Sipping Vodka and Gin

[Dfer]

Waiting on FSD neutraliser parts to arrive and just buying fermenting bits.
Im keen on Weetbix /neutra Grain wash and have seen the recipe.
I am after sipping vodka and gin for martinis ( or the best a wood duck like me can produce first up and , unless someone tells me Im nuts, I think I should use rc1118 yeast? I note it’s slow fermenting but i can live with that.
I plan to do a stripping run with 120l wash and then spirit run with production.
Good idea?
Cheers
Dennis

[Dfer]

Forgot to ask- is 75g brewers yeast 1:1 ec1118 and , can i just multiply all the quantities out, including ec1118, for larger fermenters?

[RuddyCrazy]

For weetbix just use Lowans Bread Yeast mate EC1118 is for fermenting fruits etc and is very slow but and does clean up nicely.

Now this thread should be moved to the recipe section as it has nothing to do with tried and proven :scared-eek: ( and after moving please delete this comment)

[Dfer]

Sorry i :oops:

[The Stig]

Your gear isn’t far off mate .
Now , the weet-bix will make a nice vodka no issue there but DO NOT use EC118 , your just east wasting money and time just standard bakers yeast will do fine .
The Nutri Grain is for making whiskey and the same goes yeast wise .
The EC1118 is a champagne yeast not really used in the distilling world unless your fermenting fruit .
Hope this helps
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[The Stig]

Moved

[Dfer]

Thanks.
So bakers yeast and weetbix only it is.
Cheers

[RobMichelle]

Lowans definately, don’t limit yaself to weetbix thou,I use the ffv fast fermenting vodka wash alot, don’t over complicate the process with the washes they are quite forgiving, try white sugar and raw sugar see if you can taste a difference. I started with raw sugar and have just stuck with it, it’s a little more than white sugar but I’m not fussed. Just enjoy it take lots of notes, I take notes of every wash I make and then notes when I distill it. Enjoy the smells in the garage lol if you go down the all grain route just don’t leave heavy peated mash inside the wife really won’t like it lol .

[WoodyD40]

I just requested my MRS purchase 18 bags of 2kg white sugar, and a box of wheatbix - so i can set up 3 x 60 litres fermentors on weekend for my vodka ... probably my last batch for the year.
She likes her gin - so she is very obliging in doing the grocery run for me. :handgestures-thumbupleft:
I already have heaps of stock of lowans yeast in the garage fridge.

I have started using slightly less than the recomended amount of yeast - 1 tin accross all three fermentors, i just pour a bit in each and keep going until tin is empty. It always ferments out nicely. Although i only run the still 2 weeks after i pitch the yeast.

[RobMichelle]

Lol just had the same conversation with Michelle she’s off to woollies to get sugar and some more wheat bran, I have used nutrigrain wash for gin also cornflake, I was going to make me some booze but gin was very low so used most for gin and I had a liter to put on oak. It all works just stock up when cereal is on special :-B

[The Dark Alchemist]

Thanks.
So bakers yeast and weetbix only it is.
Cheers

Dennis,
My standard is FFV using Lowans bakers yeast from woolies; 25Kg bag of white sugar from Costco plus 2x 3kg Costco sugar bags in my 200L olive drum plus 2Kg bran boiled up, 2 tablespoons of DAP, Epsom Salts and 5 Vitamin Bs. 1 week later, I'm stripping (ie running T-500 hard) through my 35L boiler over a couple of days then a nice slow spirit run.

Shop to vodka is 2 weeks; shop to gin is 4 weeks (extra week macerating on botanicals, 1 week sitting at drinking strength).

[Buj]

I landed on the Corn Flakes Whiskey wash after my first few months of Weet-Bix runs.
I now use this to make CFW Neutrals, Up to Gen19 backset now. I empty/clean fermenters every 6 gens or so and go again with some previous backset.
I found a slight hint of wheat flavour in the Weetbix runs, but I grew up a Corn Flakes Kid ;-)

I'll randomly pot still run the CFW's for aging on oak as well.

[TheRealMrMessy]

In the heights of summer, depending where you are, you might need to diversify the yeast a little. Bakers yeast tops out at 38c, but you probably wanna try and keep it under 35-36c to just not stress it too hard. Fermenting is also exothermic and in the first couple days can increase the temp 3-4c just through the activity. It's at that point I turn to Angel Red yeast as it can take up to 42c. Word of caution on the planning is that despite the higher temperatures it also runs a bit slower than bakers. Where I'd be done in about a week with bakers, I'd need two to ferment dry with angel red. Normally I ferment for 2 weeks then crash for 1 week in the fridge. Angel its 3:1.

WBAB and FFV have a great base flavour as a vodka, coming across somewhat wheaty (I'd suggest FFV stronger on the wheat than WBAB). TPW is fine too, but tends to carry a bit more unusual... or unnatural perhaps flavour when you are more familiar with say, commercials like smirnoff (primarily corn based) or absolut (winter wheat based). I'm still planning a TPW run in 6 weeks or so just as an essence mixer - by far its best use as the cheapest/easiest per litre result.

I'm trying one of Jesse from Still It's vodka recipes right now: Sugar, Sultana, rolled wheat and rolled oat mix. Can confirm it was a prick to get out of the fermenter into the fridge for crashing, but we got there. Knew it'd be effort and messy so just trying a single 60L batch spirit run. If its worth it as a sipper then I'll do my usual 2x60 strip into 1x30L run just before Christmas! This one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy5dp3Xzomg

One of these days I'm gonna mash a whole bunch of winter wheat and see how close I can get to absolut. :obscene-drinkingchug:

[RobMichelle]

Dfer, there’s a small sample of what some people do, so don’t restrict yaself buddy, I’ve done weetbix and nutrigrain washes, as I eat weetbix and put some nutrigrain on top so I thought why not distill it, worked for me lol . I’m not good at picking up the slight taste of rose petal with a hint of jasmine and after palette of chocolate, I just drink it if it tastes good il go again if not I won’t and so far they all taste good lol or I might have a slight problem lol just enjoy it dfer it seems we do :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[RuddyCrazy]

Now Dfer don't listen to what they about recommend yeast quantities mate as a tub of Lowans Baking yeast should last a fair while, all you need to do is sprinkle some ontop of the ferment then give a real good mix with a stirrer to get the oxygen in the water and that small amount of yeast will expand and complete the ferment everytime.

My jar of baking yeast has now lasted a couple of years and still got a third left :handgestures-thumbupleft: and now I do use even less since I made that yeast stirrer as a light sprinkle on 50ml of warm wash is all thats needed to make a yeast starter :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Now by going bulk yeast where it doesn't hurt but it's just a waste, just think for a 25 litre beer wash 11 grams of yeast is used in those small packets so you will get the idea.

Now how about you try a yeast stater mate as you don't need a stirrer when a stick will do to mix the yeast once it decides to take off, so don't put it on and leave it or the chances of making a huge mess will be on the cards.

Cheers Bryan