Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

I've been experimenting with a few different yeasts now. I was wondering what yeast people have been using on an AG single malt mash and getting best results?

So far I've limited myself to the small variety at my local home brew shop. But the more research I do, the more I keep coming across Pinnacle Distillers Yeast by Mauri. I emailed the Aus/Nz rep and he kindly replied that at present due to Trademarks they do not have the Pinnacle Distillers Yeast available in Australia.

So what is everyone's oppinion?

Fermentis "malt" for me...been using it for a while. Good fermenter and clean tasting end result.
Doc

Ok nice. where do you get it from?

Im in NSW.

winequip in Melbourne...but I think Mark at Marks Home Brew in Newcastle can get it for you. He is a good guy to deal with.
Doc

I've only seen that yeast in 500g packs and the specs sheet said it's only good for a week once you open it. :crying-blue:
Is that your experience doc, could you freeze it or something?

I buy Max Distilla MW for your wash and EC1118C for general use in 500gm packs.

Once opened, vacuum seal if you can or simply suck out zip lock bags to put it in... 150+gm baggies x 3 so only opening one at any time....

Use it for months from the fridge no issues...Viability change sure, any impact = none.

bt1

res wrote:I've only seen that yeast in 500g packs and the specs sheet said it's only good for a week once you open it. :crying-blue:
Is that your experience doc, could you freeze it or something?

Like most yeasts the manufacturers estimation of shelf life is moot...we have never found it a problem storing it as we do all our yeasts in a cold room. It holds as well as any yeast I have used. We buy in 500 gram bricks, so I do not know about other size packages.
Doc

Cheers lads :handgestures-thumbupleft: I figured that would be the case. I'll bet you doc rips through a pack a darn sight quicker than me though. :D :greetings-waveyellow:

I can't wait to see Doc’s 3.8 meter tower of power with all the (FSD) mod cons for effortless distilling, he’ll be
buying yeast by the truck load. Might need a bigger cool room. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I've just done my first AG single malt and it stalled because I used bakers yeast, it started at 1075 but wouldn't get below 1020, so I added some EC1118 and it's away again with a gravity reading of 1010 now but still working a little.

Looking back on my mistakes I would now only use a specialty whisky yeast for this, I just didn't have any at the time, but bakers yeast for this type of scenario just doesn't seem to have the extra grunt and stamina needed to ferment to dry an AG wort.

Hopefully I'll be distilling this early next week, it will be good doing a comparison with other single malts I've tasted fresh off the still after my half arsed go at it making mistakes.

I will certainly let everyone know my progress with my mashing & single malt journey, it's not something I'll do often but it's challenging and I'm looking for long term projects.

Cheers.

The low carb beer enzymes by copper tun really do help dry it right out, also I found with AG stalls is pH can play a big part so I whack some milk of lime in and give it a good vigorous stir up and they normally fire up straight away :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Just added some to my stuck ferment and a couple hours later it's going hard :scared-eek:

Maybe I can get this mongrel to get below 1000 yet :happy-partydance:

You da man.... crow! :handgestures-thumbupleft:

What's the rated attenuation for a speciality whiskey yeast?