first sugar wash using prestige turbo yeast

[Juniper]

My first attempt to produce a neutral alcohol was satisfying.

I used the prestige turbo yeast (just for experimenting and to evaluate the results) and did 2 batches simultaneously in the same conditions. I started with 5kg sugar in 20l to get an SG of 1.09 with a potential ABV of about 14.5 %. I used 2, 30l fermentor buckets with an airlock.
The total duration of the fermentation was 5 days where the temperature range varied from 20 to 26 C (surrounding temperature, I don't have any measurements from the mash temperature).
End SG after 5 days was 0.96 and 0.98 ( I didn't do any measurements in between).
The wash was free of any bad odors and even had some fruitiness (esters I suppose). Then I filtered and racked both batches to let it settle and become clear.
Next step is to run the wash in a pot still after a couple of days.

About the turbo yeast, my first experience was satisfying although I will be using Birdwatchers sugar wash recipe (using bakers yeast and tomato paste) next time from the tried and true recipes section.

[Still Life]

Congratulations on the wash runs.
You didn't try to re-invent the wheel, followed the instructions, finished "dry", and ended up where you should be.
Do the same with your strip and spirit runs (making good cuts on the spirit) and you'll be golden.

The Birdwatcher's does not require filtering when you get to that point. Plus it's cheaper than Turbo (using plain ol' bakers yeast instead of Turbo), and subjectively comes out better.

Keep up the discipline and patience! You're doing fine.
Congratulations again.

[Juniper]

So, I left sugar wash for a couple of days to settle and yesterday I ran a stripping run in my 20l copper pot still.
First thing I did was to run a cleaning cycle with just water since it's the first time I am using the alembic. I filled it up with 2 liters of water and then turned on the electric plate and it slowly started to heat up. I noticed that there was a poor increase in temperature due to indirect heating ( insufficient contact between the electric plate and the bottom of the still). I distilled about 400 ml of water and then turned it off and emptied the still.
Then I poured 20 liters of 14,5% ABV sugar wash into the still and I noticed a lot of sludge came with it at the end meaning that the filtering I did before was not efficient. (will try siphoning next time).
I did the sealings on the pot with PTFE tape which worked very well but I will also try the flour paste method next time.
I turned on the heat and noticed that heat transfer from the electric plate to the still was much better this time because the still was now completely filled and thereby "pushing" harder on the heater.
The first 500 ml that came out was actually foam meaning that I overfilled the still ( will use 19 litre instead of 20 next time). Then the next 200 ml were clear but were slightly blue, I suppose this was due to the oxidation of the copper wall inside the still. Then I was already in the hearts and collected about 3,8 litres in total with an average ABV of about 65% (which is an efficiency of about 84 % of the initial ethanol captured if I am correct). Offcourse I trew away the foam product and the copper contaminated stuff. I turned off the heat at 97 deg. C and let it cool down.
I did the recommened smelling and tasting the whole time but to me it was all very neutral (maybe that's normal with a pure sugar wash and turbo yeast?).
During the run, temperature was initially increasing at a slow steady rate with constant electric power but then at about 70 deg. C it started to increase much faster and then the messy foam came along with it. Since I am using a big industrial plate where the plate itself holds a lot of heat when you turn it off, temperature control is hard to achieve. I will have to anticipate by turning down the heat lower before getting to this point. I know that a gas burner is better in temperature control than an electric plate but then there is always the safety risk that comes with gas burners. Indirect heating is no option ( I think?) with the still I currently own.

Lessons learned from this:

* Do not filter the wash but siphon it.
* Leave enough space in the still for thermal expansion and foaming.
* Increase temperature control by lowering power before getting to the crucial point.
* Avoid getting blue distillate (neutralize the acids before with sodiumbicarbonate?)


What's up next? Since I have another similar 20 l batch of sugar wash I will redo a strip run but hopefully with better results this time.

Comments appreciated

Juniper

[Still Life]

First off, this should be your sacrificial cleaning run. Water cleaning is insufficient. Don't drink the Blue Magoo!
Proper first time still cleaning is a water/vinegar run, then followed by a sacrificial alcohol run. This should be considered the sacrificial.

Second, you can't run a still on temperature control. You'll be aiming for a moving target.
Turn on the hot plate and don't fiddle with it. Let the still do its work.

Don't want to be "that guy", but you haven't read up on everything you need to know.
This run should be tossed out as it contains contaminants and can make you sick.
Good news is, your still is now clean.

[Yummyrum]

The blue often happens when folk do a vinegar run but don't Immediately rinse it all out with copious amounts of clean water . The Vinegar residue causes the Blue not the acidity of the wash .

Anyways it sounds like you got a good results from your Turbo . 5Kg of sugar is good . Its when you try to wrangle 8kg out of them that they become quite yuk .

[bilgriss]

+1 Still Life.

Take this seriously.

[Juniper]

Thanks for the advice, will do some more reading and will do another strip run tomorrow.
I think I will keep the sacrifical ethanol to use as BBQ lighter .

[Still Life]

Thanks for the advice, will do some more reading and will do another strip run tomorrow.
I think I will keep the sacrifical ethanol to use as BBQ lighter .

Wish you well, and just looking after your well-being.
Your next batch should come out fine. Doing Birdwatcher's still?

[Juniper]

I tried out the recipe from Birdwatcher, it's now fermenting for 2 days so far. I think this one might take a couple more days to finish since CO2 production is less than the first one with Turbo.

[Klein]

Yeah it will take longer then a turbo, but will be better.

[Juniper]

Did another strip run, this time with better results. Compared to previous batch this one had more ethylacetate so I left it overnight covered with a paper towel. After 24h the smell was better but still some ethylacetate in there so I will try the addition of sodiumbicarbonate when I will do the spirit rum.
I suppose the 2nd batch had more ethylacetate in it since I left the sugar wash to settle for 3 days more than the first one. Vinegar production must have taken place during the extra days.

[Juniper]

Yesterday, I ran a stripping on the tomato paste sugar wash. It left it for 2 weeks at 18 to 20 C and ended with an SG of 0.990. Quality was slightly better after the strip than with the turbo's I used. No off flavors present. I also have the feeling that this recipe is better for my still. The nutrients coming with the turbo's can be quite corrosive for a copper still.

[Still Life]

Yesterday, I ran a stripping on the tomato paste sugar wash. It left it for 2 weeks at 18 to 20 C and ended with an SG of 0.990. Quality was slightly better after the strip than with the turbo's I used. No off flavors present. I also have the feeling that this recipe is better for my still. The nutrients coming with the turbo's can be quite corrosive for a copper still.

Wait'll you spirit run that Birdwatcher's and have a taste! The difference from Turbo will be evident.
Just finished running about 12 liters of BW, refluxing it into a nice neutral. Blows my Turbo use days away.
Keep on!

[Fraser]

You'll spend a lot more time trying to clean up a turbo with carbon. I'd better use of your time (IMO) to just be happy with a lower abv in the wash and having it run out clean the first time. I've gotten a lot of great neutral from TPW without having to clean any of it up at all.