Trouble with my fermentation

gerpud · Post by **gerpud** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 1:38 pm

I guy, I been studiing how to make alcool for about a year (part time). I made a great still: 25 L boiller, 1.4m tall collum (copper), Nixon head, stainless steel packing, digital thermometer. But I realy have trouble with my fermentaition.

Here my recepe:
4 kg of sugar
5 L of water
1/2 tsp of citric acid
Put that on the stove for 30 min.
2 tsp of an acid neutralizer (Don't remember the name, bougth that in my wine maker store)

When coll down:
15 L of water
put 3 tablets of B vitamins
3 table spoon of nutrients
1 pack of EC-1118 in a small jar with the stuff above
Then it bubbles had for a week and a half
Let settle down a week to clear up the mash
When distilling:
I put the valve of for 30 min to get the heads on the thop
Then slowly, I take off 700 ml

After: TROUBLE
Most of the stuff comes out at 77.8-9 deg C or 77.4 deg C
This is not ethanol, it tase a bit bad even if we can get drunk
I don't want this quality cause I know I can do better but I really don't know wath's going wrong. I'm getting tired of making all over the time the same bad stuff, even if I tried several variations in my receipe.

Please help me

Post by **Grayson_Stewart** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 4:48 pm

I don't know why you would use an acid nuetralizer. The purpose of adding the acid like you mentioned and heating is to invert the sugar (not a real necessity) and to make the wash acidic (again, not a necessity but does help).

If you are slowly removing 700 ml then you are definately getting all the foreshots and heads off that batch. That wash should only make a little less than 2.5 l of alcohol according to the amount of sugar you mentioned.

I don't see where you mention what you are keeping after the 700 ml, but the next liter after that 700 ml should be the hearts of your run and would be the best stuff....and anything after the heart would be tails for a nuetral wash as far as I'm concerned If you are continuing to run the column the way its supposed to run you should get about 1 liter of hearts.

The temperature sounds about right, so it doesn't sound like you are over powering the column and does sound like you are getting good seperation. You aren't drinking the first 700 ml and wondering why IT tastes bad are you?

gerpud · Post by **gerpud** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 5:15 pm

For the neutralization question, I tried with and without doing it and the results were the same. I know the purpose of it is to invert sugar to accelerate the fermentation. I got a form of alcool that isn't ethanol. I made once a batch of really good stuff so I know how it is supposed to taste. The alcool collected at 77.9 deg C is supposed to be really pure, but the proof is only 80 to 85 percent. I'd like to know what I'm collecting and know how to never make that again! It's been the third batch in row giving the same crap. I wish I can find definitely my receipe because my still is working so well!...

gerpud · Post by **gerpud** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 5:20 pm

The reason why I took off 700 ml is because the temperature never reach 78.0 deg C and I want the longest I can before getting tired and take the rest of the stuff. I do not take nether the tails. I usually stop collecting before 82 deg C. I don't mind waisting alcool as long as I get the best alcool I can get. Anybody has an idea?

zeff · Post by **zeff** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 4:05 pm

For a vodka wash i just dissolve 5kgs of sugar in 23L of tap water. Then make up a mix of 1/2 a cup of tomato paste and a tablespoon of vegemite and 1/2 cup of hot water. Then add that to the water and sugar, give it a stir and add yeast. Works fine in my still which is very similair to yours except with a longer column. How fast exactly are you collecting your middle? If your collecting it slowly enough then it should come out at 94-96% and have no smell or taste