strawberry mash

[Sexfreak]

I read that the strawberry mash you are supposed to bring it to 160degree’s to kill off yeast and bacteria. could I take it to 180 just to make sure that the yeast and bacteria are gone?

[Richard Coleman, Jr]

For sure- that should kill most if not all wild bacteria/yeast.

Make sure to clean and sanitize everything as well- that is very important.

always pitch a good amount of healthy yeast

[Sexfreak]

so I made my mash and put my bubbler on the carboy, I have a slight problem with the mash bubbling up through the bubbler. I have strawberry mash all over my kitchen 🙁 how long should it stay frothy for when fermenting? Ill attach a pick tonight

[Richard Coleman, Jr]

It will settle down after a while- but you need to keep that airlock clean and open the easiest way to do that when it is blowing off is to add a blow off tube.

You can easily add a blow-off-tube now- just take off the cap to the airlock and attach an 1/2 inch inside diameter hose to it. Put the other end of the hose into a jar of water. You can find the hose at any local homebrew shop or online.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/1-2-id-siphon-hose.html

[Sexfreak]

[Richard Coleman, Jr]

Looks like a healthy fermentation! The white foamy head is called a krausen – I’d just hook up a blow off tube and let it ferment. I also recommend fermenting in a dark place or putting a dark tshirt or plastic bag over the glass carboy

[Sexfreak]

I usually do keep it in a dark place. I just didnt want a mess all over.

[Sexfreak]

so I made my strawberry mash and I had a friend taste it and he thought that it should be smoother. I have to admit it was rough. kind of rough like el toro rough but better flavor. any suggestions on how I could get it to be a little smoother on the next go around.

thanks

[Richard Coleman, Jr]

Is it just the wash that is rough? or did you run it already?

how did the wash taste before you put it into the still?

I’m curious how you ran it? how did you make your cuts?

what kind of still?

are you using packing?

how much wash went into the still?
how long did it take to run?

[Richard Coleman, Jr]

Is it just the wash that is rough? or did you run it already?

how did the wash taste before you put it into the still?

I’m curious how you ran it? how did you make your cuts?

what kind of still?

are you using packing?

how much wash went into the still?
how long did it take to run?

[Sexfreak]

I already ran it. I didnt really taste it before hand. I ran it as slow as I could. I have a 1 gallon clawhammer kit. I used 2 copper pads in the column. I took 3/4 oz off at the beginning and then 3 half pints and a 1/4 pint for the last.

[Richard Coleman, Jr]

It sounds like the heads,hearts,and tails are all mixed together- It is hard to make cuts on a 1 gallon still.

I would try this-
it looks like you made 5 gallons of wash-
do 5 stripping runs– just run the still hot and fast and collect everything. Do that for all 5 runs.
Once you have done all 5 runs- add those 5 runs back into the still (these are called low wines)
do a spirit run, running slowly and making cuts for the heads , hearts, and tails.

That should make a big difference.

[Sexfreak]

sounds like a good plan. approx how many oz’s should i make cuts at to separate everything? first batch was a quart, then I tried half pints. smaller then half pints?
thanks again

[Richard Coleman, Jr]

On a one gallon- it is a lot harder to do.

what is the overall proof of what you ran?

[Sexfreak]

117 was the highest, averaged out to around 92

[Richard Coleman, Jr]

How low did you collect?

I normally collect my tails down to 10% – these are saved and then added to my next run of the same style.

If your average is 92 and you started at 117 I would think you might have a lot of heads in your final product- which would explain the harsh taste. It is hard to say for sure though.

Did you taste it coming off the still when you were producing? It is pretty easy to tell when the heads stop and the hearts start as the the hearts are way less harsh and it will start tasting smooth and really good.

[Sexfreak]

I did not taste it coming from the still. I will try to collect it in 4 oz groupings the next time to split it up better. I think i need to get a bigger still 🙁

[Richard Coleman, Jr]

Always taste and feel the spirit coming out of the still- just let a few drops drip onto your finger. See if it feels oily or not and give it a taste- this will really help your cut making process. Collecting in smaller jars is a great way to learn the cuts as well– number them starting at 1 and go up from there. You can go back and taste after the run and compare the different jars.
If you do get a larger still a 1 gallon can work really well for doing spirit runs- you could always strip in the new larger still and then do spirit runs in the 1.

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