# Honey vinegar



## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I am planning on making another batch of honey vinegar and plan on a must with 10 percent ABV. Has anyone done enough of this to know if yeast variety would make a difference. I want to play with producing some herbal vinegars. I normally just use KIV or EC and control potential. Wonder if D 47 would make a better flavored vinegar.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

I've made and sold hundreds of gallons. I always used a champagne yeast. I wanted to be sure that every drop of sugars were converted. I was concerned about residual fermentation. Also, I found that higher alcohol content slowed or even stalled the acetobacters. I usually limited my alcohol to around 8%.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

I don't even want Vinegar near my meadery! A bad experience over 4 years ago taught me better.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Vance G, if you haven't seen this, you might find it interesting reading.
https://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/Ag. Ext. 2007-Chelsie/PDF/e149.pdf


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Tenbears said:


> A bad experience over 4 years ago taught me better.


 I've had a dozen carboys of both, side by side for months....never an issue. The only time I had a problem was an airlock that I allowed to go dry.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I have worried about the evil one lloose in the same basement as a half dozen carboys bulk aging. But I found a a bottle in the back with the plastic cork popped out and fiercely acidic. That is my mother. She is obviously already a resident. I have no plans for sales. I want some for culinary uses and some strong for cleaning. Thanks for the inputs and the reference.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Just remember that a high alcohol source will produce a high acid vinegar. You get an 8 or 9% acid vinegar and it'll bite back. Great for cleaning but you'd better plan to dilute for consumption.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I am well aware, i thought ten then I could simply cut in half.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

In my experience the alcohol content doesn't result in an equal per cent acid. Usually a little less. So you might wind up with something around 4% acid. Also, in my experience an alcohol content at 10% or higher will take a whole lot longer to acidify. I think many types of acetobacters have a hard time surviving in that high an alcohol concentration.
The way I did mine, I shot for a specific gravity that would result in an alcohol content of around 16%. Ferment with a champagne yeast with higher tolerance. Once fermented I dilute by half with distilled water, then inoculate. That way the alcohol level is more amenable and will usually produce a 6.5+% acid and I would dilute accordingly.
If you start with an acid content that's too low....it's pretty hard to raise it. 
Good luck


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I appreciate the guidance. Have you ever distilled your vinegar?


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

I didn't ever distill it.
Any reason that you'd want to?


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

The store bought says it is, just curious.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Vance G said:


> The store bought says it is, just curious.


There's Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar....you can find it and any number of unpasteurized (obviously also not distilled) in most health food stores and often in ordinary retail groceries. 
Other than for appearance, I can't think of any good reason to distill it.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I know about braggs, people use it for culture. Like I said, I have my own fiecely acidic culture that converted a bottle of 16 percent ABV mead. Still too cold in my basement to brew yet. Single digits, frozen ground covered with snow this morning.


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