Hi from the southwest WA.

[Wootts]

Sorry for being a naughty boy,
I posted without first introducing myself.
I have been making spirits with an Air Pot since Mr Rudd gave me money to boost the economy which I have been doing on a weekly basis.I started with still spirits but didn't like all the hassle with carbon and clearing agents. Went to Alcotec yeast,no carbon just filter. I make whiskey and rum using only wood chips. Been given recipe for a weetbix wash but after putting through 2 distilling runs only get around 20% spirit so hope to learn here what could have gone wrong.

Thank you for accepting me to your form.
Cheers Wootts

[WoodyD40]

Sorry for being a naughty boy,
I posted without first introducing myself.
I have been making spirits with an Air Pot since Mr Rudd gave me money to boost the economy which I have been doing on a weekly basis.I started with still spirits but didn't like all the hassle with carbon and clearing agents. Went to Alcotec yeast,no carbon just filter. I make whiskey and rum using only wood chips. Been given recipe for a weetbix wash but after putting through 2 distilling runs only get around 20% spirit so hope to learn here what could have gone wrong.

Thank you for accepting me to your form.
Cheers Wootts

Howdy Woots

Welcome to the forum.
I also started out with the air still and using those nasty turbo wash's.
A friend here in Melbourne put me onto this forum by sending me the link to the WBAB (very similar to the recipe you used)
https://aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=170
I have used the recipe as is (for a 30 litre fermenter) and also scaled up for 60 litre fermenters.
It works really well and tastes much better than the still spirits ones.

Although i now run the wash through a Reflux Still so i get a much higher ABV, but it works just as well through the air still (which is a pot still) with lower ABV.

Cheers

[Professor Green]

Welcome to the forum Wootts.

What was the weetbix recipe you used? Did you take SG readings at the start and the end of fermentation?

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

[Wootts]

Thanks for the replies,
The recipe I was given is
375g crushed weetbix
5kg sugar
40g
20lt water

I have never taken SG readings before and after on any washes I have made over the yrs.

Wootts

[WoodyD40]

hi Woottes

I’m still very new, but I don’t see any problems with the recipe you are using.

I use lowans yeast from Cole’s. And I seem to be getting 11+ abv in the wash prior to distilling.
I have also learned through the forum to try to keep the temp of the fermentation in the higher range of 27 to 30 deg. That helps the process for the yeast to work really well.

[Professor Green]

OK, so there's a couple of things that I think could possibly give you low ABV output.
- The wash was only partially fermented and had little alcohol to start with. Without SG readings and having run the wash already you'll never be able to know if this was the case though.
- You're not collecting in cuts and ran very deep into tails thereby reducing the overall final ABV.

One final thing, have you checked your alcometer?

[howard]

Sorry for being a naughty boy,
I posted without first introducing myself.
I have been making spirits with an Air Pot since Mr Rudd gave me money to boost the economy which I have been doing on a weekly basis.I started with still spirits but didn't like all the hassle with carbon and clearing agents. Went to Alcotec yeast,no carbon just filter. I make whiskey and rum using only wood chips. Been given recipe for a weetbix wash but after putting through 2 distilling runs only get around 20% spirit so hope to learn here what could have gone wrong.

Thank you for accepting me to your form.
Cheers Wootts

Although i now run the wash through a Reflux Still so i get a much higher ABV, but it works just as well through the air still (which is a pot still) with lower ABV.

Cheers

i now run the wash through a Reflux Still so i get a much higher ABV
are you making neutral or a flavour for aging/oaking?