 Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/9/2010(UTC)
Posts: 6
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"I have been reading these / homestiller forums for about a year prior to making a purchase (PS2 HC). Now I am about to attempt my first water run and then, the 1st wash (I am extremely excited)
My main goal will be vodka but to start, I will be attempting a sugar wash with bakers yeast. I have read many posts about fermenting for too long, different yeasts imparting nasty flavors, sanitation / sanitizing and different ""tolerance"" levels for yeast (since, from what I read, it appears that different yeast types can only handle a certain amount of ABV in the wash before dying).
Questions:
1.) Does it make a better wash / higher ABV when using a ""vinters"" or wine making yeast over a bakers yeast? Some of the vinters yeasts are said to go up to 18% or so and other yeast only to 5% - 8%.
2.) Is there a difference to the final product / cleaner stripping run for bakers or certain types of brewers yeast? (I got a definite feel that turbo yeast tastes all sorts of nasty)
My thinking is that better ingredients to start with and process during the wash phase is the first important step to a good quality end product. Thanks in advance for the help guys, I wouldn't have gotten this far without reading all of your past posts and advice."
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 Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 8/17/2008(UTC)
Posts: 424
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I use SuperStart distillers yeast. Supposed to be good to 20% I push the heck out of it. Most of your other yeasts will peter out around 15%. I've not had any bad experiences with it, but remember, you will need nutrients with everything except the turbos. I have had no experience with the turbos.
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/10/2009(UTC)
Posts: 519
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"Good to hear that you have had good success Ratflinger. Are you getting 20% with your yeast?
Some gents assert that a lower abv will ultimately produce a better tasting spirit. Not too greedy they say.
But if your making a nuetural then I recon a gent could superfluously still and filter (At an added expence) all the stress nasties associated with the higher ABVs.
Some gents recon that they only make a nuetural to salvage a mistake.
I like em all."
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Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/9/2010(UTC)
Posts: 6
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"Thanks for the tip, I will pick some of that up! I was getting confused because they sell all sorts of fancy shmancy yeasts used for champagnes, wines, etc that go up to 18% or so and they make claims about the ""taste it imparts"" (dry, fruity, etc). it got me thinking that the yeast was a key factor to clean tastes early on in the process.
I am guessing that if it is distilled properly, it probably doesn't carry much over at all for a Neutral and maybe those only apply to wines, champagnes and things that aren't getting distilled.
I will let you know how my first stuff comes out... probably will be a train wreck but hell, thats all part of learning I guess :)
thanks again!"
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 8/17/2008(UTC)
Posts: 424
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Neutrals are all I make - cause the wife loves making flavored aperitifs. I'll drink some with tonic, not in to the sour mash whiskey thing. But for those that are - good for them. I strip & reflux and what I get is reasonably neutral, at least as much as one gets with a sugar wash. I use corn flakes also which greatly helps with the sweet aftertaste. I'm pulling a good 1 gallon of 92+ off of 12 gallons of wash that went through over 40lbs of sugar & 3 large boxes of flakes.
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/22/2005(UTC)
Posts: 817
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" Originally Posted by: ratflinger  Neutrals are all I make - cause the wife loves making flavored aperitifs. I'll drink some with tonic, not in to the sour mash whiskey thing. But for those that are - good for them. I strip & reflux and what I get is reasonably neutral, at least as much as one gets with a sugar wash. I use corn flakes also which greatly helps with the sweet aftertaste. I'm pulling a good 1 gallon of 92+ off of 12 gallons of wash that went through over 40lbs of sugar & 3 large boxes of flakes. Seems to me you are useing way too much sugar for that volume. Have you been checking your final gravity? Tasting to see if it is dry or still sweet? Doesn't seem like thats a lot of product for that much sugar."
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 8/17/2008(UTC)
Posts: 424
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Yah, went back & looked at my recipe. Probably closer to 15lbs per 6 gal batch. I didn't check the the SG last time, damn corn flakes get in the way, but before I started with the corn flakes I was driving it down to 1.020. I could ferment longer & I could have pulled a little more final off, but some unexpected time issues came up that day. I think I hardly got into the tails at all.
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Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/9/2010(UTC)
Posts: 6
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"I did find a great article on my rookie theory. I will test it out and see how it works (then test the other method to see the taste difference). Of course, I am assuming that I will even be able to make the cuts correctly, etc :) http://homedistiller.org/detail/Wine_for_distilling.pdf This guy really seemed to make an art out of washes for spirits (without any refinement needed). Seems a bit involved but may be worth the attempt"
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