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How long can a sugar wash sit?

Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 11:08 am
by Billy Joe Jim Bob
I have a sugar wash that's done fermentin' and I just can't get the time to run it. How long can it sit before somethin' bad happens? Can it turn to vinegar? I used 14# sugar and Turbo Yeast in 6 gals of water and it's resting in a dark 60 degree room....BJJB

Re: How long can a sugar wash sit?

Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 12:05 pm
by The Chemist
Billy Joe Jim Bob wrote: Can it turn to vinegar?
Yes. Hmmm, seems I've heard this before. Check the post thread about "time from ferment to distill".

Sugar Wash Sit?

Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 8:39 am
by Billy Joe Jim Bob
Hi Chemist: I thought I saw something like that a while back. Thanks for pointing the right direction. In fact, It might be good to let it sit a while, another post in another string somewhere, someone said the run tasted better once it settled out. We will try to see if that's the case soon. I hope to run some on the weekend. Thanks again for the heads up....BJJB

Posted: Sat May 14, 2005 3:22 pm
by Guest
i heard if you let it sit for a lil while it improves the end product also. i also heard that some bacteria turns alcohol into acid(vinegar)

Posted: Sun May 15, 2005 6:21 am
by The Chemist
Right, that can happen (the vinegar bit). I recommended before that you add a liter or so of store-bought vodka, or Everclear, to raise the proof a bit to prevent bacterial infection. Some of those bacteria are more alcohol tolerent than our yeasts.

Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 10:59 am
by Virginia Gentleman
On a similar thread, I've got a rum wash (molasses and brown sugar) that finished about a week ago, but I've been sick as a dog and not able to run it. Plus with the head stuffed up I couldn't smell or tatste a damn thing which makes it kinda hard to make cuts and such. So question is, has this wash sat too long? No vinegar smell, and it tastes all right. No obvious contamination. Any other way I should check it before I run it? Glad to be back amongst the living.

Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 11:22 am
by The Chemist
Glad to see you back, VG. I have run beer fermentations up to about a month (sometimes longer, if they have a lot of honey), so if you don't have any off smells, I'd say it's okay. Assuming it's covered, has a fermentation lock, etc.

Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 11:32 am
by Virginia Gentleman
Thanks Chemist, I hate being sick during warm weather. Seriously cuts down on the dirnking too! Anyhow, it should be OK. It's covered, has a lock, and I've only opened occasionally to check smell/taste. So I reckon I'll run it tonight and see!

Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 12:05 pm
by Guest
Virginia Gentleman wrote:Seriously cuts down on the dirnking too!
"Dirnking"? :D Ready for the kudzu?

Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 12:15 pm
by Virginia Gentleman
Makin' up for lost time!

Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 4:42 am
by brett
surely its the same as wine? as long as it was brewed well (everything steralised first and campden tablets used(be sure there disolved before u add the yeast)) its all sealed up good and not open to the air then you wont get vinegar and nothing will happen, the brew will just age and the flavour may improve. Vinegar will only occur if the intial process is poor allowing contanimation before or during fermentation or if the finished brew is alowed to breath the oxygen containing bacteria. If you wish to keep the brew/mash a some time before stilling it i would recomend syphoning it of the yeast/dirt at the bootom of the fermentation vessle (as this can give a bad taste) pop in a crushed campden tablet n cork it up (demijohns would be a good thing here)

Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 6:42 am
by Guest
I don't think I would add camden tablets. You don't want to introduce more sulphor into the mix before distilling.

Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 6:54 am
by The Chemist
Brett makes a good point above. If you're going to let a wash/fermentation sit awhile, it is better to get it off the yeast lees. They will autolyze and cause funky smells/flavors.

Guest is also correct in saying that you should stay away from sulfur if you're planning to distill.

Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 8:10 pm
by Josesillo
brett wrote: (demijohns would be a good thing here)
what is a demijohn, i have senn them some where, and recall the name but i just cant figure out what they are for or how they work

Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 8:22 pm
by Grayson_Stewart
Demijohns I've seen were large teardrop shaped glass carboys.

Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 7:26 am
by Virginia Gentleman
Something like this, although there are many varieties:

Image

Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 7:29 am
by KatoFong
That's pretty. What's its purpose?

Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 8:27 am
by brett
the demijohns im refering to are more like this

Image

and there use is in winemaking to ferment a 1 gallon batch of wine (with a big rubber bung and bubbler), most if not all places that sell wine making equipment sell these (at least they do in the uk) and more recently a plastic variety is being used (like a supermarket square 1 gal water bottle) but i prefer the glass option both for fermenting and storing, i just syphon out into a bottle when i want one.

Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 6:48 am
by Virginia Gentleman
The rum turned out just fine, and in fact got all drunk up the night after I made it, no falvoring or aging, just straight 54% abv rum. Seems like the extra "rest" didn't hurt the wash at all.

How long can a wash sit?

Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 4:35 pm
by Billy Joe Jim Bob
I finally got to my sugar wash and it ran fine. Sitting didn't hurt it, nor did it appreciably help it....BJJB