Birdwatchers sugar wash recipe

[rad14701]

I did recall somebody got a slight tomato smell/flavour hint in their low wines from a stripping run from this recipe. Has anybody experienced the same ?

While I am very happy with the screaming performance of these washes I did use 2 x tins of paste so the wash still has a very pinkish tinge. I do concern I may carry over some tomato flavour in my stripping run. Time will tell. For the next washes I will try just 1 tin and see if I get the same performance.

I am using 1 tablespoon (15ml) of tomato paste/puree per quart/liter in my modified version of this recipe... I haven't done a fast stripping run to date but haven't noticed any smells or tastes when doing single pot still spirit runs... And definitely nothing from reflux runs...

[Dutch41]

Started my first batch of BW's yesterday, goodbye to turbo, she perked up real quick yesterday and I will test the SG and stir it when I get home from work today, do I stir in the cap that has formed or discard it, thanx...

[rad14701]

Started my first batch of BW's yesterday, goodbye to turbo, she perked up real quick yesterday and I will test the SG and stir it when I get home from work today, do I stir in the cap that has formed or discard it, thanx...

Sit on your hands and wait patiently... I don't even open my fermenters back up until they are done - except if I am experimenting and have another step to perform... But for this recipe I leave them alone unless I am just adding the water I left out to eliminate puking out the airlocks, but I had that happen overnight the last time even with the additional head space...

[Dutch41]

Thanks RAD, I saw on page one to stir it but I will leave her alone. How long should I let her sit before opening and checking the SG? I've got her sitting in a 6 gallon bucket with a brew belt. Thanks again...

[rad14701]

Thanks RAD, I saw on page one to stir it but I will leave her alone. How long should I let her sit before opening and checking the SG? I've got her sitting in a 6 gallon bucket with a brew belt. Thanks again...

I use an airlock and wait until it stops bubbling... Then I may or may not check the SG... When it's done it's done and I get what I get... My washes virtually never stall so when they stop bubbling they are below 1.000...

[Goose]

I did recall somebody got a slight tomato smell/flavour hint in their low wines from a stripping run from this recipe. Has anybody experienced the same ?

While I am very happy with the screaming performance of these washes I did use 2 x tins of paste so the wash still has a very pinkish tinge. I do concern I may carry over some tomato flavour in my stripping run. Time will tell. For the next washes I will try just 1 tin and see if I get the same performance.

I am using 1 tablespoon (15ml) of tomato paste/puree per quart/liter in my modified version of this recipe... I haven't done a fast stripping run to date but haven't noticed any smells or tastes when doing single pot still spirit runs... And definitely nothing from reflux runs...

I found this little gem at http://www.aqua-calc.com/calculate/food ... -to-volume which tells me that 2 x 6oz = 370g = 20.7 US Tablespoons which is a ittle less than the 1 Tablespoon per litre in my 25 litre washes that you are testing. So hopefully not an overkill. Planning a stripping run to test.

[rad14701]

I found this little gem at http://www.aqua-calc.com/calculate/food ... -to-volume which tells me that 2 x 6oz = 370g = 20.7 US Tablespoons which is a ittle less than the 1 Tablespoon per litre in my 25 litre washes that you are testing. So hopefully not an overkill. Planning a stripping run to test.

My off the top of my head calculation is that 2 x 6oz cans = 24 tablespoons... 1 fluid ounce = 2 tablespoons... I have most of the goofy-footed US measurements memorized...

[waylyn]

Got my second batch going it's been going since last Thursday so a week now and not seen much life at all, temp is only 22-24c on average so maybe it's too low, I will get myself a heater, to help things along?

[Goose]

Update:

Has been two weeks since I put 4 x 25 litres of this wash down, the SG came down from 1.09 to below 1.0 within a week. The final week was left to settle. Wash was reasonably clear, though there was a quite a thick layer of soft sludge at the bottom of the fermenters which fortunately settled below the exit tap.

Ran these through the toy CM express reflux still yesterday, discarded 200 mls foreshots and collected up to 90 deg C on each. Got out around 3.5 litres at 82% abv on each. I was quite impressed not to detect any tomato smell in the product. Pretty clean, and no vanilla smell that that the Essencia Super 6 yeast produced in prior attempts. I will next dilute to 40% and then run it through the Amphora PDA-1 LM still for a proper spirit run.

With this success I have now put down 4 more 25 litre washes. This time I have used just the single can of tomato paste, all other things unchanged. So far so good, they all took off as quickly as they did the first time. Will report back.

[waylyn]

Well I think my last batch has completly stalled, it I started it on the 29-01 and a little action to start but nothing since the temp is 28c now and has been for a couple of days but nothing, is I tried adding some more yeast yesterday but not having it, the sg is 1.6

[rad14701]

Well I think my last batch has completly stalled, it I started it on the 29-01 and a little action to start but nothing since the temp is 28c now and has been for a couple of days but nothing, is I tried adding some more yeast yesterday but not having it, the sg is 1.6

The SG should be below 1.060 by now... Have you checked the pH of the wash, by chance...??? If you used any acid along with the tomato paste you might need to add some baking soda to raise the pH...

[waylyn]

Not checked the ph dont have anything to check it with, I will add a little baking soda and see how it goes

[Melkman]

I'm starting my 1st BIRDWATCHERS this weekend. After months of using Turbo, I believe it is time. I have never been too happy with the results I got from Turbo, but did not attribute the off taste to the yeast (my only advisors so far has been the guys selling equipment & ingredients). I believe so far me & everybody else who tasted was only too impressed with the fact that I am distilling to give a honest answer.
I only wish I joined this forum a couple of days earlier since I just bought enough Turbo for at least 200L wash. I however will tuck those safely away (or even try & sell ), and move over onto bigger and better things.

[waylyn]

Melkman, I myself started with the turbo, as there isn't much info available in the UK and the guys who sell it want you to buy it it's good buisines for them, but once you find this forum and start with the recipes on this forum there's no going back and there are always members who will help out if and when you get stuck. I was daunted by the amount of pages on any subject here and was impatient to get started but the advise I would give you is read read read, more often than not the questions you need answering are there, but don't be afraid to ask there is a lot of knowledge available here I am still very much a novice but learning all the time.

[waylyn]

Well I put some baking soda in and nothing really strange exactly the same ingredients as my last batch from the same containers etc but nothing? I don't know if there is a sure fire way to kick start this I don't want to throw it

[maheel]

Well I put some baking soda in and nothing really strange exactly the same ingredients as my last batch from the same containers etc but nothing? I don't know if there is a sure fire way to kick start this I don't want to throw it

sometimes you will actually save time (and money) just dumping it

but you could grab a clean bucket and try diluting some say 50-50 with clean water and trying some more yeast.

if this fires up then you can try using it as a starter and tipping it back into the big wash (maybe water it down a little as well)

just cover the bucket with cling wrap so you can watch whats going on

[waylyn]

I have just added some more yeast and a vit b tab if this doesn't go anywhere i'll dump it

[rad14701]

I only wish I joined this forum a couple of days earlier since I just bought enough Turbo for at least 200L wash.

You can make use of that turbo yeast in other washes... Just take small amounts, boil it, and add it in as nutrients to standard sugar washes... The boiling will help remove some of the nasties in the nutrients and kill off the yeast for use in feeding you bakers or other yeast... I'd experiment with 1 tsp to 1 tbsp per gallon of wash... All is not lost...

[waylyn]

Will do cheers

[Goose]

Update

SG below 1.00 on day 6. Conclusion is that 1 6 oz tin of tomato paste will suffice. Quite impressive for 6 kg sugar in a 25 litre wash. Will leave washes to settle for another week before distillation.

I am definitely of the belief that the quality (and quantity) of the yeast used is of key importance, and not just any instant bakers yeast will do...

[waylyn]

Thrown mine, nothing got it going

[rad14701]

Update

OG below 1.00 on day 6. Conclusion is that 1 6 oz tin of tomato paste will suffice. Quite impressive for 6 kg sugar in a 25 litre wash. Will leave washes to settle for another week before distillation.

I am definitely of the belief that the quality (and quantity) of the yeast used is of key importance, and not just any instant bakers yeast will do...

For clean neutral this is a very simple recipe... With a few minor tweaks it even finishes faster... I just ran off a stockpile of 5 liters of Birdwatcher feints, diluted to 40%, yesterday, and am enjoying the resulting neutral spirits as I type this...

[waylyn]

Rad, I tried the baking soda as I did have acid in the form of lemon juice, and nothin so I tried more yeast with a vit b tab and still nothing happening? hate to throw it but no choice

[Dnderhead]

""I tried the baking soda as I did have acid in the form of lemon juice"
those are opposites,,

[waylyn]

Noe probs Dunderhead, I was refering to Rads comment,
The SG should be below 1.060 by now... Have you checked the pH of the wash, by chance...??? If you used any acid along with the tomato paste you might need to add some baking soda to raise the pH...

Tried everything nothing is getting it to go, do I will throw it later

This is nuts as I was typing this reply it started bubbling?

[midlife_rebel]

The threat of throwing it out scared it into starting!

[Dnderhead]

if it took this long to start then Id say it was a lack of yeast or aerating.
that is the 2 main reasons for long lag time.
a decent air pump and a stone setup is a worth the investment.
not only useful for help starting yeast but also will remove some types
of preservatives.

[waylyn]

Fair comment, never had this with any of my washes, but there we are it's happend this time but as I said it's started to go but very infrequent

Well it did a couple of burps but that was it so I'm throwing it

[GuyFawkes]

Sorry if this has been answered, but I just couldn't have gone through all 40 pages of this thread....

Does anyone know if it is okay to use canned, diced tomatoes, and if so how would that translate to the recipe? I assume I would need more of it since the paste would be denser, I figure I would just use a cup of smashed, diced tomatoes for a 5 gallon wash

[rad14701]

Does anyone know if it is okay to use canned, diced tomatoes, and if so how would that translate to the recipe? I assume I would need more of it since the paste would be denser, I figure I would just use a cup of smashed, diced tomatoes for a 5 gallon wash

I'd use more diced tomatoes than that... As a baseline I'd go with 2 to 2.5 cups and then adjust up or down from there based on results... Tomato paste and tomato puree is definitely reduced down considerably in comparison to diced tomatoes...