Thank you all for the great help on this forum!

[Data]

Hello and thank you.

Let me first thank all of you for the great information and the help on this forum.
From building the still, to the first run, I followed all the instructions on this forum, without ever needing to post a question.
yep, there are people like me, you usually never hear from, but received a lot of help by you guys. We should a least show up and let you know that we greatly appreciate this forum.
Every time I wanted to post a question, I was reminded by all the posts, that the answers are in the Novice Distillers and the link to the Spoon Fed info etc.
Well, reading it all, is one thing, understanding it??????? a totally different thing LOL
But I somehow managed.
I build a Bokakob from a 15 gal keg, 42” long and 2” diameter copper pipe and a 12” long condenser and a Leibig condenser for the outlet.
I used tri clovers and fittings for easy assembly and conversion to pot still when needed.
I use a 240V 4500W low density heating element and a voltage controller as heating source.

I cleaned it all and did a vinegar run for the first time.
second run (cleaning run) was 12gal of some sugar wash I found the recipe on the internet. I let it flow nicely and it turned out at around 75%ABV and a total of about 3.6 liters.
I discarded all of it.

Now getting serious.
I followed the calculator for Birdwatchers and made a 12gal wash.
I started with a SG of 1.066 and 7 days later it stalled at a SG of 1.019 ( I don’t know why, temp was in the 78° f range the entire time).
I wanted to run it anyways and by the calculator it should be about 6% ABV

firing it up and keeping close records, this is what I got.
I discarded the first 400mL (definitely smelled like nail polish).
I adjusted my needle valve to about 4 drops / sec and filled all jars to the 300mL mark.
jar 1 was 84% ABV, 2=86, 3=89, 4=88, 5=89, 6=88, 7=88, 8=88, 9=88, 10=87, 11=86, 12=86, 13=86, 14=80, 15=79, 16=67 and 17=42

How does this all look to you? (couldn’t find the answer to this question on the spoon fed LOL)

I guess what I discarded was the Foreshots/Heads, jar 1 to jar 15 are the hearts and jar 16 and 17 are the tails (maybe also 14 and 15?), is this correct?

Again, thanks for all the info on the forum. I’ll be doing a couple more sugar washes and then move into all grain whisky.

[Bigbob]

Welcome Data, I only run a pot still so cannot answer about your run, but it looked good to me! Enjoy the forums!

[der wo]

I started with a SG of 1.066 and 7 days later it stalled at a SG of 1.019

It sounds like a pH-crash. Research shells and calcium carbonate. It's important for taste, that you ferment as much as possible of the sugar. There are many recipes on the internet. Perhaps you could write more details.

[Data]

I started with a SG of 1.066 and 7 days later it stalled at a SG of 1.019

It sounds like a pH-crash. Research shells and calcium carbonate. It's important for taste, that you ferment as much as possible of the sugar. There are many recipes on the internet. Perhaps you could write more details.

what details do you need? I just followed the birdwatchers exactly, I checked SG every day and it lowered SG every day until day 7. after that there was no more change in it.
BTW ich spreche auch deutsch, bin in Deutschland zur schule gegangen, ist aber 40 jahre her, also bitte nicht meine rechtscreibung beurteilen, die existiert nicht mehr lol

[Data]

Welcome Data, I only run a pot still so cannot answer about your run, but it looked good to me! Enjoy the forums!

Thank you Bigbob

[der wo]

You mean this?
http://shuggo.com/birdwatchers/calculator.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
But you used less sugar (1.066), so I think you have another recipe.

How much tomato paste, sugar, yeast, epsom salt, citric acid ...
If you read through the whole thread,
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =14&t=5018
you will find your problem and answers probably. This original recipe can get upgraded with pH-buffers, vitamines and nutrients. It helps a lot. IMO this recipe was not complete at the beginning of the thread.

Please beurteile not my english...

[Data]

You mean this?
http://shuggo.com/birdwatchers/calculator.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
But you used less sugar (1.066), so I think you have another recipe.

How much tomato paste, sugar, yeast, epsom salt, citric acid ...
...

Yes, that's the formula I used with a total volume of 12gal.
after that, I kept on adding water to be below a SG of 1.070.
When the wash was done, I used exactly 12gal of it into my keg and discarded the rest (maybe another gal or so)

[HDNB]

welcome to the forum!

i don't run a boka but i would guess your hearts are more like around jar 5- 13

your nose and taste should help you find out.

have fun, enjoy the place and try to make it better than you found it!

[thatguy1313]

Good on ya for doing your research and doing it the right way! I agree with HDNB about hearts probably starting around jar 5-6. Let em air for a day and the make cuts. I number all the jars and then cover the numbers up, mix up the jars until I can't remember what's what and then make cuts strictly by taste, smell and feel. It's fun to see how close you can get to putting them in the right order! Remember to dilute whatever you taste to make cuts and spit it out! Trust me, is much harder to make good cuts when you're drunk off your own product!

[der wo]

Yes, that's the formula I used with a total volume of 12gal.
after that, I kept on adding water to be below a SG of 1.070.
When the wash was done, I used exactly 12gal of it into my keg and discarded the rest (maybe another gal or so)

So from 12gal sugarwater you got 13gal fermented sugarwater?
No, the volume of wash doesn't rise while fermentation.
But I know, when I look back at the notes of my first fermentations and runs, I find many incomprehensible things.

[Monkeyman88]

Yes, that's the formula I used with a total volume of 12gal.
after that, I kept on adding water to be below a SG of 1.070.
When the wash was done, I used exactly 12gal of it into my keg and discarded the rest (maybe another gal or so)

So from 12gal sugarwater you got 13gal fermented sugarwater?
No, the volume of wash doesn't rise while fermentation.
But I know, when I look back at the notes of my first fermentations and runs, I find many incomprehensible things.

He says that once he reached the 1.080 that the recipe calls for, he added extra water.

[der wo]

Yes, that's the formula I used with a total volume of 12gal.
after that, I kept on adding water to be below a SG of 1.070.
When the wash was done, I used exactly 12gal of it into my keg and discarded the rest (maybe another gal or so)

So from 12gal sugarwater you got 13gal fermented sugarwater?
No, the volume of wash doesn't rise while fermentation.
But I know, when I look back at the notes of my first fermentations and runs, I find many incomprehensible things.

He says that once he reached the 1.080 that the recipe calls for, he added extra water.

Ok. Thank you. My fault. Sorry.

But nevertheless something is wrong. For 12gal the recipe calls for 10.22kg sugar, what means SG 1.086! If he diluted this to 1.070, he had to add almost 3gal water, so there were fermenting 15gal. After discarding 1gal 12gal remained?

But this has nothing to do with the high FG. Either he had problems with pH or nutrients or the fermenting was slowed down and he interpreted this falsely, that it had stalled (7 days is not so long for a bw without added nutrients).

[thatguy1313]

But this has nothing to do with the high FG. Either he had problems with pH or nutrients or the fermenting was slowed down and he interpreted this falsely, that it had stalled (7 days is not so long for a bw without added nutrients).

+1. Next time just let it go and if it really has stalled (SG isnt budging for longer than 2 days) take a PH reading and adjust if needed. If PH is fine try throwing in some DAP or other nutrients. I personally make a "yeast bomb" (see pugirum recipe) when doing a BW and it ferments out it 5-7 days. Without all the added nutrients it may have taken a little longer, say 10-14 days? Another explanation may be that your hydrometer got bumped and is reading off. Check it in plain water to make sure its reading correctly.

[der wo]

Yes, but it's better, to give in everything at the beginning.

I would buy some calcium carbonate (you find in gardening store or sea shells for chicken or coral sand for aquariums). It's not a pH riser, it's a buffer, it will solve and rise the pH only, if th pH drops under around 4.

Nutrients are needed mainly at the beginning. Member rad14701 has done a lot of experimenting with plant fertilizers.

I would not open the fermenter until it's fermented dry.
You need a gas-tight fermenter and this (I forgot the english word), google translator suggests "bung", but it's false I think:

[Data]

Hello, thanks for all the replies.
Sorry, I didn't make this clear, when I said it stalled at day 7, I didn't run it that day. I measured the SG of 1.019 and it didn't change anymore until day 15 when I distilled it. I use a refractometer.
It probably had something to do with the PH and I'll keep an eye on that next time.

About the cuts. You guys are talking to someone who can't tell a whisky from a rum, by smell and/or taste. LOL
they all smell very close the same, except 16, it smells a bit unpleasant? it just has a very different smell to it. 17 doesn't smell like anything much and also tastes much more watery.
I know it will take time for me, to develop a sense of smell/taste for this. Maybe one day I can tell some differences.

I diluted a couple of cups to 42%ABV and made an Irish cream. The wife loved it and that means it's a winner. LOL
I'll be using most of this run to make eierlikoer from an old family recipe. This is what got me started in first place. The 151 proof evergreen at $20+/750mL, started to get expensive, when you need 4 bottles a batch and make several batches a year for special occasions. Now I can make my own and by the irish cream test, it doesn't make much of a difference of being grain alcohol or sugar wash.

How long should I leave the lid open to air it out?
Thanks again for all the help.

[Data]

Yes, but it's better, to give in everything at the beginning.

I would buy some calcium carbonate (you find in gardening store or sea shells for chicken or coral sand for aquariums). It's not a pH riser, it's a buffer, it will solve and rise the pH only, if th pH drops under around 4.

Nutrients are needed mainly at the beginning. Member rad14701 has done a lot of experimenting with plant fertilizers.

I would not open the fermenter until it's fermented dry.
You need a gas-tight fermenter and this (I forgot the english word), google translator suggests "bung", but it's false I think:

grrhrchendichtgummi.jpg

I'll get some calcium carbonate for next time.
It's called an airlock and I use one. But it doesn't do anything. I think my bucket (20gal) is too big with only 12 gal of wash in it. There is too much room and I also open it daily to take the SG reading.

[der wo]

I measured the SG of 1.019 and it didn't change anymore until day 15 when I distilled it. I use a refractometer.

Ok a refractometer.
That changes everything. Because you can't use the calculator for hydrometers with a refractometer. I looks, that your wash was better than we thought. There are " what OG and FG result in ?%" calculators, you will find on brewer sites.

[der wo]

So the wash was fermented dry or stalled.
http://www.onebeer.net/refractometer.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
When you have experience, you don't need to calculate and measure. You can taste. It has to taste extremely sour and dry.

Edit: Perhaps easier:
http://www.petedrinks.com/abv-calculato ... ydrometer/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[thatguy1313]

It was probably done. I've never used a refractometer so I cant say for sure. I would actually disagree with you Der Wo on the idea that you NEED an air tight container and an airlock for a fermenter. Data, your airlock probably didn't do anything because your fermenter is not air tight and the gasses found another way to escape. My fermenter lid just sits on top and doesn't seal at all. I don't muck with it much other than to see if its still bubbling but I've only ever had one infection that I didn't introduce on purpose. The stuff ferments so fast and creates a thick CO2 cap that protects it against most things you don't want in there. Now, if you don't plan to run the wash quickly after its done fermenting then you would need to seal it up in something airtight and preferably put it in a freezer.
Data, don't stress too much about not being able to distinguish cuts very well right now. It'll come with time and practice (and reading kiwi's guide to cuts 100 times ) Keep working on it and you'll figure it out!

[der wo]

Yes. You need it only, if you want to know, if it has stopped totally or only slowed down. At least, if you are a beginner.