to pit or not to pit

[TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY]

howdy folks, I am facing a bit of a problem. I have read in the main section of fruit mashing that all pits should be removed from fruit so that cyanide is not formed in the wash. Then I read in this forum of fermenting on the stones. I would assume the stones reffered to are the pits in the fruit. So my question is, is the amount of cyanide significant in a 23l batch and if so won't that come off in the beginning with the other volitiles. And how will the pits truley affect the flavor. I am working with peaches. Thanks for any info.

[Tater]

Ive done it both ways.Ferminted with em in and out and crushed.I thought the crushed tasted little differnt .Some of the old recipes called for pits to be crushed.Make good cuts and it wont matter.

[TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY]

Are brandy cuts any different than whiskey cuts. This will be my first ever spirit run with a pot still and have only done two others with a side arm / offset head fractionator. Also first attempt at brandy. Would just like for it to have a good flavor.

[Tater]

toss 1/4 cup for every 5 gallons mash and start tastin. Will have a sweet taste that drops in sweetnes as it runs . Soon as the tastes suit ya start keepin.I usally catch till it starts to loose its bead thats around 80 proof.And keep runnin some tails to add back to next batch or save and run all my tails together to make kahula.hope this helps

[Uncle Jesse]

i have heard or read this same thing. i've also heard that some almond taste can be achieved with traces of cyanide from fermented pits.

anyone else ever read or heard this?

[Pieterpost]

yep, the smell of bitter almonds is caused by the cyanide in the pits. I know for a fact that it is true !

Don't know anything about safety limits though ......

[Harry]

From Artisan Distilling by Kris Berglund.

In principle not more than 5% of all stones should be crushed because they contain amygdalin which can be decomposed through enzymes in the stone to glucose, benzaldehyde and the toxic hydrogen cyanide.

Therefore, benzaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide are present in distillates from stone fruit as volatile substances where an excess of benzaldehyde - also designated as bitter almond oil - causes a flavor ('stone flavor') overpowering the fruit aroma. There is no need to mention that content of hydrogen cyanide in brandies which are too high are undesired.

[TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY]

thanks for fixin' the forum UJ. I had been waitin for the replies during the downtime and the peaches were startin to get some extra fuzz on em' so I had to go ahead with the mashin'. (sans pits to be safe) Never got a finite answer on whether or not the cyanide would come off in the beginning with the other volitiles but think i'll just stay away from it till i get more sperienced in the whole process. my low wines seem to be pretty nice, can hardly wait to taste the final spirit. Thanks to all.

[Guest]

I just made some peach brandy and did the mash using a bushel of peaches and about a dozen or so of the stones. The distillate came out quit nice and with plenty of flavor. I am in the process of mashing a second batch using the spent wash from the first run, also on the stones.
I will let y'all know how the second batch turns out.

Furball

[Pieterpost]

Ignorance is bliss !!!!!!

[Virginia Gentleman]

This is another spam poster (automated or not). Just posting to get the gambling links in the signature posted on the site.

[Pieterpost]

were getting a lot of these lately ..........