Sparkalloid

[myerfire]

I started a wash I read about on this forum a week ago, a red lintel vegetarian wash. It has been fermenting for 7 days and last night I thought I would rack it into a secondary fermenter and put some Sparkalloid into the wash. Sparkalloid is a clearing agent. It didn't look bad last night, but this morning it is so clear, it is in a 5 gallon carboy and I can read a newspaper through it. I'm going to distill it today, weather this makes any difference in the finished product, I don't know, but it sure looks nice going into the boiler.
FWIW
myerfire

[Beerswimmer]

Just lintels, water and yeast? Sounds like a great recipe to make a vodka with it being so clean. Pics?

[kiwistiller]

have a look in scarecrows vegetarian sugar wash trials thread.

[myerfire]

I guess I should have been more complete, I also used 8 lbs of sugar. Everything came out crystall clear from beginning to end of run. The only problem I'm having is my ABV only gets to the low 90's. I have a reflux column with 5' of packing. I started with all copper mesh and on this last run I substituted 2' of copper for 2' of rashig rings, so I now have 3' of copper mesh and 2' of rashig rings and reflux condenser above that. It is a 2' column with a 1" take off arm reduced down to 3/4" going to the leibig condenser.
myerfire

[pumpman]

Just curious myerfire. If you read scarecrows thread and know it would get that on it's own why did you use the sparkaliod?

[myerfire]

This was scarecrow's recipe, it simply wasn't crystall clear so I added the Sparkolloid as an experiment. I've never had a wash so clear that while looking through a 5 gallon carboy you could read a newspaper and I thought I would share my finding.
myerfire

[rad14701]

So, are you asking if Sparkolloid might be the culprit behind low overall proof or are you wondering why you can't get above 90% in general...???