StillSmart

Hi,

I've just completed a Vodka star wash using 5kg of sugar and the the completed wash is very bitter although it smells fine.

I ran some of it through the still which resulted spirit with a burnt bitter taste

Does this sound like Mannite infection? Its been really hot at times over the last week.

Kind regards

Jon

No idea what Mannite is, but that does sound like an infection of some sort. Maybe a malolactic? "Many species of Pediococcus also have the potential to introduce off-odors or other wine faults to the wine such as the bitter tasting "acrolein taint" that comes from degradation of glycerol into acrolein which then reacts with phenolic compounds in the wine to produce a bitter tasting compound."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malolactic_fermentation

Chuck

I've binned a VS wash done in a heatwave.

Way back when I was using 'Turbo 24hr' by Gert Strand. There was a warning about fusils but I paid it no mind. Come the heatwave and my eldest and I had the most banging hangover. The sort that cries out for 'hair of the dog'. Of course the only booze available was that which caused the hangover. Next day was worse. The day after that was triple worse. By the time we figured it out, we'd drank the lot.

Now, any hint of fusils and the wash goes down the bog.

Have a moderate amount of the product one evening and if you are anything other than ok the next morning, bin it.