Ted's Fast Fermenting Vodka

[Canuckwoods]

No noticeable sugar bite or off flavours.

[hawkwing]

No noticeable sugar bite or off flavours.

Which one does this apply to? Are you saying Ted's is better and the that the other one has sugar bite and off flavours?

[Rrmuf]

The other wash I can compare to is Wineo's which produces a good result as well.

I found TFFV to be more forgiving/reliable or less touchy. I also like TFFV because the bran tends to provide pretty much all the nutrients you need, it is fast, absolute bullet-proof, and produces a very nice neutral. I especially like the fact that starting a new ferment almost always only requires a trip to the grocery store.

I heard some people complain of a wheat taste but I haven't detected that. Maybe some day my taste buds will evolve to the point where I can complain about that, but after 30x25l runs of it, I still consider it my standard for a neutral.

[Bradster68]

The other wash I can compare to is Wineo's which produces a good result as well.

I found TFFV to be more forgiving/reliable or less touchy. I also like TFFV because the bran tends to provide pretty much all the nutrients you need, it is fast, absolute bullet-proof, and produces a very nice neutral. I especially like the fact that starting a new ferment almost always only requires a trip to the grocery store.

I heard some people complain of a wheat taste but I haven't detected that. Maybe some day my taste buds will evolve to the point where I can complain about that, but after 30x25l runs of it, I still consider it my standard for a neutral.

Samezeez. I luv this recipe. People who don't drink vodka iv got liking it up.
I will be trying the others,but for now I'm filling drums full of Ted's.

[Garouda]

What's the difference between the two? Namely, the end product, but also other relevant differences that would help pick one over the other?

The main difference between TFFV and Shady's wash is bran in the first recipe, and nothing in the latter. Bran contains nutrients and fibres, Shady's only nutrients. I've never had a problem with TFFV, but got one batch of Shady's that stalled, first time in life... Shady's wash is also much slower.
I made two 90-litre batches that went fine, the third one stuck, I added nutrients and yeast, it started again but stopped before .990 SG, and got infected by acetobacter (Ethanol --> Vinegar), I rushed to strip distil it, got 10 litres of 'something' with a yellowish hue (?), and of course will not mix it with the result of the first two batches for the spirit run as initially planned.
Conclusion, I tried Shady's but will follow Ted's recipe in the future.

[hawkwing]

How fine tuned is the amount of bran? Would half the amount work just fine? Just wondering if it has been optimized. Also is cooking for 20 minutes necessary or would just a few minutes to sterilize give the same results?

[Rrmuf]

How fine tuned is the amount of bran? Would half the amount work just fine? Just wondering if it has been optimized. Also is cooking for 20 minutes necessary or would just a few minutes to sterilize give the same results?

I have tried a 20% reduction on the amount of bran (because it was all I had on hand) and it was perfectly fine. Zero perceived effect.

I have also done two back to back fermentations where I just drained the finished wash, leaving the gunk (and bran) behind, and added more 25C water with disolved sugar (no additional bran) and that second fermentation was also perfectly fine. This is what I usually do now. That experience is described somewhere earlier in this thread (I think).

SO, you can deduce from those data points that you can probably put less bran in. Others might have more data points.

[Rrmuf]

How fine tuned is the amount of bran? Would half the amount work just fine? Just wondering if it has been optimized. Also is cooking for 20 minutes necessary or would just a few minutes to sterilize give the same results?

To your second question, I think the 20 minutes is important.

[Canuckwoods]

How fine tuned is the amount of bran? Would half the amount work just fine? Just wondering if it has been optimized. Also is cooking for 20 minutes necessary or would just a few minutes to sterilize give the same results?

I use 225g of bran as the bags I get are 450g so one does 2 batches, still works great. Boiling is important as it makes the bran useable to the yeast.

[CoogeeBoy]

How fine tuned is the amount of bran? Would half the amount work just fine? Just wondering if it has been optimized. Also is cooking for 20 minutes necessary or would just a few minutes to sterilize give the same results?

I use 225g of bran as the bags I get are 450g so one does 2 batches, still works great. Boiling is important as it makes the bran useable to the yeast.

Tick and Tick,
I have run 2 batches on the dregs, Ted did say to me once that there is quite a lot of nutrient remaining after the first batch. Second batch went quicker I noticed and I put that down to a lot of yeast that went back to work etc etc.

The boiling for 20 minutes gelatinizes the bran, that is important, it is not simply for sterilizing, same principle as mashing wheat or corn from what I understand.

[Teddysad]

The high temperatures softens the bran and allows the ingredients to be more accessible to the yeast as well as enhancing the overall flavour

[Canuckwoods]

How fine tuned is the amount of bran? Would half the amount work just fine? Just wondering if it has been optimized. Also is cooking for 20 minutes necessary or would just a few minutes to sterilize give the same results?

I use 225g of bran as the bags I get are 450g so one does 2 batches, still works great. Boiling is important as it makes the bran useable to the yeast.

Tick and Tick,
I have run 2 batches on the dregs, Ted did say to me once that there is quite a lot of nutrient remaining after the first batch. Second batch went quicker I noticed and I put that down to a lot of yeast that went back to work etc etc.

The boiling for 20 minutes gelatinizes the bran, that is important, it is not simply for sterilizing, same principle as mashing wheat or corn from what I understand.

CoogeeBoy are you saying you run an original batch then two more off the same bran (3 batches one bran charge) or one more batch off two original bran charges (4 batches 2 bran charges)
Bran is hard to find around here all of a sudden.

[Bradster68]

How fine tuned is the amount of bran? Would half the amount work just fine? Just wondering if it has been optimized. Also is cooking for 20 minutes necessary or would just a few minutes to sterilize give the same results?

I use 225g of bran as the bags I get are 450g so one does 2 batches, still works great. Boiling is important as it makes the bran useable to the yeast.

Tick and Tick,
I have run 2 batches on the dregs, Ted did say to me once that there is quite a lot of nutrient remaining after the first batch. Second batch went quicker I noticed and I put that down to a lot of yeast that went back to work etc etc.

The boiling for 20 minutes gelatinizes the bran, that is important, it is not simply for sterilizing, same principle as mashing wheat or corn from what I understand.

CoogeeBoy are you saying you run an original batch then two more off the same bran (3 batches one bran charge) or one more batch off two original bran charges (4 batches 2 bran charges)
Bran is hard to find around here all of a sudden.

If your from Canada, bulk barn carries wheat bran. White and red and it's supper cheap

[Rrmuf]

How fine tuned is the amount of bran? Would half the amount work just fine? Just wondering if it has been optimized. Also is cooking for 20 minutes necessary or would just a few minutes to sterilize give the same results?

I use 225g of bran as the bags I get are 450g so one does 2 batches, still works great. Boiling is important as it makes the bran useable to the yeast.

... We must be buying the same packages. My first batch was 250g and so the second batch was the leftovers, so 200g: perfectly fine. That's how I determined a -20% bran charge worked fine.

[8Ball]

I just started my 4th batch. Ran low on wheat bran so I made up the difference with flaked breakfast oats. Added grains to boiling water, then simmered. It is all fermenting like crazy now with baker’s yeast.

[TwoSheds]

I just started my 4th batch. Ran low on wheat bran so I made up the difference with flaked breakfast oats. Added grains to boiling water, then simmered. It is all fermenting like crazy now with baker’s yeast.

I've thought about trying a batch with flaked/rolled oats for mouthfeel as well as a slightly different flavor but I was wondering if they offer the same nutrients as the wheat bran, anyone know?

[Lights Out]

I just started my 4th batch. Ran low on wheat bran so I made up the difference with flaked breakfast oats. Added grains to boiling water, then simmered. It is all fermenting like crazy now with baker’s yeast.

I've thought about trying a batch with flaked/rolled oats for mouthfeel as well as a slightly different flavor but I was wondering if they offer the same nutrients as the wheat bran, anyone know?

Oddly enough as I stripped my first FFV run today, and researching the sweetfeed whisky on another thread I was thinking about what else could be added and oats crossed my mind.

Unsure how best to do it to avoid a mass of gloop in the bottom of the fermenter right enough.

FWIW, its only Low Wines atm but I am so far impressed with the FFV. Definite grain type flavour in the middle of the run.

The foreshots were off the scale acetone smell [emoji15]

[CoogeeBoy]

How fine tuned is the amount of bran? Would half the amount work just fine? Just wondering if it has been optimized. Also is cooking for 20 minutes necessary or would just a few minutes to sterilize give the same results?

I use 225g of bran as the bags I get are 450g so one does 2 batches, still works great. Boiling is important as it makes the bran useable to the yeast.

Tick and Tick,
I have run 2 batches on the dregs, Ted did say to me once that there is quite a lot of nutrient remaining after the first batch. Second batch went quicker I noticed and I put that down to a lot of yeast that went back to work etc etc.

The boiling for 20 minutes gelatinizes the bran, that is important, it is not simply for sterilizing, same principle as mashing wheat or corn from what I understand.

CoogeeBoy are you saying you run an original batch then two more off the same bran (3 batches one bran charge) or one more batch off two original bran charges (4 batches 2 bran charges)
Bran is hard to find around here all of a sudden.

Hi mate,
Only done one extra batch, worried that I was pushing it and also risking infection. I basically just recharged the same fermenter with water and sugar.

[Teddysad]

With multiple runs on the same trub base, the yeast will still be viable but the nutrients are rather depleted.
I also found it lost a certain zing and crispness to the flavour - subtle but it is there.
I have no idea why wheat bran would be in short supply, it is a direct product of flour milling.
It makes a great horse feed supplement and here is extremely cheap at the feed stores.
Oats work to some degree if as bran, but the complete oat brings a different almost oiliness texture to the mix, which I am not keen on.

[CoogeeBoy]

...
I have no idea why wheat bran would be in short supply, it is a direct product of flour milling.
...

Its in short supply because of you! Everyone on HD is buying it!

[NormandieStill]

If you have a flour mill locally you could see if they will sell you the bran. I don't know how tastes run in the rest of the world, but I think the output of our local mill (in the village) is probably mostly white flour, meaning there's a lot of bran to be recovered.

[Yummyrum]

...
I have no idea why wheat bran would be in short supply, it is a direct product of flour milling.
...

Its in short supply because of you! Everyone on HD is buying it!

I don’t know about you Coogee . Should I be moving this to the Joke section , jokes aside , no shortage of wheat bran here …………. Touch Wood

[CoogeeBoy]

...
I have no idea why wheat bran would be in short supply, it is a direct product of flour milling.
...

Its in short supply because of you! Everyone on HD is buying it!

I don’t know about you Coogee . Should I be moving this to the Joke section , jokes aside , no shortage of wheat bran here …………. Touch Wood

We haven't been able to buy wheat bran here in the Eastern Suburbs since last year, lots of oat bran around but no wheat bran.

[Yummyrum]

Interesting , I just bought this at Woolies up in Coffs Harbour a week ago .

[CoogeeBoy]

Interesting , I just bought this at Woolies up in Coffs Harbour a week ago .
FC7A736D-EB1A-42A6-B74A-EBF73AA85F37.jpeg

That's the stuff, haven't seen it here in months.

[Canuckwoods]

Might be a North American thing we seem to be having lots of sortages.

[Bradster68]

Might be a North American thing we seem to be having lots of sortages.

Your name says you are by a bulk barn possibly.

[hawkwing]

Our local farm and garden store sells 20kg for $33.

Just running my first 80L batch and second is almost done fermenting. Had to run 4 stripping runs on the 20L alembic. Just on a stripping run now. Got about 7.5 quarts off and it’s till coming at 50%.

[hawkwing]

If you are picky with your cuts how much do you get out of three 25L batches and what proof?

[CoogeeBoy]

If you are picky with your cuts how much do you get out of three 25L batches and what proof?

I typically end up with about 3l from a 25l batch so you should get around 9l at 94-95% ABV.

I am looking for neutral so the cuts are pretty straightforward for me, I collect the tails but a couple of them often find their way back in so I cant be more precise than the "about 3l".