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Offline steveb  
#1 Posted : Tuesday, March 16, 2010 12:59:26 AM(UTC)
steveb


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"Sorry these are so basic. I'm trying to read everything (including a lot of time on homedistiller.org) I can get before I purchase my first still. There are some phrases I don't understand yet.

If there's a clear book which gets into details but not at an advanced level, please let me know about it! :-)

Stripping (I've seen it as a verb and a noun)?

Cuts?

Making a neutral?

Vapor path?

Why is it better to have a higher alcohol mash?

What does second distillation do?

Where do I find instructions on temperatures to use and when to change them during distillation?

Is it really important to use grain in a whiskey mash, or will a sugar wash do?

Thanks in advance for any help!

-Steve"
Offline ratflinger  
#2 Posted : Thursday, March 18, 2010 2:32:23 AM(UTC)
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"
Originally Posted by: steveb Go to Quoted Post
Sorry these are so basic. I'm trying to read everything (including a lot of time on homedistiller.org) I can get before I purchase my first still. There are some phrases I don't understand yet.

If there's a clear book which gets into details but not at an advanced level, please let me know about it! :-)

Stripping (I've seen it as a verb and a noun)?
[COLOR=""Blue""]A quick run meant to quickly remove most of the alcohol from a wash. You get all the trash too, so this is not drinkable[/COLOR]

Cuts?
[COLOR=""Blue""]Made on the spirit run. Cuts are when you change from heads to hearts and then to tails. You keep the heads and tails for a future run, the hearts are your product[/COLOR]

Making a neutral?
[COLOR=""Blue""]Any spirit runs over 80% will not have flavor, therefore the spirit is 'neutral' in flavor.[/COLOR]

Vapor path?
[COLOR=""Blue""]Path the gaseous spirit takes after it evaporates[/COLOR]

Why is it better to have a higher alcohol mash?
[COLOR=""Blue""]More spirit available for collection[/COLOR]

What does second distillation do?
[COLOR=""Blue""]Drives the alcohol levels upward, due to the higher alcohol level in the wash. Also necessary to remove flavors.[/COLOR]

Where do I find instructions on temperatures to use and when to change them during distillation?
[COLOR=""Blue""]homedistiller.org[/COLOR]

Is it really important to use grain in a whiskey mash, or will a sugar wash do?
[COLOR=""Blue""]Well, it's not really a whiskey mash if you don't use grain. Technically a sugar wash produces rum, even if it's refined to a neutral, it's still sugar based therefore - rum.[/COLOR]

Thanks in advance for any help!

-Steve


Good luck Steve"
Offline steveb  
#3 Posted : Thursday, March 18, 2010 2:43:12 AM(UTC)
steveb


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Thank you.

I read the material on the site about fermentations a couple of times.

I've found some potentially conflicting advice.

Should one do multiple pitchings of yeast at different stages?

Does the airlock go on right away, or after the primary fermentation has died down after a day?

Does one keep stirring the wash daily for a few days, or just before pitching the yeast?
Offline LWTCS  
#4 Posted : Thursday, March 18, 2010 3:00:48 PM(UTC)
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"Let the wash cool. Aerate with a large kitchen wisk or the like. Wisk every few minutes for an hour or so (or not).

Need to get some oxygen in the wash. Hot wash will not have much oxygen.

I pitch at 90 degrees or less. I don't make any starter. I simply sprinkle atop the liquid.

After 15 or 20 minutes I wisk one more time and wait for activity.

Then I pop on the lid and put in the air lock and away we go.

I find stiring not a requisite as discharging Co2 will keep things nice and stired through the course of the ferment.

Every body has their own little routine. Once you find what works for you you'll be ready to have your own original thoughts.
Good luck."
Offline steveb  
#5 Posted : Friday, March 19, 2010 1:03:19 AM(UTC)
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Thank you LWTCS!
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