 Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/24/2008(UTC)
Posts: 22
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"Using a Pro Series II Essential in POT mode:
In general terms it seems a stripping run is what most lean towards. Is this the case?
It seems clearing can be done is several ways and for a beginner, like my self, that can make or break a good run. So for a beginner there seems to be 3 options after fermentation:
1. Let settle a bit (few hours) and sparkaloid to clear. Taking a good 24hrs+ to clear. If its ""water"" clear you can flux it then.
2. Natural settlement in cold/heat - cool the wash down outside in winter and bring in to warm up to speed up the clearing. Seems to take 24-48 hours or more?
3. Stripping run - Let mash settle for a few hours and pull the top wash off leaving the settled yeast at the bottom to be discarded.
With #3 and a straight sugar mash, after complete fermentation, is about a day and a half before you are ready to reflux the stripped 25L? Of coarse you can strip several batches and then reflux if you are so inclined.
Someone please help me with my understanding of the processes if I have them wrong.
So when is a stripping run the right way to do it? And which washes do you NOT want do stripping run on?
Thanks!
billybob"
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 Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/22/2005(UTC)
Posts: 817
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"BillyBob,
All those will work. I always have good success with sparkaloid in 24 hours.
One thing I do like to do in winter, is set it out in freezing temps. long enough to form a nice slush ot the top. then i discard the slush after letting it drain.
The slush is just water.
I strip everything except an occasional single run brandy or such, which i do with just a small amount of reflux."
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/24/2008(UTC)
Posts: 22
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"Nothing like a stripping run if you can't quite get the wash to clear.
Opened up the Pro Series II Essential in POT mode and ran it wide open keeping teh condensor cool to the touch. 23L in about 4 hours gave up 7 Quarts of crystal clear 55% keeping everything it spit out up to 98C. Diluted it back down to 40% and no in the process of the refulx.
Even after the Pot mode stripping run, it was not bad tasting. Still had a tinge of yeaste and tails in the oder. Refuls an da quick pass through char should fixt that right up. No more wasting 3 to 4 days on a clearing for me :)
12+ hours after fermentation, siphon it off leaving the last inch or so to be disposed of. Then, Sparkaloid if I have some. Then strip. Knocks off 2 days to get to the reflux run.
Wife made me socks for the columns and top 2/3 of the boiler out of a fleece throw. Rather nice job of it! Wow does it help!
billybob."
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/2/2007(UTC)
Posts: 83
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Yes you can do lots of stripping runs,and run it all again.Thats the way I run my neutral.Save up 12 gallons of low wines,and do a spirit run.As far as clearing the washes,They will be a little cleaner if they are clear,but you dont have to if you dont want to.The best way to get around this is start quite a few,a week or so apart,and just let most of them clear on there own.I will sometimes run stuff that I fermented 2 months ago.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/1/2008(UTC)
Posts: 20
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Has any one just dumped it all in the pot, no clearing, nothing (sugar wash) as soon as the fermentation slowed down? I was just wondering maybe just a quick pour through some cheese cloth into the pot and run a stripper run. Is foaming an issue here? should'nt the reflux and char take care of the flavor issue? I would rather not learn the hard way what might go wrong if I can help it.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/2/2007(UTC)
Posts: 83
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I tend to let my washes clear on there own for a few reasons.First,I run a keg with a small opening so if I get any burnt yeast on the bottom,Its really hard to clean off.Also yeast in the boiler produces esters so the less the better for a cleaner product.There is a third reason.Beermakers know this step as conditioning.By leaving my wash in the fermenter for weeks,it clears on its own,contact with the yeast will clean up some of the off flavors from the ferment,and produce a cleaner product.Im doing low gravity sugar washes this way with distillers yeast or bread yeast,and also potstill them.Theres no need for carbon,or refluxing because it comes out so clean to begin with.In the time it takes to do 1 -12 hour reflux run,I can do 3 potstill runs and have a cleaner product.Its good to go from the first run if you make cuts.Even the turbos will be cleaner from clearing it good first,and the conditioning cant hurt.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/1/2008(UTC)
Posts: 20
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would the reflux run not take out everything including the esters. and the stone cabon will it not take care of anything else that might be in there?
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/2/2007(UTC)
Posts: 83
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The reflux and carbon will get rid of SOME of the off flavors,but will never get rid of them completely.I guess my point is that if you start out with a truly clean wash,you wont need the carbon.The refluxing is optional.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/1/2008(UTC)
Posts: 20
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Ah, I see. Would those off flavors be, the hint of the yeast flavors with a bite at the finish? That is what I had from the last strip. at 80 proof
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/1/2008(UTC)
Posts: 20
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Forgot to add, I did use sparkoloid.Also, I put the wash in the deep freeze. This resulted in a bucket of large ice sheets razor thin. I poured this all through a large stainless collender the result was a water clear wash. even though this was done, I had some off flavor, but it was very slight.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/2/2007(UTC)
Posts: 83
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"It depends on what you are running.Sounds like your on the right track.
I posted a recipe for simple sugar wash.Try it,and dont add anything besides what I wrote in the recipe.Its super clean,and you can reflux it with great results.Just give it time to clear.Its nothing like turbo yeast.If you make it,let me know what you think."
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/1/2008(UTC)
Posts: 20
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"1 Tsp. of DAP- Ok, is this stuff something I get at the co-op?
1 Tsp. of citric acid -Lemon juice?
1 Tsp. of gypsum -Sheet rock? (I know I could research these ingredients I want to make sure I get the types that will produce the desired result.)
I'm going to take that K.I.S.S. advice. The process is pretty strait forward to produce ETOH. The craft of making a fine neutral is an art worth pursuing. In my opinion, this is taking it to the next level."
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/2/2007(UTC)
Posts: 83
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"The DAP is diamonioum phosphate.Its yeast neutrent.You should be able to get it from any winemaking or brewing supplier.
You can use lemon juice in place of the citric acid,but it will add flavor on this recipe.You can get citric acid at anyplace that sells canning supplys,or winemaking supplys.
Gypsum is used by beermakers.Its widely available.I dont know about using sheetrock.Its probably not food grade.
I have been working on making a fine neutral for quite a while,and this is the finest yet.It is the next level for sure.Being that I potstill it,It has to be clean.
If you do your cuts right,You will be spoiled by this stuff,and wont want to drink your old stuff.You also dont have to throw too much of it out when you make your cuts which is a plus."
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/1/2008(UTC)
Posts: 20
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"Thanks. I'll try this on my next run. I'll let you know how it works out. I'll share my notes as well. Right now I'm waiting on my turbo 48 to clear. I have just one fermentation container from Brewhaus. (The gold kit, hence the turbo 48, last one though.) Would a 32 quart ice chest suffice as a replacement for the fermenting container I have now? If so would I be able to start several batches. One each day for a total of four 25 liter washes, with one strip a day then reflux.
Correct?"
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 3/2/2007(UTC)
Posts: 83
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"A cooler will work fine.Just make sure its sanitized real good.I use coolers for mash tuns.They work real good.I have lots of fermenters,but started doing my sugar washes in a new rubbermaid 32 gallon trash can.It saves alot of cleaning,and I always have more wash than I can run.Once its cleared,I run 1/2 of it,and store the rest in carboys until Im ready to run it.I do 26 gallon batches,and can run 1/2 of it in my keg.I save the yeast in the fermenter,and just start it back up with the same recipe,minus the yeast.
Its been cold in my basement,so Ive been fermenting these at 62-64f,and it takes 2-3 weeks to finish,and another 2 weeks to clear good.It will probably get done alot faster when it warms up good."
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 Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 6/24/2008(UTC)
Posts: 9
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I sipon off my wash after the ferment is about done. then poor through a t-shirt or towel to catch some of the floating yeast. then i heat up the wash that i have to 125F-130F to kill the yeast.then let it settle out.that stops the fermentation dead in its tracks.saves on slow growing off flavors from the yeast while clearing.
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