sweetfeed whisky

[S-Cackalacky]

Most of the 3000+ posts in this thread are about buying the correct bag of sweet feed. At Tractor Supply, if it says sweet feed on the bag, don't buy it - it contains pellets. The correct bag made by Producer's Pride is simply called All Grain. It's in a purple and tan bag. That's the only bag of grain they sell that is the correct one for this recipe. and, to complicate things, not all Tractor Supply stores sell the All Grain.

It would seem that the simplest and most effective way to get the appropriate sweet feed grain is to make it yourself - equal parts cracked corn, whole oats and whole barley and molasses to your likin'.

[jmashspirits14]

Yeah I found it Cackalacky, I do however appreciate the info. Itchy even posted a picture of the bags next to each other showing which one to get and which one not to get. My TSC has it, I remember seeing it when I buy cracked corn for my "chickens" lol. I really do have two chickens though. Just incase anyone cares to know I am currently in the middle of a corn wash run. 12 day ferment, 13.1% abv. Just wanted to share that. This is only my 5th run and I am pretty proud that I am,making damn smooth drink. Thanks again!

[W Pappy]

Take that down to 8 to 10 % abv and the flavors will come thru even more.

[Konrad Arflane]

...not all Tractor Supply stores sell the All Grain.

Yup...had to drive 100 miles 'there and back again' to get to a TS that had it in my area. Fortunately there were no trolls, orcs, elves or dragons along the way.

Bought two bags (because they were small) so I shouldn't have to make the trip again very soon.

[jmashspirits14]

Thanks for that Pappy, the All Grain is on Tractor Supply Dot Com which means even if your local store doesnt stock it you can request it and there should be no shipping charge. It may take a week or two for arrival though.

[W Pappy]

Yea the first TSC I went to months ago were jackasses about it said they only carried pellets and I was out of luck then the fella just walked off.
I figured they would all be that way around here, so I kep watchin on line and found a store.Sure as shit they ask what I was feeding i told the fella
my kidds just got this damned old pony and the sum bitch wont touch pellets.He just a picky old bastard.Well we get that a lot thats why
we started caring the all grain he said.Hold on we will fix ya rite up he says, he said if ya get to gittin low just call give em a week and it will be there for me.

[Sippsy]

Ran a batch of this the other day through my 2.5 gal pot still, and the problem I kept getting was boil over into my spirits. Does this wash foam a lot more than the sugar washes i've been doing? Maybe use an anti-foaming agent?
I was so frustrated, it would go from a slow drip to a fast drip, to wash flooding out my spout in no time.
The only changes from previous runs was that it was colder out (around 36 deg) and the wash was diff.

[W Pappy]

How big a charge you puttin in 2.5 gal still?

[Sippsy]

2 gallons, 4 inch from top, like i've been doing.

[W Pappy]

Well on a 15.5 keg I only run 10 to 11 gal in the boiler.Another reason to bump your rig up to at least 5 gal.
Give ya a little more room to play with I would say run it slower and take your time she is gonna get a bit foamy
on ya.Ya can put a couple slices of butter in the charge that will help keep her from foaming a tick.

[FullySilenced]

OR maybe get some commercial defoamer instead of butter... or oil...

happy stilling

FS

[Konrad Arflane]

OR maybe get some commercial defoamer instead of butter... or oil...

happy stilling

FS

By oil, I'm inferring you mean a neutral vegetable oil...canola, etc.? Not something like olive oil (light or otherwise) which might add off tastes to the distillate?

[Tokoroa_Shiner]

Ran a batch of this the other day through my 2.5 gal pot still, and the problem I kept getting was boil over into my spirits. Does this wash foam a lot more than the sugar washes i've been doing? Maybe use an anti-foaming agent?
I was so frustrated, it would go from a slow drip to a fast drip, to wash flooding out my spout in no time.
The only changes from previous runs was that it was colder out (around 36 deg) and the wash was diff.

Electric hot plate?

[W Pappy]

OR maybe get some commercial defoamer instead of butter... or oil...

happy stilling

FS

By oil, I'm inferring you mean a neutral vegetable oil...canola, etc.? Not something like olive oil (light or otherwise) which might add off tastes to the distillate?

Butter wont hurt a damned thing, WONT change the taste of distillate.I ain't never used oil so I would not recommend it. Butter is used in canning jelly as a anti foaming agent
all the time.

[SassyFrass]

OR maybe get some commercial defoamer instead of butter... or oil...

happy stilling

FS

By oil, I'm inferring you mean a neutral vegetable oil...canola, etc.? Not something like olive oil (light or otherwise) which might add off tastes to the distillate?

Butter wont hurt a damned thing, WONT change the taste of distillate.I ain't never used oil so I would not recommend it. Butter is used in canning jelly as a anti foaming agent
all the time.

I've buttered the sides of more than one old still, especially when running brandy. But I ain't ever thrown any in my keg, never needed it.

Way back we used real butter we made at home. I'm not sure if oleo or margarine would work the same as butter. But that stuff is made outa oil, not cream. So maybe that's where that came from.

I never noticed butter adding anything to the flavor of the product, bad or good.

[bentstick]

OR maybe get some commercial defoamer instead of butter... or oil...

happy stilling

FS

Nice fully is a good call right tool for right job,butter has worked for me,but I also dont use a rum yeast for making whiskey or Vodka either! Good advice

But to avoid all and any additives just heat it up slower,once to temp should not foam any more,and smaller charge,or bigger boiler,let it finish more, or even add a port where you can see it before it gets to the puke stage!

[W Pappy]

I agree the best is bigger boiler and give enough head room and run slower. That would be the correct way.

[Sippsy]

I reduced the amount I put in and that seemed to work nicely, I appreciate all the advice even for an obvious rookie mistake.
I ended up with about a gallon of 100 proof low wines from my stripping run. Will distill further after I return from vacation, then finish it up with filtering, then oaking for a few weeks and see how it sips.

[W Pappy]

Whoa hold your draws a tick!You tellin us you put 2 gallons of wash in a boiler and took off 1 gallon of low wines?

[Duckhunter431]

Hey guys this is my first post on this forum and I need help. I chose A sweet feed mash to go with for my first time. From following Kentucky shiner. Heres my problem it's been 2 day and my air lock has been goin crazy since after about 3 hours of sittin. But this morning (day 3) it was still bubbling real fast so I opened up my ferment vessel to look at it and now for the rest of the day it's only been bubbling slow did I mess with the fermentation process and was that bad. Or could it be done. I don't think it's done cause I know it take at least 7 days right?

[Bigbob]

When you opened the lid you let all the CO2 out. It will start up again. Now go on over to the welcome center and properly introduce yourself!

[W Pappy]

If she is bubblin keep ya turnip skinners out!!Don't mess with a good thing son.
Read mah signature about patience.That will get ya a long ways in this hobby.

[Duckhunter431]

Thanks guys I appriciate it

[jmashspirits14]

This recipe is for a sweet feed sugar wash, is it possible to mash using enzymes or malt too make a smoother whiskey or is this stuff really that smooth and amylase isnt needed? Anytime I run a mash or wash that is over 10% abv my buddies bitch that its too hot. I run my still very slow and I keep my condensing water at a consistant 35f. I made an apple brandy and a corn wash that were both 13.1% and 13.3% abv and they thought it was hot. I didnt think it was that bad but it was a little hot so im aging it at 110 proof with American White Oak. This wash having molasses and adding 7lb more sugar would produce about a 12-13% abv wont it? Id like to make this with enzymes but ive never mashed a feed already containing sugar. Any advice?

[S-Cackalacky]

If you mash it, the grain bill will change and it won't be this recipe. You'll need about 2 lbs. grain per 1 gallon of water. If you plan to use liquid enzymes, combine equal parts of each grain, cook, and mash. I would add the molasses when you're ready to ferment. If you're using barley malt for the conversion, you might just use that as a substitute for the normal barley component and add it at mashing temp. You'll probably also want to mill the grains to get a good conversion.

That all said, I think I would be hard pressed to add molasses to what could be a really good whiskey recipe. But if you really like rumskey, go for it. If you do it, let us know how it turns out.

[Antler24]

That all said, I think I would be hard pressed to add molasses to what could be a really good whiskey recipe. But if you really like rumskey, go for it. If you do it, let us know how it turns out.

I don't think he meant he would add molasses. Most sweetfeed already has molasses doesn't it?

[S-Cackalacky]

That all said, I think I would be hard pressed to add molasses to what could be a really good whiskey recipe. But if you really like rumskey, go for it. If you do it, let us know how it turns out.

I don't think he meant he would add molasses. Most sweetfeed already has molasses doesn't it?

I was suggesting that he make his own mix of grains and then add the molasses to the wort before fermenting. To get good conversion on the grains, they should be milled. Two problems with a bag of pre-mixed SF - it contains mostly whole grains which would need to be milled and second it contains molasses which would gum up the mill.

[Bigbob]

Jmash, you want to keep the ABV of the wash below 10%. You'll get a smoother drink. Plus there are posts about doing a sweet feed AG mash, you don't want to add sugar if your doing that. Just doing the recipe as is has been very successful for me. Good luck with it.

[W Pappy]

Jmash most sugar heads have a hotness about them,and if you run a wash that is over 10% abv fast they will bite your face off.
8-10% abv will be fine, the closer to 8% ya get the better a drop ya get.If ya single footin don't push er too hard.
If ya gonna do a spirit run give er hell and strip er clean.Then do a slow spirit run nice and easy.

[jmashspirits14]

I have the Producers Pride All Grain from TSC and I made the recipe as is except I only used 1.5tsp of Red Star Distillers Active Dry Yeast because I personally thought that 8 tbsps seems a bit waste full and I have had great success using this amount with all my 5 gal batches. I usually use yeast nutrient with high sugar washes but it says with all the molasses and the 3 types of grain that yeast nutrient isnt needed. Now mine may not ferment in 4 days but I am ok with an 8-12 day ferment. This stuff says it contains a touch of molasses but the water turned almost black there is so much in the feed. My SG suggest this wash will produce a 10% abv. I ran a AG Mash the other day that was 5.4 abv and only yeilded 2/3 of a quart after blending and proofing, I wont be doing that again. I cant use any more grain than 7lbs for an enzyme mash because my cooking pot is 5gal so I dont have enough room for 8-10lb of grain plus 6.5 gal of water. Does anyone know where to get a 10 gal cook pot for a reasonable price and is a restaurant quality aluminum stock pot ok to just cook mash in? I dont think ill try enzymes with this feed because the corn is crushed but the oats and barely is whole and the enzymes work best with all ground or crushed grain. I just wonder if anyone has tried boosting abv in AGs with pure corn starch. I wouldnt know how much to use though.