Home Distiller

I posted in the novice section and someone mentioned airing it out in mason jars. What i have smells like the cheapest vodka you could buy. Would buying jars and letting it sit help clean it up or not. It was 160 proof when I bottled it but diluted then. Should I re run it would that help the smell and burning taste? First time and spent six hours to get something that tastes horrible.

Thanks

If you made bad cuts or are not sure,then re-run.

Run that Gerber recipe, make good cuts and air out.

It would be helpful if you could tell us the type of still you are useing.
myerfire

it takes practice, there are some good posts on running a reflux still. remember, if you are collecting 80%, that leaves 20% of by products and what nots. you should be able to control a reflux still (dont know what kind you have) and keep your temp steady at 78-79C. let the stuff air out good, that usually takes care of the burn. get rid of that turbo shit, and use rad's or bird watchers. running a reflux still is like riding a bike, once you get it you never forget. oh , but you might fall down once and a while. MK

That says it all Mulekicker,

fusel alcohols are sharp. good yeast,, cool ferments (for the type of yeast) racking off lees all will help lessen fusels in the wash,
then run slow and make good cuts. then air out and a bit of age does not heart either.
with what you have sounds like rerunning the answer.

Thanks Mulekicker but what does "and use rad's or bird watchers" mean? Does anyone know where to find this info. I guess I should not expect perfect the first time through.

Also I assume you airing before diluting? I already diluted I guess I can still air it out if I go by jars? LIve and learn, thanks for the help everyone.

Look in "Tried and True Recipe's" for Rad's Gerber Wash and also Birdwatchers recipe as well as many others. Rad also has a new Bran Flake recipe that sounds great.
myerfire

Hi Fryguy,

Gerber http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =14&t=9879

Birdwatchers http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =14&t=5018

cheers

All Bran Recipe which meyerfire referred to... Can be run through either a pot still or reflux column with good results...

"Also I assume you airing before diluting?""
you can air after . it removes "some" higher alcohols. but only does only so much.and is part of aging.
good cuts,airing then aging does the most. the longer the better.white dog is a acquired taste or lack there of.

Dnderhead wrote:white dog is a acquired taste or lack there of.

Oohh, yet another saying to be printed on a t-shirt.

I'm tellin ya, this outfit here could put together an entire fashion line of of damned profound T-shirt sayings.

I can see it now,,,,,,,tens of dollars made at those,,, exibits and festivals that people who are interested in distilling go to.

We could have really atractive babes in red swim wear standing next to a display of your choice. And another display of t-shirts modeled by a model with extraordinary lung capacity (or the like).

It would be a real carnival,,,,, a spectical,,,,,,................
Sorry for the drift.

Gee Larry, I think you might be onto something. If sucessful, it could be an annual event, each year held in a different part of the world.
myerfire

It could happen!

fryguy17601 wrote:Also I assume you airing before diluting? I already diluted I guess I can still air it out if I go by jars? LIve and learn, thanks for the help everyone.

From a chemistry point of view - you're going to have a harder time evaporating the lighter components after you dilute them.

I've tried airing out some junk product, and it did nothing - even after sitting open for weeks. Of course, I believe that the problem was something that had a vapor pressure very close to ethanol, and airing out is never going to fix that problem.

Regardless, if it's real bad - re-distilling is your only option. Just about everyone double or triple-distills vodka. Did you do a stripping run and a sprit run?

Always make good cuts for foreshots and heads due to methanol
When i first began i wasn't making good cuts for the tails.
I will tell you from experience that running too deep into the tails without cutting will put a horrible taste and smell in ya hooch

Temperature wise on my runs I replace my catch container to catch tails at about 196 - 198 degrees F and it always works great for me!
This may or may not work for some, but it always works great for me.

I will tell you from experience that running too deep into the tails without cutting will put a horrible taste and smell in ya hooch

It sure will, and it doesn't take much tails to ruin a lot of good hearts.