Distilling a Sour Beer and Carbonation

[puro]

Hello! Newbie here.

A buddy is giving me a bunch of sour beer to run through my pot still.

Should I get rid of all the carbonation?

Should I not run a full still to prevent it "puking"?

Thanks for all the help!

 

[doug293cz]

Yes, don't fill your still more than 1/2 full. Dumping the beer in from a height will knock a lot of the carbonation out of it. Heating slowly until boiling will help prevent foaming, by allowing CO2 to come out slowly. Anti-foaming agents are your friend, as are nucleation chips/stones.

Brew on

 

[puro]

Thanks for the help!

I distilled a wash with LME a couple weeks ago. Before and after pics

 

[kmmuellr]

I did about 45 gal of sour and old beer (SOB whiskey is what I call it!). Some people really like it, but to me it has a flavor and smell that I can't get past. It costs me nothing to keep it on glass w/ oak staves, so I'm hoping it turns into something I'll drink!

K

 

[doug293cz]

I did about 45 gal of sour and old beer (SOB whiskey is what I call it!). Some people really like it, but to me it has a flavor and smell that I can't get past. It costs me nothing to keep it on glass w/ oak staves, so I'm hoping it turns into something I'll drink!

K

It might be the residual hop flavors that make it thru the distillation process that is giving you the offensive flavor.

Brew on

 

[kmmuellr]

It might be the residual hop flavors that make it thru the distillation process that is giving you the offensive flavor.

Brew on

I think there's merit to that. I made the same conclusion when I had a little jar of whiskey from Motor City Gas distillery that was distilled from a pale ale and it had the same flavor that I don't care for from the SOB.

K

 

[Vopiscus]

I'm debating whether or not to use wyeast 3763 Roeselare as my go to distilling strain to try something a bit more funky.