Stripping off flavours with CO2

[magnetohydro]

When a winemaker is trying to do a neutral white wine and some funny flavours or aromas make it into the ferment, sometimes they can salvage a batch by bubbling through CO2 to strip some of the volatile aromatics. Does anyone know if its possible to do this with a neutral spirit to "scrub" it clean.

Please don't just say a) redistill it. or b) if its not neutral then you haven't done it right.
This is a curious semi scientific question of some practical value for those of us trying to do a neutral without a reflux column.
I already brew beer and force carbonate - so I have a CO2 setup and wonder if it would be of any value - couldn' t find any answers on the net or via searching here.

Cheers.

[rubber duck]

I do it with o2 on spirits it soothes it out a good bit. I suspect wine makers use co2 because the don't want to oxidize the wine.

[Dnderhead]

never tryed co2 but bubbling air threw your product does help. I believe its like airing it out but at a much faster rate.
some of the vodkas are "aged" by bubbling o2 threw them.

[magnetohydro]

I'm afraid to expose it to pure oxygen - the thought being that it could oxidize to acetaldehyde or some other nasty product.

[airhill]

Use O3 for 10 mins (about an hour settle) on iffy neutrals. Removes some off flavours and slightly smoother.
Using it on oaked/flavoured spirits can lead to some unexpected results (scotch with a slight apple aftertaste was the last )

[Dnderhead]

it probably one of those things that work to a certain point then starts to go the other way??. as I stated Iv never used anything but air.
and your on your own useing anything other than air. but oxidizing is part of the proses of ageing spirits.

[Bull Rider]

Rubber Duck. You're bubbling pure oxygen? I have a small oxygen tank for oxygenating wort and mash, and I've pumped air though a corny keg of UJSM. How much O2 and for how long. The air seems to make the spirits a little smoother.

How long Dunder are you pumping air?

Thanks.

[Dnderhead]

Iv tried it but it did not interest me much other than curiosity and never kept tract of time,, most I put it in a barrel and leave it for a year or 10.

[rubber duck]

Rubber Duck. You're bubbling pure oxygen? I have a small oxygen tank for oxygenating wort and mash, and I've pumped air though a corny keg of UJSM. How much O2 and for how long. The air seems to make the spirits a little smoother.

How long Dunder are you pumping air?

Thanks.

I miss stated, I use air on the finished product and I let it go for a couple of weeks sometimes 30 days. I use pure medical grade o2 on my washes for 3 to 5 minutes.

[Bull Rider]

You don't think you lose a ton of ABV due to evaporation? That's been my only concern with pumping air into my spirits.

[rubber duck]

Yes I do I average 7% loss in 30 days but it's a better product.

[Ayay]

(Thanks Google and if this is what globalwarmin is about then fkemdead)!
If air works by being pumped through spirits then it's more about oxygen and nitrogen. It may be a chemical reaction or simply the shuffling of molecules due to agitation.

[airhill]

If I had to put money on it it would be oxygen (if it wasn't for the nitrogen we'd be a ball of fire)

[rubber duck]

It could have something to do with the agitation.

Back in the 49er gold rush days of California, whiskey was sailed clear around the horn to the ports of San Fransisco and Humboldt. Apparently the whiskey would be better depending on what kind of ship it came in on. From what I can gather the whiskey that came off of clipper ships was better then the whiskey shipped by way of steam. This doesn't make sense because a clipper cold make the 14,000 mile journey in half the time as a steam ship, the whiskey on the steam ship had more time to age. There could be a lot of factors in play but I think agitation must play a role.

Anyway It might not have much to do with the air or co2. It could simply be movement.

[Dnderhead]

you got it partly right but agitating incorporates more air(o2) into the product, also has more/better contact with the wood.

[hilltopper]

Normally C02 is used in white wines to lift the taste of the wine on the palate..Giving a bit of a spritzy lively feel to an otherwise "flat" wine.....Nitrogen is used on red wines to remove CO2 and dissolved Oxygen. Nitorgen would be the safest bet but suspect air would do what you want as good as anything

regards

[ScottishBoy]

It could have something to do with the agitation.

Back in the 49er gold rush days of California, whiskey was sailed clear around the horn to the ports of San Fransisco and Humboldt. Apparently the whiskey would be better depending on what kind of ship it came in on. From what I can gather the whiskey that came off of clipper ships was better then the whiskey shipped by way of steam. This doesn't make sense because a clipper cold make the 14,000 mile journey in half the time as a steam ship, the whiskey on the steam ship had more time to age. There could be a lot of factors in play but I think agitation must play a role.

Anyway It might not have much to do with the air or co2. It could simply be movement.

I have a theory about this, lame as it might sound. My understanding of steamers is that their cargo holds are very often hot and have very little variation in temperature. They also tend to be low centers of gravity and slow movers. Clipper ships didnt always have a lot of room in them so its my understanding that self contained articles like barrels would be palletted and secured on the deck to make room for other more sensitive items like flour, grains, cloth etc. Those would be higher up in the motion range and much higher in the range than a steamer. The part I was thinking about was the tremendous variation in temperature that these barrels would go through. From the coldest part of the night to being warmed and then the daylight warming it up even more if its on deck. Then it repeats. That and the variations in air pressure ( which would be more noticeable in a fast moving ship ) would really make those barrels "breathe". Or at least moreso than the Steamers.
I think.

?

SB

[rubber duck]

That doesn't sound lame to me. Fact is it's a good theory.

RD