Reasons for my alcohol wash not clearing

Incomplete Degassing: One of the most common reasons an alcohol wash not clearing is that it wasn’t thoroughly degassed before you added the flocculent. Degassing is the process of removing dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) from your wash. When yeast ferments, it produces CO2 along with alcohol. This CO2 can remain dissolved in the liquid and needs to be removed, because:

CO2 can prevent flocculants from working effectively: Flocculants work by binding to particles in the wash and helping them settle to the bottom. If there’s too much CO2 in the wash, it can keep these particles suspended by creating tiny bubbles that trap them.

How to degas your wash: You can degas your wash by stirring it vigorously. The goal is to release the CO2 until no more bubbles form when you stir or agitate the wash.

Fermentation Not Complete: Another crucial factor is ensuring that fermentation is fully complete before adding any clarifying agents. Here’s why:

Premature addition of flocculants: If the flocculent is added before fermentation is complete, it will not work as intended. The remaining yeast and sugar can continue to produce CO2, which disrupts the settling process initiated by the flocculant.

Importance of a final gravity test: Always perform a final gravity test to confirm that the fermentation process has been completed. This test measures the density of the wash and compares it to the density of water. A stable reading over a couple of days usually indicates that fermentation has stopped.

What happens if you skip this test?: Skipping this test and adding flocculants too early can lead to continued fermentation even after the addition of flocculants. Not only does this keep the wash from clearing, but it can also affect the flavour and stability of the final product.