Sweet Vodka/Rum (too sweet)

SonofaShiner · Post by **SonofaShiner** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:27 am

So I've done three sugar washes now with beet sugar (13 lbs. sugar in 6 gallons H2O + one vodka yeast - simple silver pkg...not sure the brand). Also did two potato mashes. Anyway, all these seem to be distilling into a very sweet vodka/rum. One of the potato mashes actually tasted like pixie sticks! But sticking to the beet sugar mash, what can I do to have my runs turn out less sweet? I've done single runs and a double distillation with the same results. Is it my ingredients, yeast, process, or do I need to carbon filter the final product? Thanks!

Post by **LWTCS** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 3:49 am

How many times are you distilling?

Are you making cuts?

Post by **Dnderhead** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 3:55 am

I doubt if it is actually "sweet" first thing comes to mind is ..you making proper cuts?

SonofaShiner · Post by **SonofaShiner** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 9:06 am

I am making cuts - of course heads (~150 ml), then collecting hearts in about 4 containers, then tails. I've been yielding ~3/4 gallon of 186-proof total. I've distilled the same recipe once through a double-column and also twice through a double-column - each giving the same "sweetness." By "sweet" I mean I believe I'm tasting sugar in the distillate when I compare it to something like Svedka.

Post by **Dnderhead** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 9:58 am

iv seen this other places,,,
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10940547" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Post by **myles** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:57 am

Well it is possible that you have unfermentable sugars in the wash - but they should not be in your product.

Purely to eliminate that you are running too fast, have you considered testing for sugars in the product? What happens if you dilute a batch of product and re-distill more slowly?

Post by **rad14701** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 11:25 am

SonofaShiner, your post congers more questions than answers, as you have noticed... You haven't really provided us with much information other than a list of recipes you have tried, all with the same results...

What, in detail, are the recipes you are using...???

Pot still or reflux still...??? Pictures would be great...

How fast are you running the still in question...???

Are you really making proper cuts, or just thinking you are...??? Have you read up on how to make proper cuts...??? Are you collecting foreshots, heads, hearts, and tails, because you didn't mention the cuts in that order...???

How are you determining that the wash has fermented to day...??? Taste...??? Hydrometer...???

As you can see, more questions than answers, and that's just the short list... (someones gonna comment on the short list but it's a phrase I use every day, along with several others ) I honestly don't think this post belongs in the Sugar forum because I don't think Sugar is the problem... I'll put my money on procedural issues...

Post by **LWTCS** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 11:30 am

Svedka is 6/7 x distilled and carbon filtered

SonofaShiner · Post by **SonofaShiner** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 11:32 am

Thanks for the responses, all. I will try to collect my notes/thoughts further and post with more detail as not to create more questions. Thanks!

Post by **Braz** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 11:47 am

LWTCS wrote:Svedka is 6/7 x distilled and carbon filtered

I got behind on my stillin' and bought a bottle of Skyy vodka to tide me over. It tastes really sweet to me.

Post by **LWTCS** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 1:26 pm

Reckon that's my point Braz.

Home Distiller

Sweet Vodka/Rum (too sweet)

Sweet Vodka/Rum (too sweet)

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