Vodka. They say it is tastless, yey it is FULL of flavors. Even the ones where you can't pick out a specific flavor (currant, carmel, citrus, etc), come on, vodka has a taste, and smell. That is why some people can't stand doing shots of it.
Why do people keep saying that it's a flavorless alcohol?
Second. Neutral spirit. They say that is vodka. Is the homebrewed neutral spirit indeed tasteless? What about a sugar wash, where all you have IS sugar, water and yeast?
what about commercial "grain alcohol" WOuld that be just higher proof vodka? Since it seems that grain alcohol is listed as a neutral spirit as well...
(ok, second question is common knowledge, but since I'm still waiting for my first ever sugar wash to ferment.....I don't have experience yet.)
Here is a different question about tastes....
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riff42
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Miraculix
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Ahh, yes,... vodka "water of life" and "dear little water" tasteless.. well...
Commercial vodka has the distinct disadvantage that they are mostly
produced in a continuous still of some sort. They have different take-off
points at the different "plates". The problem is that alcohol vapor not yet
fully separated from it's congeners is contaminating our dear "tasteless"
product. The result is that the vodka has some taste of some sort, dipending
on what the raw material was.
Often they try to remove much of the "taste" by treating it with carbon,
but it's not always economical, and sometimes not possible to remove
all of the flavors. Hence they sell it as it is "with a subtle taste of the raw
material".
A well done homemade bottle of neutral alcohol will taste and smell a lot
better than commercially distilled ones. It is strong and with no obvious
taste from the raw material. How good you get it, is entirely up to you.
With a well built column (I use a 2" copper VM) the result will be exceptional.
I have no problem what so ever, to produce far better "neutral" alcohol
than the norwegian distillers, making their product mostly from potatoes.
/Miraculix
Commercial vodka has the distinct disadvantage that they are mostly
produced in a continuous still of some sort. They have different take-off
points at the different "plates". The problem is that alcohol vapor not yet
fully separated from it's congeners is contaminating our dear "tasteless"
product. The result is that the vodka has some taste of some sort, dipending
on what the raw material was.
Often they try to remove much of the "taste" by treating it with carbon,
but it's not always economical, and sometimes not possible to remove
all of the flavors. Hence they sell it as it is "with a subtle taste of the raw
material".
A well done homemade bottle of neutral alcohol will taste and smell a lot
better than commercially distilled ones. It is strong and with no obvious
taste from the raw material. How good you get it, is entirely up to you.
With a well built column (I use a 2" copper VM) the result will be exceptional.
I have no problem what so ever, to produce far better "neutral" alcohol
than the norwegian distillers, making their product mostly from potatoes.
/Miraculix
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Watershed
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I don't view having a faint flavour as a defect in vodkas - it's part of the point of having a diverse selection of these 'neutral' white spirits from a variety of sources - you can clearly taste the differences between the likes of Stoli and Grey goose, they're meant to be drunk neat so that the flavour is apparent - mixing a decent vodka to me is just a waste of a good spirit and I wouldn't view a truly neutral vodka as a good spirit.
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riff42
- Swill Maker
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- Location: My desk, somewhere in the east of somewhere....
Miraculix wrote:Ahh, yes,... vodka "water of life" and "dear little water" tasteless.. well...
Commercial vodka has the distinct disadvantage that they are mostly
produced in a continuous still of some sort. They have different take-off
points at the different "plates". The problem is that alcohol vapor not yet
fully separated from it's congeners is contaminating our dear "tasteless"
product. The result is that the vodka has some taste of some sort, dipending
on what the raw material was.
Often they try to remove much of the "taste" by treating it with carbon,
but it's not always economical, and sometimes not possible to remove
all of the flavors. Hence they sell it as it is "with a subtle taste of the raw
material".
A well done homemade bottle of neutral alcohol will taste and smell a lot
better than commercially distilled ones. It is strong and with no obvious
taste from the raw material. How good you get it, is entirely up to you.
With a well built column (I use a 2" copper VM) the result will be exceptional.
I have no problem what so ever, to produce far better "neutral" alcohol
than the norwegian distillers, making their product mostly from potatoes.
/Miraculix
So I should not expect what I would find in a bottle of vodka I bought. I should expect real neutrality? Sounds like a plan to me.
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Miraculix
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- Location: Norway
As I said, it's up to you how good you get it. Do a decent slow run, taking
care to obtain proper equilibrium, taking care of foreshot, heads and tails
(as in: do make the right cut's; don't be greedy). Use proper column fill
(copper mesh or RF pot scrubbers).
Then, yes, the result will be far better than storebought "vodka". You will
not taste the raw material what so ever. If it has an "off taste", this will be
due to improper cut's.
Remember: don't just set for 95,6% alcohol, as this does not mean that
it is free from impurities. In the column, it is not enough to reach 95,6%
just at the the outlet, is has to be 95,6% a bit down in the column. Only this
way can you be ensured that the last of the impurities is gone, and that you
keep equlibrium during the whole run.
Good luck!
/Miraculix
care to obtain proper equilibrium, taking care of foreshot, heads and tails
(as in: do make the right cut's; don't be greedy). Use proper column fill
(copper mesh or RF pot scrubbers).
Then, yes, the result will be far better than storebought "vodka". You will
not taste the raw material what so ever. If it has an "off taste", this will be
due to improper cut's.
Remember: don't just set for 95,6% alcohol, as this does not mean that
it is free from impurities. In the column, it is not enough to reach 95,6%
just at the the outlet, is has to be 95,6% a bit down in the column. Only this
way can you be ensured that the last of the impurities is gone, and that you
keep equlibrium during the whole run.
Good luck!
/Miraculix