Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Happy Sunday all,

Well its been 9 days of my first ever wash, i'm documenting like crazy to understand the processing and get a better result with future washes. I've followed the TPW guide fairly standard on my first wash
5.5kg sugar, 220g tomato paste, 70g lemon juice, and through in 82g of yeast (supplied by 5 star on my still purchase)

Been checking OG with the refractometer daily to get an understanding with temps and its really fallen off. We had a hot day yesterday (30 in melb), kept covered and really expected to see it jump this morning. I understand temp is an issue and tried across the last few days to passively improve but the fall of OG has really tapered.

Am I over thinking? Did I not add enough yeast? Throw some more in there and give it a big shake?



After any sort of guidance that can assist. Thanks all

I think your overthinking it a bit.. its only been fermenting for 9 days. Mine use to go for about 2-3 weeks.
80gms of yeast should be fine.
As you get closer to the end the yeast will slow down a bit. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

thought i might be, with the OG decrease should I expect it to always be the same, I assumed that the warmer the yeast is (up to a certain point) the happier which leads to a high production rate. Or can it be a little up and down? Definitely not expecting a quick one, more just learning. Each day is something new.

Cheers!

The gravity drop will fluctuate a bit during a run. The following link shows a ferment with angel yeast so ignore the spikes back up, but it does highlight activity isnt always linked to temp spikes.https://aussiedistiller.com.au/download/file.php?id=23411&mode=view

perfect mate. Just what i needed. Will keep plugging away

Nice work mate
I have 2 different washes going and cannot believe the time difference between them both to finish off.
Hang in there and keep making those notes they will be worth it.
Lots of notes does 2 things first and foremost it helps us work out what went right and what might have gone wrong. Secondly it helps convince others that this is scientific hobby, not seat of the pants anything goes excuse to drink more. It’s not is it ????? :laughing-rolling:

Have you start a new wash as only takes a long time to ferment if waiting to run where if keep starting new wash does away with any waiting.

Wellsy wrote:Lots of notes does 2 things first and foremost it helps us work out what went right and what might have gone wrong. Secondly it helps convince others that this is scientific hobby, not seat of the pants anything goes excuse to drink more. It’s not is it ?????

I'm a sucker for data and understanding how and why through the interpretation of data. I always assumed that yeast + controlled environment = a correlated decrease in sugar gravity but as yeast is as picky about eating as the mrs is about dinner it seems i'm learning. Today the OG went up .003 with the temp control might have been the additonal little shake perhaps - interesting.

Also congrats on your first spirit run! Super excited when I read it. A couple of weeks behind so I'll be picking your brain.

wynnum1 wrote:Have you start a new wash as only takes a long time to ferment if waiting to run where if keep starting new wash does away with any waiting.

Sorry mate, not understanding you clearly. Are you saying I should start a new wash? Nah happy to wait this one out and perhaps look at a second with something a little poor like turbo yeast to learn and play.

Ask anything you want mate.
I will tell you what happened, I may not know why but am happy to say what happened.
I been running the BWKO hard and trying to get my head around best temp. As the temps go up it might become to hard to control. The last batch fermented out in about 3 days but it was much warmer and wash sat around 30 degrees will let it sit for a day or two to settle out

druwade wrote:Been checking OG with the refractometer daily.....

All looks fine. I noted you are checking your gravity with a refractometer. This is fine for your initial gravity readings but not ideal once fermentation has started. The refrac measures sugars present and will be skewed in the presence of alcohol. There are tools/converters online to correct your refrac readings, however its better to use an old school brewers hydrometer for ongoing and final gravities.
Hope this helps.

peter01010101 wrote:

druwade wrote:Been checking OG with the refractometer daily.....

There are tools/converters online to correct your refrac readings, however its better to use an old school brewers hydrometer for ongoing and final gravities.
Hope this helps.

This actually does, a hell of a lot. Suprised a lot of the guides don't really emphasise this. More like a "you can use one or the other". As i work in construction and engineering by trade my brain switches to things like the refrac as I can get an exact readings and have confidence.

Cheers mate, I'll do a hydrometer check tomorrow morn as see how it all stacks.

Ive never used anything other than my fingers and my tastebuds to tell me when ferments are done .
Been doin it this was since the 80’s when I couldn’t afford a hydrometer :laughing-rolling:

@peter0101010

Thanks again for the guidance, you're singular comment has really helped with my processing and expectation. I was about to bin it and start again. So with the mrs has gone to sleep early I thought it a time to do a final reading and do some calcs to see if i'm on the right page as to what you've discussed.

Original 1.080 (BRIX 19.3), Current 1.025 (BRIX 6.3) which when corrected the current 0.991 which would ring true as my hydrometer is shows just that! I used it 3 days ago and I thought it was fucky. So glad I asked.



Temp at 23, so with correction of 0.001 I think its gobbled up all the sugar. Seems about a 10 day turn around, for it to hit sub 1.0, which I suppose is good. Definitely not in a run so quite surprised I was anticpating another week or so.

Using the calulator to reverse check my starting point - this gives an ABV of 11.345% with an OG of 1.077, so could be right on the money there. Goal was 1.080 and 12%



As for the wash it is still not a clear colour but peach with a wine smell. im anticipating I should keep this going for a week to let it clear? But im not sure if i should expect a clear water like substance?

The Stig wrote:Ive never used anything other than my fingers and my tastebuds to tell me when ferments are done .
Been doin it this was since the 80’s when I couldn’t afford a hydrometer :laughing-rolling:

:laughing-rolling: I wonder if we did a blind taste test, with only knowing the temp and days how bang on you'd be!. 40 years in the game, a wealthy of she'll be right knowledge. My old man messaged me the same thing 'does she taste done?" how in the hell should i know.

A shame I can't do a "stig's she'll be right 101 class on gauging fermentation" Definitely will take notes of taste and smell for future though

druwade wrote:As for the wash it is still not a clear colour but peach with a wine smell. im anticipating I should keep this going for a week to let it clear? But im not sure if i should expect a clear water like substance?

All looks to be going well - the fermentation has effectively finished, but if you leave it sit undisturbed for another 5 - 7 days all that yeast in suspension will drop out leaving a nice clear (though slightly discoloured) wash. Carefully siphon that off into your boiler leaving the yeast cake behind.

You could not bother waiting for it to clear and run it sooner, but for the sake of a few extra days I prefer not having the yeast in my boiler. Less chance of scorching and I think you get a cleaner product.

You're almost there. :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:

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your figures and dates are similar to my first TPW wash a few weeks ago.
mine took about 15 days to get to 990.
i also got caught out with my new refractor and alcohol :doh:
TBH i don't test it every day, i don't like opening the fermenting vessel up too much.
if it's bubbling, it's not ready in my opinion.
i only start testing when fermenting stops.
i have also started using MJ 30l fermenting buckets.
main reason is that i can squeeze 3 x 30l fermenters in my fridge and keep them at a constant 30c.
i use a grommet in the lid, but instead of the usual airlock, just 6mm(?) tubing from each fermenter to a central air lock (old plastic beetroot jar with 4 x 6 mm holes drilled in the lid).
with an MJ bucket, i can just remove the tube and get my pipette into the wash without opening the lid.
i suppose with a longer pipette, that would work on most fermenters.
if you want to play, try the FFV as well, mine is taking just 8 days to finish.
never tried turbo, but you might as well play with something decent.

peter01010101 wrote:You're almost there.

Thanks mate! How a simple comment can easily reassure a noob. Definitely not in any rush so happy for the yeastyboys to do their thing for a week. What do you recommend for a siphoning tool? A cheese cloth?

howard wrote:your figures and dates are similar to my first TPW wash a few weeks ago.
mine took about 15 days to get to 990.
i also got caught out with my new refractor and alcohol

Haha! I know right?! everyone mentions that a refrac is great at the start, but not to calculate once alcohol is produced. :doh: 15days, wow mine wasn't that warm and it was ~ 8-10. Pretty happy with it. So glad I asked the question! I'll probably move away from opening daily as I get more comfortable with my receipe and steps in production. Just as I learn i see great benefit that the risk on contamination. I love your ideas of setup and if I had a little more space I would look at something similar, or a larger 120l fermenter. But its still early days, need to see if I can get a drinkable gin first so the mrs can let me get some better stuff - looks across at 5star for a 2" to 4" input to bubbler, and carter head, and parrot and a milkcan haha. How have you found FFV as apposed to TPW? My remarks to turbo was purely from an exploratory and sacrificial yeast I haven't heard mucch positivity from it beyond its speed.

druwade wrote: What do you recommend for a siphoning tool? A cheese cloth?

I notice you use a Unitank fermenter, a Fermzilla or Fermentasarus. There isn't a bottom tap so unless you have a pressure kit you need to siphon from the top. I use an auto siphon (available from most homebrew stores or online) but a length of hose will do. If your careful you wont pick up any of the settled yeast.
:handgestures-thumbupleft:

peter01010101 wrote:

druwade wrote: What do you recommend for a siphoning tool? A cheese cloth?

I notice you use a Unitank fermenter, a Fermzilla or Fermentasarus. There isn't a bottom tap so unless you have a pressure kit you need to siphon from the top. I use an auto siphon (available from most homebrew stores or online) but a length of hose will do. If your careful you wont pick up any of the settled yeast.
:handgestures-thumbupleft:

31F94PYzvgL._AC_.jpg

and a couple or three big bulldog clips to keep those pesky tubes in check while siphoning.
get the clip for the siphon, but for when the tubes are full of liquid, it still has a mind of it's own.

druwade wrote:

peter01010101 wrote:You're almost there.

But its still early days, need to see if I can get a drinkable gin first so the mrs can let me get some better stuff - looks across at 5star for a 2" to 4" input to bubbler, and carter head, and parrot and a milkcan haha. How have you found FFV as apposed to TPW? My remarks to turbo was purely from an exploratory and sacrificial yeast I haven't heard mucch positivity from it beyond its speed.

i've only done a few TPW, then i tried about 4 x FFV's and will probably stick with FFV.
just find the taste a bit cleaner.
as for space, i was lucky enough to get a westinghouse 420L fridge only off gumtree for $125.
i've just got 1 x heatbelt in there, controlled by an wifi Inkbird.
i thought of a larger fermenter but this way i can keep it at the correct temp easily.