Discolouration in low wines after adding Sodium Hydroxide & heat.
I stripped a Birdwatcher recipe and added Sodium Hydroxide to the low wines to bring the pH to >12.
Then I attempted a spirits run in my T500, but it was misbehaving - I had dangerously forgotten to dilute the low wines from 70% back to 40%ABV.
When I inspected the wash (to dilute it back) it was obvious that the wash had changed from clear to a yellow/orange colour.
MOD EDIT : attached photo to forum ... don’t use external picture hosting
I diluted the wash back to 40%ABV but the colour didn't go away - suggesting that it isn't a titration but rather some kind of reaction - perhaps triggered from the heat from the still and concentration of congeners in a high ABV wash???
I've done this same neutral wash method a bunch of times before (without the mistake of not diluting) without seeing this discolouration effect. Anyone know what's going on?
As I replyed in your other post , you need to stop using Sodium Hydroxide .... its not needed and is causing issues . viewtopic.php?f=16&t=29926#p7646492
I think you probably had a puke happening in this instance as well and most likely due to you not diluting back to 40% .The mix in the boiler would be very volatile .
You say you have done this NaOH stuff many times before .
I’m going to guess that all the orange stuff normally ends up in your boiler .
Okay, found some more information on it - and it's worrying...
In the bottom of the pot there was some red/orange precipitate that had formed. The colour of the wash actually became clear again once it was allowed to settle.
I collected the precipitate - see images below (**not sure how to post the photos rather than links I'm sorry - tried researching it as well) https://ibb.co/S5xgN8K https://ibb.co/rxWHVVG
This reference (https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z ... revision/3) recons that the sodium hydroxide may be reacting with iron nitrate in the wash to form iron III (Fe 3+). Not sure if there could be iron nitrate in the wash?
Any ideas if this is correct or where the iron nitrate may be coming from?
