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I'm looking for input to help smooth the taste and reduce the sweet/corn smell. This is my process:
16 lbs dextrose mono-hydrate(pure processed corn sugar) in 25L store bought spring water with prestige turbo pure 48.
Fermented for 7 days inside at 72F (extra days was to let it settle before siphoning)
Siphoned and distilled in Brewhaus' EEPS2 pot (no reflux) no packing
Dumped a few ounces of foreshot, kept all the rest until temp hit 85c
Came out at 150proof, diluted to 90proof
Soaked spirit in mild and medium char oak shavings for 3 weeks (tasting each week between).
Man how the aging helped! So, at aging 3 weeks it's as good as I think it will get. Descent nose but smells too sweet of corn. Back end of taste is sharp and has a burn; not smooth. Now granted I'm comparing this with top shelf bourbon aged many years. I thought about carbon filtering my aged spirit. Also I'm going to try two other yeasts, as well as throwing in 15-20% rye. Recommendations to lower sweet smell and smooth the taste?
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 Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
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Well my first suggestion would be to use something other than a turbo yeast. You didn't mention if you made any cuts or separation of your collection's whilst you were running your still. Remember there are different sections of a run and you don't want to collect your entire run in one jug. You said,-- dumped a few ounces of foreshots-- but remember next comes the heads and that too needs to be disposed of. Those compounds in your finished hooch could and most definitely would case a sharp and antiseptic taste.
The carbon filter would help too. Once you learn to make good cuts and make proper collections your finished product will improve by leaps and bounds.
If the corn taste is too overpowering try a different recipe or try refluxing the flavor out of the finished product, by that I mean a different distilling technique. You said --
no reflux -- and that would help KEEP the corn flavor in your hooch. OK, well don't give up all of us went through this in the learning process and that is exactly what you are going through, the learning process. Good luck and happy hoochin.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/15/2014(UTC)
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Thanks for the tips. A few replies to your comments.
Yeast - Yes, that's the first variable I'm going to adjust. The only two I really see to try from BH is Prestige Whisky Yeast with AG, and Black Label Turbo. Other yeast recommendations for my desired outcome?
Collection - I did pretty much collect "entire run in one jug". I've read about keeping track of cuts but never bothered. I figured dumping the first few oz and stopping before temp spikes was good enough. I'll research that more.
Reflux - I was worried that reflux would remove too much flavors; which is why I also didn't run copper packing. I implement both of those when I'm after a flavorless high proof spirit. If you say otherwise, I could try it.
Carbon Filtering - I want to leave this as last resort as I will likely have to build a stand and have a dedicated area to do this. I've attempted this before with BH's filter unit and it was just a pita. Someone needs to invent easier way of doing this.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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Are you doing any ageing or flavoring and coloring with wood?
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/15/2014(UTC)
Posts: 11
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Yes, I took a quart and supplied a couple tablespoons each of mild oak and medium char oak shavings. It's this that I would like to optimize. I also tried a quart with some makers mark barrel chunks. That just came out tasting like makers mark. Finally I have a 3L charred oak barrel. I'm taking samples of that each week.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/19/2014(UTC)
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I cut pieces of Pecan and wild cherry branches into 4 inch long chunks and char them with a propane torch until the whole piece is black. I rinse with water, allow to dry then drop them into the quart jars for about a month. It makes a nice color and taste. A friend in South Carolina uses Jack Daniels BBQ/smoke chips. I plan to purchase some Pecan shells next spring to char and try that. The pecan gives such nice dark color and mild taste. Wild Cherry leaves a lighter color and takes longer to impart taste but it does take the sharpness out of the spirits.
I usually make 2 or 3 runs and put them all up at 1 time, label them with blue painters tape so I know what is in each along with the ABV and date of production so I can repeat any exceptional stuff.
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
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Originally Posted by: toofastcomet  Thanks for the tips. A few replies to your comments.
Yeast - Yes, that's the first variable I'm going to adjust. The only two I really see to try from BH is Prestige Whisky Yeast with AG, and Black Label Turbo. Other yeast recommendations for my desired outcome?
Collection - I did pretty much collect "entire run in one jug". I've read about keeping track of cuts but never bothered. I figured dumping the first few oz and stopping before temp spikes was good enough. I'll research that more.
Reflux - I was worried that reflux would remove too much flavors; which is why I also didn't run copper packing. I implement both of those when I'm after a flavorless high proof spirit. If you say otherwise, I could try it.
Carbon Filtering - I want to leave this as last resort as I will likely have to build a stand and have a dedicated area to do this. I've attempted this before with BH's filter unit and it was just a pita. Someone needs to invent easier way of doing this.
Since you collected your WHOLE run in one jug you wont like the end result no matter how long you leave it on any wood. You should pour it back in your still and run it again and this time collect in small jars (read up on collection of your run) of course this will remove more of the flavor you didn't want too. Your local grocery store has bakers yeast and that will work just fine, again a shitty recipe and distillation technique can't be made good by wood or a different yeast ya know? There are some good and easy recipes here that you should master, all the knowledge you gain from having success with the easy ones will just make the harder ones easier. Reflux... well that certainly will remove some of the flavors so you will have to experiment with YOUR still and see what works best for you and the finished product your after.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/19/2014(UTC)
Posts: 10
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the best thing written here is above. take a look at this http://homedistiller.org...pic.php?f=63&t=13261
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