Hi All,
I've been reading for days (and days...) and still can't find the answer, so my apologies if this noob question has already been answered. And if it has, what search term should I have used please?
I'm trying to make palatable vodka through a T500, without carbon filtering, and in the interests of burning less coal (2200W for 5 or 6 hours!) I'd like to achieve that with only one run.
After maybe a dozen turbo yeast runs at 55-60C (with two-stage clearing agent, boiling enhancer, and carbon filtering at 1 drop/sec which resulted in no hangover nice vodka according to many others), I'm very much looking forward to distilling the TPW bubbling merrily as I write. I've read somewhere here (can't remember which of the dozens of threads) that a TPW stripping run can smell tomato'ey (no surprise) which is removed with the much slower spirit run.
So it makes sense that the less flavours I add to the wash means less flavours in the distillate, so taking that logic further it seems to make sense to make a wash from only sugar and yeast. I've read more than once that boiled yeast makes excellent nutrient, but I can't find any evidence of anyone trying just yeast. I've seen one thread where someone said to not use both DAP and yeast, but try just one or the other, but I haven't seen/couldn't find the results if any. Hence my first question – is boiled yeast enough nutrient? Or do I have to add something else like tomato paste, or DAP? (which I've also read can add flavours...)
Secondly – has anyone “Run a T500, the Proper Way” (45-50C, making cuts) with TPW and made a nice drop first run that doesn't require filtering?
Lastly – If I HAVE to do a stripping run, would that simply mean removing the packing from the column and running it at the manufacturer's maximum 65C? Or can I run hotter seeing as I'm not worried about cuts yet? I see one brewer on Youtube removing the column packing and running at 160F/71C which doesn't sound like too much above the manufacturer's recommendations – can anyone chime in here?
I have yet to do the math, but I'm thinking it may be more environmentally friendly to carbon filter than do two runs. Then thinking about the fuel used to mine and make the carbon is doing my head in...
Is my one-run no-filter goal just pissing in the wind...? Or do I have to blaze my own trail and try a yeast only wash?
Cheers, and thanks in advance for any advice.