Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

After having two stalled sugar washes due to low PH, I did some reading here and there.

The remedy was to use calcium carbonate....in the form of oyster shells...or shell grit.

I prepared a standard sugar wash (dextrose) with the usual addition of nutrient (DAP) and a bit of out-of-date bakers yeast.

BUT....This time I added 2 oyster shells that I previously sterilized by steaming, steam baking at 250 deg C and steaming again just to be sure.
Drilled a small hole in each one and tied them together with a length of cotton thread.
Attached the other end of the cotton thread to a cork from a bottle of cheapo champers.
The thread was long enough so that the cork floated on the surface of the wash for easy retrieval. (The cork was not big enough to support the shells in suspension)
Next time I will try a cork sanding block so that the shells are suspended in the wash and not sitting on the bottom.

After 7 days I checked the SG and it was 0.990.

NO STALLING (I was happy)

Pulled out the shells and....see photo

They did their job.

Shells do work a treat. Self regulating the acid level, they hold the pH at about the sweet spot for a healthy ferment. Just one of those things that seems like it was meant to be.
I don’t know how sterile you can get cotton string and cork blocks? I used to use 20lb fishing line and pair of stainless hooks to hang the shells in suspension. I would string them up, boil the lot for 5minutes to sterilise, fish the shells out, hang them by the hooks on the lip in the fermenter and dissolve the sugar in the same hot water.
Now I boil and dump them into a big stainless hop spider hanging inside the fermenter. Saves drilling holes in lots of pipi shells and remaking “necklaces” as pipis get consumed within about 2 washes.
No one here eats oysters, and my shit mates that happily drink my booze, and love to smash a dozen, never keep the bloody shells. When my stock of pipi’s are all used up I will try some shell grit in the hop spider.
Enjoy!

I boil and steam the shells for about 30 mins and when dry i give them a scrub with a stiff brush to remove any bits that didn't boil off.

Before using I just give them all a spray with starsan (shells, cork & string).

I just got something that will do a similar job to a hop spider. It's a cheap little infuser off ebay. Claimed to be 304 S/S.

Cheers,

Or just pick them up off the beach after lots of sun! Bleached white is best.

hi guys i use the net bags onions come in and the local BCF or fishing store sell plastic floats so boaties cant loose there keys i think u will get it. works great

Ah oyster shells.

No wonder there is barely any left on the beaches around SEQ, all us distillers collecting them :)

For the 2kg, we put em through the ozito silent shredder, repeat until small enough.
If your super keen a mortar and pestle for a fine powder. Pop it in ya tea I am sure its good for something that ales ya. Super keen aye.
Good for the clay soil as well, if its acidic. Good anyway to sprinkle some powder around the plants to keep the soil in check, increase the cell wall strength
Good for eggs, sprinkle some in the chook food and their egg shells come out tough and better than ever.
Excellent for tomatoes washes which had pH 2.8.

I have done a couple of washes with cuttle fish - the main bonus is that they float. However I am still trying to find the best way to fully prep and sterilise them. Both 50L washes held pH perfectly well at a natural 5 to 6 pH. Mine were just collected at the beach.If you want more info on fully prep let me know. cheers

Dunnonuthin wrote:Shells do work a treat. Self regulating the acid level, they hold the pH at about the sweet spot for a healthy ferment. Just one of those things that seems like it was meant to be.
I don’t know how sterile you can get cotton string and cork blocks? I used to use 20lb fishing line and pair of stainless hooks to hang the shells in suspension. I would string them up, boil the lot for 5minutes to sterilise, fish the shells out, hang them by the hooks on the lip in the fermenter and dissolve the sugar in the same hot water.
Now I boil and dump them into a big stainless hop spider hanging inside the fermenter. Saves drilling holes in lots of pipi shells and remaking “necklaces” as pipis get consumed within about 2 washes.
No one here eats oysters, and my shit mates that happily drink my booze, and love to smash a dozen, never keep the bloody shells. When my stock of pipi’s are all used up I will try some shell grit in the hop spider.
Enjoy!

Pipi's are to small bro I use toheroa shells, plus they taste better :dance: