Walks like a duck

[Stonecutter]

So left brain hemisphere says I’ve got 20 gallons of vinegar. Right brain says shhhh strip it and run it as a Neutral.
In reality I probably have 21 gallons of a gumball head that I thought was destined for the plated column but will be better served to pass through the ccvm gauntlet…. “No vapor left behind”.
Ahhh the intricacies of the hobby are delightful even when they are unexpected.

[SaltyStaves]

I thought a wash may have gone to vinegar. Running it confirmed it. What came off the spout stung my nostrils and eyeballs instantly. I cut power and drained it.
It wasn't subtle.

[dunluce]

I thought a wash may have gone to vinegar. Running it confirmed it. What came off the spout stung my nostrils and eyeballs instantly. I cut power and drained it.
It wasn't subtle.

Same experience here. Taste of the mash told me vinegar, greed told me to run it. I certainly didn't wait long before turning it off and dumping it.

[Demy]

I guess it depends on the amount of acetic acid...if the acidification is at the beginning you could do it..if it's a
strong vinegar..use it to clean.

[NZChris]

If it's not too bad, taking a larger than usual foreshot off the strips, then doing the spirit run in a pot still might get you out of trouble.

If it is really bad, but there is enough alcohol in it that you would prefer to make neutral rather than kick the barrel over, using slaked lime to raise the Low Wines pH to just below 7 over several days before running it with the plater might do the trick.
It's something I've been experimenting with when doing All Feints runs. One run had a very high ethyl acetate content because I had put all of my foreshot collection in with the feints to see how well the idea worked. Distilled in my Bokakob, it worked very well, a surprisingly small amount went into the heads jar and the large heart cut was used for gins that required a very neutral spirit.

[still_stirrin]

I thought a wash may have gone to vinegar. Running it confirmed it. What came off the spout stung my nostrils and eyeballs instantly. I cut power and drained it.
It wasn't subtle.

Ooooh! It must have been HOT.

The boiling point of vinegar is 244*F (118*C). That is why most of it stays in the boiler when you’re doing a vinegar cleaning run. It would cause the boiling temperature to be hotter than an alcohol cleaning run or even a water (steam cleaning) run.
ss

[still_stirrin]

… using slaked lime to raise the Low Wines pH to just below 7 over several days before running it with the plater might do the trick.

… One run had a very high ethyl acetate content … Distilled in my Bokakob, it worked very well, a surprisingly small amount went into the heads jar and the large heart cut was used for gins that required a very neutral spirit.

Thanks Chris for that “tip”. It is great info for the masses here who like to scavenge as much product from their investments.
ss

[The Baker]

NZChris said, If it is really bad, but there is enough alcohol in it that you would prefer to make neutral rather than kick the barrel over, using slaked lime to raise the Low Wines pH to just below 7 over several days before running it with the plater might do the trick.'

I have maybe 60 litres of Uncle Jesse's wash that is definitely vinegar.
Been sitting a couple of months.
Tried distilling a bit but it is still vinegar.
I will taste the wash again to see if it is passable as vinegar but it is still lots more vinegar than I can use or give away even if it is good enough.

I only have a pot still not a plater; would it be worth trying with the slaked lime?

BTW about how much slaked lime might do the trick? I have never tried to test the Ph...
Wouldn't matter if it was wrong, I am in a losing situation anyway.

Thanks.

Geoff

[Stonecutter]

Finishing the strip now. This thing is one funky monkey that’s for sure. Early hearts were creamy with an almost raisin taste. Now that I’m into my tails finger rub smells like grains and tasting clean as in no vinegar, it’s still tails.
Mid run had about 400ml of acidic smelling distillate. Seems to me that mishandling the ferment led to a ph crash and subsequent smell. Two weeks ago I racked it and added oyster grit, yeast nutrient and some 1118 with no luck. Hydrometer read 1.020 when I ran it.

… using slaked lime to raise the Low Wines pH to just below 7 over several days before running it with the plater might do the trick.

… One run had a very high ethyl acetate content … Distilled in my Bokakob, it worked very well, a surprisingly small amount went into the heads jar and the large heart cut was used for gins that required a very neutral spirit.

Thanks Chris for that “tip”. It is great info for the masses here who like to scavenge as much product from their investments.
ss

Yes, thank you NZChris. Searching revealed an esters rabbit hole. Being that I was looking to experiment with flavor I may try to tinker with the ph of the wines, however I am really enjoying what I’m seeing so far. I’ll probably run the whole thing as it is through a pot. I do wish that I would have not been such a….. ….”scaredy cat”… and plated the wash from the start.

[rubberduck71]

I've been known to walk like a duck, after a few too many...

[Stonecutter]

I’ve been known to talk like a duck after a few too many as well

This gumball is an ester bomb. The tails reminded me of that frankincense nose in the rum tails.

Edit:At a total collected strip volume of 13 L+ at 35% I assume the strong acidic taste is from esters. Please someone enlighten me if wrong. When doing the old lick test during my strip it had almost like a pineapple flavor to it. It was promising. At the very least I was wanting to age the spirit on a French oak stave. If anyone has any suggestions for a supply I’d be much obliged.