First Kale wash

[davesims]

Hi all

I mixed up my first Kale wash yesterday, it was 50 Liter wash consisting of the following and method (just want to make sure i didn't stuff anything up)

200g Kale , blended with water and frozen (Taken out when needed)
10Kg Sugar
180g Bakers yeast
50 Liters of water

25 liter of water heated up to 60c, add and dissolve sugar
Add 25 liters of cold water bringing fermented temp down to 33c
Add Kale and stir
Add Yeast

I was going to let this wash sit at 24c during fermentation so i put the lid on the fermenter and left it in the garage for the rest of the day but before going to bed last night it was still at 30c, I placed the fermenter in the fermentation fridge but did not turn it on and this morning it is sitting on 32c.

I have now turned the fermentation fridge on and it is cooling at the moment.


Does this all sound ok?

[davesims]

Anyone?

[Zak Griffin]

Not too many blokes here using the Kale wash mate, but I'm sure it'll be fine :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[rumdidlydum]

Not too many blokes here using the Kale wash mate, but I'm sure it'll be fine :handgestures-thumbupleft:

:text-+1:

[ClubNed]

I run kale washs dave and what you've said looks fine. I don't freeze the kale though. I use a "Nutribullet" and blend the kale with a bit of water until its liquified before adding it to the sugar/water in the fermenter.
Kale is high in nutrients so it keeps the yeasties happy.
The ferment will be quite active once it kicks off and stays that way for a day or so then settles down. Mine is still bubbling through the airlock once every couple of seconds after 8 days.
If you are using the Lowans bakers yeast, your wash will be fairly tolerant to temperature variations. Mine sits at around 30 degrees and is happy.
Once your wash activity has stopped or the SG shows its finished you can let it sit for a couple more days to clear or run it straight away. It's up to you.
I run mine through a simple pot still with copper mesh packing in the column.
Do a stripping run chuck the fores, then a spirit run (I chuck fores again - probably overkill, but I do it) and take your cuts.
I get a great neutral, with a very slight distant floral note.

Hope this helps :-D

s

[Woodsy71]

Yeah mate, the kale goes well.

Just blend the crap out of it and jam it in a bucket. Clears nicely, and is a great Gin base :smile:

[Kenster]

Dave, i am all the way with clubNed, the only thing i do is keep the temp(when settled) down to low 20's...even though the yeast can handle the higher temp there will be less stress and a smaller headsy/burny quantity..Just had a brain freeze for the correct term of the stuff produced when yeast is stressed.(as soon as i press 'submit' ,, it will come to me.
IMHO Kale bogs on TPW

[davesims]

Thank you all for your kind and informative responses , the last think i wanted to do was stuff up my first Kale wash

It scared the crap out of my yesterday, i opened the fridge and i did not hear any activity, i unscrewed the top of the fermenter and did not see any bubbling or anything, I then remembered i had not completely sealed the lid on the fermenter initially, so i seat it completely then the airlock started bubbling away :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[M8Harry]

My dad gave me a heap of fresh kale. Should I cut the centre stem of the leaves out (using only the green of the leaves) or blitz that in too?