Stuck orange wash fermentation

Information about fruit/vegetable type washes.

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fruitfart
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Stuck orange wash fermentation

Post by fruitfart »

Hi everyone. This is my first proper post other than the welcome center post, so apologies if the placement is less than correct. I have done the research but I can't seem to get a clear answer.

Recently, I made a large wash (large for me in any case) with oranges. I had enough oranges to make 90 litres of wash. So, after cleaning, peeling, removing most of the pith, and juicing (I used a drill powered mortar mixer to juice until it was almost like a thick soup, I couldn't quite get it as fine as bought orange juice) I got a gravity reading of about 1.06. I then added just enough sugar with hot water into the mash to push the gravity up to 1.07.

I left the mash outside (closed lid but not airlocked) and pitched yeast at 21 degrees C. I used three heaped tablespoons of EC-1118. This was about 6 weeks ago. One thing I didn't bother doing was taking a PH reading, as I know that oranges are quite acidic (this might be error number one on my part).

Now, the other mistake that I might have made is leaving my wash outside and not controlling the temperature. Peeling enough oranges to make 90 litres of wash is a lot of work and after I filled the bucked it was too heavy, almost backbreaking, to get into the room where I keep my other mashes. I did leave it under the shade though, so the bucket didn't absorb any direct sunlight.

It flew off fermenting the first couple of weeks, and I took care to ensure that the cap was pushed back every day to avoid molding. From the top, the wash smelled of oranges and almost like a bottle of red wine if you just opened the glass and poured, however, when you open the lid of the fermented a tiny bit, a strong smell of carbon dioxide and acetone hits the nose.

Two weeks ago the wash settled and I took a gravity reading, 1.03, so, I added some DAP (1 tablespoon).

Checked it again today, the cap looks like it has fallen in, but gravity is still at 1.03.

If anyone has any guidance or assistance, I would greatly appreciate it. I really want to make some orange brandy.

Thanks
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: Stuck orange wash fermentation

Post by Saltbush Bill »

I doubt you will get an accurate gravity reading due to pulp and other flotsam and jetsam in the wash.
Use your sences....taste it .....is it sweet or sour/ tart?
If it fermented for a few weeks , it tastes dry and the cap has dropped Id say its done......time to run it.
malt_lover
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Re: Stuck orange wash fermentation

Post by malt_lover »

Agree with Saltbush Bill. Also, by now ph would be really low, it can stall fermentation. Add crushed oyster shells. The acid eats through calcium and it increases ph until they reach equilibrium. Probably it can restart fermentation, if any sugars still remain. Though after over 2 weeks, it should be done.
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Tummydoc
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Re: Stuck orange wash fermentation

Post by Tummydoc »

At 1.03, I'd say you have a stuck ferment from a pH crash. Can you check pH now? If not, add oyster shells, egg shells, or pH UP for pools.
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: Stuck orange wash fermentation

Post by jonnys_spirit »

To get a good reading of grape or fruit chemistry (including SG) I'll take a 1 cup sample of the must and run it through a mixer to best integrate all the liquids then strain out and/or squeeze any solids with a series of sieves and cheese cloth then warm up to room temp (microwave), degas by shaking in a mason jar and cracking the lid till no CO2 puff then take the various readings like SG, pH, TA, and SO2. I imaging that this would help with an orange must as well. Dump it back in the fermenter when done recording chemistry.

Hope that helps!

On the other hand I probably wouldn't ferment oranges like that but I would de-pith and macerate the peels in a neutral'ish or brandy'ish likker and possibly either re-distill (if i wanted it white) or add other additives like oak and maybe a hint of cinnamon - maybe a slight bit of sweetening - then age and run it through a coffee filter/decant before finally bottling... Just some options...

Cheers,
jonny
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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fruitfart
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Re: Stuck orange wash fermentation

Post by fruitfart »

Thanks a lot. Think I'm running this one on the weekend. Taste has little to no sweetness, but quite sour.

Thanks for the shells tip, I'll keep that in mind when making mashes in the future, I do live by the sea and there is ample supply of washed up shells.

Thanks for the testing tip Jonny. Appreciate it and I'll definitely use it when making fruit mashes in the future. Reason I decided on oranges was because it was at the end of the season and I got a boatload soft, end-of-season oranges for free.

I'll keep you all posted on how it turned out.
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Demy
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Re: Stuck orange wash fermentation

Post by Demy »

I fermented oranges once. You have to take into account that oranges usually have a very low pH and this can stop fermentation at some point. I used baking soda to bring it into the range of about 5, the gravity has dropped a lot like a wine, it's been a long time but I think it's reached 1,000.
fruitfart
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Re: Stuck orange wash fermentation

Post by fruitfart »

Been a while since I ran this one. Unfortunately the yield did not turn out as well as I'd hoped for, but still quite a decent amount of spirit, however, the taste as not as good as I'd hoped for. Was a tad sour to my taste. For all of the effort I put into making this one, I ended up being a bit disappointed.

It'll be a while before I do citrus again. Summer fruit like peaches and nectarines, I must say, are a lot easier to work with.

Thanks for all the advice everyone
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Rrmuf
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Re: Stuck orange wash fermentation

Post by Rrmuf »

I don't know if it applies to this kind of wash, but I found this useful for troubleshooting stuck fermentations....

https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... =3&t=60502

Good luck!
-- Rrmuf
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