different alcohol from different washes

[devotus]

So, here is a question for you all, well two actually.

IF you are running washes through a good reflux still and achieving 95% ish then that alcohol is flavourless and pure (close) correct? So when you get to that stage is there any difference in quality of alcohol due to where the alcohol actually comes from ie sugar wash, grain etc. I'm guessing the answer is no there isn't any difference but I've been known to guess incorrectly.

All at 95% will be flavourless????


So next question if I want to distil 85% from wine without diluting a 95% refluxed product, can I do this in my (in progress) vm column? If so, what method do I employ? is it removing some packing or speeding up take off? Or neither?

Cheers.

[stubbydrainer]

:whistle:
(Stubs is interested in this answer too)

[SBB]

Im pretty sure your going to get a better result using a wash specifically designed for neutral spirit and most of these are white sugar based. Birdwatchers Tomato Paste Wash is just one of many developed through trial and error for this job. Plenty more can be found searching around the different forums.

[devotus]

. Plenty more can be found searching around the different forums.

More wash recipes?

Did you just tell me to utfse?? :D I did already.

It still won't answer the questions.

I looked around HD and Artisan, I thought I'd ask here first, I'll ask over at one of the others if you guys don't know.

Thanks anyway SBB

[SBB]

Look in the Tried and True Recipe section of both forums.
Personally Ive only ever done TPW as it seems easiest and Im happy with the result. If you are really fussy with your cuts and only keep the very heart of the hearts it should be almost tasteless...or tastes that way to me anyway. Every time I do a neutral run I put the very best of the best in a special bottle /demijohn it soon adds up in volume....I keep this for special purposes, even at 90+ % it has little burn and very little if any taste. The other hearts I use for making lemoncello and for other things. Ageing ..... just letting it sit in the bottle for a month or two seems to benefit good neutral too
Cheers SBB

[R-sole]

Even at 95+% you are still going to have 4% of other compounds. That's plenty of material for us to pick up flavours. Some things can be tasted or smelt in parts per million.

Try running a mollasses wash through you're VM, you'll get a very nice white rum at 95+%.

The same would apply for other washes, be it sugar, grain ect. There's plenty around who say they can pick the sugar twang in neutral, and it's why there's so many very expensive vodka's.


As far as putting undiluted 95% in your boiler it's not advised. Boiler charges should not exceed 40% for a number of reasons, both safety wise and also quality wise. The higher the ratio of ethanol to water, the harder it is to seperate.

[devotus]

Thanks 5Star. That was well explained.

I think you misunderstood my second question though, (probably because of the way I phrased it)

What I wanted to know/do is; distil a white wine wash 13% to get 85% close neutral and I was wondering what the best method is to achieve that in a vm still. If it is actually possible

Would shortening the packing height do this?
or is there a better way?

Cheers

[R-sole]

Yes, packing height should do the trick. the other thing that comes to mind is to run hard and straight, but it's likely to be dirty.

85% brandy is not going to taste anything like neutral though.

Would be fine aged drink all the same.

[devotus]

Thanks 5Star.

Much appreciated.