potato vodka recipe

[thelegion]

I have not found a detailed potato vodka recipe until now, this is not mine but from another site. There seems to a lot of interest but not a lot of detailed info on the topic, so here is what I found.

http://www.distillique.co.za/documents/potatovodka.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow



To ferment, distill and make Potato vodka is harder than most people think and you need a bit of experience to get them right.

Books make it sound so easy because they tend to simpIify the process and take for granted that you have a full understanding and experience of all the steps involved quite often leaving out some of the elementary steps.


Recipe 1:
What you will do is what is called a Stepped Infusion Mash. This is where you start the saccharification process at a low temperature and then move it up in steps, halting for a certain time period at each step to give each enzyme time to break down as much as they can at each stage.

If you have made beer in the past using an all-grain mash you will understand the process.

Cook your potatoes (12kg) so they are still stiff - about 12- 15 minutes at reasonable heat. Up to 20 minutes at low heat. Note they should still be a bit undercooked, definitely not soft, mushy, or floury. Mash the potatoes and let cool down to room temp.

Add coarsely milled malted barley (2kg with milled particles mostly about 1mm to 2mm in size. Definitely not too fine.).

Cover with sufficient water (topp up mash to 20 litres) and bring to 45 C. Hold 15 minutes stirring regularly.
Bring up to 133 F (56 C). Hold 15 minutes etc.
Bring up to 149 F (65 C). Hold 15 minutes stirring constantly.
Bring up to 158 F (70 C). Hold 15 minutes stirring constantly.

All up this makes 60 minutes which should suffice for the small batch.

Once virtually all the starch is liquified and broken down to simple sugars halt the enzymatic process by raising the temp to 80 C (Mashing Out) and then drop it back as quickly (use coolant if necessary) as possible to between 60 C and 50 C so the sugars dont get scorched or burnt.

Cool down further to 24 C, establish an SG of 1.060 (min) to 1.090 (max = ideal) and begin fermentation.

Ferment until SG < 1.00

Distilling:
For potatoe vodka: Distill to achieve alcohol levels purer than 90% and only trace amounts of potatoe flavours. Cut back with distilled water to 43%. Let air for 24 hours before bottling.

For potatoe mampoer: Distill to between 45% and 75% (according to taste) The lower the alcohol % the more intense the potatoe character will be. Do not double distill as it will result in lower flavour.

For both mampoer and vodka: Aging for 3-12 weeks in glass with corked tops will improve smoothness/mouthfeel.

RECIPE 2:
Ingredients:
20-25kg potatoes
1kg of barley, malted and gristed
50-100g of good Turbo Yeast.
Some fresh water
Equipment needed:
30 litre beer fermenter
A large (30-50litre) kettle (I use a milk can...)
A meat grinder (for mashing the potatoes)
A large scoop or a "wash paddle"
A hotplate with a thermostat

Method:
Clean all the dirt from the potatoes, (don't bother to peel them)
Put the potatoes in to kettle and cover them with water, bring to boil. Cook until the first ones break down -this should take about 1hr. In meanwhile hydrate the yeast and mix 1kg malt and 2litre of water.
Pour the water out from the kettle. Mash the potatoes in the grinder while they are hot. (If done right the mash looks like thick porridge.)
Put the mash to kettle (and adjust the hotplates temperature to 60C). Add 1/3 of the malt to the kettle and stir well. Wait until the temperature has dropt to 55C. Add the rest of the hydrated malt and stir in well. Let sit there for about 2 hours. Stir often. (If done right the wash should have turned flowing.)
Turn the hotplate off. Put the kettle in somewhere cool. When the temperature has dropped down to 25C pour to fermenter and add yeast (no nutrients needed). First carbon dioxide bubbles should rise after couple of hours; main fermenting takes about two days, ready for distilling in four days -if you have done everything as written. Result will be a 7-12vol% mash, depending the starch level of potatoes.
Once the mash has fermented dry, distill as in Recipe 1.

[NcHooch]

that's an awful lot of potatoes for a relatively small sized mash ...is it even possible to mash 25 kg of potatoes in 30 L of water? ....and you're only mashing with 1kg of malt?

I think those recipes might need a little work on the DP average.

[thelegion]

that's an awful lot of potatoes for a relatively small sized mash ...is it even possible to mash 25 kg of potatoes in 30 L of water? ....and you're only mashing with 1kg of malt?

I think those recipes might need a little work on the DP average.

Only one way to find out, I was happy to just find a complete recipe. The potato seems to be an elusive little tater in this forum, some talk but not a lot of real solid refinement and complete recipes to share. There is more chat on baby cereal than on the origins of potato vodka and recipes, so I'm just happy to share what I find; maybe someone will jump in and "share" a recipe and good constructive input on the topic. We can all grow free potatoes in the back yard with old tires or five gallon pails.

TL..

[junkyard dawg]

Good on you.

Lots of people ask about it. I don't recall reading many success stories.

I think the beginning of that recipe has some wise words... It takes considerable experience and practice to successfully make vodka from potato. Relatively simple recipe, but I'm sure it requires precision. It is no doubt a worthy goal.

edit...

There is more chat on baby cereal

[Tater]

http://homedistiller.org/legacy/wash-fruit.htm#pot" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow heres whats on parent site

[thelegion]

THAT, was a good read.

thanks, TL

[rubber duck]

that's an awful lot of potatoes for a relatively small sized mash ...is it even possible to mash 25 kg of potatoes in 30 L of water? ....and you're only mashing with 1kg of malt?

I think those recipes might need a little work on the DP average.

He might not actually be that far off Hooch, your forgetting that potatoes have a very poor yield of starch.

[myles]

Chase distillery in the UK make a batch distilled potato vodka: http://www.chasedistillery.co.uk/Home.htm

This is taken off their site:

"The naked potato that we are left with is basically starch and water. We mash them and heat them up to produce a runny mashed potato. This cooks the starch so that the enzymes can get to work, but because they are destroyed by heat, we have to cool the mash to 60°C before we can add them"

I am afraid there is not a lot of detail given. OH yes, they use a 42 plate column!!!

[rad14701]

We have discussed several times in this forum how old potatoes start to naturally convert the starches to sugars... When potatoes are left to sit and they start to get soft, wrinkly, and brown inside, they will become sweet to the taste... This is an indicator that the conversion is taking place... Slow cooking potatoes in a crock pot can also help produce the same results...

[Jimbo]

"The next shock was how little volume we produced: 16 tonnes of potatoes produced only 1000 litres of alcohol! "

Thats over 35 lbs of potatoes per liter. Really??? Jeez and I thought it took a shitton of apples to make spirits (26 lbs per fifth).

Anyone tried making potato vodka out of dehydrated mashed potatoe flakes? There's gotta be a recipe in the 51 pages of recipes here right?

[rad14701]

You can make potato sugarhead with instant mashed potato flakes and sugar... The potato flakes are mainly used for nutrients and flavor profile and the sugar makes the alcohol...

[Jimbo]

Maybe after I build a reflux and can pull a clean run. The only 2 times I made a sugar boosted something was the first year i started this hobby ('97) and I didnt care for the result out of a potstill. I havent added sugar to anything since. Do you know, can a decent product be pulled out of a potstill with a sugar wash? Maybe I was just clueless back then. haha, hell, I still am.

[rad14701]

Maybe after I build a reflux and can pull a clean run. The only 2 times I made a sugar boosted something was the first year i started this hobby ('97) and I didnt care for the result out of a potstill. I havent added sugar to anything since. Do you know, can a decent product be pulled out of a potstill with a sugar wash? Maybe I was just clueless back then. haha, hell, I still am.

Many here manage to make better than commercial spirits from sugarhead washes, both aged and unaged...

[Jimbo]

With a pot still? yeah? well hell that's all the encouragement I need thanks.

[Durace11]

I've done a decent product IMO out of a pot still using the Gerber recipe. The problem is it's IMO and not IYO. Different strokes for different folks. I think I fall into the Mr. P class of neutral, I like a little grain-ish flavor in my drink so a tiny hint of something is better to me than just pure nothing.

When I drink my Gerber neutral the nose is a slight bit of a sweet scent & the taste is just a hint of some kind of grain, nothing specific but a slight hint of some grain and a Vick's Vapour rub mouthfeel. Like it just vaporizes in your mouth and it's gone. No aftertaste at all. This is double pot stilled Gerber, stripped and then super slow spirit run watered down to 45% ABV.

I also infused a portion of this with gin botanicals and you can't smell or taste any grain at all so IMO it works for infusions as well.

[Jimbo]

Thanks Durace and Rad. I probably should just keep reading and keep my mouth shut, seems I just advertise my ignorance the more I open my mouth sometimes LOL. I read up on Gerber, and folks response. Sounds GOOD. And can see what Rad is saying about doing similar with Potato flakes too. Ill try some of these ideas and see how it goes.

Any problem doing a 5 gallon or less run in a 15.5 gallon still? I guess steam is steam regardless and needs to go somewhere right?

[Odin]

All bran makes for some awesome vodka!

Odin.

[Braz]

All bran makes for some awesome vodka!Odin.

+1. It is my standard recipe.

[HolyBear]

I'm partial to DWWG meself...

[Durace11]

Any problem doing a 5 gallon or less run in a 15.5 gallon still? I guess steam is steam regardless and needs to go somewhere right?

If you have an internal element you might not get in under the liquid level with only 5 gallons, if you have an outside flame it's not a problem..

It's a lot of head space doing it that way but if it's all you got it's fine. You might want to try to do 2 five gallon ferments in that sucker. What I have done before is do one ferment, rack it into your keg boiler and just let it sit there covered while you ferment your second batch in the bucket, then rack that one into the boiler and now you have 10 gallons. The first one will drop a little lees in the boiler but it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

[Richamc01]

Don't mean to resurrect an old thread, but how did this recipe turn out? Anyone have success with it?

[thumper123]

Has anyone tried potato sacchrification by using enzymes yet?

[swillbedone]

i am also wondering what thumper asked....

has anyone tried using enzymes to produce saccrification?

seems like it should work.

thoughts anyone?

[MichiganCornhusker]

i am also wondering what thumper asked....

has anyone tried using enzymes to produce saccrification?

seems like it should work.

thoughts anyone?

I have mashed potatoes with both, grains and liquid enzymes. Both work. But, there isn't much to be had in a potato, very little starch or sugar.
Potatoes will only give you about 15% of what you would get from corn or barley. You need to use a LOT of potatoes...

[frodo]

wonder if instant mashed taters would be easier to deal with

[Bushman]

I believe Teton Distillery in Idaho uses flaked potatoes. Not only is the yield low with potatoes but I hear they are hard to clean and work with. I have had some very nice potato vodka so might be worth the effort.

[frodo]

my sister is Mormon, the have their own food pantry for the poor
i tasted the flake mashed potatoes [[Hot Water Taters]
of theirs. best i have ever tasted, they taste real

[shadylane]

Has anyone tried potato sacchrification by using enzymes yet?

I did a couple experiments awhile back with taters and enzymes.
I forgot what my exact protocol was but the taters were baked first.
Smashed and liquefied with alpha, saccrified with gluco
I don't remember how much additional water was used, Taters are 78% water and 18% starch.

[Squint]

maybe freezing potatoes before mashing is a way to go.


Store potatoes in a cool, dark place that is well ventilated. The ideal storage temperature is 45 to 50°F. Refrigerated potatoes stored below 40°F will develop a sweet taste due to the conversion of starch to sugar. This increase in sugar will cause potatoes to darken when cooked

[freshwaterjellyfish]

..it seems I'll have my work cut out with my potato project. For information purposes, I'm gonna post how I'm going about this and post my results:
Slow boiled 10lbs of peeled plattys last night. I'm In the process of heating up about 2 gal of water. I'm going to use a new paint stir and drill and make a "mash". Once I get to 60c I'm going to add alot of amylase. Seal and bundle the boiler for a couple hr. Im not sure how much settling will happen.i may siphon the top or may stir and let settle again. (Depending on starch test). After all the mucking around I'll add sugar wash (4 lbs sugar?) Upto 6 gal, Some DAP, mash out to 80c, chill and pitch.