Tomato Paste Wash (TPW) Recipe Discussion

[harold01]

Howard
Hydrometer reading after correction are .9884 for the 60 lt and .9844 for the 30 lt
Taste is bitter
You were right about the refractometer not being accurate and co2 is at normal levels today

[Vickypoint2003]

Scottyd just totally invert the sugar into the warm/hot water and keep mixing it until it nice and clear as this will show all the sugar has dissolved. I just use a 15 litre stock pot for the sugar inversion and depending on the ferments warmth sometimes I just put the stockpot in a tub of cold water to cool it down before throwing it in the fermenter. When doing generations this is a must but for TPW a mix of inverted sugar and warm cold water can get the yeast addition as soon as it's filled with no lumps to worry about.

Ah ok, i'll be rereading this and doing it when i mix my next washes. :handgestures-thumbupleft: :text-thankyoublue:

When you add yeast, do you spend a lot of time mixing? as I get the yeast balling up on the surface and I can't get it all to mix in completely.

When you do invert the sugar, adding the citric acid to the water before adding sugar, will invert the sugar much quicker.

Thanks for the tip. Try that next time. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Allen McFarlen]

I mistakenly added too much citric acid and the batch refuses to start to ferment.

Is there something I can add to the batch to rescue it, or is it destined to be pored down the drain

[BigRig]

Baking soda will push the ph level back up. Do you have ph meter to give the reading. Are you sure that's the cause of not starting? How long you been waiting? Could be the cold temp.

[The Stig]

Looking for a PH meter ? Look no further :handgestures-thumbupleft:
https://5stardistilling.com/product/ph-test-meter/

[Allen McFarlen]

Been 4 days and no action at all even after adding more yeast twice. Temp is 28C. I live in Cairns so cold is not a problem.

I added a tablespoon of Bicarb this morning and it foamed up. Now at noon I can smell some fermentation taking place so hopefully all good now.

[Wes_James]

G'day Wes here. I am newbie around here. I have been over to the Welcome Centre and said my hellos and now have a question or two.

Put down my 1st TPW yesterday. Will leave for about 14 days before I distil it. I have read probably the last 10 pages of the is thread and need some clarity.

1) I have a two column reflux still and usually do a double distillation with previous sugar washes. Do I need to do a double distillation with TPW?

2) I usually carbon filter in my 600mm x 50mm column. Is it advisable to still filter the distillate from the TPW?

3) A general question: My filter takes about 1kg of carbon. How often should I change the carbon? At this stage I have probably run about 40 litres of 38%ABV sugar wash through it.

Cheers Wes.

[The Stig]

TPW doesn’t need filtering if you do good cuts , I think this is something you will need to learn .
Double distilling is beneficial for most “neutral” distillates but not completely necessary
Please stop saying you have a double column , this conjures up something completely different to what you have , it looks as though you have a basic 2” reflux still

[Wes_James]

Thanks for the heads up on the still as I had no idea on how to describe it. Basic 2" copper reflux it is.

[bluc]

You should use calcium carbonate rather then bicarb and it should be added as a preventative rather then a afterthought fix. :handgestures-thumbupleft: check out link in my sig for some tips. I have had more stuck sugar washes due to ph then you can poke a stick at...

[Wes_James]

After nearly 12 months of sugar washes with Turbo yeast or Willard 48hr. I just finished the cuts on my 1st TPW. I did the spirit run yesterday. I ended up with 2.5litres of 88% hearts and just under a litre of heads and tails from a 25litre 6kg wash. It is crazy how different the quality is to my previous spirits. No more rocket fuel not that I thought it was rocket fuel. I thought it was pretty good. How wrong I was.

[Wellsy]

Welcome to the enlightened side Wes :laughing-rolling:
It is nice to be able to get your supplies from the super market. I have also found the wheatbix all bran wash a very good vodka wash but I don’t chase the completely neutral spirit like many tpw guys do.
A whole new world of recipes has just opened up for you :)

[mick_mack]

First time poster, long time lurker.

I have been running TPW for a while now and been getting very good results.
Normally I would use:
5kg white sugar.
90g Baker's Yeast
200g TP.
man sized pinch of citric acid.

I dissolve the sugar on the stove at simmering temp then add the TP and citric acid.
I then put the mix into the fermenter and top up with tap water to 25L.
I have an aquarium heater installed set at 30°C.
I normally pitch the yeast straight on top at around 30°C.
Some 30minutes later it's bubbling away through the airlock. After 5 days it's done but I let it go for 7 anyway.

Now, the last 2 batches I've done have been doing some strange things.
Last week I did the same process and left it for 4 days. At no time did it bubble through the airlock. I thought it had stalled. Or perhaps I killed the yeast from the start.
I checked the SG and it was at roughly 0.995. I thought oh what the hell, let's just run it anyway and see what happens... I ended up with ~3L via pot still style config. I just ran it hard and fast.
Now this latest batch I repeated all the same usual practises and it's also not bubbling at all, same as the last one. Checked the fermenter and no air leaks apparent.

Only thing that I think could have changed is it's a little warmer when I'm pitching the yeast, instead of 30°C, probably up around 38°C. My understanding is that it will kick off quicker but the yeast should still survive it no worries.

Next batch I'm going to go back to basics and try to repeat my previous successes to the nth degree. Pun intended.
Anyone got any ideas?
Cheers.

[Wellsy]

Hello Mick
If it is fermenting there will be carbon dioxide produced. If you are getting alcohol then it has to be fermenting. It has to be a leak mate.
As you said if all else fails go back to basics and see what you are doing different.
With spirits it is not the end of the world if the fermenter is not airtight as you have already discovered

[The Stig]

As Wellsy said , will probably be a leak.
Push down in the middle of the fermenter lid , if the liquid in the airlock doesn’t move you’ve got a leak.
Pull lid off , push seal all the way round and return lid and lean on it a little extra to seat the seal , try pushing down on lid again and see if there’s movement in airlock .

[Wes_James]

Anyone got any ideas?
Cheers.

Fermentation 101: You can not rely on an airlock as proof of fermentation. For proof use a hydrometer.

[mick_mack]

I ended up taping the whole bucket up with duct tape, the fermentation was going gangbusters inside. Still nothing through the airlock. I’ve upgraded now anyway so into the bin it will go.

[The Stig]

Anyone got any ideas?
Cheers.

Fermentation 101: You can not rely on an airlock as proof of fermentation. For proof use a hydrometer.

Even a hydrometer isn’t 100% correct , try using one in an all molasses ferment , dont work a damn and the same goes for fermenting on the grain for all grain brewers.
You need to taste , listen and feel .
Edit to add , I was taught in the 80’s to not use a hydrometer and still don’t to this day . I live by the finger dip

[Wellsy]

Mick Mac
Don’t throw it in the been mate it will still be useful.
You don’t necessarily need things airtight to ferment, or you could use it as a racking vessel if you ever want a ferment to settle a little before running through the still. Lots of good uses it can be put to

[mick_mack]

I gifted it to a mate last night, he’s into beer though so he’ll have a crack. Bit off topic now tho sorry. Leave it at that.