White Trash Worries

[Styrkr]

I'm making some hick hooch and I'm not sure if I need to be concerned with methanol only because apples are very high in pectin. I know apples are used in a lot of recipes (hence hard cider) but there is SO much debate that its hard to get a clear answer *hint* stickied guide *hint*
For a gallon jug:
Six apples
Two carrots
One coconut
black tea
Slice of whole wheat toast
One leaf of mint
1/2 cup turbinado
Topped off with water to leave ~3in headspace

Right now its fermenting harder than when I've talked a shot a mead.

OH! And I boiled the mash after blending it. I let it cool then put it in the bottle and added the yeast.

 

[CJ1]

You should be more concerned with your decision making skills than methanol if you actually drink that. That is the worst-sounding beverage I have ever heard of.

 

[Styrkr]

Aha why do you say that? It will taste almost exclusively of apples. Carrots are somewhat sweet and are often coupled with apples. And coconut is in everything where I live. The toast acts as a yeast nutrient as does the black tea. Using toast is how it used to be done and is not really any different than using malted wheat. The mint is one leaf to help balance the flavor rather than using salt.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I'm glad you used whole wheat toast. Refined flour is killing this country. This should make this healthy and possibly a substitute for breakfast and brushing your teeth.

Good work!

 

[Styrkr]

Hahaha I listed whole wheat specifically for those who already know about it as a substitute for store bought nutrient. It works wonderfully.

Anyway by the lax replies I'm guessing methanol is not a concern in this case?

 

[bernardsmith]

The concern is not methanol. you are fermenting not distilling. The concern is your "recipe".

Step back for a moment and look at your recipe. How much actual fruit and vegetable flavor be in the gallon of water? In my opinion the only way to make any kind of wine - "hick hooch" or not, is to use the liquid that you extract from the fruit or from vegetables. Wine - hooch or otherwise - ain't beer. When you add water you dilute flavor. Period. Sure, you will make some alcohol from the sugars in the fruit and the vegetables and your 1/2 C of added sugar, but the only reason to drink it rather than use it as fuel is to get a buzz. If that's your goal. I think you will succeed. But that seems to me to be a waste of the carrots, the apple and the coconut. Remove the fruit and roots and just double the sugar and add yeast. I doubt that you will taste the difference. But hey! to each their own.

 

[Komocabo]

I am scared by this recipe

 

[RachmaelBenApplebaum]

Black tea is in no fashion yeast nutrient. Fine to add, but not nutritious. Instead of using bread, which just screams "look what I made in my cell!", microwave some rehydrated bread yeast. All the nutrient you'll need will be in that, essentially you're making your own "yeast hulls" by doing so. If you don't have a microwave boiling works, also Vegemite makes excellent yeast nutrient. And what is the purpose of using salt? I can hardly imagine why you would.

 

[Styrkr]

The concern is not methanol. you are fermenting not distilling. The concern is your "recipe".

Step back for a moment and look at your recipe. How much actual fruit and vegetable flavor be in the gallon of water? In my opinion the only way to make any kind of wine - "hick hooch" or not, is to use the liquid that you extract from the fruit or from vegetables. Wine - hooch or otherwise - ain't beer. When you add water you dilute flavor. Period. Sure, you will make some alcohol from the sugars in the fruit and the vegetables and your 1/2 C of added sugar, but the only reason to drink it rather than use it as fuel is to get a buzz. If that's your goal. I think you will succeed. But that seems to me to be a waste of the carrots, the apple and the coconut. Remove the fruit and roots and just double the sugar and add yeast. I doubt that you will taste the difference. But hey! to each their own.

The goal is to make alcohol with a small amount of flavor to keep it from tasting entirely like kerosene. The only reason I even did this was to use up the fruit before it went bad.

I am scared by this recipe

Why?

Black tea is in no fashion yeast nutrient. Fine to add, but not nutritious. Instead of using bread, which just screams "look what I made in my cell!", microwave some rehydrated bread yeast. All the nutrient you'll need will be in that, essentially you're making your own "yeast hulls" by doing so. If you don't have a microwave boiling works, also Vegemite makes excellent yeast nutrient. And what is the purpose of using salt? I can hardly imagine why you would.

I have read many thing I evolving tea being used as a (poor) substitute for store bought nutrient. Next, if you mean something like a packet of Fleichmanns, I disagree. I have always read to use additional nutrient to kick start the yeast. Same reason some eole choose to add whey when pickling. Just goes faster. And in case you didn't already know, salt is a flavor enhancer. There is going to be only a little flavor as it is so its a good idea to boost it.

I appreciate those who answered the question as asked. I do not, however, appreciate having this old recipe being questioned by some. I did not ask for your critisizm or judgement. I asked about methanol and only methanol.

 

[Apple_Jacker]

Yikes. Post the results when it's finished.

 

[MarkKF]

I appreciate those who answered the question as asked. I do not, however, appreciate having this old recipe being questioned by some. I did not ask for your critisizm or judgement. I asked about methanol and only methanol.

Just like when some idiots post pics of their wife, girlfriend or daughter you gotta expect and accept all comments, good & bad.

I think cider made with store bought Apple juice or FAJC is a joke. But I do use it for experimenting. Then again others have criticized me for not growing my own apples or at least selecting the apples and pressing my own juice blend. To each their own.



Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[RachmaelBenApplebaum]

The goal is to make alcohol with a small amount of flavor to keep it from tasting entirely like kerosene. The only reason I even did this was to use up the fruit before it went bad.



Why?



I have read many thing I evolving tea being used as a (poor) substitute for store bought nutrient. Next, if you mean something like a packet of Fleichmanns, I disagree. I have always read to use additional nutrient to kick start the yeast. Same reason some eole choose to add whey when pickling. Just goes faster. And in case you didn't already know, salt is a flavor enhancer. There is going to be only a little flavor as it is so its a good idea to boost it.

I appreciate those who answered the question as asked. I do not, however, appreciate having this old recipe being questioned by some. I did not ask for your critisizm or judgement. I asked about methanol and only methanol.

Well, the answer is no, then, you won't go blind. Good thing you weren't looking for professional advice from people with degrees in fermentation or anything. Though you probably could have found out that there would be negligible methanol production from reading mysterious sources. Unless you're distilling this, I wouldn't worry. Good luck with the gutwash.

 

[Yooper]

I appreciate those who answered the question as asked. I do not, however, appreciate having this old recipe being questioned by some. I did not ask for your critisizm or judgement. I asked about methanol and only methanol.

Well, if you post a recipe and don't ask for criticism and judgement, and get negative (but polite) responses and get upset by it, you are in the wrong forum.

This forum has a specific "no hooch threads" rule, as we are dedicated to the making of quality fermenteds.

If you are sure of your recipe, and your methods, but have no idea what the methanol content would be, this forum is obviously not a good fit for you.

Even if you believe that tannin (tea) is a nutrient, and table salt is a flavor enhancer for wine, that's ok. You can believe whatever you like. But don't post a recipe that is more than suspect and then tell forum members we can't opine about the results. Some of us have been making quality fermenteds for decades, and know what we're talking about.