A questions for a newbie

Putting older posts here. Going to try to keep the novice forum pruned about 90 days work. The 'good' old stuff is going to be put into appropriate forums.

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Grid
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A questions for a newbie

Post by Grid »

I have been using the turbo yeast packs that i buy from brew shop http://stillspirits.com/wa.asp?idWebPag ... etails=101" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
i put 6 kg white sugar 21lt water and this yeast pack and it finishes in about 2-3 days(checked with hydrometer).
I have been reading what other people do and have done a 6kg raw sugar(want to try a rum flavor) 21lt water 4 teaspoons of yeast nutrient and 40grams of yeast.It has been bubbling for about 6-7 days now ,checked with a hydrometer and its reading 1052 or about 7%.i am not in a hurry for it but what would the normal time be for it to finish?(approx) Also is my sugar/yeast/nutrient/water amounts right.
Secondly i use the flavor essence once i have a litre of 80% (what i am getting out my potstill) spirits but i only have a small pot and i am getting about 1-1 1/2 litres of heads and tails because i am doing four 8-9 litre batches
I know i need to cut the heads and tails back a bit (but i am still learning) but can i still use the heads and tails if i filter them through some carbon?.
Thank you in advance

Grid
big worm
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Post by big worm »

can't comment on the turbos ,but have read most folks dislike them cause of the bad tastes they produce...could be some of the heads/tails thing for you. but as i said never smelled/tasted a turbo. i would not filter them tho..would add to the next wash charged in still and rerun and recut with the next..gets easyer every time...but i don't know anything i just read..and remember what i been tolt
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new_moonshiner
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Post by new_moonshiner »

that 80 % from a single pass in pot still ? depends on how much heads and how tails youre collecting that determines if you want to try to use them without rerunning them again .. heads contain some of the higher alcohols something you really dont want and the tails .. contain flavor yes but oily and terrible tasting when you go deep and smelly also .. and most of the time when cut with water they go cloudy ... some just save the them for another run and try to collect the alcohol from them .
Grid
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Location: The Land of Oz

have i done it right for my first yeast wash?

Post by Grid »

I have been reading what other people do and have done a 6kg raw sugar(want to try a rum flavor) 21lt water 4 teaspoons of yeast nutrient and 40grams of yeast.It has been bubbling for about 6-7 days now ,checked with a hydrometer and its reading 1052 or about 7%.i am not in a hurry for it but what would the normal time be for it to finish?(approx) Also is my sugar/yeast/nutrient/water amounts right..........

So have i got the amounts (sugar/yeast/nutrient/water) right?
It has been 2 weeks and the wash has not changed in reading but is still bubbling through airlock(once every2-3hrs).

Thanks in advance for the help and replys
Grid.
spiritsofcatemaco
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Post by spiritsofcatemaco »

from my reading on the site I say for a Rum flavor you want molasses in the wash ore at least brown sugar, maybe the raw sugar is brown and gives you some flavor.

the mix looks ok to me, you can expect around 14% alcohol when finished. But one bubble every 2 - 3 hours is low. Is your container air tight? How is the temperature? ore it may have stalled for some other reason... what yeast nutrient do you use?
Grid
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Post by Grid »

Thanks for the reply spiritsofcatemaco..

The wash i have is just raw sugar but have flavour essence to add and i normally use white sugar and read that raw sugar has SOME molasses in it,so i thought i would give the raw sugar a go.
yes the container is air tight and seal good,it bubbled quiet a lot in the start and then has slowly dropped down (just like it normally should).
The temperature has been a constant 28-35c in the container,and i too was thinking it has stalled.
at present (to use it up) i am using a commercial brought yeast nutrient (brewcraft brand)

Grid.
rad14701
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Post by rad14701 »

Your 40 grams of yeast may have depleted the yeast nutrients added prematurely... You might be able to kick start the ferment by adding either wheat germ or tomato paste - or just add more nutrient... See the main site for more information...
flyboy3b
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Post by flyboy3b »

ive been using this ( http://www.brewhaus.com/Rum_Turbo_Yeast_p/30001065.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow ) yeast with about 8lbs of white sugar and about 1 gal of molasses. its been fermenting to about 15-16%. if i keep it at 75f its takes 2 to 3 days. if it gets much cooler it will take a tad more than a week. if youve got one bubble every 2 to 3 hours,, its either done,, or its stuck
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