Too much Fermax

[Celticway]

Hey guys.

So for my first wash, I made a big mistake and added way too much Femax. I’m a long time all grain beer brewer and never had to add nutrients because I’ve always used grain. This wash was a Honey Brown Sugar wash. It’s almost done fermenting according to the SG readings. It taste great….but a few minutes later I got this bitterness that last on the palette for a long time. I tasted the Fermax to be sure and I get that same bitterness.
Will this bitterness from the excessive Fermax be left behind during distilling? I mean it’s basically different types of salt right?

Any help is mighty appreciated!

[subbrew]

Are you running it through a pot or column? If you are putting it through a column I would expect it to clean up. Pot distilling for flavor and I don't know.

[Celticway]

Pot with a thumper

[shadylane]

So for my first wash, I made a big mistake and added way too much Femax.

How much is too much.

[NZChris]

Run it, do a good job of the cuts, then tell us if it was too much.

[Yummyrum]

Was curious what Fermax tastes like . Don’t have it here .
But it contains DAP , epsom salts ( magnesium Sulphate ) Vitamins and Calcium salts .

Went out to shed and had a sticky finger . DAP tastes very salty ….. it’s really salty and quite nice …iff’n like me , you like a lot if salt on your food . But Epsom Salts are very bitter and puckers up the mouth . …. But watch it , too much will un-pucker your pooper .

Not sure what Particular Calcium Salts are used
But I looked around and we have “Damp rid moisture chrystals “ which are Calcium Chloride and in the shed I found a bag of Plaster of Paris which is Calcium Sulphate :

The calcium chloride was also salty but had a bitter after taste while the Calcium Sulphate was …. Nothing .tasted absolutely nothing .

So while I have nothing real in the way of useful answers , I can understand why you might have got that bitter after taste , if not from the Epsom salts , maybe Calcium Chloride .

I do doubt it will carry over .


Having said that ,a fully fermented out sugar wash will taste a bit bitter . ….certainly sour .

[Celticway]

So for my first wash, I made a big mistake and added way too much Femax.

How much is too much.

Too much. It’s a 20 gallon batch and I was free handing it from the bag and probably a cups worth or so got in there.

[OtisT]

A cup! Oh god.

Assuming you got copper in that still I would expect you are going to get a lot of blue/green output in you low wines. Multiple threads on that.

[shadylane]

How much is too much.

Too much. It’s a 20 gallon batch and I was free handing it from the bag and probably a cups worth or so got in there.

1 - 1.5tsp per gallon is the recommended dosage.
Looks like you used around 2x more than needed. I'd let the wash finish and run it.
Whatever you do, don't adjust the pH upwards or blue distillate is a real possibility.

[Celticway]

A cup! Oh god.

Assuming you got copper in that still I would expect you are going to get a lot of blue/green output in you low wines. Multiple threads on that.

Yep. I messed up. Hopefully will luck out

[Celticway]

How much is too much.

Too much. It’s a 20 gallon batch and I was free handing it from the bag and probably a cups worth or so got in there.

1 - 1.5tsp per gallon is the recommended dosage.
Looks like you used around 2x more than needed. I'd let the wash finish and run it.
Whatever you do, don't adjust the pH upwards or blue distillate is a real possibility.

10-4 thanks

[bilgriss]

Way too much, yes. I agree you should run it and see.

One thing I'd expect if this was stressful to the yeast, you may have some off flavors. That's common in "turbo" yeasts which include way too much nutrient to boost alcohol percentage potential, often at the expense of flavor. I doubt the nutrient flavors carry over, but you may or may not have fermentation byproducts which do.

Or it might be awesome. Run it!

[Celticway]

I’ll let you know on Sunday!

[Celticway]

Update, all worries for nothing. It turned out great. No bitterness at all in the final product.

[Yummyrum]

Update, all worries for nothing. It turned out great. No bitterness at all in the final product.

Glad to hear it Celticway

[NZChris]

Update, all worries for nothing. It turned out great. No bitterness at all in the final product.

Thanks for the update. I did suspect that the bitterness wouldn't carry over enough to matter but didn't know for sure.

[Celticway]

Update, all worries for nothing. It turned out great. No bitterness at all in the final product.

Thanks for the update. I did suspect that the bitterness wouldn't carry over enough to matter but didn't know for sure.

Off topic. But do you have a suggestion for a good yeast to use for an 8% ABV bourbon mash?

[NZChris]

I use bakers yeast for grains and rums and am happy with the results.

[shadylane]

Update, all worries for nothing. It turned out great. No bitterness at all in the final product.

Even though more fermax was used than recommended, normally fermax is used as a supplement for low nutrient wine. A sugar wash isn't just low in nutrients, it's almost devoid of anything.