My first scorch

[Ridgeback816]

I have recently read that I am not alone in doing this so this falls under misery love company. I had intended to make a rye whiskey and I was hoping to have it ready for next Christmas. It is the largest mash I had made and being 50 percent rye things went surprisingly smoothly. I started my stripping runs by just racking off the clear liquid and as that ran I had everyone's favorite task of squeezing and here is where I made my mistake(s). I got all the solids out and not want to wait for things to settle I just tipped in the next batch after the first was done. I scorched the 3rd strip not badly doesn't taste or smell like smoke it almost taste slightly like bitter chocolate was added. I have 20 quarts of low wines and I only pick its up in 3 of them, will added these three ruin a spirit run? I was reading a long thread about baking soda and not adding it to whiskey due to its ability to strip out flavors I am wondering if I should try and do this to my affected jars? Thank you for any advice

[NZChris]

Don't risk the 17 for the sake of the three.

[jonnys_spirit]

+1 Agree w/Chris.

Congrats on the non scorch too!

Cheers,
jonny

[Steve Broady]

Do you LIKE the flavor that you’re getting from the scorch? Because trust me, it will never go away. I’ve got two different spirits which scorched and which I attempted to save. In both cases, after a great deal of work, the flavor is still there. I think it’s reminiscent of scotch, so it kind of works, but it is very much still there.

If you want your entire batch to taste like that, add it in. Otherwise, don’t count on dilution being able to hide it.

[Bradster68]

+1 SB. I saved a couple hearts jars of my scorched first all rye and still tastes terrible.
I could bring myself to throw away just yet, but I'm sure it's inevitable.

[Deplorable]

Whether you think it will go away, or not, or if you think it's an interesting flavor that just might blend in with the rest of the spirit, in a year when you are sipping that dram and sharing with your friends and family, that taste is going to be there. Every sip is going to be a reminder of your greed and how greed can ruin an otherwise great spirit. You can head the advice given, and chalk up the lesson now, or add it in and learn the lesson in a year when its aged.

[Bradster68]

Whether you think it will go away, or not, or if you think it's an interesting flavor that just might blend in with the rest of the spirit, in a year when you are sipping that dram and sharing with your friends and family, that taste is going to be there. Every sip is going to be a reminder of your greed and how greed can ruin an otherwise great spirit. You can head the advice given, and chalk up the lesson now, or add it in and learn the lesson in a year when its aged.

Well it's definitely not an interesting taste, and I dont see myself blending it later. I think if I do another 100% rye. I'll do a double boiler style distillation. Yep, my impatience got the best of me.

[Deplorable]

I ASSume you're heating a flat bottom boiler with an open flame, yes?
Here's a couple of suggestions if you really want to run it murky.
Keep the lid off the boiler and stir the wash as it begins to heat up so the trub stays in suspension until the convection can keep it there.
use a steel or aluminum plate between the flame and the bottom of the boiler to heat up more evenly, and heat it up slowly while stirring.
Once the wash begins to steam, put the lid on. All your going to loose in that first little bit of steam is heads anyway.

[Bradster68]

I ASSume you're heating a flat bottom boiler with an open flame, yes?
Here's a couple of suggestions if you really want to run it murky.
Keep the lid off the boiler and stir the wash as it begins to heat up so the trub stays in suspension until the convection can keep it there.
use a steel or aluminum plate between the flame and the bottom of the boiler to heat up more evenly, and heat it up slowly while stirring.
Once the wash begins to steam, put the lid on. All your going to loose in that first little bit of steam is heads anyway.

Yes I am using a open flame burner style.
That's good to know. I think in the future though I will let clear. It seems the most logical thing I should do.
Thanks again for your help