 Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/13/2011(UTC)
Posts: 5
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"Plagued with a recurring problem of a faint burnt paper odor coming right after heads during a spirit run. It appears just after the sweet odor of heads ends, stays there thru all of the hearts, gradually increasing, and either intensifies or is overshadowed with the wet cardboard smell when the tails come. It's happened using two different recipes - DWWG whiskey (the cooked wheat germ recipe) and a basic rum using a half gal molasses & 10 lbs sugar for 5 gal batches. No turbo yeasts - Crosby Baker only. All fermented 3-4 weeks.
In each case, two 5 gal washes were stripped then combined for the spirit run. All were pretty clear before stripping, some using Sparkaloid others just by cooling.
Set up for stripping was same as spirit run: PSII using upper col only, lower 1/3 packed with cu mesh, well insulated, not using cooling tubes.
The odor was barely noticeable for the DWWG spirit & the cut was made well before tails, thought it was ok. As soon as charred oak was added after a week of aeration the odor jumped right out again. Spirit run on the rum had a stronger odor. What's causing this?"
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Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/13/2011(UTC)
Posts: 5
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"Have run subsequent batches with much better clearing using Sparkaloid and cold, . . . and . . . same result. Arrg. Stinky burnt paper odor comes in even during heads and gets progressively stronger through the run.
Re-ran these stinkified potstilled batches in reflux mode, and the hearts came out free of the odor - a pretty good lightly sweet neutral. I'm wondering if it's the yeast (Crosby & Baker) for lack of any other suspects. Has anyone had a similar experience? Thanks!"
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 Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/16/2010(UTC)
Posts: 453
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It's pretty common to get the cardboard smell with the tails. How much distillate did you collect before the cardboard smell?
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Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/13/2011(UTC)
Posts: 5
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With the boiler loaded with a 5 gal wash, about 200 ml of foreshots were discarded. Then after about 400 ml of sweet smelling heads(?) were collected, the sweet odor quit and it was fairly neutral in odor. Collected around 600 ml that way until just a hint of cardboard showed up. It steadily increased after that through about 2.5 l total that was collected.
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Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/13/2011(UTC)
Posts: 5
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Sorry I fat fingered that. It's closer to around 200 ml after heads that are without the cardboard odor. After that it creeps in mildly, and is unmistakeable by 600 ml after heads - raging in tails.
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 4/14/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,666
Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 15 post(s)
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Just thinkin....did you let your distillate off gas or air overnight???? You will be pleasently surprised what that will do to your hooch. Dont mix everything together until the next day -- after you givera good sniff.
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Rank: Newbie Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/13/2011(UTC)
Posts: 5
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Thanks, I saw the posts on letting things air out for a week or so. Did just that, it mellowed out the harsh odors - but not the cardboard smell, and it was strong enough to make it all undrinkable. When the batches were later refluxed, the cardboard odor did not come until tails as expected.
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