Distillate color change

tomslik · Post by **tomslik** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 9:44 pm

After a stripping run of my pear mash, about 30% abv which I intend to redistil, I added Baking Soda (sodium Bicarbonate) @5 ml per liter and much to my surprise the distillate has changed color to an aqua blue/green color. Is this normal or what?
Thanks

rangaz · Post by **rangaz** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 2:33 am

was it coloured tiny suspended particles that settle out with time, or did the solution turn that colour and is completely see through but coloured?

tomslik · Post by **tomslik** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 7:37 am

It is not clear any more...Its cloudy now but I wouldnt say it has specks though. But it has a distinct beautiful turquois color throughout, lol.

pothead · Post by **pothead** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:19 am

rangaz wrote:was it coloured tiny suspended particles that settle out with time, or did the solution turn that colour and is completely see through but coloured?

mine settled...what is it?

rangaz · Post by **rangaz** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 3:40 pm

not sure exactly, but i would say that there was some form of copper salt in solution that was colourless, which is unusual for copper, it normally takes blue or green colours. I would hazard a guess that the Cu ions formed an insoluble salt with the bicarbonate ion and dropped out of solution as a precipitate and eventually settled to the bottom.

You wont be able to see the tiny specks, it will just appear as more of an opaque colour than a transparent colour. Has some of it settled out, making it more see through?

Spose it doesnt really matter as you'll redistilling it again anyway so it wont carry over in the first proper run.

If it is a precipitate it should be able to be filtered or decanted to get it out of final distillate, or distilled if its dissolved in the alcohol

tomslik · Post by **tomslik** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 9:57 pm

I am surprised no one has a more concrete answer as to what this might be...

rangaz · Post by **rangaz** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:48 pm

I'm sure someone will chime in eventually, who has actually experienced it. You should give a few more details as to how you distilled and what equipment you were using to make it easier for others to work it out.

The colour does seem to indicate a copper salt though...

Big J · Post by **Big J** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 3:25 am

Check out http://distillers.tastylime.net/library" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow - 'Artisan Distilling' pages 74 on for info on flaws.

"In distillates from sour, acetic mashes a blue or blue-green cloudiness can be observed, partly in form of small pellets which can be attributed to
copper/fatty acid combinations. "

Cheers,
J