Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

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Rockyathabaska
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Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by Rockyathabaska »

I distilled 23 L of birdwatcher's sugar mash ( fermented in June ) on the weekend. I only got 100 oz. of 43% gin from the lot.
This was my second ferment; the first was using turbo yeast. It rendered approx. three time as much gin in three distillation sessions.
The best abv I got this time was 110 proof as opposed to 150 proof on my previous attempts.

My still is a pot still with a 24" x 1 1/2 " clomumn packed with copper scrubbies to get some reflux. Was impressed with 1st runs and suspect poor fermenting on my lesser yield this time.

Any suggestions?
If I'm in the wrong page area to ask please direct me to where I should head to?

Thx Rocky
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Still Life
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by Still Life »

You didn't get any gravity readings did you?
Pikey
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by Pikey »

100 oz - that's 5 pints Imperial or about 6.25 US I think. I don't know if that's bad or not - i don't run Birdy, perhaps someone who does can tell us ?

Birdwatchers will yield less than turbo - it depends on the sugar -
How much sugar in your turbo wash ?
How much in your Birdy ?
Your starting abv's give a good clue as to the abv of the respective washes.
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NZChris
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by NZChris »

The yield of finished gin sounds about right to me. What did you expect?
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Still Life
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by Still Life »

You fermented a little low.
I roughly calculate ~5.55%ABV wash based upon your figures. (8% being nominal)
(43oz. alcohol, out of 775 total ounces.)
That's why I wondered if you had gravity readings.

So, you're not too bad.
Don't compare against Turbo, though. Your getting quality now, not quantity.
Rockyathabaska
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by Rockyathabaska »

I did expect more, didn't take spec gravity.
I suppose I did ok in hindsight but was disappointed after the first ferment I did.
Is the higher abv in the wash related to the stronger yield I got on the first running?
Thanks for your interest.
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by Pikey »

SUGAR is the driver of abv ------- BUT your yeast can only play to it's limits.

That's All :D
Rockyathabaska
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by Rockyathabaska »

I have another 23L of birdwatcher's wash that kicked faster and stronger as I remember.
I'll run it through and see what results I get.
Will take gravitates and report my results.
Should tell me something....
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Still Life
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by Still Life »

Give 'er a go. You're just about there.
Most importantly... how's it tasting?
Rockyathabaska
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by Rockyathabaska »

Can't complain about the taste.
Might be a bit earthy tasting; will go a little easier on the cardimum and fennel seed next time.
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jon1163
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by jon1163 »

I just got through with my second birdwatchers last night. Before that all I used was turbo. I was initially surprised by the low output compared to my turbo runs and asked on here as well. I got the same response, had to do with sugar content and you're going for quality not quantity. I can say that my Low wines on birdwatchers taste better than my spirits using turbo ever did. When I finalize my birdwatchers spirit run, watch out. Stop using turbo.
Rockyathabaska
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by Rockyathabaska »

Thanks for the encouragement; will keep going with the birdwatchers, when the weather gets more conducive to indoor activities.
Will try using Marmite and molasses in my next wash, have it on good authority that it helps.
Rocky
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by zapata »

Molasses won't supply anything missing from birdwatchers and will add taste that is hard to remove. Nothing wrong with that necessarily, but most who want the molly tasye are making rum, not BW.
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by NZChris »

My father had it "on good authority" that the world would end in 1975 and we all know how well that went :D

Molasses is great stuff for flavored products, but if someone suggested it to me for making neutral I'd tell him to bugger off.
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bilgriss
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by bilgriss »

You mean it didn't end?
markieb
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by markieb »

ive done several birdwatchers now i use:
5kg sugar (white)
4 aldi bakewell easy bake yeast sachets
100grms double concentrate tomato puree
1 multi vitamin crushed
1 vitamin b tab
a small pinch of epson salts

i water heat my 25ltr washes the sg is usually about 1.08 and i run it down to 0.96. my latest wash has stalled at 1.03 for the last 3 days so i figured id add some more vitimins but it didnt do alot so i got some weetabix and crushed them into the wash 4 wheetabix slabs per fermenter. i tell you what depending on what it tastes like im going to add these babies to the start of a wash because it took right off the wash is really lively now every couple seconds its bubbling away so its done something to improve the fermentation time the main ingredients are wheat 95% and malted barley 5%.i might not use the tomato next time and see what the weetabix can handle :)
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der wo
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by der wo »

markieb wrote:i water heat my 25ltr washes the sg is usually about 1.08 and i run it down to 0.96.
5kg up to 25l should measure 1.077. After fermentation max. 11.8%abv. Pure water and ethanol 11.8%abv measures 0.984. To get 0.96 is impossible unless your wash would have 33%abv or more. Either your hydrometer is wrong or you mean 0.996 instead of 0.96. 0.996 would be not the best possible result. There is still sugar for around 1%abv more. In this case I would recommend adding DAP or fertilizer next batch, and perhaps shells or garden chalk (calcium carbonate).
In this way, imperialism brings catastrophe as a mode of existence back from the periphery of capitalist development to its point of departure. - Rosa Luxemburg
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by markieb »

der wo wrote:
markieb wrote:i water heat my 25ltr washes the sg is usually about 1.08 and i run it down to 0.96.
5kg up to 25l should measure 1.077. After fermentation max. 11.8%abv. Pure water and ethanol 11.8%abv measures 0.984. To get 0.96 is impossible unless your wash would have 33%abv or more. Either your hydrometer is wrong or you mean 0.996 instead of 0.96. 0.996 would be not the best possible result. There is still sugar for around 1%abv more. In this case I would recommend adding DAP or fertilizer next batch, and perhaps shells or garden chalk (calcium carbonate).
yeah i ment 0.996 sorry.awsome thanks for the tip der wo i thought it maybe down to the tempertures as it isnt optimal as ive no proper heating source (heat belt/pads/aqua heater) just rest 1 in the sink and run hot water around every couple of hours to warm the wash and fill a catering urn with the other sat in it to warm it.il get some shells i live close to the coast (il boil them first to kill any bacteria) hopefully the birthday fairy has dropped hints to the mrs for what i want for my birthday lol a 1ltr crystal skull decanter with 6 skull shot glasses and 2 heat belts and a 220ltr olive barrel fermenter.
i still want to distill through the winter and having a big fermenter in the cupboard would sort the space issues out as ive 2 25ltr barrels in there at the moment.
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der wo
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by der wo »

You are right. A higher temp could help too to reach a lower FG.
In this way, imperialism brings catastrophe as a mode of existence back from the periphery of capitalist development to its point of departure. - Rosa Luxemburg
Rockyathabaska
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by Rockyathabaska »

Thanks for all the advice; now would like to know what to do with the awful tasting “ Tubo gin “ I made the first run and now can’t drink? Can I put it into my next run or will it ruin the next batch?
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by hpby98 »

Rockyathabaska wrote:Thanks for all the advice; now would like to know what to do with the awful tasting “ Tubo gin “ I made the first run and now can’t drink? Can I put it into my next run or will it ruin the next batch?
Rerun it, cuts should help
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by Rockyathabaska »

On its own or can I put it in my next batch?
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Re: Poor result with birdwatchers sugar ferment

Post by hpby98 »

Rockyathabaska wrote:On its own or can I put it in my next batch?
I’d combine it. I’ve rerun stuff from 92 as I wanted 95+...
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