UJSSM harsh

[Honest_Liberty]

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I've enjoyed my SF recipes with table sugar. The bite never bothered me.

However, I double distilled my 2,3,4 generation UJSSM and its got a serious bite to it. Been sitting for at least 3 months, maybe 6. I'd have to go back and look in the forums when I ran it. I may have gone one jar too many on the heads and tails. It was not so much being greedy as more likely that I burned my palate. I have decided I'm going to keep the jars separated for a month each from now on and really let them settle.

either way, something isn't right. My buddies and all my friends with less discerning palates cannot get enough of it. Meanwhile, I'm just beating myself up over the sharpness and lack of depth. I will say my low wines of enzyme corn bourbon smells much cleaner and inviting than the low wines of SF.


I'm about ready to forsake sugar. Either that or my house water sucks, my DADY yeast is too old,or something else. I can tell no difference from inverting the sugars either.

[still_stirrin]

Yes, once you’ve transitioned......to all grain ferments, the sugar washes simply don’t have as much appeal, unless you reflux them for a neutral spirit. Even then, what sugar recipe you choose (UJSSM or otherwise) will require good cuts as the congeners have a very low threshold for your senses....call it a “semi-educated palette”. It’s the result of your budding experience.

So, your description of “the bite“ makes me suspicious that you did include too much of the late heads in your hearts, greed or otherwise. Most often the hot tongue or solventy burn are due to volatile constituents early in the run.
ss

[NineInchNails]

This could help, but still_stirrin is likely right, too much heads. Next batch I would try making Simple Syrup with your sugar. 10 lbs sugar, 5 cups water, .25 tsp Citric Acid, boil for 20 min and you're done. Simple Syrup is like invert sugar only quicker to make and does the same thing. It separates the sugar chains to make it easier for yeast to convert, it ferments noticeably quicker and supposedly improves taste and/or mouth feel.

I recently had a large batch of a sugar wash that I couldn't get rid of that bite no matter what I did and I suspect it was caused by unstable fermentation temps. Mid to high 70s in the day and cool in the night in my garage without temp control. That is said to stress the yeast. 85F-90F is said to be ideal. I'll be building a 2x4 frame, insulate it and line it with thin sheet vapor barrier. A small space heater with cheapo temp controller will solve the temp issue. Take-off rate could be an issue if you're collecting too fast. Also if you're using a Parrot, that will cause heads smearing with your hearts. Parrots are ok for stripping runs, but NOT spirit runs unless the parrot is only used for collecting, testing and dumping immediately.

My previous sugar washes (simple sugar) neutral runs turned out perfect. It was late summer, mid 80s F, fermentation took right off and finished in 3-4 days. After stripping, the spirit run was run slow, taking off at an interrupted stream or slightly slower. After diluting, it smelled & tasted like water and zero bite whatsoever. Perfect in my opinion.

I ran 3 generations of UJSSM back to back around the same time so temp was optimal. The first batch was not great as expected. The 2nd and 3rd came out better and better. I stripped each as fast as possible and the spirit runs were done at low power. Only as much power required to take off at an interrupted stream or a bit slower. They turned out real smooth as long as you keep heads out of the cuts.

What was your fermentation temp/temps? Were they stable?

Do you think you blended heads into your hearts? I've been learning to make better cuts after airing it out at least overnight by both smelling and tasting. I'm learning to trust my sense of smell more, but confirming by tasting. I'm learning to sniff out the jar that separates heads from hearts then taste it.

[Saltbush Bill]

My guess is that SS is right.....bad cuts.....to much heads.

[Honest_Liberty]

After a few months, tasting, reflecting, research.

I agree with you gentlemen. Part greed, part misunderstanding of my own senses and what I was truly tasting.

Pardon for the delayed response, I missed it.

So I did just about everything wrong and it finally clicked this offseason. I made about 15 gallons worth of different styles and have discovered, generally, I'm going to be more conservative on both sides for my white sippers, and keep loose-ish cuts for aging stock.

I also tasted my T&T SF that has sat over a year, that I gave a jar to a friend. Last of it, in an 8oz jar with 6 oz left. It was completely different and was so good, if I paid $75 for that in a store I'd be completely satisfied. I couldn't believe how incredible it was.

My fermentation has always been within a few hours, and vigorous, and ferments out usually to at least 1.000, sometimes lower. I also ferment in my living room which stays a consistent 72°F