Idea for a Pot still head
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Re: Idea for a Pot still head
TxBrewing, over the course of dozens of batches of Birdwatchers/TPW I eventually stopped adding lemon juice or anything else that is acidic because the tomato paste has plenty of acidity all by itself... And I have flip-flopped back and forth on inverting my sugar... Beyond that, I've used canned tomato puree at 3x the amount of tomato paste with equal success because tomato paste is essentially just puree with the juice removed, which amounts to 2/3 of the volume...
Just a few hints even though this probably won't be your goto recipe on a regular basis...
Just a few hints even though this probably won't be your goto recipe on a regular basis...
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
Almost home rad
Then I have a few questions
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Then I have a few questions
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Re: Idea for a Pot still head
So any idea why this one will not take off?rad14701 wrote:TxBrewing, over the course of dozens of batches of Birdwatchers/TPW I eventually stopped adding lemon juice or anything else that is acidic because the tomato paste has plenty of acidity all by itself... And I have flip-flopped back and forth on inverting my sugar... Beyond that, I've used canned tomato puree at 3x the amount of tomato paste with equal success because tomato paste is essentially just puree with the juice removed, which amounts to 2/3 of the volume...
Just a few hints even though this probably won't be your goto recipe on a regular basis...
I have everything I need to build another wash, what would you suggest?
This is just for a cleaning run, and I only need 5-6 gallons.
Thanks!!!!!!
TXB
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
As with most recipes the main reasons for sluggish fermentation are temperature, pH, nutrients, occasionally preservatives, and at times yeast stress can make the wash toxic to the point where nothing seems to help... In your case we can pretty much eliminate preservatives... If the wash temperature is at least in the mid-70's we can eliminate that as well... It could be possible that the tomato paste was somehow lacking in nutrient value... Or the wash may have gone acidic and needs the pH raised...TxBrewing wrote:So any idea why this one will not take off?rad14701 wrote:TxBrewing, over the course of dozens of batches of Birdwatchers/TPW I eventually stopped adding lemon juice or anything else that is acidic because the tomato paste has plenty of acidity all by itself... And I have flip-flopped back and forth on inverting my sugar... Beyond that, I've used canned tomato puree at 3x the amount of tomato paste with equal success because tomato paste is essentially just puree with the juice removed, which amounts to 2/3 of the volume...
Just a few hints even though this probably won't be your goto recipe on a regular basis...
I have everything I need to build another wash, what would you suggest?
This is just for a cleaning run, and I only need 5-6 gallons.
Thanks!!!!!!
TXB
If you want to cover all of the bases before considering the toxic option I'd toss in any kind of crushed up cereal you have on hand, a pinch or two of Epsom Salt, and a bit more yeast... Some crushed up egg shells or your choice of pH-Up probably wouldn't hurt either... I've had a few washes that got slow and no amount of fussing would speed them up yet they finally fermented to dry after about three weeks...
Good luck...!!!
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
I got Frosted Flakes
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Re: Idea for a Pot still head
Tomorrow I will again with a new wash.
This time all I have is bakers yeast however.
so again 10 lbs of sugar, 1 6oz can tomato paste, and 1 tablespoon yeast? Never used bakers yeast so not sure how much to go with, but I will go and read up.
Not sure I have anything to raise PH, I can also pick up some sort of cereal from the store.
This is really driving me nuts!
TXB
This time all I have is bakers yeast however.
so again 10 lbs of sugar, 1 6oz can tomato paste, and 1 tablespoon yeast? Never used bakers yeast so not sure how much to go with, but I will go and read up.
Not sure I have anything to raise PH, I can also pick up some sort of cereal from the store.
This is really driving me nuts!
TXB
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Re: Idea for a Pot still head
Pickling lime from the canning section of a grocery store will raise the ph.TxBrewing wrote:Tomorrow I will again with a new wash.
This time all I have is bakers yeast however.
so again 10 lbs of sugar, 1 6oz can tomato paste, and 1 tablespoon yeast? Never used bakers yeast so not sure how much to go with, but I will go and read up.
Not sure I have anything to raise PH, I can also pick up some sort of cereal from the store.
This is really driving me nuts!
TXB
Remember not to blow yourself up,you only get to forget once!
Deo Vendice
Never eat Mexican food north or east of Dallas tx!
Deo Vendice
Never eat Mexican food north or east of Dallas tx!
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
I will look tomorrow
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Re: Idea for a Pot still head
I pitch bakers yeast at a rate of about 1 Tbsp per 1.5 - 2 gallons... I make a starter using 3 Tbsp yeast with 3 Tbsp sugar in 3 cups of water for a 6 gallon wash...TxBrewing wrote:Tomorrow I will again with a new wash.
This time all I have is bakers yeast however.
so again 10 lbs of sugar, 1 6oz can tomato paste, and 1 tablespoon yeast? Never used bakers yeast so not sure how much to go with, but I will go and read up.
Not sure I have anything to raise PH, I can also pick up some sort of cereal from the store.
This is really driving me nuts!
TXB
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
Then so will I
Thanks to everyone
I really just want to clean my still
DADY will be here Thursday and I will get my UJSM going. Hope I do t have the same issues
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Thanks to everyone
I really just want to clean my still
DADY will be here Thursday and I will get my UJSM going. Hope I do t have the same issues
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
So this morning there are small bubbles forming, like soap bubbles, that are lasting on the surface of the wash.
It stills smells good, or at least it does not smell like it has turned on me, so I am going to let it go and wait until I get my DADY, if It looks like I need to remake the wash after Thursday, then I will.
What are you guys using to test PH?
And will I have this same issue (no/slow start) with the UJSM?
Again, thanks for all the help.
TXB
It stills smells good, or at least it does not smell like it has turned on me, so I am going to let it go and wait until I get my DADY, if It looks like I need to remake the wash after Thursday, then I will.
What are you guys using to test PH?
And will I have this same issue (no/slow start) with the UJSM?
Again, thanks for all the help.
TXB
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
1) What activity are you expecting?TxBrewing wrote:EDIT TO ADD: Birdwatcher calculator says I need 5 TABLE SPOONS and I only used 2 TEA Spoons.......
can't find my brewing PH test strips...because I have not used them in YEARS
I have ones for my pool, but they only go down to 6.4, and I think I am much lower than that
I also started raising the temp to 80, and it is there now, but no activity.
Do you know how embarrassing this is...I have been brewing for 10 years and I can't get sugar water to ferment....
Run down:
5.5 gal water
10 pounds sugar
6 oz tomato paste
2 tsp lemon juice.
I have everything i need to dump and re-make, might be what I do.
Also picked up a jar of Baker's yeast while at the store just now.
TXB
2) What does your hydrometer read?
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Re: Idea for a Pot still head
So from my 10 years of beer brewing the most obvious signs of fermentation include:
Airlock activity - not a great sign but one of the more obvious if it is there - I have none
Active wort or wash - signs that CO2 is being produced - I am seeing small bubbles forming and lasting on the top of the wash, time will tell if this is an infection or yeast activity
A head of foamy krausen - sometimes called a cap, I don't have one, or the signs that one formed and has fallen.
Because this is just for a sac run, I didn't take a OG reading (never happen again) Figured after a week or so, I would take a FG reading to know that it was done.
Reading this morning was 1.068 (corrects to 1.07), seems a little high, but it is what it is.
So, I will wait and see what is going on this evening,
Worst case, I dump and start over.
Going to get the cracked corn and sugar for the UJ today as well.
TXB
Airlock activity - not a great sign but one of the more obvious if it is there - I have none
Active wort or wash - signs that CO2 is being produced - I am seeing small bubbles forming and lasting on the top of the wash, time will tell if this is an infection or yeast activity
A head of foamy krausen - sometimes called a cap, I don't have one, or the signs that one formed and has fallen.
Because this is just for a sac run, I didn't take a OG reading (never happen again) Figured after a week or so, I would take a FG reading to know that it was done.
Reading this morning was 1.068 (corrects to 1.07), seems a little high, but it is what it is.
So, I will wait and see what is going on this evening,
Worst case, I dump and start over.
Going to get the cracked corn and sugar for the UJ today as well.
TXB
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
You're probably not going to get any kind of krausen from the sugar wash and you know as well as I do that airlocks can lie to you. The small bubbles sound promising though. Did you say you pitched two teaspoons of yeast or the 5 tablespoons in the end? I usually about a cup full to get things off to a flying start.
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Re: Idea for a Pot still head
No
I have pitched 2 packs of US-05 ale yeast, which should be more than enough.
Also, it looked a bit cloudy, in a good yeastie way, soooo we will see
If it is not going when I get home, I might try one more yeast drop with bakers yeast, after that I will just start over.
TXB
I have pitched 2 packs of US-05 ale yeast, which should be more than enough.
Also, it looked a bit cloudy, in a good yeastie way, soooo we will see
If it is not going when I get home, I might try one more yeast drop with bakers yeast, after that I will just start over.
TXB
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
Ok, so this has gone sour, will dump in the morning.
I am in need of guidance here, just want to make a simple wash for the sac run.
I got Sugar, tomato paste, bakers yeast, distillers yeast, multi-vitimines, epsom-salt.
I have no idea where this went wrong, only guess is that I didn't pitch enough yeast to start and maybe the PH was off.
I have nothing right now to check PH with.
So I guess this is the starting point?
5.5 gal water
10 pounds sugar
6 oz tomato paste
??? lemon juice. (with our without the juice)
and 3 tbsp bakers yeast, as per Rad's directions
Thank you all again.
TXB
I am in need of guidance here, just want to make a simple wash for the sac run.
I got Sugar, tomato paste, bakers yeast, distillers yeast, multi-vitimines, epsom-salt.
I have no idea where this went wrong, only guess is that I didn't pitch enough yeast to start and maybe the PH was off.
I have nothing right now to check PH with.
So I guess this is the starting point?
5.5 gal water
10 pounds sugar
6 oz tomato paste
??? lemon juice. (with our without the juice)
and 3 tbsp bakers yeast, as per Rad's directions
Thank you all again.
TXB
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Re: Idea for a Pot still head
Make that more like 7 lbs sugar and 0 lemon juice but add crushed oyster shell as a ph buffer.its sold as chicken grit.TxBrewing wrote:Ok, so this has gone sour, will dump in the morning.
I am in need of guidance here, just want to make a simple wash for the sac run.
I got Sugar, tomato paste, bakers yeast, distillers yeast, multi-vitimines, epsom-salt.
I have no idea where this went wrong, only guess is that I didn't pitch enough yeast to start and maybe the PH was off.
I have nothing right now to check PH with.
So I guess this is the starting point?
5.5 gal water
10 pounds sugar
6 oz tomato paste
??? lemon juice. (with our without the juice)
and 3 tbsp bakers yeast, as per Rad's directions
Thank you all again.
TXB
Use the bakers yeasy,rehydrated, then make a "yeast bomb".
Temp in low to mid 80's.
Airate the shit outta the wash before pitching the yeast bomb.
Did you airate the last one?
Jbt
Remember not to blow yourself up,you only get to forget once!
Deo Vendice
Never eat Mexican food north or east of Dallas tx!
Deo Vendice
Never eat Mexican food north or east of Dallas tx!
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
I did but could do better
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
Can I get the shells st a feed store or Big R?
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Re: Idea for a Pot still head
Got a tsc close by? Most feed stores should have it. It makes chickens eggshells harder in case they ask why the shell type specifically. Manna pro makes it i know,but its 7.99 a 5 lb bag. The big bag i get is 35 or 40 lbs and i paid 12.99 for it at a feed store.TxBrewing wrote:Can I get the shells st a feed store or Big R?
Remember not to blow yourself up,you only get to forget once!
Deo Vendice
Never eat Mexican food north or east of Dallas tx!
Deo Vendice
Never eat Mexican food north or east of Dallas tx!
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
Sour as in taste? Or sour as in experience? I'm guessing the latter, but thought I'd ask anyway as I hate to see anything tipped down the drain.TxBrewing wrote:Ok, so this has gone sour, will dump in the morning.
The tomato paste - was it preservative free?TxBrewing wrote:So I guess this is the starting point?
5.5 gal water
10 pounds sugar
6 oz tomato paste
??? lemon juice. (with our without the juice)
and 3 tbsp bakers yeast, as per Rad's directions
Thank you all again.
TXB
Best place to start for newbies - click here - Courtesy of Cranky :-)
If you have used this site to save money by making your own top quality booze at home then please consider donating a couple of dollars to help keep this site running. Cheers!
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Re: Idea for a Pot still head
Sour as it is infected, and I am not sure what I am gonna do with that fermentor now......Mikey-moo wrote:Sour as in taste? Or sour as in experience? I'm guessing the latter, but thought I'd ask anyway as I hate to see anything tipped down the drain.TxBrewing wrote:Ok, so this has gone sour, will dump in the morning.
The tomato paste - was it preservative free?TxBrewing wrote:So I guess this is the starting point?
5.5 gal water
10 pounds sugar
6 oz tomato paste
??? lemon juice. (with our without the juice)
and 3 tbsp bakers yeast, as per Rad's directions
Thank you all again.
TXB
Tomato paste, now that I think about it, was the cheap store brand, I will pick up some that I know is free of other things today.
Not sure I want to make a yeast bomb, but I have some multivitamins, and I will check and see if my brew store has yeast nutrients.
I don't have a TSC close by, but a Big R. It seems Nutrena Poultry Grit, It says it is crushed granite, is that the same thing?
I will post up later once I get all the stuff together and get feedback again on what I plan to do
TXB
- ShineonCrazyDiamond
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Re: Idea for a Pot still head
This is too complicated. It's just a sac run.
Dissolve sugar in water. Dump over a bunch of cracked corn. Take your favorite whiskey glass, fill it with bulk bakers yeast, and dump it into the Fermenter. Throw a towel over it, put it next to your furnace or over a heating vent. Come back in a week.
People say don't waste good tasting uj on a sac run, but who cares? It's freakin' cheap and easy. Who ever said a sac run had to be a neutral? Uj is waaaay more TxBrewing proof. Why complicate things with fussing around with tomato paste and Epsom salt?
Dissolve sugar in water. Dump over a bunch of cracked corn. Take your favorite whiskey glass, fill it with bulk bakers yeast, and dump it into the Fermenter. Throw a towel over it, put it next to your furnace or over a heating vent. Come back in a week.
People say don't waste good tasting uj on a sac run, but who cares? It's freakin' cheap and easy. Who ever said a sac run had to be a neutral? Uj is waaaay more TxBrewing proof. Why complicate things with fussing around with tomato paste and Epsom salt?
"Come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!
You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon.
Shine on you crazy diamond."
You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon.
Shine on you crazy diamond."
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
Well to start with, I didn't have any cracked corn, until just now!!!ShineonCrazyDiamond wrote:This is too complicated. It's just a sac run.
Dissolve sugar in water. Dump over a bunch of cracked corn. Take your favorite whiskey glass, fill it with bulk bakers yeast, and dump it into the Fermenter. Throw a towel over it, put it next to your furnace or over a heating vent. Come back in a week.
People say don't waste good tasting uj on a sac run, but who cares? It's freakin' cheap and easy. Who ever said a sac run had to be a neutral? Uj is waaaay more TxBrewing proof. Why complicate things with fussing around with tomato paste and Epsom salt?
I wasn't looking for a neutral, I was looking for something easy and cost effective, but now at this stage of the game, you may be on to something
To be honest in 10 years of making beer I have never had anything not ferment at all, maybe stall at 1.020, but to never start.....never before
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
So,
6 pounds sugar
4 pounds corn
3tbsp yeast, proofed in 3 c water with 3 tbsp sugar - that stuff took off!!!
lost track of the water between 5-6 gallons
SG uncorrected of 1052
temp controlled to 78F
Have church tonight until around 9pm, so I will check on it again when I get home
6 pounds sugar
4 pounds corn
3tbsp yeast, proofed in 3 c water with 3 tbsp sugar - that stuff took off!!!
lost track of the water between 5-6 gallons
SG uncorrected of 1052
temp controlled to 78F
Have church tonight until around 9pm, so I will check on it again when I get home
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
Checked before church, it was bubbling away....
Checked this morning, it is bubbling away...
Thanks to everyone that helped.
Going to put my first UJSM ferment together today or tomorrow.
TXB
Checked this morning, it is bubbling away...
Thanks to everyone that helped.
Going to put my first UJSM ferment together today or tomorrow.
TXB
- ShineonCrazyDiamond
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Re: Idea for a Pot still head
Second*TxBrewing wrote:
Going to put my first UJSM ferment together today or tomorrow.
TXB
Your first one is bubbling away But you can't drink this one
"Come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!
You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon.
Shine on you crazy diamond."
You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon.
Shine on you crazy diamond."
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
Well played good Sir
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
The first wash has stopped airlock activity. Second is working. Should get the cleaning runs this weekend
Re: Idea for a Pot still head
well the 5 gallon SAC run and the 10 gallon 1gen UJ have both finished fermenting.
Dropped the temp in the fermentation chamber to allow for better clearing, and will run them this weekend I hope!
#firstrun
TXB
Dropped the temp in the fermentation chamber to allow for better clearing, and will run them this weekend I hope!
#firstrun
TXB