All bran vs tomato paste?

Production methods from starch to sugars.

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which do you prefer more and why birdwatchers tomato paste recipe or rads all bran?

Birdwatchers TPW
4
14%
rads All bran
17
59%
other
8
28%
 
Total votes: 29

salmonhunter
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All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by salmonhunter »

Im fairly new to distilling have only made 3 turbo washes and 2 tomato paste washes. I prefer the tomato paste wash over the turbo for taste but the main problem I find is it takes longer to ferment and I don't end up with nearly as much drink for me and my friends to enjoy. Im thinking about trying rads all bran recipe does it ferment and clear faster then the birdwatcher recipe? Is there anyother recipes I should take a look at? Im running a turbo 500 if it matters.
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S-Cackalacky
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by S-Cackalacky »

If you're just looking for cheap likker for you and your buddies to get shit faced, just stick with the turbo. If you want a good sippin' whiskey that'll be something to talk about, read the links in my signature, invest in some patience and take some time getting to where you need to be.
Every new member should read this before doing anything else:
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bearriver
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by bearriver »

I like apples and oranges.
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GrassHopper
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by GrassHopper »

Why on earth would anyone want to do a turbo wash? There is sooooo much advice on this site advising to avoid it like the plague. And the reason is simple. Don't push the yeast. A ferment at around 6-10% is way more desirable for flavor according to many master distillers here. Push it beyond that and you start getting off flavors. I have had quite a few UJSSM fermentations complete in 4 or 5 days under the right circumstances. I would definately recomend UJSSM for a good drink from the "Tried and true recipes". Others seem to have their favorites, but I personally have not tried them yet. I am after flavor and a really good drop. I am fairly new so have not been willing to jump out of the nest yet with things so comfortable and all. I really like what I am making....it's damn good! Oh, BTW....never had to hunt for salmon, just watch the numbers and hit the river when x number show up in the trap. Hooked at least a couple hundred this year, but will not talk about how many were landed. Idaho on the Salmon River.
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by ben stiller »

If you want fast go to the store and buy a couple of liters of the cheapest stuff you can find. If you want to pursue this hobby
and make something to be proud of then take a step back, read Cranky"s spoon feed guide and learn patience. Patience will take you a long way. Most of us stood in your shoes and wanted the fast track so taking our advice will save you from making the mistakes that many before you have made. Ball is in your court. Choose wisely. Off my soap box.
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shadylane
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by shadylane »

salmonhunter wrote:Im fairly new to distilling have only made 3 turbo washes and 2 tomato paste washes. Is there anyother recipes I should take a look at
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 14&t=47474
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cranky
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by cranky »

Sounds to me like you have already made the biggest mistake when you said you and your buddies. Good liquor takes time and patience, if you want more you have to make more and have enough patience to do it right. I personally don't run a wash that hasn't worked less than a month because I feel I get better results but then again I don't drink to get drunk, I drink because I enjoy it. I also make it because I enjoy that too. I seldom share with anybody because most of the time those buddies start to think of you as the guy they can go to for free booze and you wind up doing a lot of work for nothing and get a reputation as the local moonshiner because your "buddies" have big mouths and tell people about "My buddy who makes moonshine". Before you know it local law enforcement hears about you and comes knocking. That's why you hear the mantra "Don't sell, don't tell" so frequently here.

Seems to me the best advice for you at this time is shut down your operation and buy cheap vodka until your buddies forget you ever had a still then after reading the spoonfeeding thread and doing a whole lot more research decide if you enjoy doing this as a hobby and want to do it right or just enjoy getting drunk before taking the hobby back up.
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Danespirit
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by Danespirit »

It takes longer to ferment...yes.
The reason it takes longer, is that it get's better than this turbo shit..!
Haste and greed has no place in this hobby, and it is like the most things in this world...good things take time.
If i want something just to produce alcohol out of, i go for the birdwatches, as it ends up in my refluxstill and will be stripped of flavour anyhow.
But if i want something tasty like whiskey or rum,i go by the tried and true recipes.
I do that for a very simple reason...because they are proven to work hundreds of times by many members in here and will give me no grief if i follow the recipe.
Those recipes, however take time..but you will be rewarded for your patience with first class spirits.
As Cranky mentioned..if you just want something you and your buddies can get fill up with..buy some cheap vodka and get pissed on that.
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by seaguy »

Well dude you asked for it. There will be no end to the liqueur preachers tellin you off instead of answering your question. For me they both have their purposes. Actually I am about to rack off a 13.5 gal. Combination of both. :lol: I had two boxes of wal- bran in the fridge and several ~13oz cans of Tom. Purée. I heated up the cereal, with a can of purée and enough water to thin it some. Dumped in a big sack of Walmart sugar (24lbs ?). I thirded all this in three buckets and more water to 4.5gal each. It is now dry after 10 days starting with 1/3 cup bakers yeast each. If it had been a little warmer it would probably been done in 5 days..... anyways, even doing it this way it will most likely taste like a regular all bran wash does after my usual slow, single run through my boka. What I'm saying is your still and method makes a big difference in what you end up with. The albran is faster to clear but probably because of the higher amount of yeast and nutrients. Don't know what a Turbo 500 is.
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by rad14701 »

I alternate between All Bran and Birdwatchers TPW, and even do combination ferments of the two mixed together... My advice would be to try both and see which one best suits your individual needs... Virtually all of my washes ferment to dry in a week or less and provide me with vodka or pure neutral spirits...
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Stilman
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by Stilman »

man, those guys were cranky back in 2015 eh?? I see you never replied. Are you still distilling?? But damn, just like my old man, cranky bastards are too often right! Or maybe half right . I have a turbo 500 with alembic and column. I am running TPW right now and ran all bran last week. I love comparing them....subtle differences and depends what you want to do with them. For gin, they are pretty much the same.
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by ben stiller »

We sure were cranky back then. Maybe we need a new poll. All Bran vs Birdwatchers. Which makes you crankier?
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CaptMorgan
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by CaptMorgan »

I have made both birdwatchers and rads all bran. I prefer all bran due to it fermenting faster than tpw. My tpw finishes in a little over 3 weeks while all bran only takes 7-10 days. Both yield about the same volume of end product and of the same quality. Make sure to let all bran settle before racking it, lots of solids will drop out. I have substituted corn flakes when I ran out of brans flakes. I prefer to make neutrals with my boka, then flavor them afterwards. I have never used turbo yeast and I never will unless I need a sacrificial in and quick.

Yes, guys were cranky a few years ago, maybe they were more sober then!
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still_stirrin
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by still_stirrin »

CaptMorgan wrote:...Yes, guys were cranky a few years ago, maybe they were more sober then!
Nothing better’n a few lashes with a hickory switch to get the attitude adjusted properly.....huh? Been there...and I have the scars to prove it.

But I too have settled on the all bran as a favorite for neutrals. The BW tends to crash pH more dramatically than the all bran...probably because the flakes help buffer the acid production. And, (to me at least) it seems the all bran ferment produces a more “neutral-flavored” spirit, again possibly the result of the acid production (or lack of in the all bran ferment).

In tasting the raw ferment (distiller’s beer), the all bran presents a mild grain flavor with a sort of toasty taste. The BW presents a slight estery/fruit-like flavor with a tart finish from the lower pH undoubtedly. In the flavors off still, the all bran is cleaner and very neutral, not dry or sweet. The BW distillate again has a slight fruity (apples or pears?) with a sweetish finish in the spirit. I suppose this could be the result of better cuts coming from the all bran distillations, but then again, it points to the process of cuts being slightly easier to make with the all bran recipe.

Regardless, YMMV. We all have our “favorites”...right?
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Stilman
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by Stilman »

overall, my vote for quality as a vodka through a column is bran for sure however there is a slight hassle factor with the amount of sediment so if just producing neutral to use in something flavoured TPW/Birdwatchers has my vote. I am going to try Dr. Who's Rye vodka next.
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raketemensch
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by raketemensch »

The most amusing thing here is that the guy who was banned for too much crankiness is the guy who gave us the all-bran recipe...
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still_stirrin
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by still_stirrin »

raketemensch wrote:...the guy who gave us the all-bran recipe...
And so much more. Granted, his delivery was at times “crisp”. But what he brought us is invaluable.
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ben stiller
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by ben stiller »

still_stirrin wrote:
raketemensch wrote:...the guy who gave us the all-bran recipe...
And so much more. Granted, his delivery was at times “crisp”. But what he brought us is invaluable.

True words!
nuncaquite
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by nuncaquite »

Like them both. TPW somewhat modified has risen to the favorite only because I can get one going in minutes. Ive also worked on some techniques that make it (TPW) ferment cleaner. Toss a bit of baking soda into the strip and push it through the column, it comes out for me as a drip that is at least a Titos clone, if not better.

The guy was helpful to me also.
MM-Brew
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by MM-Brew »

Good day to you.

I'm new to this hobby and with the advice and help from from user on this site is amazing. With my first TWP I had a PH crash. After a short post I had a way to correct my problem. Thank you all again for your help. I'll be trying the all bran as soon as my TWP finishes. As I've not yet made an all bran yet, but it sounds like it will work better for me than the my TPW did.
In my short time I've been in this hobby. I've learned and taken the advice given by other's here, that good lickker takes time and can't be rushed. I do have 4 packs of turbo that im not sure what I'll use it for. Maybe I'll get bored and make some fule to start bonfires with. But I'm sure that I'll not be using to make any lickker I'll be drinking.

My 2 cents.
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fizzix
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by fizzix »

MM-Brew wrote:...PH crash. After a short post I had a way to correct my problem. ...I do have 4 packs of turbo that im not sure what I'll use it for. Maybe I'll get bored and make some fule to start bonfires with. But I'm sure that I'll not be using to make any lickker I'll be drinking.
You're a wise man taking wise advice. You don't mention your pH cure. The advice I read here was oyster shells and I've never once had a crash while using them.
I was the Turbo Yeast King and found Home Distiller just before my next order of the stuff, so I don't have any sitting around.
But you've given me an idea. Would a small pinch of the stuff be a good nutrient additive to a real recipe? Don't do it yet! Just thinking out loud!
Cheers to you MM-brew.
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by Yummyrum »

fizzix wrote: But you've given me an idea. Would a small pinch of the stuff be a good nutrient additive to a real recipe? Don't do it yet! Just thinking out loud!
I've no doubt it would help . :thumbup: Its a big fat ass satchel of everything that could possibly help make a fermentation happen . To my nose its full of what you get in Yeast nutrient ......Di-ammonium Phosphate , epsom salts etc .
I can't remember where but saw a brake down that also included calcium carbonate ....so yeah its got some pH buffering built in as well .

To my way of thinking the stuff stinks .....literally .... but used in moderation , I'm sure its quite helpful .

Back On Topic ....for me . Tomato Paste Wash is always a guaranteed winner . All brans have been a party pooper and never made it to the finishing line :thumbdown: ...Your Water pH and mine may vary .....shells :?:
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Lawfish
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by Lawfish »

Personally, I prefer the deathwish wheat germ recipe. Seems to make a very nice neutral base for my gin. Note: I don't have (nor do I care to build) a reflux still. I've never had a stuck ferment with the DWWG and it always ferments down to around .995 or lower.
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Re: All bran vs tomato paste?

Post by MM-Brew »

FIZZIX
I was told to used pickling Lime to ballance out the Ph. I did and it eorked great. But I would use 2 TSP then let it sit for a bit and then test the ph again and repeat until you have a balance. From the advice and reading I've done is for the shells to go in at the beginning to prevent the Ph crash.
My OG was 1.07 it stalled at 1.04. Now it's at 1.01 I'm going to give it some more air tonight and see if that'll get to go dry. If not then I'll kill the heat and let clear the run it. Then start an all bran mash in one bucket and sweet feed in the other 2
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