What Flours Can You Use To Seal A Moonshine Still?

Rye flour paste is the traditional method used by master distillers of the old days to seal seams on copper stills.

What can I use to seal my moonshine still?

Sealing Technique Hand-made and hammered from sheets of copper to form gentle and gracious curves, there are no two pot stills that are identical in diameter. Each lid is specially made to fit into each pot. Being hand-made there might be some slight slack between the separate pieces.To seal off any eventual vapour leaks a very simple technique may be used – rye flour and water.

1. Simply mix the rye flour with some water to make wet soft dough in a small recipient.
2. Then with your fingers simply push and rub this mixture into the joints of all the items.When assembling your pot still, insert the swan neck into the pot with gentle pressure.
3. Also connect the swan neck to the condenser.

When vapours start to rise, should a leak occur simply add some dough to this leaking area. After years of usage some natural slack may occur between the copper pot and the swan neck lid and should sealed off to prevent the escape of vapours.To loosen the separate parts of the still for cleaning once distillation is complete, simply give a direct blow with the heel of your palm upwards to the rim of the separate pieces.The rye dough comes off easily.

To separate the tubes simply pull these apart carefully (where brass connectors are not provided).Vapours will always search for an easy way out – through the piping – so there is no great need to apply thick quantities of the flour mixture. An alternative method is the use of silicon tape – as can be seen in the picture, or any other sealing tape that will sustain high temperatures.

Take care not to tape the alembic joints excessively as the objective is to seal off escaping vapours and allow the alembic hood to pop off should an obstruction in the piping cause excessive pressure build up. : Sealing Technique

Can you use white flour to seal a still?

Home Distiller Other discussions for folks new to the wonderful craft of home distilling. Moderator: Swill Maker Posts: Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 6:39 pm Location: Ontario by » Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:49 pm When I first started this hobby I read about using flour dough/paste to seal a pot, but I thought the experienced distillers were just pulling my leg.

After all, how could flour + water make a seal. Well when I upgraded from a aluminum pressure cooker to a stainless steel stockpot I thought I would give it a try. To my amazement it works! and it works well! Here’s my technique in pictures. If there any critiques of how I could do it better please let me know.

Here’s my stainless steel stock pot – As you can see there really isn’t much of lip to the pot. I found a stainless steel mixing bowl the exact diameter of the pot. It has a nice lip on it. I use this handy little Black&Decker mixer to make the dough. About 1/2 cup flour to 1/4 water. I adjust the mixture with a little water or flour to make a dough that is sticky but not to sticky otherwise it just ends up in my hands. I take the dough and break off little chunks and roll it between my fingers to make it about a diameter of a pencil and apply it to the bowl. I do a bit at a time, overlapping the ends. I’ll wet the dough a bit to make a good seal. Also, not seen in the pic is the dough wraps around the edge of the bowl. Then I put the bowl on the pot and clamp it down with some black springy paper clips. I first clip 4 clips at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock to make sure the bowl is exactly aligned. Then I finish up by putting the rest of the clips around the bowl. This method works really well. Takes very little time. I can fill up my pot with wash and turn on the stove. I have plenty of time to apply the flour dough, seal the bowl and assemble the rest of the still – which I can do in about 8-10 minutes. That’s all.

by » Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:03 pm Nice job deserves a sticky.I use a pot still.Sometimes with a thumper

retired Posts: Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 8:38 am Location: OzLand by » Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:31 pm tater wrote: Nice job deserves a sticky. Definitely. Be safe. Be discreet. And have fun. Master of Distillation Posts: Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 3:19 am by » Fri Mar 21, 2008 3:26 am the ole boys i no call em biscuts.

1. They only use self risen flour just incase they dont be getin every little spot the biscut will rise an seal.
2. Always make alittle to much so you can fix any leaks.
3. Biscuts comes off easy with hot slops so im tole Swill Maker Posts: Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:58 pm by » Fri Mar 21, 2008 2:34 pm GBM Thanks for the pictures here and in the past for your help.

I did the flour paste on rags to seal the joints in my rig. It worked like a champ. I’m doing a run today using the flour and paste to Seal Everything. I did it just as you shown in your pictures. Its never sealed this tight before! I think most of you know the Troubles Ive had with this Set-up Flour and paste seals everything up just like Ive read, But the Pictures truly help out a lot.

Thanks for the Great post GBM and Thanks to the Mods for making this a Sticky! Novice Posts: Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 6:42 am Location: Guadeloupe F.W.I by » Sun Mar 23, 2008 7:50 am Hi Gingerbreadman! I wonder how many runs could you make with the same seal? I plan to put on my boiler an opening with a top to load the boiler without dismantled the bowl Regards Novice Posts: Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 5:36 pm Location: Ohio by » Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:24 am Casamayor Can you send a picture of the opening you mentioned.

It sounds like a good idea for me as well. What did you use to seal it? JoeDistiller Swill Maker Posts: Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 6:39 pm Location: Ontario by » Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:30 am I only do one run with a seal, crack open the pot, clean the pot and do a fresh seal every time.

• Also, I find that making the dough fresh works best.
• I’ve tried saving left over dough for another run later, but it seems to get really sticky and starts to really stick to your fingers (more than the bowl).
• A typical run will take about 2 hours (give or take) from starting from nothing to setting up, to running, breaking and cleaning and putting away.

If I’m doing two or more runs I still like to break everything down and tidy up the area in preparation for the next run. Also, gives me time to take a break, relax and even change my mind about doing another run. – Also, I did several practice runs with water only to make sure my technique was good and there were no leaks.

• I have no idea if this seal could be used several times, but you could practice with water and see how it works out, I guess.
• I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it left.
• Retired Posts: Joined: Sat Aug 18, 2007 8:22 am by » Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:37 am Good job GingerbreadMan.
• Paste: use a coarse flour (rye flour is traditional) and mix with water until it’s a thick paste.

Leave it loose enough to work with, but thick enough to stick to whatever you are sealing. It dries like cement. I used it around the pot to cap seal on my alembic. While you can use it to seal up joints.I believe the dough would be easier to work with.

Last edited by on Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:01 am, edited 1 time in total. Novice Posts: Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 5:36 pm Location: Ohio by » Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:37 am Thanks for the reply. I am interested in the science of the whole process so I built a reflux still and have done a few water runs (every still is different) I am only able to produce about 1 liter per hour.

Is this typical? Also my column is packed with 4 S/S scrubbers. JoeDistiller Swill Maker Posts: Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 6:39 pm Location: Ontario by » Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:21 am If you are interested in the science behind distilling then I would recommend the book ‘The Compleat Distiller’.

It’s got lots of really good stuff in there. For example, the rate of output with depend on several factors – the amount of watts you put in as heat, the amount of heat loss, the amount of reflux, and the water/alcohol mixture ratio.1 Kw of power into the boiler will vaporize 90ml/min of ethanol and 30ml/min of water.

So a ethanol/water mixture will be somewhere between 30 and 90ml/minute. Subtract your heat loss (might be minimal for a small boiler on your stove – more for bigger boiler in cold temperature without insulation). Then subtract how much you are refluxing (converting vapor back to liquid) in your column.

1. Now for my guesstimate answer (I don’t run a reflux column so I have no idea what I’m talking about here ) Let’s say, you are putting 1Kw into a well insulated boiler and the liquid is vaporizing at 60ml/min (half way between 30 and 90).
2. If you are refluxing at a ratio of 3ml back into the column for every 1ml that gets collected, then you would have an output of 15ml/min which is (about) 1L per hour.

So the answer would be – yes 1L per hour is typical. Of course, if you said you could only get 2L per hour, I could just adjust the numbers to fit your data too. Hopefully this simple explanation gives you an idea of the basics. The book ‘The compleat distiller’ goes into details that still fly above my head after re-reading it I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it left.

retired Posts: Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:04 pm by » Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:28 am You sound like a statistician, GBM. “Well, if you game me 2L/h I could make that work also”. LOL, you can make any conclusion you want, using stats to “fit” your goal.H. Novice Posts: Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 5:36 pm Location: Ohio by » Sun Mar 23, 2008 11:20 am GBM, thanks for the good info.

Husky. not sure what to make of your response. I’m still trying to “clean” the still. When I run water the output is still oily (solder flux and just nasty looking). I boiled the S/S packing also. And to clarify I was running on my gas stove so I have plenty of heat.

JoeDistiller Rumrunner Posts: Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2007 2:30 pm Location: High Ground by » Sun Mar 23, 2008 11:26 am JoeD, Need to run something behind that water because water won’t cut everything. Make a quick, simple wash – don’t matter if its nasty – and run some hot etoh through it and then cut it with water and run it through again.

Boil them scrubbers in soapy water to get the cutting oil off them. Fire is the devil’s only friend – Don McLean Jump in where you can and hang on – Brisco Darling retired Posts: Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 7:45 pm by » Sun Mar 23, 2008 11:37 am I use flour dough to seal the head on my pot still and I thought I’d add in a few things that worked for me.

1. For flour I just use my wife’s all purpose flour.
2. There’s nothing special there and it works fine.
3. I have noticed that the drier I make the dough the better it will seal.
4. This became more important when I recently added a doubler to my rig.
5. The slight back pressure on the still head that this creates makes sealing it more challenging.

Lastly there’s no need to buy a mixer. I mix my dough by hand. Also a tip my Mom taught me about baking. If the dough sticks to your fingers add more flour. Novice Posts: Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 5:36 pm Location: Ohio by » Sun Mar 23, 2008 11:46 am Thanks Hack.

I have been using silicone tape to seal my bowl to the boiler. I’m going to try the flour paste next time. JoeDistiller Novice Posts: Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 6:42 am Location: Guadeloupe F.W.I by » Sun Mar 23, 2008 12:31 pm Gingerbreadman thank for the reply! Joedistiller, it’s quite difficult to me without pics( my camera is out of order) to explain what kind of opening i used to load the boiler: it’s a screw with a rubber joint,

Sorry my tehnical english is a bit short! Best regards Last edited by on Sun Mar 23, 2008 3:13 pm, edited 1 time in total. Swill Maker Posts: Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:58 pm by » Sun Mar 23, 2008 12:44 pm GBM I Dont even need the cloth wrapped around the joints anymore. Swill Maker Posts: Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:50 am Location: Ozark Mountains by » Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:14 am I’ve been using the flour/water paste from the start. You can’t ask for better seal. The one thing that I found that makes my life a little easier is I use a jerky shooter to apply the paste to the rim.

It looks like a small caulk gun and when you get done just throw it in the dish washer. It is fast and easy. You WILL get addicted to this forum. The Parent site is REQUIRED READING!!! Bootlegger Posts: Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 3:41 pm Location: Michigan by » Mon Mar 24, 2008 12:54 pm Used this method this morning for the first time and worked great was real easy too.

Novice Posts: Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 5:36 pm Location: Ohio by » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:46 pm Great pic Jetzon. Casamayor thanks for your reply. I will get some pics out here to. It’s cool to see what others have done. I just hope I can get some good product and faster than 1 liter/hour. Posts: Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 6:25 pm by » Wed Mar 26, 2008 2:35 pm Wow you use a lot of binder cips. Does yours get really sticky and all over your hands too, I always have that problem. Yours looks more like dough I guess mine is more of a pasty glue.

Novice Posts: Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:55 am by » Wed Mar 26, 2008 2:47 pm Ha GBM what does you copper look like? the rest is nice. Do you have a seal under the brass stainless connection? Swill Maker Posts: Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 6:39 pm Location: Ontario by » Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:22 pm I add enough flour so it doesn’t stick to my hands, but still is sticky enough to put on the bowl.

I’ll wet it a bit once it’s all applied. Putting it on the bowl rather then the pot lets me see if it ‘sticks’ because the bowl goes upside down before going on the pot. If it ever fell off the bowl while it’s upside down – I guess it wasn’t sticky enough There is cork under the brass flange.

1. The rest of the copper pipe is all soldered, except for a union connector connecting the condensor to the column.
2. Here’s a pic of the whole setup – And, I probably do use too many binder clips, but I have them and putting them on is no trouble.
3. I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it left.

Bootlegger Posts: Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:04 am by » Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:32 pm for a long time I could not get a seal with flour. I’m a d.a. I now use whole wheat flour and hot water some white flour cause I’m cheap. I think I had a hard time before ’cause I used only white flour? Swill Maker Posts: Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:58 pm by » Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:45 am I use white regular flour.

• I don’t think it much matters.
• But what ever works for you, Use it.
• Novice Posts: Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 6:42 am Location: Guadeloupe F.W.I by » Sat Mar 29, 2008 3:29 pm A last question to Gingerbreadman, any particular or bad taste when using a flour seal? Regards Swill Maker Posts: Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 6:39 pm Location: Ontario by » Sat Mar 29, 2008 6:51 pm Don’t taste anything.

And I don’t notice anything such as particles or cloudiness or anything in the distillate that comes out, so I believe the vapors don’t pick anything up – flavor or anything else. but then again, maybe it’s the secret ingredient to the great tasting rum I’ve been making I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it left.

Can you make alcohol from flour?

Abstract – Ethanol production, by a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process from raw wheat flour, has been performed by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and a low level of amyloglucosidase enzyme. The fermentation time was about 60 h after a 6 h pre-saccharification, with an amyloglucosidase (AMG) level of 270 AGU.

1. Kg(-1) starch, but only 31 h with a simultaneous saccharification fermentation process (SSF).
2. When an AMG level of 540 AGU.
3. Kg(-1) starch was used, the time decreased to 21 h, giving an ethanol concentration of 67 g. l(-1).
4. Sugar composition of the wort after the liquefaction may be responsible of the difference between these two process.

Maltose, a fermentable sugar, was produced in high concentration during the liquefaction, allowing a shorter process period, counteracting the effect of the slow starch hydrolysis at 35 degrees C (SSF temperature).

Can you make whiskey from flour?

Home Distiller All about grains. Malting, smoking, grinding and other preparations. Which grains are hot, which are not. Moderator: Swill Maker Posts: Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 11:53 am Location: Brooklyn by » Mon Apr 17, 2006 7:27 am Among the many reasons I haven’t tried to make whiskey is the fact that there really aren’t any places to buy whole grain around me.

At least not for a reasonable price. Is it possible to make a decent whiskey from flour? Like a mixture of rye flour and corn meal? Or would I just end up with a yeasty glutinous mass? (Not that there’s anything wrong with yeasty glutinous masses; add a few raisins, a little cinnamon, some brown sugar.that’s some good eating) Novice Posts: Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 11:04 pm Location: Bay Area, CA by » Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:45 pm Thats what the internet is for man! Paypal is your friend if you dont have a credit card.

Buy it and have it delivered. – DAMN GOTTA LOVE UPS!!! Swill Maker Posts: Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:36 am Location: Belgium by » Tue Apr 18, 2006 3:50 am Found on homedistiller.org : Wal summarises a few moonshine recipes, If you want to make your own recipe, keep in mind grain contains about 60% fermentable material.

• About 1 to 1.5 kg of grain is normally used / 4 L (1 US gal) as the mash is quite thick, the rest can be sugar.1 kg grain/4 L water would be equivalent to 600 g sugar/4 L, so you could add an additional 200 g sugar/4 L to give a 10% alcohol yield which beer yeasts should handle.
• The crushed grain needs 10% crushed malted grain for malting.e.g.

a generic moonshine mash for 20 l could be 5 kg crushed grain, 500 g crushed malted grain, and 1 kg sugar. Other combinations are possible. Kentucky Sweet Mash 20 L water (5 gal) 2 kg (4 and 1/2 lb) corn meal 500 g (1 lb) 50 g malted grain

• Moonshine
• The Fine Art of Moonshining
• Corn & Sugar 6 gal (24 l)/bushel (28 lb or 13 kg)

20 L water (5 gal) 6 kg corn meal (uncooked) 0.6 L malted corn Fermenter – barrel (55 gals or 220 l) 1/2 bushel (30 lb or 14 kg) Corn Meal a) 3 & 1/2 lbs (1.5 kg) malted corn 2 handfuls raw rye to form cap on fermenting mash Optional – sugar, 40 lbs (20 kg) in 2 lots – 10 lb (5 kg) then 30 lb (15 kg) Yeast not mentioned.

• B) 1 bushel (60 kg) corn meal 1 & 1/2 gal (6 l ) malted corn Yield – Pure Corn 1.5 gal (4-6 l)/bushel (28 lb or 13 kg) Never tried personnaly to brew meal, but they say it works! I’m french speaking! Boiler : 50 L (13 gal) beer keg, gas heated.
• Reflux : 104 cm (41 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter withh SS scrubbers packing.

Potstill : 40 cm (15 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter without packing. Distiller Posts: Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2005 9:33 am Location: small copper potstill with limestone water by » Tue Apr 18, 2006 6:32 am Two issues with using flour.You must add sugar to it, or convert it with enzyme.

• If you convert, you could use either some crushed 6-rowe malt, or you could use a prepackaged enzyme.
• Gert strand has a yeast pack that includes a low temp enzyme powder mixed in the yeast/nutrient pack.
• The methods for the two are very different.
• You could add sugar to uncooked flour, but I suspect that there might be a lot of gummyness building up in your still.

Flour particles are hard to get clear. One point of advice, others have used the corn meal with success. I used ROASTED CORNMEAL with real bad results. I found more success with cracked corn.I use a 10%or more ratio of malted barley to convert my starches.

• Alot of the grains can be had from internet suppliers.
• Costs are similar to homebrew shops, Shipping may slightly increase expense.
• I WISH YOU LUCK KATO FONG Hey guys!!! Watch this.
• OUCH! Novice Posts: Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2011 6:07 am by » Fri Dec 16, 2022 3:19 am Since there are so many pros and cons on using flour as a mash bill, i have approached it on an experimental basis.

Flour definitely wants to clump in contact with hot water. But on touching on my cooking experience, i know that many Roux and stews and soups use a flour base after slowly adding it to hot fat or oil and after it is cooked, it foes not clump, and turns out into a beautiful smooth gravy.

So i figured I’d cook the flour, and then add it to the mash bucket I microwaved a kilo in a baking tray for a minute. Turned it over with a spatula and repeated it 4 times more for 30 seconds each on high and stopped when it started to smoke. Tossed it around some more, let it cool down and mixed it with the CC.

Mixes like a dream. But made the mash milky. Strained everything through a pillow case before distilling. So far done the first run only, but very drinkable already. Havent done the second run as i mashed another batch yesterday. This time i roasted 1 kg AP flour in a large wok, till it got a pale brown ( really nutty aroma).

1. Also roasted 2 kg hulled barley (thats the only type we get here).
2. Mash bill 5kg cracked corn 2 kg roasted barley 1kg roasted AP flour 10 kg sugar Pour boiling water over CC, barley, mix with drill mixer and add flour while mixing.
3. Add amylase at 165 F 4 kg sugar mixed into 10 liters of hot backset with a teaspoon of citric acid 1/2 kg rice bran 25 gm bakers yeast 25 gm Angel Red label alcohol yeast 1 tsp DAP 1 tsp MgSo4 Add water to total 40 liter level Mixed with drill mixer and sifted the rice bran on top as a cap.

Got to a roaring start yesterday. SG at 1050 today, Added 3 kg more sugar SG 1065 Have 3 more kg sugar to add. I add sugar when SG drops around 1020 Do not add all the sugar at once, as you’ll get a stuck fermentation. Another 2 days and ill have all the sugar up to speed. Posts: Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2021 9:57 am Location: Canada by » Fri Dec 16, 2022 3:47 am wrote: Tue Apr 18, 2006 3:50 am Found on homedistiller.org : Wal summarises a few moonshine recipes, If you want to make your own recipe, keep in mind grain contains about 60% fermentable material.

About 1 to 1.5 kg of grain is normally used / 4 L (1 US gal) as the mash is quite thick, the rest can be sugar.1 kg grain/4 L water would be equivalent to 600 g sugar/4 L, so you could add an additional 200 g sugar/4 L to give a 10% alcohol yield which beer yeasts should handle. The crushed grain needs 10% crushed malted grain for malting.e.g.

a generic moonshine mash for 20 l could be 5 kg crushed grain, 500 g crushed malted grain, and 1 kg sugar. Other combinations are possible. Kentucky Sweet Mash 20 L water (5 gal) 2 kg (4 and 1/2 lb) corn meal 500 g (1 lb) 50 g malted grain

1. Moonshine
2. The Fine Art of Moonshining
3. Corn & Sugar 6 gal (24 l)/bushel (28 lb or 13 kg)

20 L water (5 gal) 6 kg corn meal (uncooked) 0.6 L malted corn Fermenter – barrel (55 gals or 220 l) 1/2 bushel (30 lb or 14 kg) Corn Meal a) 3 & 1/2 lbs (1.5 kg) malted corn 2 handfuls raw rye to form cap on fermenting mash Optional – sugar, 40 lbs (20 kg) in 2 lots – 10 lb (5 kg) then 30 lb (15 kg) Yeast not mentioned.

B) 1 bushel (60 kg) corn meal 1 & 1/2 gal (6 l ) malted corn Yield – Pure Corn 1.5 gal (4-6 l)/bushel (28 lb or 13 kg) Never tried personnaly to brew meal, but they say it works! This looks tasty. I’m curious about the 500g(1lb) is there an ingredient missing or is this conversion from gram to pound? Kentucky Sweet Mash 20 L water (5 gal) 2 kg (4 and 1/2 lb) corn meal 500 g (1 lb) 50 g malted grain the more you keep to yourself the more “free” you will be and the more you will git away with.

DUNDER : Home Distiller

Can you use silicone on a moonshine still?

Silicone Gaskets – Silicone is extremely flexible, heat resistant, and sanitary – all the things that you could possibly want when creating liquid and vapor seals in your system(s). So why is silicone demonized so often? The answer to that question isn’t a simple one because there is just not enough extensive research done on plastic’s effects on alcohol and vice versa, alcohol’s effects on plastic.

Now, there are several videos online of people sharing their experiences with silicone for distilling purposes, but the variables within their experiments aren’t complex enough and aren’t regulated fairly well. Many factors like heat, humidity, and strong chemicals, all present in distilleries, are not as easily controlled.

Because of these common uncertainties, silicone has often been demonized within the community. From what we’ve seen in the field, silicone can handle a lot of wear and tear, though gaskets should often be replaced on your system as a preventative maintenance measure.

• There definitely isn’t enough long-term experimentation on plastic gaskets, as the craft boom happened less than a decade ago.
• We recommend that you switch out your gaskets every one to two years, regardless of the material they are made out of.
• As far as safety goes, we’ve seen that there is almost no foul with silicone gaskets; They are FDA approved, and most third-party safety inspectors never seem to have any issues with them.

Like I mentioned before, silicone is highly flexible which is great for tri-clamp fittings. If your piping isn’t completely flush, a silicone gasket is super malleable and with the simple tightening of a clamp, you’ll have a wonderfully made seal. They’re super easy to install and remove, making cleaning and maintenance a breeze.

What can I use instead of flour for coating?

Fried Dishes – You easily can use cornstarch instead of flour as a coating for fried chicken, fried fish, or other fried dishes. Cornstarch will create a crisper coating that will hold up to sauces better and will absorb less of the frying oil (leading to a lower-fat meal). Here are some tips for frying with cornstarch:

Consider a 50/50-blend of cornstarch and gluten-free flour—this will give you a coating that’s closer to wheat flour-breaded fried chicken. Make sure you have a light, even coating of cornstarch on the food you’re frying. Heavier coatings can get gummy.

What is an alternative to wheat paste?

Making Paste – To make wheatpaste, mix two parts white or whole-grain wheat flour with three parts water, stir out any lumps, and heat the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously so as not to burn it. When it thickens, add more water; continue cooking it on low heat for at least half an hour, stirring continuously.

Some people add a little sugar or cornstarch for extra stickiness; don’t be afraid to experiment. Wheatpaste, once made, will last for a while if kept in sealed containers, though eventually it will dry up or become rotten—and sealed containers of it have been known to burst, to unfortunate effect. Keep them in a refrigerator if you can.

You can also obtain wallpaper adhesive at any home improvement store; this comes in pre-mixed buckets or boxes of powder. Wallpaper adhesive is much quicker and easier to mix than wheatpaste, and not much more expensive even if you are paying for it. Don’t get the brands advertised as “easy to remove,” obviously—get the most heavy-duty adhesive available.

Can you use flour to ferment?

Sourdough Fermentation – You don’t need heavy equipment or any training to make bread. You just need flour and water. To see the miracle of fermentation in action, mix equal parts flour and water — start with a cup of each — in a large bowl, and cover it.

1. Leave it alone in a warm place, and over the course of 24 hours you’ll start to see bubbles in the mixture, like the bubbles in pancake batter.
2. Every day over the course of a week, add more flour and more water.
3. Gradually, the bubbles will multiply and even become frothy.
4. Those bubbles are carbon dioxide, and the first sign that fermentation is happening inside the floury slush.

This is basic sourdough fermentation — the bread equivalent of making, Ambient yeast that live in the air are finding food and a new home in the flour mixture and starting to eat the sugar molecules inside the flour — a.k.a. fermenting — the dough. By slowly digesting the sugar, these yeast fundamentally change the flour, developing the tangy funk that makes sourdough unique.

1. Like natural wines, native yeast breads are delicate in their fermentations.
2. If the temperature drops, the process happens at a painfully slow pace.
3. If it gets too hot, the flavors don’t develop well.
4. Sometimes these breads and native ferments taste just plain weird.
5. Because native fermentations depend on wild yeast, which varies from place to place, no two sourdough cultures are exactly alike.

As a result, you’ll see loaf-to-loaf variation, just like the bottle variation that’s inherent in natural wines.

What happens if you use bread yeast to make alcohol?

Can I use bakers yeast to produce wine? Over the centuries, many new yeast species and strains have been discovered, bred and then chosen to perform specific tasks such as rising bread, producing alcohol, biofuels and probiotics. This is due to each strain having unique characteristics causing them to perform better in certain situations compared to others.

1. Baker’s yeast is the common name for yeast strains used in bread and other bakery products, serving as a leavening agent which causes the bread to rise (expand and become lighter).
2. Fermentable sugars within the bread are converted into CO2 and ethanol which causes the rising effect.
3. Although bakers and wine yeast are mostly from the same genus and specie, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, they are all different strains.

Different strains will have different fermentation capabilities, including by-product production, certain tolerances towards alcohol concentrations and osmotic stress and the type of raw material used for fermentation. Tolerance towards alcohol: Wine yeast has a high alcohol tolerance for it can survive conditions up to 15 -16 % v/v.

1. Bread yeast, on the other hand, can probably produce alcohol up to 6-8 % v/v.
2. This means that bread yeast cannot survive the high alcohol content desired by winemakers.
3. If you are producing beer, cider or any low alcoholic strength drinks at home, bread yeast will be more than capable.
4. Osmotolerance: Baker’s yeast are normally not known to have a high osmotic tolerance (not able to withstand high sugar concentrations).

Excess sugar, as well as other dissolved solids in a fermentation medium, will pull water out of the yeast cells, desiccating and killing them. This will result in stuck and incomplete fermentation. Grapes are known for having a natural high concentration of sugar at full ripeness and this might be above what bread yeast can tolerate.

By product production: During fermentation, many other products are produced, but in much smaller quantities. These products usually contribute to the aroma and flavour of your fermented product. In the wine industry, the aromatic profile of the wine is extremely important and thus, yeast selection is done thoughtfully.

Bread yeast is not known to be uniquely aromatic compared to wine yeast strains and would thus not be able to satisfy the required aroma complexity for wine production. Raw material: Bread yeast is used to ferment grains whereas wine yeast is used to ferment fruits.

• The composition of fruits and grains differs, which includes the type of sugars and nutrients naturally present.
• Clarity of fermented product: As fermentation slows down, you will notice wine yeast clumping together and settling at the bottom of the fermenter causing the wine to become clear – a process called flocculation.

Baker’s yeast, on the other hand, does not clump and flocculate as readily as wine yeast. Instead, it slowly settles to the bottom as a fine haze that will not be able to be cleared out completely. Settling can take days or even weeks. Wine made from baker’s yeast will thus remain hazy for long periods, making it unattractive for consumers while imparting a yeasty taste.

Can I use bread yeast to make alcohol?

Every so often we run across someone who is making wine with bread yeast. Yes, I’m talking about the plain ole’ yeast you pick up in the baking section of your local grocery store. And every time I hear of someone using bread yeast, the question that always screams in my head is, “why?” There are so many advantages to using wine yeast and so many disadvantages to using bread yeast that I can’t imagine why anyone would want to use it.

1. The only conclusion I can come up with is that there is a strong misunderstanding about what yeast really are and what they do.
2. Yeast is what turns sugar into alcohol.
3. Yeast cells are living organisms that consume and digest the sugars.
4. As a result, they excrete alcohol and CO2 gas.
5. Along with these two compounds also comes various trace amounts of enzymes, oils, acid, etc.

These are the things that give different alcohols their different characters. The point is all yeast are not the same. How one strain responds to the sugars varies from the next. There are literally thousands of different strains that have been identified or developed as hybrids, all with varying characteristics that make them suitable or not-so-suitable for performing a particular task, whether it be fermenting wine or raising bread. Another reason making wine with bread yeast is not a good idea is that bread yeast do not clear out very readily or settle very firmly, either. They typically will form a low layer of hazy wine in the bottom of the fermenter that will never completely clear out.

1. Even more importantly, bread yeast produce alcohol that is plagued with a lot of off-flavors.
2. The bread yeast becomes so stressed and has to work so hard that off-flavored enzymes and fatty acids are produced along with the alcohol.
3. There are several other issues with using bread yeast to make your wine, but these are the big ones: the alcohol, the clearing, and the flavor.

There are many, many different strains of wine yeast, These yeasts are bred over time to produce something of a ‘super’ wine yeast. Each one becoming the ultimate choice for tackling the particular type or style of wine. Some wine yeast ferment to total dryness better than others.

Some have better alcohol tolerance than others. Some put off fruitier aromas than others. Some pack more firmly to the bottom of the fermenter than others. Some wine yeast even have flavor qualities that make them ideal for fermenting one type of fruit over another. The list goes on and on. And it goes without say, they all do it better than bread yeast.

On our website, we have a wine yeast profile charts listed for each line of wine yeast we carry: Red Sta r, Lalvin and Vintner’s Harvest Wine Yeast. You can view these profile charts from a link on the product page for each of these wine yeasts. The last thing I’d like to point out is that buying actual wine yeast to make your wine is not expensive.

Currently, you can purchase wine yeast for as little as $2.00. I haven’t priced bread yeast recently, but there can’t be that much difference in price. So if you value your time and effort at all go with the wine yeast. Don’t try making your wine with bread yeast. —– Ed Kraus is a 3rd generation home brewer/winemaker and has been an owner of E.C.

Kraus since 1999. He has been helping individuals make better wine and beer for over 25 years.

Can you use rye flour for whiskey?

Dark Roast Straight Rye Whiskey Barrel #49 Proof: 92 Bottle Size: 375 ml. and 750 ml. Barrel Number: 49 Mash Bill: Organic stone ground rye flour from Bob’s Red Mill, chocolate rye malt, Bob’s wheat flour. Barrel Type: Charred new American oak. Availability: 750 ml. size available at Hollywood Beverage on Sandy Blvd.

Can you use rye flour to make whiskey?

Getting Started: Picking Your Whiskey Mash Ingredients The biggest variations between different whiskeys lie in their mash ingredients. A whiskey mash can be made with corn, rye, wheat, oats, maize or barley. By mixing percentages of these ingredients you can create a range of different tastes and flavors.

What is whiskey flour?

Whiskey Malt Flour – Sweet and bready with notes of honey This malt flour is a single varietal base malt that can be used for all beer styles and single malt whiskey. It has a traditional European malt profile, with moderate enzyme activity, high level of fermentability, and high PSY value. It is ideally suited for single malt whiskey, but is also perfect for Pilsners and light lagers.

Usage Levels / Beer Styles

Up to 100%	Delivers complex malty & grainy flavors for beer or spirits
60-90%	Use with a variety of specialty malts to create complex and unique flavors in ales or malt whiskey
40% or more	Convert adjuncts such as raw corn, rye, and wheat for light lagers and specialty whiskey

Does alcohol ruin silicone?

No. Alcohol based cleaners should not be used for cleaning surfaces as alcohol inhibits the cure of silicones. Soaps or detergents used to clean the surface must be rinsed away thoroughly with clean water to ensure that all traces of the soaps are removed before sealing.

Does alcohol melt silicone?

Can Hand Sanitizer Ruin Your Silicone Rings? Can Hand Sanitizer Ruin Your Silicone Rings? For those who wear silicone rings, one of the reasons you made the choice to switch from a metal ring might have been your ability to wear it in many different situations.

Professionals who work in jobs where they need to keep their hands clean to protect themselves and others—such as healthcare, hospitality, or food service—find that silicone rings are a great option for comfort as well as safety. But one of the common questions that comes up is whether the use of hand sanitizer will affect your silicone ring by dissolving the material or degrading it over time.

What is Silicone? Silicone is a substance made from naturally occurring materials that are put together in a synthetic form (mean it’s man-made and doesn’t occur naturally). The form that silicone rubber takes is a type of polymer called an elastomer, which means it’s stretchy.

Millions of people who choose silicone rings over metal wedding rings do so because of that stretch. Most silicone rings are made of medical-grade silicones, meaning they are biocompatible and won’t cause an allergic reaction when they come in contact with the skin. Medical-grade silicone is also designed to be easily sterilized in a way that won’t degrade or break down the material.

Isopropyl Alcohol and Silicone The most common ingredient used in hand sanitizer is, which is shown to kill bacteria and germs on surfaces (including your hands). This alcohol is liquid at room temperature, which means that it will not “melt” your silicone ring.

1. Since synthetic silicone rings are polymers, they also will not dissolve from being in contact with isopropyl alcohol.
2. In some cases it will absorb the alcohol temporarily (swell), but once the alcohol evaporates from the ring it will return to its normal size and shape with no damage to the structure.

Sanitizing Your Silicone Ring The good news is that medical-grade rubber does not allow bacteria growth, but sometimes other things that can get attached to the rubber might harbor bacteria. You can sanitize it using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, or you can also clean it with a few other methods:

Soap and warm water will remove most bacteria or contaminants Boiling your ring for 15-20 minutes can remove items that don’t come off easily with soap and water Sending your silicone ring through a cycle in the dishwasher is also a way to clean it and sanitize it with soap and very hot water

Since silicone is waterproof and can withstand significantly high temperatures (over 500 degrees Fahrenheit), boiling it or sending it through the dishwasher won’t damage it in any way. Check out silicone rings from Enso Rings today to find one you can wear safely, and with confidence, knowing it’s clean and comfortable. : Can Hand Sanitizer Ruin Your Silicone Rings?

Is silicone sealant resistant to alcohol?

$\begingroup$ By breaking down, do you mean the destruction of the sealants ability to adhere or the destruction of the silicone polymer. Polar solvents will permeate and swell the polymer, separating the polymer from its filler, destroying the adhesive functionally but the polymer itself will remain intact. $\endgroup$

Does moonshine mash need to be sealed?

Making moonshine, a strong homemade distilled alcohol, can be a complex process. A great-tasting moonshine depends on storing and processing the mash correctly. One step to consider is whether moonshine mash must be stored in an airtight container. Moonshine mash can be stored in an airtight container.

The container should be able to expel carbon dioxide to reduce pressure build-up. If the container is not airtight, try to prevent oxygen from entering it, as this can impact the moonshine’s taste. Read this article to understand more about the kind of containers in which moonshine mash should be stored.

I’ll also explore the process of making moonshine mash, focusing on the types of containers to use.

How do you proof moonshine without a hydrometer?

Download Article Download Article Testing for alcohol content is an important part of home-brewing to determine the potency of your drinks. While most people will use a hydrometer to check the alcohol levels, you can also use a refractometer, which measures how light bends through a liquid to determine the density.

1. 1 Buy a refractometer online to measure alcohol content. Refractometers are cylindrical devices that measure the concentration of sugar in water based on how light refracts through the solution. Look at home-brewing websites to see what refractometers they have available to purchase.
   • Refractometers usually cost $30 USD or more. More expensive models tend to be more accurate than cheaper ones.
   • You may be able to find refractometers in specialty home-brewing stores.
   • In order to use a refractometer to measure alcohol content, you need to take a measurement before it begins fermenting. You will not be able to measure alcohol content in a drink otherwise.
2. 2 Put 2–3 drops of distilled water on the refractometer’s glass and shut the lid. Flip open the plastic cap on the end of the refractometer to expose the glass underneath. Use a pipette to apply a few drops of distilled water on top of the glass, making sure they don’t run off. Flip the plastic lid closed so it spreads the water evenly over the surface.
   • Avoid using water from a sink since it may have additives that could affect your reading.

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3. 3 Hold the refractometer up to your eye so it points at a light source. Put the refractometer’s lens against your eye and point the other end with the glass toward a light, such as a lamp or ceiling light. As you look through the lens, you will see a scale of numbers ascending vertically and the background will have a white section near the bottom and a blue section above it.
   • The horizontal line that splits the blue section and the white section in the background is the hydrometer reading.
   • If you have a digital refractometer, it will have a light built into the body so you don’t need an external light source.

   Tip: If you can’t read the numbers on the scales, rotate the eyepiece to focus the image.

4. 4 Adjust the calibration screw if you don’t have a 0 reading on the scale. Check where the horizontal line crosses the scales. If it doesn’t line up with the 0 mark on either scale, locate the calibration screw on the top of the refractometer. Use a screwdriver to turn the screw counterclockwise if the line is above the 0 mark or clockwise if the line is above it.
   • The calibration screw may be covered by a plastic cap so you don’t accidentally rotate it while using the refractometer.
   • The refractometer may already come with a screwdriver.
5. 5 Wipe the glass dry to prevent damage. Flip the lid open on the refractometer and use a lint-free microfiber towel to dry off the glass. If you aren’t able to clean off all the water with the towel, leave the lid open and allow the refractometer to air dry so it doesn’t affect future readings.
   • Avoid leaving water or moisture on the refractometer since it could leak into the machine and make it inaccurate in future readings.

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1. 1 Put 2–3 drops of the unfermented sample on the refractometer. Use the sugar and water starter liquid, or wort, you’re using for your homebrew and pull a small sample into a pipette. Open the plastic lid on the refractometer and apply 2–3 drops across the glass. Close the lid to help spread out the drops into a thin, even layer.
   • Refractometers work best for measuring alcohol in home-brewed beer or whiskey.
   • You can try using a refractometer to measure must, which is crushed fruit used for wine, but you may not get as accurate of a reading.

   Tip: Many refractometers automatically adjust for temperature, but if your model doesn’t, wait until the unfermented sample reaches room temperature before taking your measurement. If you don’t, you may get an inaccurate reading.

2. 2 Hold the refractometer up to a light to find the Brix gravity reading. Place the refractometer’s lens against your eye and point the glass toward a light source. Rotate the lens to adjust the focus if you’re not able to see the scales clearly. Look at the scale labeled “Brix %” and note where the horizontal line crosses it. Write down the reading so you don’t forget it later on.
   • The Brix scale usually goes from 0 to 30%, but it may vary depending on the model of your refractometer.
   • You do not need to use the side labeled “SG” or “Specific Gravity” since it will be more difficult to convert later on.
3. 3 Take another Brix reading 2–3 weeks after the liquid starts fermenting. Wait until the solution or wort begins fermenting before taking your next measurement, or else you won’t be able to get an accurate measurement. Place another 2–3 drops of the wort onto the refractometer’s glass and close the lid.
   • You can take your second reading at any point during the fermentation process.
4. 4 Divide both of your readings by 1.04 to correct them. Since refractometers have slight inaccuracies to them, take the readings you found and divide them by 1.04, which is the standard correction value. Write down the final results you found out rounded to the second decimal place so you have the initial and final Brix percent measurements.
   • For example, if the initial Brix percentage was 12 on the refractometer, the equation would be: 12/1.04 = 11.54.
   • If you found the final Brix percentage was 8, then your equation would be: 8/1.04 = 7.69.

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1. 1 Plug the readings into the correction formula for the final specific gravity. Use the formula: 1.0000 – (0.0044993 * IB) + (0.011774 * FB) + (0.00027581 * IB²) – (0.0012717 * FB²) – (0.0000072800 * IB³) + (0.000063293 * FB³), where IB is the corrected initial Brix measurement and FB is the corrected final Brix measurement.
   • For example, if the corrected initial Brix percentage was 11.54 and the corrected final percentage was 7.69, the equation would be: 1.0000 – (0.0044993 * 11.54) + (0.011774 * 7.69) + (0.00027581 * (11.54²)) – (0.0012717 * (7.69²)) – (0.0000072800 * (11.54³)) + (0.000063293 * (7.69³)).
   • After plugging the equation into a calculator, the final specific gravity would be 1.018.
2. 2 Convert the first Brix reading with (IB / ) + 1. Plug the corrected initial Brix percentage into the equation in place of IB and enter the formula into your calculator. Round your answer to the third decimal point to find the initial specific gravity, which you can use to find the alcohol content of the wort.
   • For example, if the first Brix percentage was 11.54, the equation would read: (11.54 / ) + 1.
   • When you plug the equation into a calculator, you would find the initial specific gravity is 1.046.
3. 3 Use (76.08 * / ) * (FG / 0.794) to find the alcohol content. Plug the initial specific gravity you just calculated in for IG and the final specific gravity you found earlier in place of FG. Type the equation into a calculator and round the answer to the third decimal point to find the expected alcohol content of the wort once it’s completely fermented.
   • For example, if the initial specific gravity was 1.046 and the final specific gravity was 1.018, then the equation would read: (76.08 * / ) * (1.018 / 0.794).
   • After putting the formula into a calculator, your result would be 3.747, which means the drink will be 3.747% alcohol by volume, which is how much alcohol is contained in 100 millilitres (3.4 fl oz).

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Unlike a hydrometer, you cannot use a refractometer to test alcohol content if you don’t know the initial gravity before the liquid ferments.

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• Refractometer
• Pipette
• Distilled water
• Screwdriver
• Microfiber cloth
• Calculator

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