Home Distiller

So I finally did my first pot still distillation using the exact recipe for Wineos Plain Ol Sugar Wash. I double distilled and only kept the hearth but the resulting product has a strong yeasty smell. I want to age the spirit in various fruits just to see what I like but the yeasty smell is a little annoying. Is there anything that can be done to loose the smell and is this smell normal ?

Thanks

what was your still? and did you clear wash?

Can carbon filter
Can dilute and re-run

Dnderhead wrote:what was your still? and did you clear wash?

Yes, almost 2 months in secondary and it was clear as water.

LWTCS wrote:Can carbon filter
Can dilute and re-run

I will dilute to 40-45% for sure but have no intention to re-run. How do I filter the spirit with carbon ... Do I use the aquarium filter bad and if so, what is the procedure ?

For neutral spirits water is the best and cheapest filter... Dilute and redistill... Better to practice distillation than carbon filtering... After all, which would you rather get good at...???

rad14701 wrote:For neutral spirits water is the best and cheapest filter... Dilute and redistill... Better to practice distillation than carbon filtering... After all, which would you rather get good at...???

My only problem is that I do not own the pot still and I will not have access to it until 4 more months and I really wanted to show my friends what I made at Christmas. Yes, I would rather do it with the still as I do want to get better at this but until I buy or make my own still, can I can a similar result with carbon filters ?

Would using a Brita filter for tap water do a good job of removing the yeasty taste and smell or is it a waste of time ?

i have never used charcoal myself but i can definitely say that the brita is a no go.

@ naeco,

Using a Brita Filter or similar filters are the wrong type of filter to attempt to clean up a distilled alcohol product. These types of filters do not contain the correct/proper filtering media to filter alcohol, are manufactured with plastic components, and are not designed to filter alcohol.

As previously pointed out by Rad14701diluting your distilled product with water and re-distilling is the preferred method for cleaning up your distilled product.

Regards,
Coaster

you did not say but if it was a pot still then they do carry over flavors.thats how you git flavored spirits.if so then my answer is use a yeast that is compatible.bread yeast though works can leave a "yeasty" flavor that people like in bread but not in booze.
to clean up what you have your choices are rerun or use carbon, for carbon you dont need a filter just put a handful in the jar. this has to be carbon made for this.you can use charcoal but it wont remove as much flavor.with carbon filtering you will loose some.if it was mine id chalk it up to experience and add fruit/spices to cover up the off flavor.after all that is why spirits like gin was created.

Dnderhead wrote:you did not say but if it was a pot still then they do carry over flavors.thats how you git flavored spirits.if so then my answer is use a yeast that is compatible.bread yeast though works can leave a "yeasty" flavor that people like in bread but not in booze.
to clean up what you have your choices are rerun or use carbon, for carbon you dont need a filter just put a handful in the jar. this has to be carbon made for this.you can use charcoal but it wont remove as much flavor.with carbon filtering you will loose some.if it was mine id chalk it up to experience and add fruit/spices to cover up the off flavor.after all that is why spirits like gin was created.

Yes I used my friends pot still and will unfortunately not be able to use it for some time so now I know how to get rid of the taste the right way. If I want, for this one batch to use carbon. Where do I get the right kind and how do you use it. You just put it in the jar ? for how long ?

There is no easy way to do the carbon. The gert strand book (google it) gives some good advice.

personally, I would not worry about it. The flavor in your distillate will likely change a lot between now and xmas. Be proud of what you accomplished and see how it tastes in a month or two...

junkyard dawg wrote:There is no easy way to do the carbon. The gert strand book (google it) gives some good advice.

personally, I would not worry about it. The flavor in your distillate will likely change a lot between now and xmas. Be proud of what you accomplished and see how it tastes in a month or two...

I distilled everything Thursday night and I have to admit that after 48 hours with the mason jar opened and the coffee filter on top, the smell is 50% less noticeable. I guess that with time and with the fruit I plan to age in the spirit, the yeasty smell and taste might go away or simply be hidden behind the fruit ?

Naeco,

Reading this post, there is one thing that really gets my attention. You say you let your fermentation settle for 2 months? Now that is a long time!

Odin.

yes that could be part of the problem,unless you rack it off the lees.

Dnderhead wrote:yes that could be part of the problem,unless you rack it off the lees.

Yes LOL ... my background is making apple cider so 2 months is nothing for me as I have to wait a least one year before my cider mellows out enough to be at it's full potential. I let the mash ferment for 3 weeks and racked it in secondary where it cleared for 5 weeks. I found a store in my area that have activated stone carbon so I will pick some up tomorrow. I will add water to my spirit until at 45% and add some carbon directly in the mason jar for 2 weeks. I will then age different fruit in separate container until Christmas(1 month) to see what I like most.

Do you think 1 month should be enough to pass along the aromas and flavors of each fruit in the spirit ?
I will try pear, raspberry and peach ... any suggestion here ?

Sorry to drift too far off topic Naeco..........

Does anybody remember that fella that put carbon in his thumper during distillation?

Shit ... went to my homebrew shop and no, they don`y have any is stock. I can order some online but would aquarium activated carbon do the trick ?

naeco wrote:Shit ... went to my homebrew shop and no, they don`y have any is stock. I can order some online but would aquarium activated carbon do the trick ?

Already found the answer to that question. No need to answer.

naeco wrote:

naeco wrote:Shit ... went to my homebrew shop and no, they don`y have any is stock. I can order some online but would aquarium activated carbon do the trick ?

Already found the answer to that question. No need to answer.

Activated carbon...