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Soooo I had a brainfart and accidentally dumped a tablespoon of soda ash into a 1.2 litre secondary distillation run. How screwed am I?


I've tested the PH and it's actually come out mid rage (6.0-5.5) and am currently on the way to nab the chemicals for a methanol test. I'm actually not too worried about sodium carbonate poisoning - the cuts have come out at 83%-75% so the dilution will absolutely negate that, and if it's skunked, well I have some cracker lighter fluid for BBQ season. My big concern is that I've inadvertently hydrolysised myself into a litre of methanol.

If it smells ok, you haven't wrecked it.

Where did you get the idea you might have made methanol?

NZChris wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 5:51 pm If it smells ok, you haven't wrecked it.

Where did you get the idea you might have made methanol?

Newbie panic for the most part.

Taleya wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 8:48 pm

NZChris wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 5:51 pm If it smells ok, you haven't wrecked it.

Where did you get the idea you might have made methanol?

Newbie panic for the most part.

As it's been run twice it'll be fine. It's only going to create ammonia (Not methanol, it can't do that) if you add it to a wash.

You may have scoured away some flavour via hydrolysis but unless you heated it, highly unlikely.

Might be a tad salty!

MooseMan wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 10:04 pm Might be a tad salty!

ooo that could be some fun......bit of a caramel liqueur in there.

I've often heard "don't' use it for whisky" curious as to why as no one's ever said. I can see why not for a mash, but a straight dextrose / sugar wash shouldn't give a rat's...

Why on earth are you worried about methanol?

Taleya wrote: ↑Tue Jul 16, 2024 12:35 am I've often heard "don't' use it for whisky" curious as to why as no one's ever said. I can see why not for a mash, but a straight dextrose / sugar wash shouldn't give a rat's...

Because once you raise the pH of the whisky low wines and heat up to distill, you will begin ester hydrolysis, which will remove esters (flavour) from your whisky.

MooseMan wrote: ↑Tue Jul 16, 2024 10:32 am Because once you raise the pH of the whisky low wines and heat up to distill, you will begin ester hydrolysis, which will remove esters (flavour) from your whisky.

ah, so it's just an undesirable flavour simplification.

Don't worry too much, @Taleya. It sounds like from the other responses that your batch should be fine to drink. In the future, just a smaller amount of soda ash added would be better to avoid altering the flavors too much. But I'm sure it will still be enjoyable!