Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

db1979 wrote:Probably a composite cork at that price and size of cork.

What sort of issue would you run into using these? The glue/binder leeching into product?

nuddy wrote:

db1979 wrote:Probably a composite cork at that price and size of cork.

What sort of issue would you run into using these? The glue/binder leeching into product?

They’d be fine, would only leech if it were submerged imo. I use composite corks in a keg and found it would break off little bits every time I pulled it out so I just stuff it in with a piece of cloth now :handgestures-thumbupleft:

The more paranoid would say the glue that binds it together can be leached into the spirit via the vapour :-B

But it's up to you.

you reckon? I could see that the vapour of 65% could still be a solvent but it would have to be enough to change the state of the glue from a semi solid to a liquid( or vapour). That sort of chemistry is way above my pay grade :laughing-rolling:
But maybe that’s why my composite corks flake bits off? :?
DB, help required... ~x(

Jam some orange peel in the neck of a 1l bottle 65% neutral without letting it touch the spirit. Give it a couple weeks then pull out the orange and taste the neutral. My money is on it tasting like orange :handgestures-thumbupleft: :-B

Buy them throw the corks away and use paper towl and a block of wood to seal the top?

Heres my newest idea that seems to be a winner: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=11664

woodduck wrote:Buy them throw the corks away and use paper towl and a block of wood to seal the top?

:text-+1: just be careful what wood is used.
The vapour over time will get into the cork. Ethanol vapour will still act as a solvent. Perhaps the glue is insoluble in ethanol and or ethanol/water mixes. If so, then it should be fine.
If the glue is soluble, whether the glue in the cork makes its way way down into the jar is another issue, it might not, but if it does I'd say you've pretty much wrecked something you were aging for a long time.
If you wanted to do a test, I'd get a piece of the cork composite and a non composite cork (equal sizes). Cut them both up into small pieces, and soak them in separate jars of 65 % (or whatever strength you're aging at), make sure the jars are covered to prevent evaporation. Leave them there for a while (maybe a month, maybe 6). Then filter out the cork pieces and leave the spirit to evaporate. Compare the two residues left behind from the evaporation of the spirit. If the residues appear and feel (to touch) the same, and when washed in water respond in the same way then its most likely that the glue doesn't dissolve in ethanol.

bluc wrote:Jam some orange peel in the neck of a 1l bottle 65% neutral without letting it touch the spirit. Give it a couple weeks then pull out the orange and taste the neutral. My money is on it tasting like orange :handgestures-thumbupleft: :-B

Have done this many times to make fruit flavoured vodka by suspending the fruit, including chilies, above the spirit.
I would be very careful to be sure of anything sealing my jars.
If you think that the ethanol will not touch the lid/seal then you are most definitely wrong.

Here is a lemon infusion done by suspension

P3T3rPan wrote:I would be very careful to be sure of anything sealing my jars.
If you think that the ethanol will not touch the lid/seal then you are most definitely wrong.

+1 same reason we don’t use plastic lids. Long term aging, especially in Oz we are going to get some high temperatures.
Put a couple of paper towels over the top held with a rubber band. That’s how I age in some cheap 2.2 litre jars I got. They came with plastic lined aluminium lids.

I use the 2.2 litre swing top jars from Kmart, toss the shitty red gasket and use paper towel doubled over and do the lid up. Same with my 5 litre demijohn.

Plumby wrote:I use the 2.2 litre swing top jars from Kmart, toss the shitty red gasket and use paper towel doubled over and do the lid up. Same with my 5 litre demijohn.

:text-+1: