when i bottle homemade alcohol should i boil it first since there was air and oxygen getting to it so there might be some little bugs growing (i read that in some articles) that wont do anything to the alcohol? right?
2006-12-25 14:35:49 · 5 answers · asked by jeff 1 in Food & Drink ➔ Beer, Wine & Spirits
No it won't hurt the alcohal, but it would be good to wash the bottle in hot water just in case of all the dust.
2006-12-25 14:44:40 · answer #1 · answered by tuffchevy86 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If you are bottling beer, wine, or cider, then boiling the final product will not only boil off some or all of the alcohol, but it will kill all the delicate flavors that the fermentation process produced. BAD idea. If there's air in or around it (as opposed to CO2) then you're not doing it right in the first place. All the bugs should be killed in your bottle sanitizing process...if you're not sanitizing, then no amount of boiling of the brew will make a difference.
If you're making moonshine, then the concentration of alcohol is high enough that it is its own antiseptic and boiling will be a waste of time and effort. Bottle it, cap it, and that's it. It will NOT explode...period.
If you read in "some articles" that there might be bugs growing, you need to re-read them and understand better the conditions that would cause those bugs a-growin' and *prevent* that, not treat it...then worry about bottling. Read this and you'll notice that there's nothing about boiling prior to bottling:
http://howtobrew.com
2006-12-26 01:03:09 · answer #2 · answered by Trid 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Need more info please. What exactly are you bottling?
Alcohol vaporizes very quickly, if you boil it all the ethanol will evaporate unless in a closed container some beers and malt beverages are pasteurized after carbonated to help extend the shelf life. Other than that anything with a good ABV around 15% and up should be pretty stable and contamination free
2006-12-26 00:33:50 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
What proof is the alcohol? The alcohol itself should kill any bacteria. If you bring it to a temperature higher than about 98F, the alcohol will evaporate from whatever alcoholic beverage you were making.
2006-12-25 22:46:04 · answer #4 · answered by GoodENuff 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Jeff, please be VERY careful if you are talking about shine, if you boil it it can explode VERY easily. It should have no bacteria after it's stilled, it was at boiling when it started condensation. Jar it immediately after it cools off.
2006-12-25 22:49:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋