by Ravvin » Sun Feb 10, 2019 7:16 am
When I do my TPW runs, I discard the first 150-200ml fores, then take 200ml cuts for the first 2 jars, then take 100ml cuts for jar 3 and 4, as so far this is right where the heads ended for me. I then take 200ml cuts until I get to jars 9 & 10, where I again do 100ml cuts as this is where the tails start for me. Then it's 200ml cuts to the end, where you saw the flow rate drop off and the temperature start to spike.
I originally did 200ml cuts right through, but when I realised that the heads and tails started at pretty much the same places each time, thought I would narrow it down a bit and in effect save an extra 100 to 200ml of hearts.
I also started airing it for 2 days, as I couldn't tell after only 1. I also found it hard to tell the difference between heads and hearts by only mixing 50/50 with water, so I mixed one teaspoon of neutral with 2 of water. It thins it down and makes it easier to taste the sweetness of the heads.
The tails become really easy to detect. Its not so much a taste or smell, more that you feel your tongue burn, as if you had eaten something with chilli and had a hot drink.
When you sort your TurboWash cuts, don't put the heads and tails in with your heads and tails from the TPW run. Keep them separate and I bet once you have a sniff of both, you will toss the TPW stuff or use it as cleaner. Its that noticeable.
One of the best things about the TPW is the clean up. As you will now know, that black crap in the TurboWash is a bugger to clean off. One of my fermentors still has a black band around the high tide line from it. I do get a faint pink line around the top of the fermenters, but it cleans off with hot water and a bit of a scrub.
I am currently trying a cornflake wash, just to see the difference in the finished neutral.
So far, I've noticed it smells a lot better, but I won't be able to drain it out the bottom tap, as the sediment layer is way above the outlet hole. I was told to put the cooked cornflake mash in a muslin bag in the fermenter, but didn't get the bag made in time. I'll just siphon and strain it when I run it.
One final thing I have found is that after making up a bottle with HBS flavouring, I need to let it sit 2 weeks at least, to let the flavours settle down. Things like rum, that are around 40%, I put in a larger bottle so there is some air space. Then I give it a shake each day and open the top for a sniff check. Haven't yet found a rum flavouring that I would bother making again. The Willards Honey Bourbon is pretty good though, even though I never really drank much bourbon before. With the liqueurs, the Top Shelf Marula is my favourite, and the Hazelnut Liqueur is pretty close to a Frangelico. My mum keeps asking for more of that one. :)
Make notes of what you try and what worked. With so many flavourings available, its easy to forget what you have tried before.
Greg.