StillSmart

Following mentions in another thread, I took delivery today of two Germenica Florentina Brarded Irises:



This was the cheapest source that I found and the plants arrived in very good condition:

http://www.kelways.co.uk/product/iris-f ... is-/10793/

The plants will provide attractive blossoms whilst, in time, the rhizomes could be harvested so as to dry out as Oris.

Just stripping 4 litres of one of my mad fermentations through the airstill.

This time I've fermented a McVities Jamaica Ginger cake!

Fermented right down and smelt gorgeous! Even tasted quite nice too.

I am loving this Seagull, you are more bonkers than myself, but it does sound interesting.
Ours is not to do boring stuff, but to constantly push boundaries.
Or at least try daft stuff.
Some may work, and some may not.
Hat's off to anyone having reached that zone.

I have to say that most of my own distilling is now formulaic.
I have my neutral recipe down to a T.
I have my all grain Malt whisky under control.

I do like to hear of other folks experiments and successes.
So keep it coming.

Robert.

Ran my first successful strip and spirit run.

Oh and put another wash on of course

Diverch wrote:Ran my first successful strip and spirit run.

Oh and put another wash on of course

Well done. T500 is a good piece of kit isn't it.......

Brilliant, needle valve is a bit fiddly but got the hand of it. Decided not to use a prv so
I can appreciate it next time. Wasn't to much of a problem till SWMBO put the dishwasher on....

Really pleased and happy with it.

bought one of these
lovebrewing.co.uk/t500-water-flow-regulator
saves all the aggro with water pressure

Right now:

Taken me airstill to me best mate's who came to the distilling course in the Netherlands with me.

He's distilling his Jamaica Ginger Cake wash now

He's impatient though and wants it all in one distillation!!

Got everything set up ready to make some cherry bounce
And a question for those in the know, a couple of times now I've had a wash or two that I must admit had been forgotten about & left in the bucket. They had been racked off once and despite being different recipes entirely, both had a pungent off kind of smell. Is this due to any yeast sneaking through when it's racked? I can't really describe the smell but it's not much fun, don't get me wrong I'm running it anyway I just want to know what it is?

Taste it. Us it vinegar?

Yes Mash, definitely vinegar. Bad news?
The other wash to do this I used sugar puffs but those little buggers sucked so much juice up I wasn't left with much & ended up being used as a cleaning run anyway so I never tasted it

Right, Google is my friend....so I have an acetobacter infection! Joy of joys! Now I think of it, this was in the same bucket as the other with the same smell. My lazy cleaning routine may have been my downfall here

Will those little swines have drank all my alcohol?

Good news. Vinegar is usable and handy to have. Don't bin it. Edible, pickling and a v good descaler/cleaner.

Bad news. There is no point in stillin' it. The ethanol has gone and is now Acetic acid.

Worst news. Cross infection is a REAL risk. Anything (Still excepted) that this has been in wants the DEEPEST DEEPETTY DEEP DEEP clean. If plastic just as well to replace.

Google might help with getting rid of..... 60% alc splashed around and then sealed up might do it... even Acetobactor must have tolerance levels.

Don't re-use the bucket. Get it in the shed, well away from your brewing kit.

Use the vinegar if you want, but dump the bucket.

Acetobacter contamination can spread and most brewing kit can't be fully sterilised (normal stuff isn't sterilised, it's sanitised).........

Time for a new racking cane & stirrers as well then! I might see if I can fit the bucket in the dishwasher