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Sugar + Yeast = Alcohol .. Anyone else doing this?

Ringodoggie

Well-known member
Premium user
One more question while we are sidetracked on butter, how much weight do you lose in the cooking process? I lose about half.

OK one more. I think you grow indoors. Is the water that separates from the butter after being in the fridge - nasty brown? Mine is, and I am probably gonna rig a filter on my whip to see if the brown is dirt, and if my vape is blowing dirt at me.


I get about 50% to 80% back depending on a number of variables. The water and the butter are both pretty brown after the first run. However, I dump the water. Add clean water to the butter and heat it up again and into the fridge, again. After about 3 or 4 times doing that, the butter ends up pretty clean and the water is clear. Pic below. It's pretty hard to see but look close and you can see the water is still in the bowl and the butter is pretty clean.




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flylowgethigh

Non-growing Lurker
ICMag Donor
Then maybe the brown in the water is just heated plant material that is water soluble. I have thought about re-cooking just the butter cake again with fresh water, to do just that. If it takes 3-4 times, then it needs doing at least once. I have a few to do. Maybe that will take the "green" taste out. I might use distilled instead of tap. :D

I do scrape off the light colored scum layer on the bottom of the cake, while rinsing with hot water, until the bottom is clean.
 

f-e

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
My wort is basically a sugar wash using breakfast bran flakes and bread yeast. I use a tabletop water distiller and variac with wattmeter for the base heating. The first bit out should always be chucked as it's methanol (wood alcohol) not ethanol. This portion will be bigger if you use fruit. It's good for cleaning, but if it's just cleaning solution you want, a mix of ethanol and methanol is available anywhere you get decorating supplies. Generally dyed blue/purple.

I like the middle third of my distillate. It usually comes in around 65%. The bran flavour carries over nicely and some further polishing with an ultrasonic bath can be done. That's fake aging if you're unfamiliar. The top third (after the heads are chucked) I find similar to store bought. I may follow an expresso recipe with that. Basically lots of shots, some sugar and vanilla with the high proof, to make a 30% coffee liqueur. The bottom 3rd goes back in the next batch.

I like the table top. I have fallen to sleep with it on and it just switches off when done. I'm happy to use it indoors with lots of windows open. I still won't smoke near something that might be releasing alcohol vapour though. These things are illegal for good reason.


I won't use bread yeast for co2 where hydro is concerned. I have filled the trays and pipework of a recirculating system with dough like goo. Another attempt filled my 1" blocks. Now I pipe from my airlock straight outside.
 

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