Search found 219 matches

by schnell
Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:59 am
Forum: Sugar
Topic: B vitamins
Replies: 11
Views: 3742

Re: B vitamins

Your initial recipie is starving the yeast and causing them to die in a way that produces nasty flavor byproducts. Adding a nitrogen source is essential, this can be DAP, urea, dead yeast, vegemite, or a wide variety of materials. A good yeast nutrient for sugar washes is old fashioned tomato paste ...
by schnell
Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:50 am
Forum: Beer, and Wine
Topic: fortified wines
Replies: 3
Views: 965

fortified wines

Anybody making em?

Like em?

RRecommendations?
by schnell
Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:47 am
Forum: Beer, and Wine
Topic: concord vinegar
Replies: 4
Views: 1158

Re: concord vinegar

I use a vinagrier for my bad batches. Basically a jug of living vinegar I feed my apple cider to, or recycle bad batches with. Awhile back I found a water cooler jug with a spigot and I found a ceramic lid that matched it. I dumped a living culture in there once upon a time and now have a "moth...
by schnell
Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:35 am
Forum: Beer, and Wine
Topic: Hard Apple Cider
Replies: 31
Views: 8615

Re: Hard Apple Cider

I usually add a wee bit of lemon juice to drop the pH for my initial fermentations and a pince of yeast nutrient. I've been using Premier Cuvee yeast from the packet (half pack per batch). I use what ever apple juice is on sale as long as it says 100% apple juice or juice from concentrate. I don't a...
by schnell
Fri Jul 08, 2011 6:45 am
Forum: My First .....
Topic: first stab at a fruit port
Replies: 0
Views: 565

first stab at a fruit port

I got a wine kit recently to try to make a dessert wine out of. Pinot Noir / Black Cherry one of those fruit wine blends. I fermented out the Pinot Noir with the bentonite form the kit and let it go hot and heavy for a week or so. It's hot at my place. Once it slowed down I added the fruit concentra...
by schnell
Thu Sep 10, 2009 10:53 am
Forum: Materials Safety
Topic: Report on leeching of plastics into ethanol
Replies: 50
Views: 18101

Re: Report on leeching of plastics into ethanol

The rule of thumb was a good one. Some things are tried and true, and these practices should still be encouraged.
by schnell
Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:01 pm
Forum: Research and Theory
Topic: Bead pics (at 50% abv)
Replies: 8
Views: 1621

Re: Bead pics (at 50% abv)

I think beads and bubbles are different. A bead is a liquid droplet that skitters across the surface before it is absorbed. Bigger beads have higher proof. It is based on a surface tension property of the solution. Also look at wetting of the glass, you can easily tell alcohol from water based on it...
by schnell
Sun Sep 06, 2009 5:08 pm
Forum: Materials Safety
Topic: Report on leeching of plastics into ethanol
Replies: 50
Views: 18101

Re: Report on leeching of plastics into ethanol

What does anybody else think of this idea?
lame idea, with a lame attempt at justification.
by schnell
Fri Sep 04, 2009 1:18 pm
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: cloudy after diluting
Replies: 6
Views: 4173

Re: cloudy after diluting

cloudiness indicates precipitation.

whatever is coming out of solution is less soluble in the water than the fairly nonpolar high proof spirit. oils are a good bet.
by schnell
Fri Sep 04, 2009 1:16 pm
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: Blending rum with neutral?
Replies: 3
Views: 1217

Re: Blending rum with neutral?

i've made an old school "cuban" style rum by mixing overly oaked rum and fairly neutral white dog rum and then passing it through charcoal. most of the tannins and a bunch of the color is removed, but it comes out smooth. i recommend it. it's been one of the better recipies i've made. it c...
by schnell
Fri Sep 04, 2009 12:59 pm
Forum: Research and Theory
Topic: heat well
Replies: 14
Views: 2186

Re: heat well

i put a thermometer well into a bok-style column head so that i could take the thermometer out and run it without one. i imagined being able to use a thermometer, thermocouple, or nothing in the well. i built it out of a copper 1/2" stub out. i suspect i "over engineered" the apparatu...
by schnell
Fri Sep 04, 2009 12:48 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Steam heating for a copper pot still?
Replies: 39
Views: 16819

Re: Steam heating for a copper pot still?

sweet! thanks for the pics!
by schnell
Fri Sep 04, 2009 12:36 pm
Forum: Fruits & Vegetables
Topic: apple wash
Replies: 47
Views: 11066

Re: apple wash

i have this funny kitchen tool called a Mahu Liisa, which is basically a steam juicer. I got a few bushels of apples donated to me from a local farm I've been running through the past couple days. Yummy. But unfortunately it doesn't yeild much as it's stove top sized. I was thinking about adding the...
by schnell
Fri Aug 21, 2009 4:48 pm
Forum: Fruits & Vegetables
Topic: Trying to perfect a potato mash
Replies: 34
Views: 12465

Re: Trying to perfect a potato mash

i can think of a few things. your probably wasting your time trying to get a specific gravity reading. just make a mash and ferment it till it quits. i recommend NOT using turbo yeasts. my preference would be bakers yeast, but sounds like you want to experiment, so try a few different ones. turbos a...
by schnell
Fri Aug 21, 2009 3:55 pm
Forum: Research and Theory
Topic: Latent Heat of Vaporization
Replies: 8
Views: 3648

Re: Latent Heat of Vaporization

you can do the traditional math, but you may need to empirically test your apparatus to make corrections because of heat losses to the suroundings.
by schnell
Fri Aug 14, 2009 1:08 pm
Forum: Column Builds
Topic: stills from poland
Replies: 4
Views: 2294

Re: stills from poland

i liked the looks of that last one until i realized that the product condensor and the reflux condensor are the same beast with valves to select return or takeoff. scary bomb if you don't flip both simultaneously.
by schnell
Fri Aug 14, 2009 1:03 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Steam heating for a copper pot still?
Replies: 39
Views: 16819

Re: Steam heating for a copper pot still?

your water heater tank probably doesn't have any lead solder on it. (unless its really really old) i doubt many folks have messed with steam coils. there's some challenges with pressure and condensate return. they are usually used on much larger equipment (commercial). direct steam injection is an a...
by schnell
Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:57 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: pot still column height
Replies: 19
Views: 18022

Re: pot still column height

What rad said. I have a couple of pot stills, both handmade and commercial, with "columns", but they are really just to lift the takeoff transfer line (lyne arm) over the edge of the boiling vessel. One is modular and takes a thumper I made out of a liter mason jar which needed at least 10...
by schnell
Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:49 pm
Forum: Sugar
Topic: chemistry behind the flavor of rum
Replies: 3
Views: 2214

Re: chemistry behind the flavor of rum

They talk briefly about resins. I took my organic chemistry from the dude who actually invented ion exchange resins when he worked for Dow. He's still alive. I consider him a living treasure.
by schnell
Tue Aug 11, 2009 10:21 am
Forum: Beer, and Wine
Topic: port
Replies: 11
Views: 6610

Re: port

Several people above commented on a critical issue, namely that ports are still somewhat sweet. The fortification is used to prevent complete fermentation which allows some of the sugars to remain. Stepwise fermentation and/or fermenting up to near 20% just wont do the right magic. There's a winery ...
by schnell
Mon Aug 10, 2009 6:15 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Distilling oils
Replies: 19
Views: 5294

Re: Distilling oils

sounds like you want a solid-liquid extractor rather than a still...

the most famous is the soxhlet.
by schnell
Mon Aug 10, 2009 6:05 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Anaconda stills
Replies: 15
Views: 2156

Re: Anaconda stills

look at the joints and see if they are dull or shiny. also use your fingernail to press against it. silver is much harder than lead.

i'm only guessing, but i'll bet it's lead soldered.
by schnell
Mon Aug 10, 2009 5:57 pm
Forum: Research and Theory
Topic: This is very intresting... (oils & alcohol in distilling)
Replies: 43
Views: 11221

Re: This is very intresting...

the vacuum fermentation trick is also neat. i've done it in the lab in a rotovap with no harm to the yeast on a rum wash that was about half way done. after it was distilled it finished fermenting.
by schnell
Wed Aug 05, 2009 10:56 am
Forum: Research and Theory
Topic: This is very intresting... (oils & alcohol in distilling)
Replies: 43
Views: 11221

Re: This is very intresting...

This is really interesting. It amounts to a liquid liquid seperation followed by redistillation. It's very clever. I can see the problems with finding other suitable oils. Most oils we have about the house are fatty acids (carboxyls) that can esterify. Hydrocarbons might work, but I don't wanna do a...
by schnell
Wed Aug 05, 2009 10:34 am
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Modular Combination Still
Replies: 30
Views: 7087

Re: Modular Combination Still

the head pressure of a thumper was probably much much greater than the water seal.

I like your work space.
by schnell
Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:07 am
Forum: Resources and Reviews
Topic: 2nd year roman wormwood aka A. Pontica
Replies: 11
Views: 4407

Re: 2nd year roman wormwood aka A. Pontica

did you start from seeds or small plants?
by schnell
Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:41 am
Forum: Research and Theory
Topic: Vacuum distillation
Replies: 42
Views: 19379

Re: Vacuum distillation

I've never messed with a refrigerator compressor. I've always used laboratory style pumps. Oil, rotary vane, piston, and diaphragm pumps have all served the purpose.

Sounds like the aspirator is working though.
by schnell
Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:34 am
Forum: Materials Safety
Topic: Report on leeching of plastics into ethanol
Replies: 50
Views: 18101

Re: Report on leeching of plastics into ethanol

These "siloxanes" that leach outta silicone, are they possibly harmful if ingested? not really. they aren't very toxic as a chemical class. silicone is the common name of a polysiloxane polymer, (R2SiO)n, thats why the leachates are various sizes based on the n value. this is why you see ...
by schnell
Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:18 am
Forum: Materials Safety
Topic: Report on leeching of plastics into ethanol
Replies: 50
Views: 18101

Re: Report on leeching of plastics into ethanol

I have silicone seals in my sight glasses and I have silicone seals in my wine topping vessels. It's food safe. That's why it's used in food handling equipment. Will it leach components? Yes. That's what this paper was all about. It even nicely described them. one shouldn't be quantitating with mass...
by schnell
Thu Jul 30, 2009 12:13 pm
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: How to categorise my Rum?
Replies: 25
Views: 2618

Re: How to categorise my Rum?

make it, THEN categorise it. molasses is merely used as a sugar source. traditionally because it was cheaper than refined sugar. it also has plenty of impurities that make for yeast nutrients and "flavor". don't get to caught up in the minute details. it's like your asking how many times t...