Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Has anybody got any experience with a wash becoming infected?

Whilst we will all be very thorough with our sanitation I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if a wash became infected.
As a beer brewer I'm pretty anal about cleaning the gear and (thus far) since my first beer became infected and was foul, I've always ensured cleanliness.

Would it still be workable? Would it yield a product? My reasoning being using a reflux still any bad taste can be eliminated. Or can it? (not sure I'd fancy the final results from a pot still)

Anyone got any ideas?

Plenty of washes get infected, most of the time they clean up fine through the still :handgestures-thumbupleft:

As for yield, it depends on when the infection set in... If the wash has fermented fully/nearly fully, you'd still expect a reasonable return.

In most circumstances you will actually achieve a bitter yield with an infection, as most bacterias are happy to attenuate higher (eat more of the sugars) than the yeasts we use.

I tried to distill out an infected wash once, the one I did wasn't drinkable/enjoyable even afterwards. :crying-blue:

In line with what the other guys have said, I think in terms of a neutral, you can clean it up nice enough.

But they always say good whiskey is only made from good beer, and I tend to agree...

OzKev wrote:In most circumstances you will actually achieve a bitter yield with an infection, as most bacterias are happy to attenuate higher (eat more of the sugars) than the yeasts we use.

I tried to distill out an infected wash once, the one I did wasn't drinkable/enjoyable even afterwards. :crying-blue:

That should have said a better yield, not bitter. :o

Also I tried it through a pot still, so maybe a full reflux would have a better chance of cleaning it up.

Depending on when the infection set in and the type of infection the yeild can definitely be affected for better or worse

I have had some nasty infections (in my washes :laughing-rolling: ) and it really has made some great stuff.

Urrazeb wrote:I have had some nasty infections

:teasing-poke:

:puke-huge:

Brendan wrote:

Urrazeb wrote:I have had some nasty infections

:puke-huge:

Getting a better yield comes as a surprise.

I wonder if yeast can get jealous?