Zak's First TPW

Sugar wash info and questions

Zak's First TPW

Postby Zak Griffin » Wed Aug 28, 2013 9:00 pm

I put my first ever wash on the other day, so I thought I'd leave a thread here so I can see/you guys can tell me where I fucked up!

Ingredients are:

~45L water
10kg white sugar
400g tomato paste
2 decent lemons worth of juice
160g baker's yeast

All in a 50L fermenter. I mixed the sugar, tomato paste and lemon juice into the first 10L of hot water, then topped it up to about 45L. Temperature was about 40 degrees, I let it cool down to about 35 before I pitched the yeast.

Starting gravity was 1080, and it started bubbling away pretty much straight away. That was on the 24th. I stuck the fermenter in the corner, wrapped it up and tucked it in.

I'm not set up enough yet to have any fermenter heaters, so I've just been sitting it in the sun (when there is sun!) during the day, and it hasn't stopped bubbling through the airlock, and the gravity is still dropping, so I'm pretty sure it's all going alright :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Gravity was at 1040 after 2 days, and between 1010 and 1000 today, on the 4th day. Whenever I check the temp it's sitting between 20 and 30.

Going the way it's going, I'm hoping it should be done fermenting by this weekend. I'll rack it off into another couple of containers to let it clear, and get another one going straight away. Not entirely sure when I'll get a chance to run it yet, but I'm planning on just stripping it through my (still unfinished) pot, and saving the low wines until I get enough for a spirit run through my (similarly, unfinished) Boka.

Oh, and total cost so far is $5 because the checkout chick fucked up my change when I bought the ingredients, so if it doesn't work I won't be too devastated.

Happy to hear your tips/hints/suggestions/criticism/abuse!
Zak Griffin
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Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Dominator » Wed Aug 28, 2013 9:02 pm

Sounds pretty spot on to me mate. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Yummyrum » Wed Aug 28, 2013 9:12 pm

I'm only a TPW beginner myself but it sounds fine to me too.Just don't be in a rush to strip it .Let it settle and clear for a few weeks and try to avoid opening the lid .
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Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Zak Griffin » Wed Aug 28, 2013 9:27 pm

Cheers guys. In no rush to put it through the still... Haven't built the still yet!
Zak Griffin
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Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Sam. » Thu Aug 29, 2013 8:48 am

It will work fine mate, if you wanted it even cheaper you would get away with using only 100g of yeast :handgestures-thumbupleft:

You could go lower but I wouldn't push it too far to save a few cents ;-)
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Zak's First TPW

Postby BackyardBrewer » Thu Aug 29, 2013 9:22 am

Looks a little heavy on for yeast but eh it'll be fine:-)

Now the plan has to be keep getting them on. So the day you rack it, another wash goes straight in. Try and have something at every stage of the process - a wash, low wines, aging stock.

That's the way to get the most out of this hobby I've found - run it like a production line and then you can always focus on quality not quantity.
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Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Zak Griffin » Thu Aug 29, 2013 3:50 pm

That's the plan, BYB... Get a production line going.

I thought it felt a bit yeast-heavy, but I figured a bit too much was better than not enough...
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equipment: "The Heart of Gold" - 4" Bubbler - finally bubbling!
"Zaphod" - 3" Pot - retired
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Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Zak Griffin » Fri Aug 30, 2013 7:42 pm

Sitting at 1000 now :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Should be done by Sunday (gotta play footy tomorrow), I might try to rack it off into a different container for clearing, and get another going. Bought the ingredients today :)
Zak Griffin
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equipment: "The Heart of Gold" - 4" Bubbler - finally bubbling!
"Zaphod" - 3" Pot - retired
"Agrajag" - 6" Bubbler - midlife crisis build?

Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Yummyrum » Fri Aug 30, 2013 7:55 pm

Zak Griffin wrote:......... Bought the ingredients today :)


Did you get the same check out chick ? :laughing-rolling: Or did she get the sack :laughing-rolling:
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LM/VM head with 1m packed 2" on Still Spirits boiler for Neutrals.

Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Zak Griffin » Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:05 pm

Nah, different one this time, but I saved a bit because I've still got some yeast.

Local supermarket has had a reshuffle, now the yeast, tomato paste and sugar are all in the same aisle!
Zak Griffin
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Posts: 6832
Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:34 pm
Location: Radelaide
equipment: "The Heart of Gold" - 4" Bubbler - finally bubbling!
"Zaphod" - 3" Pot - retired
"Agrajag" - 6" Bubbler - midlife crisis build?

Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Yummyrum » Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:04 pm

How convenient .There is a supermarket God ^:)^
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equipment: Did use Still Spirits Reflux
Now use 50l Keg with Pot head for Rum and Neutral stripping runs on gas .
LM/VM head with 1m packed 2" on Still Spirits boiler for Neutrals.

Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Sam. » Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:34 pm

Zak Griffin wrote:Nah, different one this time, but I saved a bit because I've still got some yeast.

Local supermarket has had a reshuffle, now the yeast, tomato paste and sugar are all in the same aisle!


Is it the only aisle with a camera in it? :laughing-rolling:
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2 x 2400W elements and power controller.
.

Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Yummyrum » Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:44 pm

sam_and_liv wrote:
Zak Griffin wrote:Nah, different one this time, but I saved a bit because I've still got some yeast.

Local supermarket has had a reshuffle, now the yeast, tomato paste and sugar are all in the same aisle!


Is it the only aisle with a camera in it? :laughing-rolling:

:laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:
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Posts: 1897
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 3:19 pm
Location: Near Coffs
equipment: Did use Still Spirits Reflux
Now use 50l Keg with Pot head for Rum and Neutral stripping runs on gas .
LM/VM head with 1m packed 2" on Still Spirits boiler for Neutrals.

Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Zak Griffin » Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:46 pm

I think they'd be better off keeping an eye on the checkout chicks!
Zak Griffin
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equipment: "The Heart of Gold" - 4" Bubbler - finally bubbling!
"Zaphod" - 3" Pot - retired
"Agrajag" - 6" Bubbler - midlife crisis build?

Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Yummyrum » Fri Aug 30, 2013 11:02 pm

good call :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Posts: 1897
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 3:19 pm
Location: Near Coffs
equipment: Did use Still Spirits Reflux
Now use 50l Keg with Pot head for Rum and Neutral stripping runs on gas .
LM/VM head with 1m packed 2" on Still Spirits boiler for Neutrals.

Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Zak Griffin » Thu Sep 05, 2013 7:44 pm

Today I bought another 2 60L fermenters... I'll rack my current wash into one, and start another 2 50L TPW's :D by the time my pot is ready, I will have 150L of wash to strip :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Zak Griffin
Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 6832
Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:34 pm
Location: Radelaide
equipment: "The Heart of Gold" - 4" Bubbler - finally bubbling!
"Zaphod" - 3" Pot - retired
"Agrajag" - 6" Bubbler - midlife crisis build?

Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Yummyrum » Thu Sep 05, 2013 9:06 pm

Thats the way :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Posts: 1897
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 3:19 pm
Location: Near Coffs
equipment: Did use Still Spirits Reflux
Now use 50l Keg with Pot head for Rum and Neutral stripping runs on gas .
LM/VM head with 1m packed 2" on Still Spirits boiler for Neutrals.

Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Zak Griffin » Fri Sep 06, 2013 9:37 pm

Racked my first wash off into a little 60L wheelie bin... My fermenter has a tap about 5cm from the bottom, I just sat the fermenter on my bar and opened the tap into the bin. That left me with about 45ish (ish) litres of clear, tasty looking sweet smelling goodness, and left a couple of litres of funky yeasty brown looking sludge in the bottom :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Then I started my second batch... 10kg white sugar, 500g tomato paste (I figure I should start collecting 500ml jars :think: ), a couple of lemons worth of juice and ~50L of water. Just waiting for it to cool down a tad before I throw the yeast in.

I love this hobby :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Zak Griffin
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Posts: 6832
Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:34 pm
Location: Radelaide
equipment: "The Heart of Gold" - 4" Bubbler - finally bubbling!
"Zaphod" - 3" Pot - retired
"Agrajag" - 6" Bubbler - midlife crisis build?

Zak's First TPW

Postby Dusty_ben » Sat Nov 23, 2013 9:02 pm

Did you clean out the fermenter or run the new wash on top of the stuff left on there?
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Re: Zak's First TPW

Postby Zak Griffin » Sat Nov 23, 2013 9:13 pm

Clean the fermenter out for neutral wash, Ben... Leaving the yeast bed in the fermenter will produce 'off' flavours...
Zak Griffin
Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 6832
Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:34 pm
Location: Radelaide
equipment: "The Heart of Gold" - 4" Bubbler - finally bubbling!
"Zaphod" - 3" Pot - retired
"Agrajag" - 6" Bubbler - midlife crisis build?

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