Search found 25 matches

by sugar glut
Tue Jan 23, 2018 6:44 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Spirit Cloudiness --- A Quick Effective Fix
Replies: 26
Views: 8322

Re: Spirit Cloudiness --- ammonia

* Don't use an electronic pH meter in spirit or it will damage the bulb. (Special bulbs are available for alcohol; pHe.) Litmus paper works correctly with any spirit strength. The 0.5 graduated paper (5 to 9) is the most useful. A stripping run should have a pH of near 6 if the wash was pH=5. (It's ...
by sugar glut
Sun Jan 21, 2018 10:58 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Spirit Cloudiness --- A Quick Effective Fix
Replies: 26
Views: 8322

Re: Spirit Cloudiness --- Use more tissues

* "Cloudiness" needs some quantification and reproducibility. In the absence of a turbidity meter, put 1mL of regular milk into a 3L glass carboy. It's surprisingly cloudy, and looks much like my stripping run (pot still) watered down to 38%. Apparent cloudiness increases rapidly with the ...
by sugar glut
Sun Jan 21, 2018 10:56 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Spirit Cloudiness --- A Quick Effective Fix
Replies: 26
Views: 8322

Re: Spirit Cloudiness --- A Quick Effective Fix

Sugar ,and molasses do not produce methanol . Methanol is produced from pectin , or methyl esters of galactos ( bad spelling ) . After collecting feints from multiple sugar washes we ran pure feints and absolutely no methanol was produced . Just to be sure we had it tested at a local university on ...
by sugar glut
Sun Dec 31, 2017 6:56 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Spirit Cloudiness --- A Quick Effective Fix
Replies: 26
Views: 8322

Re: Spirit Cloudiness --- A Quick Effective Fix

--Tests To Remove NH3 & Acetates-- To speed up experimentation I made white spirit batches with clean ethanol and added stock ammonia. Acidification was done with vinegar. Other organic acids soluble in alcohol should work, too. 1. Aqueous salts chemistry does not apply in high ABV alcohol (40%...
by sugar glut
Thu Dec 28, 2017 12:02 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Spirit Cloudiness --- A Quick Effective Fix
Replies: 26
Views: 8322

Re: Spirit Cloudiness --- BENTONITE A DOUBLE WHAMMY

After more tests on small batches of wash I find that Zapata's blue distillates are caused by ammonia (NH3) getting into the distillate., oddly more so in the second distillation. It seems the bentonite is again the culprit rather than the bicarb, but anything that increases the pH over 6 will cause...
by sugar glut
Tue Dec 26, 2017 3:20 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Spirit Cloudiness --- A Quick Effective Fix
Replies: 26
Views: 8322

Re: Spirit Cloudiness --- A Quick Effective Fix

After reading about Schweizer's reagent I'm still leaning towards peracetic (or per-oxy-acetic), but only for the reason that it's simpler to make. There's not so much ammonia in the typical wash, unless it gets stripped from amino acids. Has anyone got a lab report analyzing a blue wash? I've heard...
by sugar glut
Mon Dec 25, 2017 7:08 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Spirit Cloudiness --- A Quick Effective Fix
Replies: 26
Views: 8322

Re: Spirit Cloudiness --- A Quick Effective Fix

RE: blue distillate from excessive bicarb. Copper ions are dislodged by peracetic acid (BP=25C) which could well end up as a feint blue in the distillate. (Copper oxide is dark red and will stick to the copper base.) Peracetic acid can be made from bicarb but only if there's a lot of oxygen and bica...
by sugar glut
Mon Dec 25, 2017 5:05 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Spirit Cloudiness --- A Quick Effective Fix
Replies: 26
Views: 8322

Re: DROP THE BENTONITE.

I use Australian tissues made from *bleached* hardwood, mountain ash and eucalyptus. I use both grain and pure sugar turbo washes. The tissues work fine for me. Others stated coffee papers did not work. I have ordered 100 Bunn white filters from the US to check it. They must have the tiny capillary ...
by sugar glut
Mon Dec 11, 2017 3:13 pm
Forum: Sugar
Topic: Molasses
Replies: 137
Views: 88398

Re: Molasses

"None" is the answer I was expecting. The particular phenols from malts and peat give a terroir to single-malt whiskey. The crushed rats, toads, and dogs found in black strap do not lend a terroir to the finished distillate. (Go take a ride on one of those huge can harvesters.) Making whis...
by sugar glut
Fri Dec 08, 2017 7:04 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Better Method if you absolutely HAVE to use Turbo Yeast
Replies: 157
Views: 137742

Re: Better Method if you absolutely HAVE to use Turbo Yeast

I agree wit the OP that TY can make clean distillate. Just don't use as much as the directions recommend, and only go to a max of 15%. Any wash will pong, except for grapes, if you go too high. Vodka, schnapps, gin, and all botanicals demand a very clean wash. Ruskies use potatoes because they don't...
by sugar glut
Fri Dec 08, 2017 6:41 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Suggestions on pot still build/process
Replies: 13
Views: 1638

Re: Suggestions on pot still build/process

My previous home made pot stlll used a 19L ss pot ($20 at BigW) heated with an induction cooker. I highly recommend them as you cook by power setting. Ranges from 200W to 2000W. They're very energy efficient. Max weight allowed is about 12kg so the pot needs legs. I simply strapped the cooker onto t...
by sugar glut
Fri Dec 08, 2017 6:31 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Spirit Cloudiness --- A Quick Effective Fix
Replies: 26
Views: 8322

Re: Spirit Cloudiness --- A Quick Effective Fix

The lipid stuff is taught in undergraduate viticulture and industrial chemistry degrees. My discovery is the ability of the fine capillaries in wood to clean out the muck. My pile of whisky--Limousine oak is now in the garden. I've been told it takes 300yrs to rot. Most triglycerides boil at 250C or...
by sugar glut
Thu Dec 07, 2017 9:42 pm
Forum: Sugar
Topic: Molasses
Replies: 137
Views: 88398

Re: Molasses

Edit : if you are getting colour your still have puked you don't get any colour from distillation buddy no matter how crappy the still is. Rum is quite often dark because it has had a browning caramel added. Read my post again straw-man argument, I said color from the condenser can only happen from...
by sugar glut
Thu Dec 07, 2017 9:28 pm
Forum: Sugar
Topic: White Sugar Nutrients Informantion
Replies: 91
Views: 81882

Re: White Sugar Nutrients Informantion

E. Carbamate is not proven to be bad in small amounts. The Japanese study is the only one, and involved amounts orders of magnitude larger than found in distilling. Inverting table sugar is not necessary for distilling. Avoid sugar when making beer or wine, and only when the daily mean temp is below...
by sugar glut
Thu Dec 07, 2017 7:31 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Spirit Cloudiness --- A Quick Effective Fix
Replies: 26
Views: 8322

Spirit Cloudiness --- A Quick Effective Fix

The following is a description of how I cleared my white spirit of the watering-down cloudiness; technically, emulsification, or sapponification. The answer is plain facial tissues, Kleenex, snot rags, etc; unscented and of course unused. White coffee papers should work well too. Carbon granules are...
by sugar glut
Thu Dec 07, 2017 7:16 pm
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: Greetings from Cairns Australia
Replies: 10
Views: 1088

Re: Greetings from Cairns Australia

Greetings! I've been using an Essencia Super Reflux ... I am in arch rival Townsville. CLean the column and packing regularly. It's one the hassals of owning a reflux job. I ended up selling my T500 and made a high-neck pot, just like the Scottish stills. No need to mother it during runs, either.
by sugar glut
Sun Nov 26, 2017 4:26 pm
Forum: Sugar
Topic: Molasses
Replies: 137
Views: 88398

Re: Molasses

... Bundaberg molasses I was talking to one of the distillers at the Bundaberg Rum factory. I guess they do know a bit about rum production. ... double distill ... agenig in oak How much of your rum color comes from the pot still condenser versus the oak? I've never been able to get "brown&quo...
by sugar glut
Fri Nov 24, 2017 4:04 am
Forum: Sugar
Topic: Molasses
Replies: 137
Views: 88398

Re: Molassespp

I guess its all a matter of personal taste . Some like a strong flavoured Rum and some a really light one but you defnitely can make good rum from black strap . Personal taste rules the day, and there is not even a broad definition of what rum is. I was making a distinction between molasses and *fe...
by sugar glut
Fri Nov 24, 2017 3:43 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: G'day from Tropcal East Australia, Sugar Land
Replies: 13
Views: 1176

Re: G'day from Tropcal East Australia, Sugar Land

I am using 1/3rd cup of Lowans Bakers Yeast. No DAP for me, I use 50 grams of kale for my nutrients, I puree it in a blender. Plus 5 kgs of raw sugar for the cleanest freshest neutral, and superior to the tomato paste IMHO. There is no need to clean up the product from this recipe prior to the spir...
by sugar glut
Thu Nov 23, 2017 5:28 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: G'day from Tropcal East Australia, Sugar Land
Replies: 13
Views: 1176

Re: G'day from Tropcal East Australia, Sugar Land

Gday oldmate. welcome aye! Make it your challenge to do a ferment from ingredients all sourced from Woolies. The recipes are to be found here I can set up a 23 litre sugarhead wash for no more than $6.50 AUD and get a far superior product than the Turbo washes and it does not require carbon filteri...
by sugar glut
Thu Nov 23, 2017 5:12 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: G'day from Tropcal East Australia, Sugar Land
Replies: 13
Views: 1176

Re: G'day from Tropcal East Australia, Sugar Land

thecroweater wrote:k you could do much better with a pot and thumper .
I did have a thumper but removed it. I treat the stripped distillate with bicarb and depleted oak for 48hrs. Then I do run #2. This completely cures the saponification haze when adding water. I will post this info later.
by sugar glut
Thu Nov 23, 2017 5:05 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: G'day from Tropcal East Australia, Sugar Land
Replies: 13
Views: 1176

Re: G'day from Tropcal East Australia, Sugar Land

Welcome! My ferments are plain sugar with turbo-yeasts Maybe think about trying a Birdwatchers, they can finish up as high as 14% and are cheaper and taste better then turbo mashes. Ive made several they are super easy to do. Here is a link http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=50...
by sugar glut
Thu Nov 23, 2017 4:54 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: G'day from Tropcal East Australia, Sugar Land
Replies: 13
Views: 1176

Re: G'day from Tropcal East Australia, Sugar Land

I use an air-cooled water still ($60 on Ebay) hooked to the same power controller for secondary distillation. I would look at that distiller for non approved materiel in the vapor pass. AC Already done. The water stills are actually a lot better made than the old alcohol air-stills. All SS and two ...
by sugar glut
Wed Nov 22, 2017 2:53 pm
Forum: Sugar
Topic: Molasses
Replies: 137
Views: 88398

Re: Molasses

After using straight black-strap for a few months I gave up. While molasses has a lot of advantages for commercial distillers, it is too difficult for the home distiller to produce a clean alcohol, free of the fermented molasses smell/taint. I've made my best rums from double-distilled straight suga...
by sugar glut
Wed Nov 22, 2017 2:29 pm
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: G'day from Tropcal East Australia, Sugar Land
Replies: 13
Views: 1176

G'day from Tropcal East Australia, Sugar Land

I am retired and have been an experimental distiller for 4 years. My first preference is to make scotch, just the 4-week stuff done with French Oak chips, and some distilled peat essence. I did make bourbon for a while but it's just too sweet. I also make gin, but just using the store-bought essence...