I'm inclined to treat my next batck with baking soda for about a week (also using a stainless devive for keeping air bubbling through it. The object is to remove ethyl acetate before the second run. My question is, will there be other esters left behind to make whisky, or will they be gone with the ethyl acetate. The latter I'm thinking.
You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, and them's pretty good odds.
I assume that adding the baking soda is to neutralize the acetic acid before it reacts with the ethanol, but why would it kill the yeast? it gets along with it when baking bread. Would it be because it would alter the ph of the mash?
You can't put it in with the first run even. Unless you want bluee crystals from ammonia in the brew. Has to be in the second where there is no leftover neutriant. Will clean up the alcohol, the question is does it clean it up too much for whisky.
You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, and them's pretty good odds.
Actually, this is done after the ethyl acetate has been formed. It takes about a week to transform it into alcohol and sodium acetate (this is left behind in the second run.)
You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, and them's pretty good odds.
The baking soda has no direct effect on the ethyl acetate. What happens, is the bicarbonate neutralizes the acetic acid, forming sodium acetate, and shifts the equilibrium to the reactant side of the ester formation reaction. That's why it takes so long to see any effect on the ethyl acetate. This works the same with all the esters, and acids. Ethyl acetate and acetic acid are not bad things in whiskey, unless there is too much of them. Why do you want to remove them? Bad fermentation? Wouldn't careful distillation be easier/safer?
More of gathering information for when I might need it. Some other folks use this on their heads regularly, if fact that may be the way to do it. Separate and treat heads. Drink the whisky.
You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, and them's pretty good odds.
From THM: I use my heads in sweet liquors. I also use 'em as ant killer
How does that work for you, THM? I've got ants all over the yard. Don't see where you are, but here we have FIRE ANTS. (I think they're called that because they're hell to get rid of!)
But, back to the post topic: I got ya now, RC. If you're making whiskey, I'd stay away from baking soda. As I said, it will neutralize all of your acids, screw up the ester equilibrium, etc. For vodka, I see no problem. But keep the flavor IN the whiskey (rum, whatever else), for God's sake!
