Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

I've yet to try aeration of distilled product. Once again, the same three questions above can be applied to the aeration of distilled product.

You should give it a try...it's the best result several folk have had for spirit ageing..truly a winner.

bt1

Thanks for the replies, folks.

I'll give this system a good trying out, both pre-ferment and post-production, and post results... but it might take a while.

You want to aerate your wash to begin as the yeast need the oxygen to multiply to start with.

Aerating your finished product on oak will give you more overall contact with the oak in a shorter period and speed up how quick the angels take their share of the crap you don't want :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Hello all,

Just a tad under 2 months on this aeration process and figured time for a short summary of where it's at for mine. Very happy with the process and it's low work and a consistent result.

Ageing days
Tried this on a Rye notorious slower maturing, Rum, Corn malt and a Irish, regardless of spirit type the results seem to be roughly consistent. I believe that 1 real time month on this process gives me a 6 - 8 month equivalent aged product. It looses that bitey front of mouth feel in an Irish, flattens the Ryes bite and smoother feel.
The rum is a real standout with much more subtle taste compared to what's been drunk before at 4 - 6 months.

ABV % loss
You will lose somewhere around 10 - 15% of the spirit volume. Varying aeration strengths tired 65, 50, 40 abv's losing net more at the 65% mark c/f to the lower abv's.
We can't taste or smell a difference between final bottling strength product so suggesting aeration at lower abv's is the go and I'd only air at initially 50% and then 40% to finish off at in future.

Flavouring impact
Timber where Cherry, US oak and a French oak for respective drinks. Timber colour improves but I'd simply say the timber tastes late vanillin's, burnt caramels etc are not fully present....something's really do just take time and I wouldn't have expected timber to just give it all in any case.

To finish...
A far more drinkable product much, much earlier, low cost and effort but will post aeration still require some time on the timbers to fully come into it's own. For a sub $30 investment prolly one of the best I've made.

bt1

:text-+1:
I found it lost a lot of grog to the angels but hey if ya want to drink it earlier then deff a way to go i think i will use this when my stock is getting low
but deff one to keep in the bag Works a treat

Bt you said you got your aeration pump online, could you possibly put up a link. I am having trouble finding a small volume pump.

Dominator wrote:Bt you said you got your aeration pump online, could you possibly put up a link. I am having trouble finding a small volume pump.

Dom just seach ebay fish tank pumps any of the 4 to 5 watts ones with a 2 micron stone work well.

Dominator wrote:Bt you said you got your aeration pump online, could you possibly put up a link. I am having trouble finding a small volume pump.

Hot mine at the local pet store. Under $30 I think.

Dom,

single outlet I'm using...have split it to 2 one for 5lt mason jar and one for kegs.. only 50lt per hour so a gentle bubbling this one.

search Marina Air Pump 50 - Single

cheers
bt1

Thanks guys.

I think I remember reading someone in this thread was using copper as an air line to the bottom of there aging vessel, what is everyone else using?

db1979 wrote:I think I remember reading someone in this thread was using copper as an air line to the bottom of there aging vessel, what is everyone else using?

Unsub uses 1/2 copper and the airstone with barbed fitting fits nicley, I am currently doing the same as BYB seems to work well but i want to get to the bottom so looking for ss tube.

I have a dual outlet airpump and two stainless airstones connected food grade silicon hoses running into two demijohns and the stones sit just under the water so the silicon isn't in contact. The pump moves a lot of air so they don't need to be submerged to the bottom of the demi - they move the liquid a lot.

I'd rather not have silicon near the booze, but it's been very successful as a "proof of concept" over the last month on some pretty harsh fig brandy.

As bt said this is a very good investment in smoothing out the bite in a shorter space of time.

Thanks BYB, I really wanna give it a go but I've been umming and arrghing about what tubing to use. If keeping it at the surface works well then I'll give it a go when I can afford it next. I might even be able to source a fish tank pump for free from a friend. :think:

Yeh,

just using 1/4" /6.3mm copper tube for L shaped legs into keg and a shorter one for 5lt mason jar so only copper in spirit.
Hole size suggest <1mm jewel's drill bit @ .75mm x 6.... works a treat.

bt1

I just used a old keg spear, worked find but the mark 2 version will be some stainless tubing with holes drilled shaped like bt1 has suggested, also intend corking demijon and having a breather pipe like a airlock to reduce Angels share theory being the lower alcohols will condense on sides/top of demijon while higher alcohols will pass out to atmosphere.

Im thinking of using 1/4" copper tube with the end squeezed all but closed with vise grips, reckon it will produce some tiny bubbles??
Do you leave the lid off or have it sealed up?

Fatherjack wrote:Im thinking of using 1/4" copper tube with the end squeezed all but closed with vise grips, reckon it will produce some tiny bubbles??
Do you leave the lid off or have it sealed up?

It will need a vent of some size if you are pumping air from outside the container are must escape at same rate or POP. :))

I'm using 5 litre jars i eve th to open any pop on some handy towl and lol a hole for the ss to to go thew
Works mint but I did lose a lot of % it went from 63%~50% over 3ish weeks kinda weird may b too much air escaping

bt1 wrote:Yeh,

just using 1/4" /6.3mm copper tube for L shaped legs into keg and a shorter one for 5lt mason jar so only copper in spirit.
Hole size suggest <1mm jewel's drill bit @ .75mm x 6.... works a treat.

bt1

Maybe I could try some 1/4 copper and soft solder some stainless to it...reckon with my success rate of soft soldering copper to stainless there'll be plenty of places where the air bubbles can get through! :laughing-rolling: