Sharp flavors

[Dkellis1]

Hi, I'm Dean. I've been distilling now for about a year And if I must say so myself I have been pumping out pretty products. My problem is after three or four weeks it aquires a sharp flavor. How do I stop this ? It's a real bummer to have a couple gallons of the best whiskey you ever had turn to undrinkable garbage.

[jb-texshine]

To help we need more info. Recipe, ferment temp, cuts made and how collected ,type of still,and a better description than sharp.

[still_stirrin]

I suspect....improper cuts. The "sharp" flavor...does it "burn" in your mouth when sampled?

What proof are you sampling at? If you sample at 100 proof, or higher, the alcohol will numb your taste buds, temporarily at least. Such that, after a short period of aging, those "bad cuts" may reveal themselves to you in the form of a "burn".

Experience will help you with the cuts...just don't get greedy.
ss

[mulligan]

Still_Stirrin is way wiser than me.

If it's sharp at front of tongue it's heads but that should be obvious from day 1. Plan a is leave lid loose on your spirit and let the sharpness evaporate.

If it's at least a decent strength (30% abv+) it shouldn't be getting sharp later
strong enough spirits mellow with age as heads and tail whiff evaporates.

Tart/sharp/vinegar comes from mashes and wines.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

Is this 3 or 4 weeks on wood, or just sitting white?

If it's on wood, then it may be simply normal, and it's entering the dead zone. When I oak, I sample regularly until exactly 1 month. Then I leave it the hell alone until 5 or 6 months, lest I unfairly judge a jar. The liquor starts pulling tannins from the oak that have a sharp taste on the tongue. Leave this until 6 months, and this will go away and become caramel flavors.

Give us some more info. Don't let these guys start convincing you you're doing something wrong in your process unless you really think you are screwing the pooch. Leave these folks to their own devices and you'll be a poor cutting, turbo using, greed sucking synthetic still user before any basis for those assumptions are given.

Hope you figure it out.

[Tater]

please take to proper forums . this is for welcoming.

[mulligan]

please take to proper forums . this is for welcoming.

It's his first post so belongs in welcome center and I for one learned from ShineOnCrazyDiamond's response.

[thecroweater]

please take to proper forums . this is for welcoming.

It's his first post so belongs in welcome center and I for one learned from ShineOnCrazyDiamond's response.

And you would have if it was in the correct sub forum, further more someone later my have learnt something who is now very unlikely come stubble across it. Look its pretty dern self explanatory when the subbie is called "Welcome centre"

[GrassHopper]

Welcome......to the "Welcome Center".