Corn Oil in Product

[Bee]

Some product made from 100% corn was distilled by stripping 10 gal of wash and then adding that product to 5 gal of wash and run through the pot still for a final time. Cuts made, early tails was filtered through a coffee filter and charcoal. All mixed together. Now I noticed that some jars have what looks like condensation droplets on the sides in them. Clear, but it's corn oil. It doesn't wash away when you swish it. One jar was set away with a charred oak stick, but it doesn't have any of the "condensation".

What's going on here? Was the batch run too fast? How is it "condensing" up above the level of the product in the jars?

It tastes good, I'm just surprised there's oil in it but none was ever visible floating on top.

[Demy]

One hypothesis is that you have gone too deep into the tails and thus find yourself oils in the distillate.

[still_stirrin]

Some product made from 100% corn was distilled by stripping 10 gal of wash and then adding that product to 5 gal of wash and run through the pot still for a final time. <— That makes it a 1.5 run. Big flavor potential.

Cuts made, early tails was filtered through a coffee filter and charcoal. All mixed together. Now I noticed that some jars have what looks like condensation droplets on the sides in them. Clear, but it's corn oil. <— Adding tails back to a 1.5 run will add even more flavor...and oils! Surprised?

It doesn't wash away when you swish it … What's going on here? Was the batch run too fast? <— It’s the processes you’ve used, and of course, the recipe. You got what you got! Surprised?

How is it "condensing" up above the level of the product in the jars? It tastes good, I'm just surprised there's oil in it but none was ever visible floating on top. <— Well, there you go. It tastes good, so don’t fret what it looks like. Enjoy!

[Bee]

The last jar I mixed in was 74 proof. I thought that was about average for the last jar to get blended in.

I'm just surprised that any oil was light enough to vaporize, yet heavy enough to accumulate.

[MartinCash]

Given time, oxidation and oak, you MAY see some of the oils esterify. This will contribute flavour, but also esters tend to be more soluble than the oils.

[Bee]

Now it's gone rancid.
Not all my jars, it just seems to be the ones that had the most headspace, just a few inches. The sweet, sharp smell of alcohol is gone (115proof) and my wife describes the smell and taste as "lightly of a old dish rag". They are all new jars with new lids.
Is there a way to fix this?

[8Ball]

https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 14&t=51458

[Bee]

It was basically a Booner's All Corn except I used some maillard-processed corn. It all started out tasting & smelling nice, then I noticed some of the jars had some sticky, clear stuff on the sides above the level of the liquid. At first I thought it was just condensation. It looks exactly like condensation, but it doesn't wash away when you swish the jar. Now the jars that have the most of that small bad.

[cob]

They are all new jars with new lids.

I can't address the oil issue. but new mason jars and especially new lids can present their own problems.

https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... n+jar+lids

[30xs]

They are all new jars with new lids.

I can't address the oil issue. but new mason jars and especially new lids can present their own problems.

https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... n+jar+lids

I concur on the new jar smell. Buy a flat of new mason jars and open a new one and give it a whiff. It’s NOT pleasant.

[SassyFrass]

Did you wash the new jars, lids, and rings before you filled them with likker?

[30xs]

Did you wash the new jars, lids, and rings before you filled them with likker?

The smell I was referring to was with newly purchased jars. I always wash prior filling to eliminate any chance of contamination.

[StillerBoy]

I'm just surprised that any oil was light enough to vaporize, yet heavy enough to accumulate.

Corn and rum will always carry oil across if stripped to deep, and especially went driven hard.. and in your case, a 1.5 made it a double oil content..

Watch you collection jars as collected for oil.. very visible floating on top when expose to light.. and filter the oil out with a white piece of felt..

Mars

[FLOB]

I'm just surprised that any oil was light enough to vaporize, yet heavy enough to accumulate.

Corn and rum will always carry oil across if stripped to deep, and especially went driven hard.. and in your case, a 1.5 made it a double oil content..

Watch you collection jars as collected for oil.. very visible floating on top when expose to light.. and filter the oil out with a white piece of felt..

Mars

I think that's what happened to me in a recent strip. I stripped too fast and too deep.

Haven't done the spirit run yet. Any steps you recommend doing before or during the spirit run? I was thinking of passing the low wines through a cloth while loading the boiler.

[Bee]

The jars & lids were used for another batch of shine, never got any off smells. This batch is all the same - it was all blended together. The off smell/flavor didn't happen right away. I'd have thought that if the lids were the culprit, the fullest jars would have been most effected, but it's just the opposite.
I tried straining this stuff twice through some charcoal in a coffee filter, still not that great.

[StillerBoy]

I tried straining this stuff twice through some charcoal in a coffee filter, still not that great.

If your going to use charcoal to filter, you need to be properly setup to do so.. how you did it, didn't help any..

Activated charcoal is required and it has to been done really slow, like 2 drops or so per second..

Any steps you recommend doing before or during the spirit run? I was thinking of passing the low wines through a cloth while loading the boiler.

You may want to check your low wine to see if it has some oil.. depending what it is sitting in, it has to be a wide mouth container in order to see the oil on the surface.. it will be just a light film visible on surface which will reflect in the light..

A cloth will not extract the oil film.. a felt material will.. white felt material are available in craft hobby shops.. treble coffee filter will sometimes works if the flow is not to fast..

The tricks is to catch it before it get into the jar during the stripping run.. and the oil will start to come across about two third of the stripping run.. at that point add some felt material treble layer V shape in the jar opening and it will catch the oil..

Mars

[FLOB]

You may want to check your low wine to see if it has some oil.. depending what it is sitting in, it has to be a wide mouth container in order to see the oil on the surface.. it will be just a light film visible on surface which will reflect in the light..

A cloth will not extract the oil film.. a felt material will.. white felt material are available in craft hobby shops.. treble coffee filter will sometimes works if the flow is not to fast..

The tricks is to catch it before it get into the jar during the stripping run.. and the oil will start to come across about two third of the stripping run.. at that point add some felt material treble layer V shape in the jar opening and it will catch the oil..

Mars

I just gave it a look and the oil is there on the surface. I stripped right into carboys. It is floating on top of all in all 3 carboys I used, one for each stripping run. I have read many posts about stripping hard and fast. Maybe those directions were geared toward sugar washes and I missed the difference.

I'll try to come up with a way to get the oil off before the spirit run. Maybe I'll pour each carboy into a stainless pot, let it settle and then go after it with the felt. Not sure when I'm going to get the time for the spirit run. Probably over the holidays.

[StillerBoy]

If it was me, I would get some felt, treble layer it in a V shape and fit it in a funnel, and slowly pour the content into another carboy.. its best poured slowly or done slowly so as to give the felt a chance to do the job..

It depend what hard and fast means.. I don't do hard and fast but use full power until column get hot the touch then cut back power in half or there about.. I don't like creating problems or issues for myself..

Mars

[FLOB]

If it was me, I would get some felt, treble layer it in a V shape and fit it in a funnel, and slowly pour the content into another carboy.. its best poured slowly or done slowly so as to give the felt a chance to do the job..

It depend what hard and fast means.. I don't do hard and fast but use full power until column get hot the touch then cut back power in half or there about.. I don't like creating problems or issues for myself..

Mars

Good advice. Thank you. This is only my fourth ferment/stilling experience. I'm definitely plenty green at this.

[FLOB]

Stopped by a store today.. All the felt had junk I didn't want to touch my low wines. It had a certain amount of recycled plastic bottle in it. I ended up going with an all cotton thing that had a similar texture. I'll give it a shot.

Going to have some more cleaning to do. I checked and there's oil on my copper.

Several lessons learned.

[StillerBoy]

Not sure when I'm going to get the time for the spirit run. Probably over the holidays.

Your not in a rush base on the statement made, so why not try coffer filters as they will better than a cloth.. try double filters and see.. if there is still some, try treble filters.. filter into a wide mouth jar or jug, and check as you go along, you'll see if it filters out..

It will be a little slower, but should do the job.. what size are carboys that the low wine is in..

Mars

[FLOB]

I've got three 5 gallon carboy, each with about 3 gallons. Probably not quite that in each.

This is the stuff I bought. It was cheap. I ran in at lunchtime. There was a line to get fabric cut. I looked around and saw this. It wasn't expensive, was all cotton and looked like it might have a good texture for catching the oil. Maybe not. [IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202012 ... e4d4fd.jpg[/IMG]

[StillerBoy]

It wasn't expensive, was all cotton and looked like it might have a good texture for catching the oil.

Looks like cotton fannel material.. treble layer should do the trick, pour slowly..

Mars

[FLOB]

Thanks for the help. This is my second attempt with all grain. Got me wondering if I will see oil the Booners I have. Havent noticed any yet. I didn't go as deep in those stripping runs.

[StillerBoy]

I didn't go as deep in those stripping runs.

All corn will produce oil, and the oil will start about 2/3 through the stripping run, and I usually strip to about 25% overall average on any wash / mash that has corn in it, so it's deep enough.. so at first glace that I notice an oil film, I switch and start collecting using the funnel that has felt already.. just an extra tools required for the task..

Mars

[Windy City]

Hey Mars
I like the way idea of using felt. Up to now I use a couple of coffee filters but am going to upgrade after reading this.
The question for you is what thickness felt are you using. I have found on Amazon quite a few different thicknesses.

Thanks
Johnny

[Zeotropic]

Hey Mars
I like the way idea of using felt. Up to now I use a couple of coffee filters but am going to upgrade after reading this.
The question for you is what thickness felt are you using. I have found on Amazon quite a few different thicknesses.

Thanks
Johnny

I am thinking you should be careful to only use 100% wool felt because everything readily available in my area is plastic.

[FLOB]

Hey Mars
I like the way idea of using felt. Up to now I use a couple of coffee filters but am going to upgrade after reading this.
The question for you is what thickness felt are you using. I have found on Amazon quite a few different thicknesses.

Thanks
Johnny

I am thinking you should be careful to only use 100% wool felt because everything readily available in my area is plastic.

I found the same thing. All the craft felt had recycled plastic bottle in it. Online, the store said they had wool felt sold by the yard in the fabric section. I couldn't find and the fabric line was long. That's why I went with that all cotton padding. Texturally it seemed like felt. Some work stuff came up. Hoping to pass my low wines though it tomorrow.

[StillerBoy]

The question for you is what thickness felt are you using. I have found on Amazon quite a few different thicknesses.

Johnny.. bought a sq. yd. wool felt some yrs back at fabric shop, and it's about 1/8" thick.. I cut a sq pieces of about 6 x 6", use 2 piece and fold them in a V so as to fit into a funnel.. they last a long time as the oil is washable using care.. so when the oil starts coming I just put the prepared funnel in play.. oil starts coming across some where around the 201*F temp mark in the boiler vapors.. and I usually strip at half power off an 5500w element.. can say if one strips using higher power if the oil will come sooner or not, as I don't strip harder than I have to..

If you were to look at video's of old stiller's such Popcorn Sutton, you will see them using felt at the end of the spout.. that where I got the idea for using it..

Mars

[Windy City]

Awesome
Thanks Mars
I will order some this week