sweetfeed whisky

[Bigbob]

What was your OG and FG? That's a pretty big fore shot. How much did you run in total?

[Konrad Arflane]

If this is in here Im sorry I cant find it. I siphoned off the grain but how do I get the liquid that is left in the grain? I did a 30 gal run and there is probably 5 gal or so in the SF. I know I am to just take a little off the top and replace it with new so do you just leave the liquid in and just add to it also?

I like to leave enough liquid behind to assure the yeasties survive for the next generation. I will generally tip the fermenter a bit to get enough off, leaving the spent grain to be scraped off exposed, but really no more than that.

[frodo]

If this is in here Im sorry I cant find it. I siphoned off the grain but how do I get the liquid that is left in the grain? I did a 30 gal run and there is probably 5 gal or so in the SF. I know I am to just take a little off the top and replace it with new so do you just leave the liquid in and just add to it also?

I like to leave enough liquid behind to assure the yeasties survive for the next generation. I will generally tip the fermenter a bit to get enough off, leaving the spent grain to be scraped off exposed, but really no more than that.

your avatar, I KNOW that cat, thats fat freddies cat.This post and next 3 are uncalled for.Off topic posts such as this and ones below just make it harder for new members to get through threads as well as make more work for mods who donate their time.

[Konrad Arflane]

your avatar, I KNOW that cat, thats fat freddies cat.

I'm Fat Freddy's Cat and I ain't no kitty...
I can make life rough if you're gonna be shitty!

[frodo]

your avatar, I KNOW that cat, thats fat freddies cat.

I'm Fat Freddy's Cat and I ain't no kitty...
I can make life rough if you're gonna be shitty!

[Appalachia-Shiner]

You "Ain't Right" Frodo!

[furious_george]

I'm really excited to try this recipe. I just want to confirm that these ratios look ok.

5 gallons water
7.5 pounds all-grain sweetfeed
7.5 pounds white sugar

My only concern is how much yeast to use. I have Red Star DADY and Red Star Bakers Yeast.

Also, when doing the second generation. How much sugar do I put into the backset? Another 5 pounds?

Once the sugar is dissolved in the backset, how much do I pour back into the fermenter? I've read 25%. So that would be 1.25 gallons of backset. Sound right?

Thanks!!!

[HDNB]

whoa, whoa, whoa!

furious, you need to go back and read that recipe. you can melt sugar in hot backset but you want to keep the proportions of backset to fresh water at no greater than 25:75 or your Ph will be so low the ferment will have difficulty.

you could add a wee bit more sugar too, the recipe is the way to go.

[furious_george]

Ah, thanks HDNB. I realized too late that I wasn't using the 1.5:1 feed to water ratio. I edited that post to increase the grain and sugar to 7.5 lbs.

Ok, so as long as the backset doesn't make up more than 25% of the new liquid added to the fermenter, I'll be ok.

[Konrad Arflane]

Once the sugar is dissolved in the backset, how much do I pour back into the fermenter? I've read 25%. So that would be 1.25 gallons of backset. Sound right?

This statement concerns me a bit, but it may just be in the way it's worded. The 1.25 gal. or backset would be correct, but you'd want to start with that 1.25. If you were to dissolve the sugar in 2 gal. of backset, then only add 1.25 back to the fermenter, you're starving your ferment of part of that dissolved sugar. I don't think that's what you meant, but just in case.

Also, by gen 4 or so, the repeated additions of backset can begin to cause problems with the pH, however you can add some crushed oyster shell to the ferment which will help maintain the proper pH for a healthy ferment. You should be able to get crushed oyster shell anyplace that sells chickenfeed.

[furious_george]

Hi Konrad. Yes, that's what I meant with 1.25 gallons as the amount of backset that all the sugar is mixed with.

Any preference on bakers yeast vs distiller's yeast with this recipe?

[Konrad Arflane]

Personally I prefer EC1118 as I do my ferments in my basement where the temps are fairly constant and a bit low for use with baker's yeast, even with brew belts. EC1118 likes the lower temps for eating sugars and pooping alcohol. I started with baker's, but ferments were taking longer than I liked. Of the two, I'd go with the baker's over the distiller's, but I've never experimented with distiller's, so others may feel differently.

[furious_george]

Thanks again. I'll probably use baker's yeast first since that's what's in the original recipe. Unfortunately I'm in the middle of a move this week so it will probably be a week before I can start my ferment.

[seanshiner]

First post, first timer on everything. In all the reading I've done between the forums and the website I think I have come up with what I would like to try to do. I have a 5 gallon commercially produced pot still (Whiskey still company). I am going to use Manna COB (corn, oats, barley) all grain sweet feed. I want to get the most out of the Corn Oats and Barley as I can, breaking down their starches. The barley isn't malted so what is it doing? Are you killing its enzymes by adding 212F water to the sweet feed? I was mostly wondering about adding additional malted barley or Amylase enzyme or Beano. I am planning on using White Labs American Whiskey Yeast WLP065. Any information that anyone is willing to give is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Bigbob]

Welcome seanshiner, your first post should go into the welcome center but oh well. You can make an all grain mash with sweet feed and many have done so. But this is the tried and true recipe for sweet feed. You use the sugar to get your alcahol, the grains and molasses add flavor. You don't need to add anything but COB,water,sugar and yeast. I have the same still, and make SWEETFEED all the time, it's my favorite! Enjoy the forums and good luck!

[seanshiner]

Thanks Bigbob. I read that somewhere about the first post going to the introduction section...ll get to that next! I was asking more along the lines of trying to get more flavor out of the grains. It seems that the makings of a good whiskey is in the corn and malted barley and oats... not just a flavored sugar shine! I am definitely getting ahead of myself here. I just got obsessed with all this literature. Ill make a run or two and then start experimenting! Thanks again!

[HDNB]

you mebbe want to look up booner's easy corn or jimbo's all malt, it will give you some guidance on enzymes, malts , DP's and what goes where. otherwise...it's a sugarhead... good luck!

[furious_george]

Has anyone used an alembic with this recipe? I've got a 5 gallon one and just curious if there are any tips or tricks I should be aware of.

For example. I think doing a spirit run with a pencil thin stream muddled up my cuts when I did an all grain rye whiskey. I think I need to go a bit slower with this still.

[raketemensch]

Does anyone know what the current, best SF option is at Tractor Supply?

[furious_george]

Does anyone know what the current, best SF option is at Tractor Supply?

This one: http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/produc ... _vc=-10005" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[Konrad Arflane]

Does anyone know what the current, best SF option is at Tractor Supply?

This one: http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/produc ... _vc=-10005" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Regretfully, while that product may still be listed on their site, I believe they have discontinued it. If you use their 'Check Availability' option, it shows as 'Out of stock' at every store within 200 miles of me. It's possible some stores in remote locations may still have some, but I think that's a long shot. Best bet now is to make your own with the individual ingredients.

All the other Producer's Pride offerings at TS contain pellets, so not applicable to SF fixin's...

[raketemensch]

Bummer. There's an independent feed store about a mile from TS, I'll give them a shot tomorrow.

[Konrad Arflane]

Bummer. There's an independent feed store about a mile from TS, I'll give them a shot tomorrow.

If they have a sweet feed option, make sure it's all grain (some feed stores just refer to is as COB), no pellets. The pellets will always cause issues. And just because they say it doesn't have pellets, don't believe them. Plenty of stories throughout this thread of people being told what they're getting at their local feed store doesn't have pellets, then got it home, opened it and found pellets. If they swear it's all grain, make them open a bag and prove it.

If they don't have an option without pellets, find out if you can at least get the Corn, Oats, Barley ingredients separately. In my area (south central WI) I can get cracked corn and Oats all day long, and no problem getting feed grade molasses...but finding barley is another story...seems to be regional...

[furious_george]

Regretfully, while that product may still be listed on their site, I believe they have discontinued it. If you use their 'Check Availability' option, it shows as 'Out of stock' at every store within 200 miles of me. It's possible some stores in remote locations may still have some, but I think that's a long shot. Best bet now is to make your own with the individual ingredients.

All the other Producer's Pride offerings at TS contain pellets, so not applicable to SF fixin's...

Good to know. The one local to me says it's in stock. I'm going to go get a bag and see if it's still the real deal.

Thx.

[robb]

Well as a salute to Bigbob and 118 pages of commentary, I started a SF. I about choked not to grind and boil the grains. But I resisted and did just about the orig recipe as stated. I did use the DADY yeast and couldn't help but add 5 lb of rye malt. (it is a 12 gal batch.) It is a local SF mix. Corn, barley and oats. Girl couldn't tell me the %. (She was cute so I didn't care). We'll see.

[Bigbob]

Well thanks robb, I hope it will be as good to you as it has been to me. If it wasn't for this tried and true, I shudder to think what I would've come up with. Look forward to tasteing at 'sheds!

[FreeMountainHermit]

If they have a sweet feed option, make sure it's all grain (some feed stores just refer to is as COB), no pellets. The pellets will always cause issues. And just because they say it doesn't have pellets, don't believe them. Plenty of stories throughout this thread of people being told what they're getting at their local feed store doesn't have pellets, then got it home, opened it and found pellets. If they swear it's all grain, make them open a bag and prove it.

Your problems are over at least for now. Walmart carries Manna Pro C.O.B. With Molasses.
I have 80 lbs. sitting in front of me. Appears to be very nice with no pellets in the mix.Free shipping with orders over $50.00 or $4.97 shipping to your door. I don't see anything about store pick up but it wouldn't hurt to shoot them an e mail or call and ask.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/C.O.B.-With-M ... k/10449501" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Here's the Manna Pro recipe from the parent site:

Moonshine
A "genuine" moonshine recipe, as still being used by Deb Brewer is ...

* 5 gallon bucket all grain horse feed (we use MannaPro Hi Grain sweet feed)
* one package of yeast (using bread yeast now--others will increase quality and ferment time)
* 5 pounds sugar
* water


Put enough feed to cover bottom of 5 gallon bucket a good 4 inches deep Add 5 pounds of sugar. Fill 1/2 full with warm water--warm enough to melt sugar but not so hot as to kill yeast. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Add yeast and mix some more finish filling with warm water--again not so hot to kill the yeast. Cover with lid--our lid has a little cap that screws on, leave it loose to breathe.

4-5 days later it's ready to run! This is an old-timer recipe and works quite well. Our liquor is always 170-190 proof. You can substitute corn meal for the grain (horse feed) but I don't recommend this for pot stills cuz you can't filter it well enough. The meal will settle and burn in the bottom of your still. The old-fashion way of making corn liquor--with real corn--just is not feasible time wise.


FMH.

[furious_george]

Looks like the producers pride all grain is still non pelletized.



Started my fermentation last night. This morning it was bubbling away slower than expected. Followed the direction to a T except I used about a tablespoon of distillers yeast in a 6 gallon mash.

[Oak]

Thanks everyone for all of the great info! I made this recipe and ran it through my pot still. The finished product tastes great. After tempering and filtering all of it through a coffee filter it appeared perfectly clear with no particals in it. I put a jar in the freezer and took it out the next day and noticed funny looking particals in it. The particals are kind of cloudy looking and seem to glob together. I ran it through a coffee filter again and now it looks and tastes fine. What would cause this? I have read and read and haven't been able to come up with an explanation.

[Bigbob]

Might have been fusil oils from too generous cuts. It should have been perfectly clear coming out of the still.