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Not sure if the yeast is stressed - its happily bubbling awaysparky marky wrote:Under pitching by so much will absolutely lead to slow ferments that will stress the yeast. If you were making beer this could be a bad thing but in this case it will probably enhance those estery flavours you are looking for. Report back when you run it, it sounds interesting
Wish I had a temperature controlled fermentation room, with the forcasted low temps this coming week down into single digits for where I live I don't dare start anything.Oldvine Zin wrote:5 Gal of dunder goodnessPottsie wrote:And I thought 5-6 days was long! It all should be the same but how many gallons are you fermenting? What's your bill? Are you among the Dunder crew?
30 Gal of water
50 LBS panela
Couple of oyster shells
OVZ
I insulated a cart for fermenting and works through the cold spell.nerdybrewer wrote: Wish I had a temperature controlled fermentation room, with the forcasted low temps this coming week down into single digits for where I live I don't dare start anything.
But I've got the itch, need to scratch soon! Maybe we'll get a heat wave after the cold snap.
I also have an insulated box but I experienced some equipment failures with my last ferment regarding heating and temperature control.Bushman wrote:I insulated a cart for fermenting and works through the cold spell.nerdybrewer wrote: Wish I had a temperature controlled fermentation room, with the forcasted low temps this coming week down into single digits for where I live I don't dare start anything.
But I've got the itch, need to scratch soon! Maybe we'll get a heat wave after the cold snap.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =2&t=54259
I didn't add the dunder like you did. I probably should have ( I have 5 gals of 1 yr old dunder), but it smells like what I remember the high school dressing room smelled like back when I was in high school "61". Some of you remember......you know, that funky jock strap, dirty sweaty unclean nasty smell. It has a white fuzzy layer of sumthin on top. Been covered with lid indoors for a year. Just can't bring myself to add that to my wash....and NO, I am not going to taste it. I will add fresh dunder after my first distill.Oldvine Zin wrote:5 Gal of dunder goodnessPottsie wrote:And I thought 5-6 days was long! It all should be the same but how many gallons are you fermenting? What's your bill? Are you among the Dunder crew?
30 Gal of water
50 LBS panela
Couple of oyster shells
OVZ
Sounds like proper dunder.GrassHopper wrote:I didn't add the dunder like you did. I probably should have ( I have 5 gals of 1 yr old dunder), but it smells like what I remember the high school dressing room smelled like back when I was in high school "61". Some of you remember......you know, that funky jock strap, dirty sweaty unclean nasty smell. It has a white fuzzy layer of sumthin on top. Been covered with lid indoors for a year. Just can't bring myself to add that to my wash....and NO, I am not going to taste it. I will add fresh dunder after my first distill.Oldvine Zin wrote:5 Gal of dunder goodnessPottsie wrote:And I thought 5-6 days was long! It all should be the same but how many gallons are you fermenting? What's your bill? Are you among the Dunder crew?
30 Gal of water
50 LBS panela
Couple of oyster shells
OVZ
Thanks for that Nerdy. Sooo, if I jump off the cliff, I will fly.nerdybrewer wrote:Sounds like proper dunder.GrassHopper wrote:I didn't add the dunder like you did. I probably should have ( I have 5 gals of 1 yr old dunder), but it smells like what I remember the high school dressing room smelled like back when I was in high school "61". Some of you remember......you know, that funky jock strap, dirty sweaty unclean nasty smell. It has a white fuzzy layer of sumthin on top. Been covered with lid indoors for a year. Just can't bring myself to add that to my wash....and NO, I am not going to taste it. I will add fresh dunder after my first distill.Oldvine Zin wrote:5 Gal of dunder goodnessPottsie wrote:And I thought 5-6 days was long! It all should be the same but how many gallons are you fermenting? What's your bill? Are you among the Dunder crew?
30 Gal of water
50 LBS panela
Couple of oyster shells
OVZ
You have to get at what's under the cap, that's the stuff you want to use.
Don't worry, you're not drinking it it's just to enhance your wash then you distill and only consume the pure spirits after.
Trust your dunder.
I believe I can fly...GrassHopper wrote:
I didn't add the dunder like you did. I probably should have ( I have 5 gals of 1 yr old dunder), but it smells like what I remember the high school dressing room smelled like back when I was in high school "61". Some of you remember......you know, that funky jock strap, dirty sweaty unclean nasty smell. It has a white fuzzy layer of sumthin on top. Been covered with lid indoors for a year. Just can't bring myself to add that to my wash....and NO, I am not going to taste it. I will add fresh dunder after my first distill.
Thanks for that Nerdy. Sooo, if I jump off the cliff, I will fly.
I switched my heater out for a shop light with 75 watt bulb. I had the same issue with a heater and my aquarium controller when I moved from a small bathroom in the house to the cart in my outbuilding.nerdybrewer wrote: I also have an insulated box but I experienced some equipment failures with my last ferment regarding heating and temperature control.
I can use the heating pad on the side of the fermenter method and monitor temp, not entirely sure about my aquarium heater and controller after it wigged out on me last time.
Maybe I'll do it anyway, but only 50 to 60 gallons as that will be easier to keep warm.
Now I'm using a heating pad that I've duct taped to the outside of the fermenter which is inside the insulated box and there's a blanket on top of the fermenter and there's a sleeping bag on top of the box.Bushman wrote:I switched my heater out for a shop light with 75 watt bulb. I had the same issue with a heater and my aquarium controller when I moved from a small bathroom in the house to the cart in my outbuilding.nerdybrewer wrote: I also have an insulated box but I experienced some equipment failures with my last ferment regarding heating and temperature control.
I can use the heating pad on the side of the fermenter method and monitor temp, not entirely sure about my aquarium heater and controller after it wigged out on me last time.
Maybe I'll do it anyway, but only 50 to 60 gallons as that will be easier to keep warm.
Give it time, it will be great you'll see.Oldvine Zin wrote:HaHa the yeast in the ferment that is going forever taking it's time is happy around 70º F - sure wish that it would finish soon
OVZ
You could get a $30 single-stage (heating only) thermostat with probe. Assuming the heating + insulation are sufficient, you could dial in your optimal temp and walk away (ha ha) for a few days. I'm sure you know, but maybe it'll help someone.nerdybrewer wrote: The thing I fear the most is that it will rise in temp too far and kill the yeast, but that's a remote possibility as it's already freezing outside.
Thank you!Badmotivator wrote:You could get a $30 single-stage (heating only) thermostat with probe. Assuming the heating + insulation are sufficient, you could dial in your optimal temp and walk away (ha ha) for a few days. I'm sure you know, but maybe it'll help someone.nerdybrewer wrote: The thing I fear the most is that it will rise in temp too far and kill the yeast, but that's a remote possibility as it's already freezing outside.
https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Electron ... B01486LZ50" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
What yeast are you using?GrassHopper wrote:Jeeze, glad I don't have to deal with the outdoors. Sounds like ur gettin' there though Nerdy.
My ferment finished today (about 3 days). FG of 1 and can't taste any sweetness, so I will wait a few days, rack it off and start another. Going to try and use the trub to start another ferment.......or should I just repitch more yeast? Gonna strip a batch of these and then do a spirit run in reflux mode. Can't wait to taste it.
I get it too, but I don't worry about it and I don't know exactly what it is.Badmotivator wrote:I'm on my second round of fermenting panela, and I have a mystery.
Ferment 1 went fine but there appeared to be a mild infection on the surface. Didn't take a picture. Fermented fine, distilled fine.
For ferment 2 I boiled the panela for at least ten minutes before diluting to 10% in well-sanitized buckets. Same "infection" after one day. Anyone else seeing this? Any idea what it is, and should I try to get rid of it?
. Maybe it's just dusty stuff from the panela trapped under the oily film and inflated by CO2. Interesting protocol for using dunder?Badmotivator wrote:Cool. I'm glad to know it isn't just me.
I am going to add the dunder when the ferment gets down to 2% so the dunder bugs don't get in the way of alcohol production too much.
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I think I got the idea from the big Still Dragon forum thread on dunder pits initially. It refers to guidance in the Arroyo patent. Here's a link to one page of that thread where this strategy is discussed: https://www.stilldragon.org/discussion/ ... -thread/p7" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollownerdybrewer wrote:Interesting protocol for using dunder?Badmotivator wrote: I am going to add the dunder when the ferment gets down to 2% so the dunder bugs don't get in the way of alcohol production too much.
Anyone else doing it that way?
I get everything mixed up good and then pitch yeast, always done it that way around.
Your dunder should be acidic, so I hope you take appropriate measures.
In other words, the bacteria don't like high sugar or high alcohol contents. So I want to inoculate my wash when the sugar has gone down a lot but not yet been completely converted to alcohols.Arroyo wrote:The maximum initial total sugars concentration of 13 grams per 100 ml. has been selected to the benefit of the bacteria, as most bacteria of the propionic and butyric groups do not tolerate the sugars at much above 6 grams per 10 ml., and are also inhibited by alcohol concentrations of 8 percent by volume, or above. Since 13 grams per 100 ml. does not yield over 8 percent by volume probable yield, (7.0 to 7.5 percent), a safety factor is provided regardless of the yeast action. Since the total sugars are reduced to about 6.0 grams per 100 ml. at bacterial seeding, the consequent alcohol concentration will not exceed 4 percent by volume, and the bacteria are then well able to proceed with their own work and in the symbiosis.
Racked it into carboys (my collection is growing)