heads until you get 2L. Then add 2L of very hot water to that and stir in baking soda until no more will dissolve. It should bubble and fizz. Loosely cap to allow gas to escape and let sit overnight or longer. That should break down some of the ethyl acetate and hence result in extracting more alcohol from the heads portion.

Chuck"


viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2608&p=15611&hilit=baking+soda#p15611

I now see you were posting about the procedure even today.

Good thing I asked, I think. I now have it straight in my head. Thanks.