I did a handful of UJSSM washes earlier this spring, stripped them out into a few glass carboys, corked them, and then set them aside to keep pursuing other ideas. I figured I'd get back to them in a few weeks. Well, weeks turned into months and they've been setting in the garage in glass carboys with a stopper on top.
Before it gets too cold I'm trying to finish up things before I put the still up for the winter. I won't be able to run the still once it gets too icy/cold. So I've got this old batch of UJSSM strippings (about 9-10gal) to do a spirit run on and then I've literally got a KEG full of mixed feints that I accumulated through the summer that I plan to run through the neutral column later this week, too.
But something seems wrong with the UJSSM. There is about 10 gallons that was already run through the still once. All about 35% ABV and most a bit cloudy to begin with... being stripping runs, they were done as fast and hard I could with minimal puking and I ran quite deep. Two of the three carboys seem extra cloudy but one has what looks like bacterial film on it. Not much at all, but it doesn't just look like cloudiness or sediment. It doesn't smell funky, though. Although it also doesn't smell as sweet or corny as the other carboys.
What's up, here? did I mess up by assuming I could leave stripping rund sitting around?
To be honest, I thought I was going to have more to worry about from the 6 month old uJSSM backset I had refrigerated and planned to use in this spirit run. I bottled 3 gallons of it hot off the still spigot, sealing it immediately and stuck it in the refrigerator. But seems mostly fine. Go figure.
Can likker from stripping run become infected?
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Can likker from stripping run become infected?
"Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks" - God (Isaiah 5:22)
So evidently, God wants us to drink our whiskeys single barrel and our Bourbons neat.
So evidently, God wants us to drink our whiskeys single barrel and our Bourbons neat.
- still_stirrin
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Re: Can likker from stripping run become infected?
Tails.
It's the oils coalesced to form the cloud and settlement. You're not going to get an infection in 35%ABV alcohol. It's a great antisceptic (inside & out).
ss
It's the oils coalesced to form the cloud and settlement. You're not going to get an infection in 35%ABV alcohol. It's a great antisceptic (inside & out).
ss
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My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
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My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
- Truckinbutch
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Re: Can likker from stripping run become infected?
What he said ^^ . Got about 4 gallons myself that look like that . Gonna run it today or tomorrow .
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Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
Re: Can likker from stripping run become infected?
I let some UJ low wines sit around for years once. Without digging up records, at least 2 years. Maybe more like 5 or 6 years. It was delicious. You're fine at 6 months or so.
Re: Can likker from stripping run become infected?
Good to know.
Well I ran it anyways... just finished up the run. Resting and eating some dinner before I clean out the still. I'm not sure why, but I decided to run it even slower than usual (25% power instead of 30-35%) and collected in half-jars for a finer cut. Took a fair bit longer but I really want this 50/50 corn+oats UJSSM to turn out special. I actually used Dextrose instead of sugar, too... Not sure why, always heard that corn sugar gives a cleaner ferment from beer brewers.
Well I ran it anyways... just finished up the run. Resting and eating some dinner before I clean out the still. I'm not sure why, but I decided to run it even slower than usual (25% power instead of 30-35%) and collected in half-jars for a finer cut. Took a fair bit longer but I really want this 50/50 corn+oats UJSSM to turn out special. I actually used Dextrose instead of sugar, too... Not sure why, always heard that corn sugar gives a cleaner ferment from beer brewers.
"Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks" - God (Isaiah 5:22)
So evidently, God wants us to drink our whiskeys single barrel and our Bourbons neat.
So evidently, God wants us to drink our whiskeys single barrel and our Bourbons neat.
Re: Can likker from stripping run become infected?
Fun fact, I once got 70 abv contaminated in a lab I was then working for. Bear in mind that weird stuff are selected by the harsh lab environment, hence the surprising infection. Above 20 abv there's not much to worry about in real life.
Also, dextrose does indeed produce a cleaner (more boring?) fermentation product than table sugar/saccharose/glucose-fructose. It's easier for the yeast to process so there's less by-products.
Also, dextrose does indeed produce a cleaner (more boring?) fermentation product than table sugar/saccharose/glucose-fructose. It's easier for the yeast to process so there's less by-products.