Contents
How do you fix cloudy moonshine?
Can I treat the cloudy spirit and make it drinkable? The usual carbon filtering process will in most cases remove the cloudiness, but as the cloudiness often stems from your wash coming through with the spirit, the sure way is to redistill the cloudy spirit.
Simply pour the spirit back into your still, top up to the usual height with tap water, then run as per normal. Helpful Hint: Make sure that you add the extra water (up to the usual level in your boiler) to ensure that the element will still be covered when all the alcohol has been boiled off, otherwise you will boil it dry and ruin the element.
: Can I treat the cloudy spirit and make it drinkable?
What can I do with scorched moonshine?
Most newcomers face a problem of a bad smelling moonshine. Craftsmen have come up with a few simple methods which allow solving this problem in a quick and effective way without wasting too much time and efforts. These are the most effective tested methods. Six methods of getting rid of the unpleasant smell:
Pour 2-3 grams of potassium permanganate powder per 3 liters of the finished product. Wait for the precipitate to settle. To speed up the process, just close the jar, shake it several times, and put it for 10-15 minutes in a heated bath at a temperature of 50-70°C. Add 8-10 grams of baking soda per 1 liter of moonshine, stir, and infuse for 20-30 minutes. Then stir again and leave for 10-12 hours. After this, drain the top liquid layer and remove the sediment at the bottom. Soda is good for getting rid of fusel oils that cause an unpleasant smell. Infuse your moonshine with orris root for 12 days (100 grams of ground root per 3 liters of moonshine). This old recipe is of little use to urban dwellers, since finding orris violets in stores is nearly impossible. However, this method is very effective. Freeze the moonshine in a metallic keg or glass container, Water will freeze near the edges of the container along with harmful substances. After the water turns into ice, pour the liquid moonshine into another container. If necessary, repeat the process several times. This method is simple and cheap, as the only thing you need is a refrigerator. Re-distillation. Dilute the moonshine with water to 15-20% and run another distillation, separating the finished product into fractions. This method is laborious and time-consuming. These blemishes notwithstanding, it’s also the most effective. Clearing with activated carbon, For this method, you’ll need birch charcoal (BAU-A and BAU-LV). Technology: grind the charcoal and roll it in several layers of cheesecloth. Filter the moonshine through the obtained filter.
Clearing with Carbon Still, activated carbon remains the most simple and environmentally-friendly method of clearing moonshine. It removes unpleasant smells and harmful substances. Let’s find out how you can clear your moonshine with carbon at home. Thanks to its pores, carbon absorbs molecules of a certain size, so it’s very important to choose the right type of coal.
For example, animal bone coal consists of micropores and can only absorb small molecules. Fusel oils and other harmful substances are composed of large molecules—that’s why this type of coal is not suitable in our case. Note: In order to clear the moonshine you’ll need activated carbon obtained by wood pyrolysis (decomposition brought about by high temperatures).
Most activated carbon tablets sold in pharmacies are made from animal bones with the use of binding additives (starch). Its ability to absorb harmful impurities is extremely low. Alternatively, there is a commercial product that I now use for clearing most of my Moonshine, which is the Still Spirits – EZ Filter System,
This is the simplest method of clearing Moonshine, the kit comes with everything you need, including purpose-built filtering containers, all you need to purchase ongoing is purpose-made carbon cartridges & washers, both of which are very cost-effective and save a lot of time in filtering your Moonshine.
Where to get Charcoal for Moonshine It can be purhcased from homebrewing shops. The most suitable are BAU-A and BAU-LV activated birch charcoal, and also KAU-A activated coconut coal, designed specifically for the liquor industry. Due to the presence of impurities, coal found in gas masks and other industrial devices should NOT be used! You can find carbon with large pores in many water filters. Birch charcoal is the best one Clearing Moonshine with carbon It’s pretty straightforward from here on: crush the carbon in a saucepan, then add to the moonshine (40-55%), 50 grams per liter. After this, infuse the mixture for a week in a sealed container.
Why is my moonshine cloudy after tempering it?
What’s With Cloudy Moonshine Ideally, moonshine is brilliant and crystal. And if it ain’t, then you done screwed up! Yup, we’re talking about cloudy moonshine. Some possible reasons would include: Manage Your Heat A clear or cloudy moonshine is obtained during the temperature management.
- The temperature added to the still will influence the results you get.
- For instance, too high temperature means that the liquid will boil and move into the column of the still finally dripping down into the vessel where it is collected.
- This is a process which is also known as puking, and it leads to the moonshine being cloudy.
On the other hand, if you are for quality, all you need is to turn low the heat. However, make sure the lowering is not too much since this can lead to your moonshine cook taking too long than you would expect and end up causing a lot of inconveniences.
- Maintain a temperature that ranges between 172 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit so that the results obtained will be excellent and pleasing.
- Meanwhile, you can also decide to look at the output of still closely and carefully so as to know when to add or even reduce the heat.
- The heat should be turned off if the liquid is pouring out of the still.
If a drop is being put out by the still at a given time, then turn up the heat. Check Your Water Source Some minerals are found in water that is obtained from a tap. These minerals can make your shine appear cloudy. To avoid this, it is advisable to use water that is filtered.
- During the process of mixing, be sure that the moonshine and water are at the same temperature and make sure that when combining the two, the water should be poured into the distillate and not the other way around.
- No Yeast Allowed Yes, I know you have to use yeast, but you don’t want it in your still.
Using an auto-siphon machine is useful during the process of transferring the wash into the still. This action is a useful tool that will aid you in separating the yeast and trub that is in the bottom of the fermenter due to sinking. The removal of the yeast is very crucial since if allowed to go to the still the moonshine will look like a fog.
Tails Tales Moonshines can also be made cloudy by fusel oils. It can happen when making improper tail cuts. It is wise to keep the hearts and do away with the tails so as to avoid having a product that is cloudy from the word go. In a case of the fusel oils are in low concentration, the hazy color will appear once the moonshine cools.
These oils do have an odor and are not something you’d prefer to taste. : What’s With Cloudy Moonshine
Is cloudy moonshine bad?
Solution No.1 – Prevent “Puking” – Over the years we’ve come to realize that about 99% of the time, distillate cloudiness is caused by a still “puking” into the collection vessel. When this happens, liquid in the boiler foams up into the column and then drips down through the condenser and drip arm.
Should moonshine burn blue?
Moonshine Lore Moonshine, white lightning, mountain dew, hooch, and white whiskey are terms used to describe high-proof distilled spirits that are generally produced illicitly. Moonshine is typically made with corn mash as the main ingredient.The word “moonshine” is believed to derive from the term “moonrakers” used for early English smugglers and the clandestine (i.e., by the light of the moon) nature of the operations of illegal Appalachian distillers who produced and distributed whiskey.The distillation was done at night to avoid discovery.
- Moonshine was especially important to the Appalachian area.
- This white whiskey most likely entered the Appalachian region in the late 1700s to early 1800s.
- Scots-Irish immigrants from the Ulster region of Northern Ireland brought their recipe for their uisce beatha, Gaelic for “water of life”.
- The settlers made their whiskey without aging it, and this is the same recipe that became traditional in the Appalachian area.
Years after these initial settlers, moonshine served as a source of income for many Appalachian residents. In early 20th century Cocke County, Tennessee, farmers made moonshine from their own corn crop in order to transport more value in a smaller load.
- Moonshine allowed them to bring in additional income while at the same time cutting down on transportation costs.
- Moonshiners in Harlan County, Kentucky, like Maggie Bailey, made the whiskey to sell in order to provide for their families.
- In modern usage, the term “moonshine” ordinarily implies that the liquor is produced illegally; however, the term has also been used on the labels of some legal products as a way of marketing them as providing a similar drinking experience as found with illegal liquor.
Making Shine Distilling moonshine is a remarkably simple process, requiring four main ingredients: corn, sugar, yeast, and water. Corn can be substituted with various ingredients, including barley, rye, or fruit, but corn is most often used because it is cheap and easy to obtain.
- Some shiners used hog feed, which can be bought in large amounts without arousing suspicion.
- Without going into needless detail, the corn, sugar, and water are combined with the yeast, and the yeast processes the sugars, creating alcohol.
- The resulting mash is heated nearly to boiling, which hastens the fermentation and releases alcohol steam.
The steam is carefully filtered to remove any solid ingredients, then diverted into a device called a “worm.” The worm is a coiled copper pipe bathed in cold water, which causes the alcohol steam to condense into moonshine. Safety Alcohol concentrations above 50% ABV (alcohol by volume 101 proof) are flammable and therefore dangerous if improperly handled or stored.
This is especially true during the distilling process when vaporized alcohol may accumulate in the air to dangerous concentrations if adequate ventilation has not been provided. In our opinion and for this very reason electrically heated boilers have a distinct advantage over a boiler heated with a open flame.
In our opinion you have very little control over temperature when heating with wood or propane. Tests A quick estimate of the alcoholic strength, or proof, of the distillate (the ratio of alcohol to water) was often achieved by shaking a clear container of the distillate.
Large bubbles with a short duration indicate a higher alcohol content, while smaller bubbles that disappear more slowly indicate lower alcohol content. A common folk test for the quality of moonshine was to pour a small quantity of it into a spoon and set it on fire. The theory was that a safe distillate burns with a blue flame, but a tainted distillate burns with a yellow flame.
Practitioners of this simple test also held that if a radiator coil had been used as a condenser, then there would be lead in the distillate, which would give a reddish flame. This led to the mnemonic, “Lead burns red and makes you dead.” or “Red means dead.”Although the flame test will show the presence of lead and fusel oils, it will not reveal the presence of methanol (also poisonous), which burns with an invisible flame.
Why does my drink look cloudy?
Once in a while you get a glass of water that looks cloudy; maybe milky is a better term. After a few seconds it miraculously clears up! The cloudiness is due to tiny air bubbles in the water. Like any bubbles, the air rises to the top of the water and goes into the air, clearing up the water.
Water Color USGS Drinking Water and Source Water Research
Can I distill my moonshine twice?
Double distillation of you neutral spirit is the most important method you can use to improve the quality and quantity of your finished alcohol. 1. Distil your wash as normal, you do not have to discard anything as you will do it on the second distillation anyway. This is called a “stripping” run because you “strip” the alcohol.2. Collect the spirit and dilute to 45% using the calculator found here 3. For every 8-10L spirit add 1 tablespoon of sodium carbonate (not bicarbonate). This is sold as washing soda at the supermarket.4. Run the still as normal, discarding the first 50-100mLs. This is called the “spirit run” 5. Dilute to 40% and carbon filter To save time you can strip the alcohol from two or three ferments and then do a single spirit run. barry 4/4/2018 11:53:02 pm why are you adding sodium carbonate to the strip run after collection??? The sodium carbonate in your second distillation causes ‘base catalysed hydrolysis’. Some of the bad tasting compounds get converted into compounds with high boiling points so they cannot come over with your product. This means that the heads and tails fractions are much smaller, leaving you with a cleaner (and larger) hearts cut. An unfiltered double distilled product (with sodium carbonate) will in many cases be cleaner than a single distilled and filtered product. Make sure to never add sodium carbonate to your wash for your first distillation. Dave 10/2/2019 08:36:56 pm Why do you use carbonate instead of bicarbonate? Anything wing with using bicarbonate? Thanks for your help. Duck 6/8/2020 02:23:55 am Sodium carbonate is more basic than sodium bicarbonate so induces base catylised hydrolysis more readily. If you put sodium bicarbonate in a glass oven safe tray in the oven @200C for 2hrs it will convert to sodium carbonate. Matthew Scherf 9/5/2020 06:35:30 pm Hi – I have some heads that I’ve saved. If I add sodium carbonate to the heads, and then add those to fortify the sugar wash, is it safe? sean 11/9/2020 06:13:14 pm hey mate. i do a double batch at a time. when you do your spirit run with sodium carbonate. do u just dilute to 40% or do u fill the still back to the top with water thanks mate Mike 9/23/2022 01:44:46 am Ok so I made the mistake of adding Sodium carbonate washing soda to the wash in a stripping run, now i have a spirit that has a bad smell a bit like ammonia, should I try re running it or just tip it down the drain. Garry 5/7/2018 06:09:21 pm Hi do you get the same result using the turbo 500 reflux still,also double filtering ? Thanks Garry Hi Garry, Yes you can do double distillation in a t500. There is no need to double filter after you’ve done a double distillation, it will be VERY clean. A nice slow single filter is more than enough. Cheers tash 2/26/2020 11:11:00 pm Hi do you filter after the second distillation or the first? noting I am looking to add botanicals to make gin on the second distillation Mark 6/2/2018 08:37:58 pm Hi mate, Do you need to filtee tpw or only turbo. Cheers, Mark. Steve 11/20/2020 06:17:45 am Hi what do you do with heads and tails you collect? camille 6/2/2018 10:28:06 pm Hi Mark, it’s not essential to filter a tpw but it will make it a little cleaner. Always filter a turbo and double distil it if you have the time. cheers Mark 6/2/2018 11:18:02 pm Many thanks, Looking forward to trying your bourbon essence. Do you recommend to age the soirit on wood chunks first and if so which type. Thanks again, Mark camille 6/3/2018 01:49:47 am Hi Mark, the essence already contains an oak profile so I would try it first before oaking. If you feel it’s not enough by all means put in a few chunks. At the end of the day it’s all about you like to drink ? cheers Mark 6/3/2018 03:11:49 pm Hi Camille, Just followed your instructions on double distilling. It made some amazing spirit. The sodium carbonate makes a difference. I lost about 10%, is that normal? Also, with the T500 is it necessary to do cuts as I am lost on how to do that. Kind regards, Mark. camille 6/3/2018 05:48:46 pm Hi Mark, I’m actually unsure why you would have lost 10%. The t500 frequently leaks around the lid so perhaps you lost some there. You can plug that up with flour paste or just accept the loss. The other reason I can think of is you cooling water is too cool and the still struggles to push the last little bit out. It’s always important to do cuts as it will increase the quality of your spirit especially if you don’t carbon filter. Carbon does hide a lot of sins though. cheers jason 7/12/2018 05:48:52 pm Hi I am going to try out the sodium carbonate Woolies have Lectric in wash & soaker Washing Soda Is this good enough or should i look for a different brand Cheers camille 7/12/2018 05:53:20 pm it’s not food grade but it’s the brand I use Adam 8/7/2018 01:50:44 pm Hi Ducks.just want to make sure this is the right stuff. https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/263093/lectric-inwash-soaker-washing-soda and thanks for all the info!!! camille 8/10/2018 07:34:36 pm Hi Adam, yes this is the right product. Have a good brew! Mson 8/25/2018 05:25:20 pm Do I use 1 tablespoon to 8-10 liters of neutral used or 1 tablespoon to 8-10 L of spirit diluted at 45%. Sorry for the simple question, am fairly new to this 🙂 Mate I’m new to it as well but I’m assuming it’s added to the total volume after its diluted? camille 9/5/2018 06:28:58 am can you repeat your question please. I don’t understand what you mean Steve 9/5/2018 02:11:39 pm I run a still spirit condenser do I have to conditions the second run on a double distilling,also thanks for giving out advice about double distilling Jay 9/19/2018 04:58:20 am Camille – I believe what Mson was asking refers to points 2 & 3. Do you add the 1 Table spoon of sodium carbonate to 8-10L of: A. clean distilled spirit OR B. the 45% diluted spirit. Following the directions it’s the diluted, but I guess #3 says spirit – so that’s where the confusion may have come from. Camille 9/19/2018 09:12:02 pm Add the sodium carbonate to the 45% diluted spirit. Sorry for any confusion Robert Christoffel 9/30/2018 12:31:26 pm Hi Hope you will help me, I have a Turbo 500 Happy with it, i would like to try DOUBLE DISTILLING can someone out there tell me how to do it PLEASE, Step by Step would be GREAT, Thanks Very Much Bob Camille 10/1/2018 03:50:19 am Hi Bob, 1. Make ferment 2. Distill ferment without cuts (stripping run, do not drink this) 3. Dilute spirit to 45% 4. Add 1 tablespoon of sodium carbonate to each 9L of 45 Spirit 5. Run again making sure to take foreshots, heads, hearts and tails. (Spirit Run) On average you can strip 3 ferments to a single spirit run to save yourself time. Mick 11/27/2020 01:51:08 pm This may be a dumb question, but I am assuming you clean out the still before the second run yeah? Ian 8/21/2021 11:08:31 pm Hi Bob I run the t500 when I do a double distill, was recommended by the home brew shop on the second run add ten litres of hot water to your near 95% and like the first run it as close as you can to 50 degrees low and slow comes out so clean the women fight over it for there fruit drinks eg lemon chilo etc Luke 11/1/2018 02:38:13 am Hi All, I’m very new to using an air still, I have the Still Spirits 4L air still. I’ve only made one run though the still at the moment using the manufacturers instructions. However I’m interested in double distilling with it. I’m not 100% clear on what the process is. Do I distill the first 700ml as per the manufacturer, then dilute to 45% and add just that and a small amount of sodium carbonate back into the still for the 2nd distillation? Then discard the first 10ml or so? Or have I got it completely wrong? Sorry for the newbie questions! Cheers Luke Denny McIntyre 12/27/2018 01:46:31 am Does the washing soda do the same thing as distillers conditioner? Is better than or just as good or worse? Camille 12/28/2018 08:38:16 am Washing soda does a completely different thing. It is only done in the second distillation, never add it to your wash. Denny 1/14/2019 03:13:11 pm Thanks heaps gonna double distill my next 2 washes. Should i be putting distillers conditioner in my spirit run? Using t500 Dave 12/28/2018 07:06:22 pm Hi, just wondering, when u distill the first wash to 45%, do u add water back to the 21lts to do the second distill??? Dan 1/23/2019 06:47:15 pm Hi all. I didnt discard the first 50ml of my first distil so I have to do a second distil. Ive noticed you have to add sodium carbonate and i proof it to 40%. My question is do i just add the 40% to the still or make up to 25litres? Also to distil again do i need to add the distil conditioner and ceramic boil enhances? Thanks 👍 Hi Dan, You just have to put in the 45%, no need to fill your still up to the 25L mark, you’ll just waste time and electricity. Cheers, Camille Dan 1/23/2019 09:52:26 pm Thanks for that. i ended up just filtering and watering the alcohol the other half after i realised i stuffed up Hi Dan, You can still double distill after its been filtered. If you filter before and after the second distillation you’ll end up with super clean booze. Its unnecessary but it does make it squealy clean! Jules 1/31/2019 05:03:43 pm Hi, Do you have to wait a certain amount of time after adding the lectric soda to the 45% spirit? Or can you mix it all up and run it straight away? Cheers Duck Distilling 7/28/2019 08:13:54 am Just dump it in and run straight away Kev Roberts 6/10/2019 12:38:08 pm G’day mate, to save space and weight in my caravan on an extended trip, I would like to carry 93% alcohol and then reduce that to 40% with local water before adding any essence. To achieve this, before leaving, I intend to use my T500 to produce 93% in the normal manner, (disgarding the first 100 ml) then reduce this to 40% before very slowly carbon filtering this to my normal high standard. At this point, can I re-distill my 40% filtered product back to 93%, again disgarding the first 100ml and carry the concentrate to dilute later with local water back to 40% WITHOUT filtering again? Thanks mate, Kev. Hi Kev, Yes that will work very well. It is in fact the best 95% is made for soaking gin botanicals. Cheers, Luke trevor cottrell 6/19/2019 09:15:44 pm so about a teaspoon of carbonate to my 4ltr wash at 45% abv should do it?second distillation of course in my airstill Duck Distilling 6/19/2019 10:09:46 pm That should do the trick. Make it a heaped teaspoon, a little extra won’t hurt. trevor cottrell 6/19/2019 10:15:26 pm thx, here goes nothing lol, let you know how it went, cheers” Michele 7/28/2019 12:42:31 am Do you need to use water conditioner in the second distillation or just the soda? trevor 7/28/2019 04:13:41 am i didnt bother with conditioner on second run, all went fine, that was with tpw yes? Duck 7/28/2019 08:14:28 am You dont need it on the second run Jade 7/28/2019 04:04:38 am I’m doing a gin in the t500. I’m wondering if I can add my botanicals in the 2nd distillation run? If I do this, should I filter before the 2nd run or still filter after? Thanks!!! Duck 7/28/2019 08:15:46 am Have a look at our section on gin. http://www.duckdistilling.com.au/blogpost/making-gin You want to soak the botanicals in 95% and then cut down chris 4/21/2020 05:50:02 pm what if you did add sodium carbonate to your wash for your first distillation. What will happen??. Craig 5/14/2020 03:25:42 am Im guessing you can tell us.😁 Duck Distilling 5/14/2020 05:04:46 am You’ll release ammonia from your wash and turn your spirit blue making it toxic Dean 5/23/2020 03:20:47 pm Hi Duck Distilling, just wanting to know a couple of things, 1: is it ok to firsr dissolve the sodium carbonate in the water that is added to the high proof? 2: Is it ok to let the sodium carbonate and alcohol mixture sit in the boiler overnight? 3: Do I need to add ceramic saddles in the boiler when doing the final run. Sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance. Duck Distilling 5/23/2020 05:49:09 pm And the saddles are good too but not as necessary as when distilling from wash so if you forget it’s no bother Dean 5/23/2020 07:23:26 pm Hi Duck Distilling thanks for the fast reply but it looks like half of the reply is missing? Dean 5/29/2020 02:26:19 am Hi duck distilling, not sure if you seen my last reply but it looks like half of your response to my original questions was missing? Would love to hear your feedback on the other unanswered questions. Thanks again for your help. Duck Distilling 5/29/2020 03:29:12 am Hi mate, sorry I wrote two replies but only one came through.1. Totally fine to dissolve sodium carbonate in water first. Or you can just chuck it straight in the boiler.2. You can let the alcohol and sodium carbonate sit together as long as you like.3. Without saddles is fine on a spirit run, very hard to puke. No harm adding them though Hi Just got my ducks burbon in the mail, My tpw is now ready to distill. I am using the Air Spirits still. Their instructions is to distill wash to 700 mi of spirit and then and 300 ml to bring it to 40 % finished product before filtering. Question is, as i want to do your double distillation do i put the above 1 litre @ 40 % back in for the second run with soda and discarding first 50 – 100 mill, Or do i top up the 700ml of spirit from the fist run to the 4ltr mark on the still with water then run the second distillation ? regards Rob Duck 6/8/2020 02:27:20 am Diluting to 40 % and then redistilling is best practice. As you’ll have lots of room in the airstill you should do 2-3 runs from the wash, dilute to 40% and then run again. With a 10% tpw wash you’ll do 3 strips, add spirit to boiler and dilute then do a single slow spirit run Natalie Newman 6/10/2020 05:36:04 am OK. COOL I have about 6 l of 40% filtered S@^&*, once filtered still nasty, do I put 4 l of this stuff back in my 4 l turbo still with washing soda and run the whole lot through, ditch the first 100 ml and still all the rest still it stops, or should there be any “tails” if it’s all 40% spirit So much help, but so hard to follow for a dummie Duck Distilling 6/10/2020 05:58:00 am Yes. Stick the 40% back in your still with sodium carbonate and redistill. Take cuts and then keep your hearts. If the 40% you put into the boiler is only hearts from previous run then you only need to take a small heads cut and the rest should be hearts. Natalie 6/11/2020 06:34:15 pm Sorry, but in a second run (spirit run) I still don’t get it as to how much of a 4 l spirit run do I keep after the 100 ml foreshot waste. Should there be any left in the air still, or should I only collect a certain amount and ditch the stuff remaining. I have read somewhere that the remaining stuff can be put back in a wash ? ? ? BUT I really need to know how much to save, and how much to leave. I’ve just pulled out the first 100 ml of rocket fuel, but the next 250 ml tastes like metho.I’ll keep stilling it, but should I still it again (3rd time) or just filter it again? I have a fuselex filter with 5 times washed activated carbon. I’m using sodium carbonate, conditioner and saddles, I want to get it right ! ! ! Help please 🙂 Cheers,Nat John 4/10/2021 11:05:03 pm https://i.imgur.com/1MM0IOo.jpg Check this put it tells you exactly what to do for ya Air Still. Duck Distilling 6/11/2020 07:08:26 pm Please send me an email through our contact form. I’m not 100% sure what you’re doing so shoot me an email and we’ll get it sorted James 6/21/2020 02:14:37 pm Do you have to run in reflux on the second run? Or can you run in pot still mode? Duck Distilling 6/21/2020 06:46:31 pm It’s actually better to use the pot still on the strip run and use the reflux on the second run. It’s a lot quicker getting the booze off a wash with a pot still. baden barry 7/1/2020 04:09:30 pm thanks for the info i will give the 2nd run a go thanks again for the help Rohan Anstey 9/8/2020 07:38:08 pm Hi, I’m using a non commercial still. It is a an beer keg with condensor that attaches to that. It uses a hot water element to heat the wash. Because of the volume required to cover the element, am I best to add my dilute first wash back into still with the remnants of the first wash or? the other option I can think of is to empty enough out that I’m not wasting time/energy but also not running the element dry. Sorry I know this is a little left of centre. Thanks I’m assuming the element is low as possible on the keg? What most people do is collect multiple strip runs before doing a spirit run. Usually 3xstrip runs is enough for 1 spirit run. Because your strippings are 40% there will be plenty of liquid covering the elements. If you’re doing turbo wash you’ll only need to collect 2xstrips before doing spirit run because if the slightly higher yield Shane 9/18/2020 07:20:13 am Hi I have a non commercial still and have tried re-stilling a few times without success, losing volume and percentage after starting with 5 -7 liters @94%, I have use the leftover water for the next wash, Thanks for the useful posts and information, I will have another go hopefully being more successful 👍 Dave 10/5/2020 02:13:16 pm Hi there, was just wondering for the second run, do you top it back up to 20 litres with water or just run the 45% on its own? Shane 10/6/2020 02:25:40 am I am not sure of the percentage it was 7 liters @ 94% and 40 liters of water, I will try again @ 40 % alcohol and see how that goes Jason 10/17/2020 07:06:24 pm Hi its my first time double distilling is normal for the spirit to be coming out hot camille 10/17/2020 07:22:42 pm Yes it can be, what kind of still are you using? And what was your process? Jason 10/17/2020 07:38:11 pm Im using a t500. I have done the same process as in comments. Diluted to 45% added sodium carbonate. sean 11/9/2020 06:21:37 pm what the difference between diluted to 45% and just filling the still back to the top with water for the spirit run with sodium carbonate. camille 11/9/2020 08:25:29 pm I usually say 40% because above 50% is dangerous and gives a bit of leeway. You can dilute to 40% (or 45%) and use sodium carbonate. Alternatively you can just fill the still up with water, even if it’s 20% it will work. The difference is you’ll spend more money on heating your still up if you just fill it to the brim. The main concern is not boiling the elements or the bottom of your still dry sean 11/9/2020 08:56:41 pm thanks sean 11/10/2020 01:11:07 am So if I burn off two 25 litre washers and put that back in my still in top it up to 25 litre of water would I add it 2 and a 1/2 tablespoons of sodium bicarbonate sean 11/10/2020 01:12:56 am Sorry sodium carbonate Camille 11/10/2020 02:03:29 am Yep that’s fine sean 12/6/2020 07:55:03 pm thanks Camille. Just did first burn off with sodium carbonate and the quality is amazing. best stuff ever. thanks again. Hi I’m about second distil two 25L TPW on a second run together. Do you discard more than the 150ml at the start because you are doing double? sean 11/21/2020 01:08:49 am when i do spirit run with two 25l washes do i just take 100ml out or do i double it. Ger Caff 11/25/2020 11:16:52 am Hi, I am new to the process as well. I done a spirit run of 18L and have approx.700ml of 90%. I will dilute this down to 40% which will give me about 1.5L. The still can hold 24L. Is there a probably or risk distilling 1.5L in such a big still? Thanks in advance, Scott Yaxley 12/17/2020 12:01:14 am Hi, New to this Air-Still business and have similar questions to Natalie. I’ve done my first stripping run through the Still Spirits Air Still, based on a 10l wash. From the first two 4l wash runs, I discarded the first 50ml of Foreshots from each, then collected the next 700ml – it came out about 55%, then 50% ABV. I’ve diluted both runs to 40%, filtered through the carbon filter and have about 2litres. I’m keen to do a Spirit Run to get a palatable neutral spirit to make lemoncello (from lemons). So my plan is to put the 2l of 40% in the Air Still, and dilute with water to the 4l mark (this would be 20% right??). I am planning to discard another 50ml of foreshots (to be safe), maybe take another 150ml as Heads, then collect about 1l which I am assuming will be hearts. I’ll probably let it run and collect as much tail as I can, testing occassionally. I did collect abut a further 100ml of tails (~30%) from the remainder of the initial stripping runs, and I was planning to dump this and the Spirit run Heads and Tails in a feints jar until I have enough to do a separate run. Can you see anything wrong with the above strategy, or am I overcomplicating it. I’m not confident in discerning the cuts at the moment, but have noticed the smell differences in the fractions collected so far. Any comments appreciated. Thanks. Neal Ivey 8/21/2022 06:58:24 pm Hi Scott. Did you get an answer to your question. I have the same question. Neil 3/11/2021 05:20:47 pm after reading about TPW and bicarb I’m keen to give them a go I’ve been learning the slow way, everything seems to add time cost and effort, but if the end product and found, double distilling did make a noticeable difference and running thru a carbon filter made a difference when making booze for Xmas presents I’d thought I’d show off and triple distil, I reckon most people could pick the difference over a double but it is only small, and while not necessary for regular drinking it can be a little fun again very keen to try the bi carb thanks to all for their comments, its a good way to learn and I don’t know anyone in Canberra that’s into the craft Cheers Neil quicksloth 12/27/2021 09:42:54 pm Hi Neil, i just did my first double distilled tpw last month and it made a MASSIVE difference from my single distilled version. people thought it was okay before, managed to have a cocktail party out of the double distilled stuff. now i never tried it without the bi carb but i believe it had made a big difference. at first i could taste almost a powdery taste but also a lot of the harshness and off flavours had disappeared. well worth it in my opinion. I also compress the heads by dropping temp for the first half hr after collecting fores. only got about 300-400ml heads (or less) out of a 2 wash 2nd distill Hi, I have a T500, I thought I would give double distilling a go without looking into it, which is what do I do 😂. I took the first 94% and put it back in the T 500. I didn’t put any water with it at all 😂. then I started reading all the comments on this page, I stopped it halfway And added the water, so I didn’t burn the bottom out 😆. So what do you reckon do you think it will still be okay or do I do it all over again but with the sodium bicarb and the 49% water, Thanks BD And the Duck Bourbon essence is unreal!! How much do you discard when doing spirit run with 2 or 3 washes together? Ethan Salmon 11/12/2021 05:56:49 pm hey just wondering i diluted spirit to roughly 20% as i was told but reading this you are saying 40% will this make a diference? quicksloth 12/27/2021 09:54:48 pm Hi Ethan, 20% is fine, but its just a waste of time, 30-40% is enough to run it without any problems. your just heating less water up Hi just wondering if I need to do cuts for a 35l wash of the birdwatchers recipe. Or do I just remove the first 100mls. Thankyou What a great site, thanks Duck Distilling. I am using the T500, I was given a tip the other day regarding clearing the wash. Once fermentation is complete leave it for an extra day so the sediment goes to the bottom of the barrel, drain the contents of the barrel into a clean second barrel leaving the sediment behind in the first barrel. Once degassed use the clear in the normal way, this makes a clearer wash for the still. This is a tip that I haven’t tried yet but having a wash in the barrel atm I will be putting it to the test in the next few day’s. Karl Quilter 12/10/2022 05:06:08 am Thanks I run the Turbo 500 still and ur site has been a big help as I turned the water of by accident halfway through distilling and the temperature raised too over 90 degrees Celsius I turned it off then started it again then I filtered it and did a 2nd wash my 1st ever 2nd wash and too be honest it’s the best tasting moonshine I have had. Jonathan Ritchie 3/9/2023 02:15:58 pm when you double distill with the Sodium Carbonate do you do it in the reflux still or the pot still? (I have a copperhead still) Thanks
Does moonshine lose its potency?Final Thoughts – According to our extensive research, moonshine does go bad, at least not in the traditional sense. However, no bottles of moonshine expire in the same way that milk does. Moonshine has an indefinite shelf life and is one of the strongest alcoholic beverages, like whiskey.
References:
Why is my moonshine oily?Everything You Need to Know about Moonshine Moonshine carries with it the stigma of a backwoods drink that can double as an engine degreaser. However for those in the know, can also be a top shelf spirit that connoisseurs around the world will gladly put a pinky in the air for a taste.
Combine that fact with Moonshine’s unregulated history and voila. horror stories have long lives. Like so many things, distilling is both science and art, A great distiller has his art down to science, making his product stand out in every way possible. This includes the mash, the temperatures, the timing, and any infusions he may have up his sleeve. When doing a run of Moonshine, you heat your mash to a desired temperature, The mash has been fermenting, and is a slurry of all the stuff you want mixed with a bunch of stuff you don’t want. By heating it, you’re taking advantage of the fact that the stuff you want will evaporate at different temperatures than the stuff you don’t want.
The product also smells and tastes terrible, this is because of the acetone that is present. After the heads come the hearts, The hearts are arguably the most important step that separates delicious Moonshine from engine degreaser, Think of this transition as a gradient and you begin to see what makes it so difficult.
If you check online spirits retailers or if you have a decent spirits retailer near you, chances are good that you’ll find a great brand of Moonshine there. Unfortunately, there’s no way to say what brand is better than another because they all have their own corner of the market. Maybe you like the traditional sweet-corn taste that comes from a full blown corn Whiskey mash. If so, check out Tim Smith’s Climax Moonshine. Or perhaps you’re into flavored Moonshine made from a sugar mash that is built on a more neutral-tasting foundation. If this is your style, check out, If you have distillers close to you, go give them a taste. If you smell a sweet ethanol and corn coming off the shine, you’re probably in the right place. We’re here to help people try new things more often. Not only do we send out personalized samples & complimentary bottles, we give people access to rare and original Spirits, invite them to great events, and keep them educated & entertained with booze-themed content. Get the freshly distilled booze news, new releases, and awesome deals in your inbox before everyone else, : Everything You Need to Know about Moonshine Why is my homemade whiskey cloudy?BLOG: It’s cloudy but fine! — Ardgowan Distillery By Max McFarlane, Master Whisky Maker, the Ardgowan Distillery Have you ever poured yourself a dram, added some ice, and noticed your whisky go cloudy? Or taken a bottle from the back of a cold cupboard and spotted the same? It might be something you have never seen. But if you do have any whisky that is non chill filtered, you could add some ice and just see what happens! A few people who have purchased Coppersmith – which is non chill filtered – have noticed their whisky go cloudy and have been in touch to find out if something is wrong. The simple answer is: “No, it’s cloudy but fine!” It’s just caused by some wonderful aromatic compounds call esters (and also fatty acids) which are a natural part of your dram. These compounds have large molecules which, at lower temperatures, can separate out of solution to make your whisky appear cloudy. A lot of distillers chill filter their whisky prior to bottling – by cooling the spirit to four degrees and passing it through fine mesh sieves – to remove these naturally-occurring compounds.
Pour yourself a dram, add some ice (if you like!) and read on. The science of whisky With whisky, many stories and mythologies abound. All of these stories and mythologies conspire to create a great mystique around whisky – which is great if it encourages people to appreciate and explore the great whiskies of Scotland, but not so good if it will put someone off.
As we all know, Scotch whisky is not just alcohol and water. It is a very complex mixture of a huge number of organic compounds – including natural fatty acids, esters and proteins. Where do these compounds come from? Well, they are introduced at each step of the process, and the exact combination depends on the type of malted barley (and grain) used to make the whisky, the type of yeast, as well as fermentation time and the distillation process.
The oak imparts different types of aldehydes to the whisky, and one of the best known is vanillin, which gives the vanilla note to the nose. Other aldehydes can give the familiar almond and grassy notes. One of the other major contributors to the nose of a particular whisky are compounds known as esters,
There is a very interesting graphic showing the variety of aromas based on the alcohol and natural acid used in the formation of the ester. With thanks to James Kennedy.
As an alternative, many distilleries bottle their whisky at 48% alcohol and above. This ensures that the higher concentration of alcohol will (in most circumstances) keep the esters dissolved and the whisky clear. However, if you cool the bottle down – even at 48% the whisky may become cloudy. This is what has happened with a few bottles of Coppersmith (which is 48% ABV). Simply warming it up again and giving the bottle a good shake will restore the whisky to a non-cloudy state. Does it matter? Well although many distilleries insist that chill filtering has little or no impact on nose or flavour, I would tend to disagree. If you remove any element from whisky – particularly those compounds that contribute so much to a dram’s nose – then surely it will affect the final product. That needs to be balanced against the aesthetic of seeing a cloudy whisky. However, comparing a chill filtered product against a non-chill filtered product is impossible; no distillery that I know of releases both a chill and non-chill filtered version of the same product. Adblockdetector |