Baking Soda

[figpizza]

I had a question about this line from one of the pages on the main site:

Code: Select all

By adding a couple of teaspoons of sodium bicarb to your nastiest smelling heads and aerating them with an aquarium pump and air-stone for a week you will end up with something that smells OK. 

the aerating part, how do you do this without having the hooch exposed to air? Don't want it evaporating off ... also I haven't had a fish tank in a while aren't the pumps usually submerged? do you really want something mechanical in your booze?

[Bayou-Ruler]

I had a question about this line from one of the pages on the main site:

Code: Select all

By adding a couple of teaspoons of sodium bicarb to your nastiest smelling heads and aerating them with an aquarium pump and air-stone for a week you will end up with something that smells OK. 

the aerating part, how do you do this without having the hooch exposed to air? Don't want it evaporating off ... also I haven't had a fish tank in a while aren't the pumps usually submerged? do you really want something mechanical in your booze?

No, the aerator sits outside the tank. only the bubble stone is submerged.

[figpizza]

ah I see. like I said been a while.

how about the other part, would a simple air lock allow the air going in an escape route but keep the sweet sweet booze in your storage chamber of choice?

[Bayou-Ruler]

ah I see. like I said been a while.

how about the other part, would a simple air lock allow the air going in an escape route but keep the sweet sweet booze in your storage chamber of choice?

Yeah I imagine that an air lock would work.

[vitoboy]

what a subject..
so many on hd looking for ferment perfection and then this thread
reminds me of a local saying ive repeated to myself loads....
cant make a silk purse out of a pigs ear....
??

['SideWinder']

Hi,

I'm new to this. and this may sound like a really really stupid question.

I've done a stripping run, watered down to 40% and bottled for now. If I add BiCarb Soda to my low wines. and don't end up doing a spirit run... is it drinkable? or does the bicarb give a off taste? I pot stilled (if it makes a difference). Further it was a All-Bran wash. I've never used BiCarb in my life, but apparently a teaspoon per glass per day or something is good for the body? I haven't tried it.

[Liquid_Luv]

I have used both bi-carb and carb... as well as pure natural Mediterranean sea salts.

After running my first run potato vodka through my 2" dia 4 foot Reflux column with a 3:1 reflux ratio making careful and conservative hearts cut [to blend back with neutrals from the next stage...] I add the bi-carb or carb and let it rest a week to 10 days, shaking, then aerating 10-15 minutes once per day... 1 hour before the final spirit run, I add the sea salt as well... in the end, after a second 3:1 reflux spirit run, I end up with a nearly perfect crisp clean neutral, with incredibly low amount of heads and tails... just a surprising amount of hearts, considering the amount of hearts already taken from my first run... I then blend the two and age on a lump of homemade Birch Charcoal [not activated]. After only one month, I am left with a crystal clear premium potato vodka, with rich velvety mouth feel, delicately sweet and lightly floral nose, virtually no after taste or bite... and even after killing a liter between two old friends... no hangovers... ever!!!

Using this technique, I have been able to salvage nice neutrals from the really stinky rum tails [not oils... just the small stinky part the real Artisan Experts (not the commercial boys though) discard, just after hearts, just before the rum oils]... this stuff is great for alcoholic fruits, punch bowls, Marinating meats, making extracts, or stimulated flavored commercial spirits... you know, the cocktail stile stuff... so many good uses.

I don't discard one drop of alcohol that I make... even my Methanol has purpose... windshield washer fluid.

Cheers!

[athiril]

Hi,

I'm new to this. and this may sound like a really really stupid question.

I've done a stripping run, watered down to 40% and bottled for now. If I add BiCarb Soda to my low wines. and don't end up doing a spirit run... is it drinkable? or does the bicarb give a off taste? I pot stilled (if it makes a difference). Further it was a All-Bran wash. I've never used BiCarb in my life, but apparently a teaspoon per glass per day or something is good for the body? I haven't tried it.

Not sure about the bicarb taste, but it will 'neutralise' the acidic compounds (ie: The ketones and aldehydes will under go aldol reaction and become aldols, which will probably give a small amount of precipitate that you can filter out).


edit: I've also read on this site somewhere about people using Potassium Permanganate.. which is a very strong oxidising substance.. it can oxidise your ethanol in acidic conditions to acetaldehyde and then to acetic acid. Oxidation happens regardless of acidic or alkaline conditions as well..

[vetting]

The last time I used baking soda in my low wines, it turned a slight blue. Was that because my PH was too far off before I added the baking soda? What should the PH of your low wines be before you add the baking soda?

[DamianRyan]

The last time I used baking soda in my low wines, it turned a slight blue. Was that because my PH was too far off before I added the baking soda? What should the PH of your low wines be before you add the baking soda?

Well this is interesting I did a run and mine turned out blue.I certainly didn't put soda or such in, it just went blue. I have asked before, is this caused by the PH?

[Dnderhead]

this is usually cased by high alkaline wash with excess nitrates in it,nitrate heated in alkaline wash makes ammonia
that reacts with copper turning the distant blue.

[guerrila distilla]

liquidluv, i hope you're watering down your methanol. imagine if someone flicked a ciggie butt out their window, and it hits your windscreen, also the vapours could cause a similar effect if you smoke inside the car

[DamianRyan]

this is usually cased by high alkaline wash with excess nitrates in it,nitrate heated in alkaline wash makes ammonia
that reacts with copper turning the distant blue.

Thanks Dunderhead,I had better be more careful next time. Does one check the PH regularly during the ferment ? thanks.

[DamianRyan]

this is usually cased by high alkaline wash with excess nitrates in it,nitrate heated in alkaline wash makes ammonia
that reacts with copper turning the distant blue.

Once again thanks for the advice Dnderhead, once this has happened does the boiler need cleaning? or is ok to carry on with the next run?

[merrick]

ive just done my 1st run of bicarbed low wines, when i ran the low wines i chucked the fore shots and only ran into the tails til 25%, i had after knocking back to 40%i had 20 odd litres, i ran these in my boka at a litre an hour pulled out nearly a litre of fores/heads and got just under 5 litres of sweet 95% neutral the tails started and went from 95% to 25% in 3/4 litre and i shut down. i know the bicarb is going to give a clearer definition between heads hearts and tails , is the tails run usualy so abrupt or have my sense of smell and taste let me down cheers

[OlympicMtDoo]

Hey Guys, We seem to be jumping back and forth between tsp and tbsp per liter or quart, is it tsp or tbsp????????????

[rad14701]

Hey Guys, We seem to be jumping back and forth between tsp and tbsp per liter or quart, is it tsp or tbsp????????????

Tsp = Teaspoon
Tbsp = Tablespoon = 3 Teaspoons

Liter and quart are close enough to being the same for government work...

[frozenthunderbolt]

Hi,

I'm new to this. and this may sound like a really really stupid question.

I've done a stripping run, watered down to 40% and bottled for now. If I add BiCarb Soda to my low wines. and don't end up doing a spirit run... is it drinkable? or does the bicarb give a off taste? I pot stilled (if it makes a difference). Further it was a All-Bran wash. I've never used BiCarb in my life, but apparently a teaspoon per glass per day or something is good for the body? I haven't tried it.

I tried it on a bottle of head from a a sugar/orange hi-nutrient wash - it killed most of the nose attack but leaves the burn in the liccor. It also leaves the booze with that characteristic bi-carb taste - 'metalic-salty'

[BillHoo]

I had tried putting in some baking soda into some bitter tasting psirit and left it in for a week. Then, while distilling, I thought "Oh, what the heck! Maybe more will be better!", so I poured in another 1/4 cup into 4 gallons of 25 percent wash.

What came out was really grassy. At first I kinda liked it, but then it just got too grassy for me.

Eventually had to run it through carbon and everyone now tells me it's the best, cleanest tasting vodka they ever had.

I'll not be putting in baking soda into the boil in the future.

[clacker]

Dropped into Bunnings and they have Premium Chlor 2.5Kg Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate) for $15.00

It doesn't say if anything else is in there....think it's safe to use?

[C. Morrison]

Clacker, Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a mild safe alkali powder.

Soda ash is sodium carbonate a very strong alkali that can burn you. 1 US ounce can raise the PH of a 5,000 gallon swimming pool 1 full point.
Be safe my friend.

[clacker]

Clacker, Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a mild safe alkali powder.

Soda ash is sodium carbonate a very strong alkali that can burn you. 1 US ounce can raise the PH of a 5,000 gallon swimming pool 1 full point.
Be safe my friend.

Thanks for that, I'll be careful with the stuff.

I was more concerned on whether there may be other chemicals in with the Sodium Carbonate but seems like it's OK.

[bukowski]

hi guys, one experience from me about using baking soda;

i have an un-modified chinese air still and it is made for distilling water. i used 1 tbsp per 2 liter of mash and had a stripping run the result was awful even after filtering with carbon for four times, i think the reason was, baking soda started to produce excessive amount of CO2 when the boiling started and mash is spitted with alcohol.

hence, if you are using an air still stick with table salt only, avoid baking soda or use it very carefully... maybe half filling the boiler...

cheers.

[Dnderhead]

"What does baking soda taste like?"
salty,from the sodium.

[Pop Skull]

It's abit more pricey, but potassium carbonate (K2CO3) doesnt have the same salty taste, and performs the same function as Na2C03.

I've used it for acid adjustment in wine before - for wines it can still cause some off flavors, though not sure what it would do to a wash.

[astronomical]

NEVER put baking soda in anything that hasn't already been distilled. Id say that at least 10% of these posts were made by "ancy" novices who are clueless. A good rule of thumb on HD is to read the whole thread. There is usually a lot of misinformation from people who choose not to read whats written. Trust the solutions posted by people who have made thousands of posts. Its painful to sort through the BS, but, at least you wont make those same mistakes (We'd hope).

[Goose]

from ancy novice who is clueless...

I've been using 250g of baking soda to my low wines charge, in 20 litre runs. The "low" wines are in fact 85% abv from the "stripping" run which I dilute with tapwater to 40% abv.

After adding the baking soda I can notice no discernible smell after dissolving it in. However after column stabilisation at 100% reflux, when I commence product drawoff the heads I collect definitely have an acrid smell and taste to them, ammonia like, but the distillate is crystal clear and definitely no hint of any blue colouration. My rig is 100% copper, I would add. This acrid character disappears completely after collection of a bit more than a litre (after collecting 250-300 mls of foreshots) which I am retaining for an all feints run at a later time. Its the disappearance of this acrid smell that determines for me the point where I have taken all the heads and hearts can commence. I do have trouble still discerning when the tails begin, for that I can only judge on volume of hearts collected and when my vapour temperature begins to increase. However I digress...

After my run is finished and I lift the column off the boiler, what remains is milky liquid that has an acrid smell. I can only surmise that in my stripping run I must be carrying over some nitrogen compound that is being converted to ammonia after the sodium bicarbonate is added. The other interesting thing is that this is only happening after the charge has been heated....

Just also to complete the picture. I am using birdwatchers recipe for my washes.

Would be interested to hear if anybody else has similar experience ?

[rad14701]

Goose, for best results you should be adding the baking soda to the low wines and allowing it to do its thing for several days to several weeks prior to redistilling... You won't have the same results if you simply toss the baking soda in with the boiler charge...

[Braz]

I've been using 250g of baking soda to my low wines charge, in 20 litre runs. The "low" wines are in fact 85% abv from the "stripping" run which I dilute with tapwater to 40% abv.

You get 85% from your stripping run?!

I'm lucky to get 85% at the START of the strip run, and it drops steadily from there. You are doing some kind of magic there, I think.

And, +1 on what Rad said. I let the baking soda work on the low wines for a week, at least, before putting it back in the still for the spirit run.

[Goose]

You get 85% from your stripping run?!

Well yes. But its not a potstill, its one of those CM commercial units that I have posted on before. It works a treat to strip a wash very quickly (this one operates at 3KW) and it can churn out 90% with sufficient cooling. But its quality is not good enough without carbon filtering. I then dilute to 40% and use a 2" LM column for the spirit run. From this I get 96% product. I then dilute this again using store bought distilled water to get a very decent 40% neutral.

I shall try adding the baking soda week beforehand, thanks.