Any reason to temp control a done wash?

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spiff
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Any reason to temp control a done wash?

Post by spiff »

Is there any good reason to keep a wash temp controlled even after is finishes? Or is it possible for residual active yeast to still contribute off flavors even if its technically done?
StillerBoy
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Re: Any reason to temp control a done wash?

Post by StillerBoy »

When a wash is done, it is best rack it off its sediment/lee, and keep it cool.. it is not necessary to keep it at the fermentation temperature level.. kept off the lee and in an inclosed container, it will keep for a few month before being process..

Mars
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Rain Distillate
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Re: Any reason to temp control a done wash?

Post by Rain Distillate »

spiff wrote:Is there any good reason to keep a wash temp controlled even after is finishes? Or is it possible for residual active yeast to still contribute off flavors even if its technically done?
To minimize residual yeast in your wash- cool it down for a few days in a cool garage, refrigerator if you have the space or something similar. This is because solids settle faster and easier under cooler conditions.
Rack it good (don't be greedy, sucking too close to the bottom or the rack was a waste of time)
Then store it like you would any other wine or beer.
Airtight to keep out infections. Many folks don't rack though. Personal preference I guess.

IMO this is the safest way to hold a wash as long as possible. If you rack it and it's just clean beer inside a clean container and it's airtight the alcohol should preserve it for awhile!

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spiff
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Re: Any reason to temp control a done wash?

Post by spiff »

Thanks for the replies. That makes sense.. remove the sediment from the equation then its a non-issue.

But what if I was lazy and I only wanted to rack it once, into the boiler? So it'll be sitting a week with spent(partially?) sediment..what would you do then? Control or not control? I'm thinking playing it safe and just keep it modulated....
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Re: Any reason to temp control a done wash?

Post by StillerBoy »

spiff wrote:But what if I was lazy and I only wanted to rack it once, into the boiler? So it'll be sitting a week with spent(partially?) sediment..what would you do then? Control or not control? I'm thinking playing it safe and just keep it modulated....
Here something you may want to try.. get some small jar, baby food jar work good for this.. when the wash has finished fermenting and has started to clear, take a sample of the wash and put it in one of the jars.. wait 2 days and do the same thing again.. now taste the first jar vers the second jar, and you will see a different in taste overall.. this different also carries across to the finish product.. and you can take this up to any numbers of time you want to determine when you should rack it off its lee.. by keep notes, it will help to determine each wash when they are finish..

Making a wash for liker is in many way the same as in wine making..

Mars
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Re: Any reason to temp control a done wash?

Post by Pikey »

StillerBoy wrote:............

Making a wash for liker is in many way the same as in wine making..

Mars
I think that is very true - Except - in wine making, we aim for an abv 11-15% as a rule, plus hygiene and cleanliness are highly addressed and the importance of excluding air and especially the vinegar fly are paramount.

Having said that, winemakers sometimes leave their wine settling for several months and I have a whisky sugarhead which has been sitting for a good three months, with me just taking a run out if it every two - 3 weeks or so, without detriment. It is however kept cool <45 degree F.

The higher the alcohol in your done wash, the better it will keep, like say a bottle of sherry which has been opened. Whereas a low abv wash will not keep nearly as well (like an opened bottle of beer).
spiff
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Re: Any reason to temp control a done wash?

Post by spiff »

Thanks again..

That's a good thought taking samples. Problem is, the last (and only time so far) time I had a bad wash I couldn't tell until after I ran it and then I could smell that almost the whole run smelled and tested like tails except perhaps the high heads and fores. So i'm not sure that would work.

I was just curious what most folks do and it sounds like most folks prep for a dormant period by racking it somewhere. I only need to delay a week so for me I'm thinking its best to play safe and just leave it.
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Re: Any reason to temp control a done wash?

Post by StillerBoy »

spiff wrote:I was just curious what most folks do and it sounds like most folks prep for a dormant period by racking it somewhere. I only need to delay a week so for me I'm thinking its best to play safe and just leave it.
A week, in the whole picture, will probably not make much of a difference, especially if is not a repeated wash.. I like to able to duplicate my wash as close as possible within reason.. therefore one of my habit is to rack it once I determine its finish off its lee, then I store it for a few days to a couple of weeks.. never had a wash go bad in storage and I ferment for a level of 11%..

Mars
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Re: Any reason to temp control a done wash?

Post by spiff »

Right on.. Guess I'll keep rolling with the status quo since its been working. In hindsight now it seems stupid to risk 26 gallons of wash and 1.5 weeks investment to save pennies of heating power.

Thnaks again
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skow69
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Re: Any reason to temp control a done wash?

Post by skow69 »

Why would you want to keep it warm? I would think, rack it or not, but store it cold.
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spiff
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Re: Any reason to temp control a done wash?

Post by spiff »

Well, my thought was that if there were still any residual active yeast that any cold might make them add off flavors like a cold ferment might do. To head off any suggestion that I'm not waiting for it to finish, it is. But I don't think that all the yeast just suddenly stops like a light switch.. there could be SOME activity going on. Just trying to prevent off flavors no matter how minuscule. I don't do the extra week I read about some people doing to let their wash clear.. sort of the same thing.. So I'm wondering if they're continuing the temp control on that clearing period.
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Re: Any reason to temp control a done wash?

Post by NZChris »

It depends what you're making.

For rum, flavor is still developing after it goes dead, so I keep the controller on for another six days to keep it at tropical temperatures, but I turn the controller off for a Birdwatchers if not running it immediately.

I don't rack and clear anything flavored and don't know of any good reason to do it unless you are industrial and run a continuous column 24/7. It gives a chance for O2 inclusion and infections, which are reasons not to.
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Re: Any reason to temp control a done wash?

Post by shadylane »

spiff wrote: Is there any good reason to keep a wash temp controlled even after is finishes?
Yes and no :lol:
Some folks think leaving a fermenter "warm" for a couple days after the SG hit's rock bottom
Gives the yeast a chance to clean up after itself.
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Re: Any reason to temp control a done wash?

Post by Pikey »

shadylane wrote:
spiff wrote: Is there any good reason to keep a wash temp controlled even after is finishes?
Yes and no :lol:
Some folks think leaving a fermenter "warm" for a couple days after the SG hit's rock bottom
Gives the yeast a chance to clean up after itself.
Possibly. Depends on your yeast I think. Just my own idea, but I feel some of the "Acetone" flavour that comes with a "Turbo" may come from the yeast attacking the cellulose in dead yeast cells. I wonder whether some of the "Off flavours" associated with other aggressive yeasts may come from interaction with dead yeast cells as they autolyse ?
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Rain Distillate
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Re: Any reason to temp control a done wash?

Post by Rain Distillate »

StillerBoy wrote:
spiff wrote:But what if I was lazy and I only wanted to rack it once, into the boiler? So it'll be sitting a week with spent(partially?) sediment..what would you do then? Control or not control? I'm thinking playing it safe and just keep it modulated....
Here something you may want to try.. get some small jar, baby food jar work good for this.. when the wash has finished fermenting and has started to clear, take a sample of the wash and put it in one of the jars.. wait 2 days and do the same thing again.. now taste the first jar vers the second jar, and you will see a different in taste overall.. this different also carries across to the finish product.. and you can take this up to any numbers of time you want to determine when you should rack it off its lee.. by keep notes, it will help to determine each wash when they are finish..

Making a wash for liker is in many way the same as in wine making..

Mars
+1 :thumbup:
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