Honey Bear Bourbon

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

25 lbs of corn
3 lbs of honey malt
5 lbs red wheat
5 lbs white wheat
5 lbs pale

planning on doing a booners with the corn then adding the malts at a lower temp and using both enzymes

Good weekend for mashing and running! Just saying..

[Shiny Coke]

Good weekend for mashing and running! Just saying..

Yep! Just ran my first honey "wheat" bear (after accidentally doubling the wheat) and its awesome white. Not sure if I'm gonna oak it or not.
Inverted 14lbs sugar and got a sugar head on on the grain now.

Edit: - Thanks for the awesome recipe SOCD

[MichiganCornhusker]

and its awesome white. Not sure if I'm gonna oak it or not.

+1
I ended up leaving one bottle white and oaked the rest, but I know what you mean, this was very good after only a couple days airing.
I think it's that combo of just enough of the honey malt with the wheat that creates the magic.

[Oldvine Zin]

Happily fermenting and smelling great

[varocketry]

I think I'm gonna have to be in on this too. I really liked that HB Bourbon at TruckinButch's too. Ditto.

<hijack>
ShineOn / MichCH: Can you mention good (inexpensive) mailorder sources for these grains.? My cheap place only had a few, not the whole recipe!
<\hijack

[Shiny Coke]

I ended up deciding on 3 lightly charred sticks into the 3 gals at 60abv to see how she goes. Found me a grinder at a local thrift store for $5 so as soon as the sugar head comes out of the fermenting containers, I'm running it with the craked corn method and the right amount of wheat this time!

[Shiny Coke]

What final gravity do you guys usually hit with this? I've been using bakers yeast cake but having trouble getting below 1.020.
Edit - In the garage and above 70F. Now the temp has dropped, I've brought it into the family room in the basement and cranked the electric heat to 77-80F

[Oldvine Zin]

What final gravity do you guys usually hit with this? I've been using bakers yeast cake but having trouble getting below 1.020.
Edit - In the garage and above 70F. Now the temp has dropped, I've brought it into the family room in the basement and cranked the electric heat to 77-80F

I hit around .998 but the OG was pretty low to start hope to run it next week

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

That's a beautiful line up you got there.

All the Honey Bear going around has made me thirsty again.

So, tomorrow I am picking up grains for my first 55 gallon barrel mash. I am going to do my Honey Bear . I now have a 15 gallon still, the 55 Bartel to ferment, and means to store 11 gallons of low wines. Muahahaha... What better way to break her in.

I'm also brewing up my Honey Wheat beer this weekend, so in a couple weeks I'll have the pair. Good times

[Shiny Coke]

What final gravity do you guys usually hit with this? I've been using bakers yeast cake but having trouble getting below 1.020.
Edit - In the garage and above 70F. Now the temp has dropped, I've brought it into the family room in the basement and cranked the electric heat to 77-80F

I hit around .998 but the OG was pretty low to start hope to run it next week

35gal.JPG

After discussing with Der Wo on another thread, I think I'm mashing in too warm @ 152F (from my beer mashing experiences) thus not converting fermentables fully and leaving some sugars in the wort. He swears by his system of a step mash (though not what he calls it), where he adds a bit of malt early on, a little later and the bulk of it at 135F. Curious what you guys mash at to hit the big 0.

@ SOCD - hey if your honey wheat beer is as good as this honey bear bourbon, I'd love to take a look at it. Could you PM it to me?

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

I respect der woo, but I disagree with going that low, and putting that much effort into step mashing. I don't even do it with beer, let alone whiskey.

I did have second thoughts on the original posting of 152, because it depends on your mash tun, barrel, volume of product, etc. But either way, the target is 146 - 148. I don't just mash for an hour like beer, so you can mash for, for say 2-3 hours, and any unfermentables you make will convert the longer you go at any temp. Target of 148 will get you as dry as you want to go.

As far as the Honey Wheat Beer, no problem! I screened shotted the grain bill earlier, but can send you the full recipe if you like.

*Edit* Pm sent! I don't know your beer level of comfort, so let me know if you want more details.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

I think I'm gonna have to be in on this too. I really liked that HB Bourbon at TruckinButch's too. Ditto.

<hijack>
ShineOn / MichCH: Can you mention good (inexpensive) mailorder sources for these grains.? My cheap place only had a few, not the whole recipe!
<\hijack

Sorry, VA, just saw the ad on!

I love this place. Owner is a friend from another forum (beer). Type of guy you would be glad to support, and good prices on portioned grains.

http://www.brewhardware.com/Default.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[MichiganCornhusker]

... mailorder sources for these grains.?

Sorry, VA, I just saw this, too.
Bells brewery is 2 blocks from my place and their brew shop is quite stocked.
Jimbo has mentioned online places before with free shipping that sound great.
Honeyville is another online resource for bulk grains with cheap shipping and frequent specials.

I've been on the road for a few weeks, anxious to get back to my honey bear to see how it's taking the oak!

[Jimbo]

Jimbo has mentioned online places before with free shipping that sound great.

Buck a lb for base malt in the 10 lb sacks with free shipping on $59 orders. They have heaps of specialty grains too

https://www.morebeer.com/products/bries ... -malt.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

https://www.morebeer.com/category/brewi ... tml?page=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I've been on the road for a few weeks, anxious to get back to my honey bear to see how it's taking the oak!

I just emptied a 5g barrel, bourbon, 1 year on a new barrel. Its nice. The barrel is now full of breakfast stout

[amdamgraham]

Great stuff Shineon, I have been doing all AG, on-grain (electric double boiler) for a little over a year now and while I get beautiful aromas, the mouth-feel has been weak. I am going to incorporate your oats component and give that a shot. I've been doing 10lbs corn, grinding to not-quite cornmeal then 2lbs six row or 3lbs 2-row, though from what I understand the DPs are so high now even on traditionally lower DP grains that 3lbs has probably been unnecessary. I sometimes add a splash of AB amylase to be safe but I've loosely tested before and after and not seen much of an effect. I'll let you know how it goes. PS: for all you folks not distilling on grain, due to a volume issue I strained my last batch and distilled wash only and the aroma was noticeably reduced from the other batches I had done - there were other factors that could have also been accomplices in the reduced aroma but I'm a believer that on-grain is ideal for getting the best product!

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

50 gallons of heaven. Look at that cap! Love it! This picture was taken 2 hours after pitching! It was producing c02 within 3 hours. It's going beautiful.

[MichiganCornhusker]

It's going beautiful.

Indeed, cheers!
And a nice size batch, eh?

[Oldvine Zin]

50 gallons of heaven. Look at that cap!

Nice!!
I ran mine yesterday and just finished doing cuts. Kept a jar of middle hearts diluted to 40 abv -sips really nice.

Just enough to fill a gallon barrel

[MichiganCornhusker]

Lacto Bear.
I've been traveling for a few weeks and came home to this:

I skimmed off the lacto to try to make a sourdough bread starter and poured the rest into carboys to clear.
Hope to run it this weekend.

[Jimbo]

I laughed at your bread starter aspiration from that lacto growth. Thats awesome! I want to try a slice of that loaf!

[MichiganCornhusker]

I laughed at your bread starter aspiration from that lacto growth. Thats awesome! I want to try a slice of that loaf!

Waste not, want not. Starter is healthy and sour! I bring ya baguette.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

Lacto Bear.
I've been traveling for a few weeks and came home to this:

The attachment image.jpeg is no longer available

I skimmed off the lacto to try to make a sourdough bread starter and poured the rest into carboys to clear.
Hope to run it this weekend.

I'm stripping mine, too! Only got to 1.004, but it was steady.

From this (45 gallons) :

To this (44 gallons) :

I did have to squeeze half of it, due to it being corn meal. But I learned something tonight. It takes me an hour to squeeze ( mop bucket! ) 45 gallons, just like it took me an hour to squeeze 15 in smaller buckets.

I think it's the production effect... once the equipment is hot...

Sure, I did more reps, but honestly it didn't feel like more work to make 3 times the liquor with 3 times the size fermenter, still, e.t.c.

Let me know how the lacto bear comes out.

Oh! I almost forgot how great the wash taste, with that candy like scent. Almost want to carb and bottle some! Like licking honey crystal candy. Lol.

[MichiganCornhusker]

I'm gonna shoot the bear!

I'm stripping my latest batch of this fine whiskey today, cleanly fermented down to 0.998.
After seeing SS's beautiful wort pulled off from the grain in another post, I did this one off-grain myself for a change. I was going to bottle it and see how it compared to my normal on-grain versions.

But, then I noticed in my fridge that I still have several quarts of almost maple almost syrup that I boiled down to about 25:1 this spring but never boiled all the way down to syrup.
So I have hatched a plan to save a couple gallons of Honey Bear ferment to charge my thumper with, start the spirit run, and when clear of heads Shoot The Thumper with some of the maple sap.

Will keep ya posted.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

I'm gonna shoot the bear!

I'm stripping my latest batch of this fine whiskey today, cleanly fermented down to 0.998.
After seeing SS's beautiful wort pulled off from the grain in another post, I did this one off-grain myself for a change. I was going to bottle it and see how it compared to my normal on-grain versions.

But, then I noticed in my fridge that I still have several quarts of almost maple almost syrup that I boiled down to about 25:1 this spring but never boiled all the way down to syrup.
So I have hatched a plan to save a couple gallons of Honey Bear ferment to charge my thumper with, start the spirit run, and when clear of heads Shoot The Thumper with some of the maple sap.

Will keep ya posted.

I'm gonna shoot the bear!

I'm stripping my latest batch of this fine whiskey today, cleanly fermented down to 0.998.

This got me thinking, as most my all grains end just a fraction above 1.0. I never stress, as I do use alot of specialty grains. But you guys were ending pretty dry. Tested it in water...yup! Reads 1.004 in water, lol. Check your equipment kids!

[MichiganCornhusker]

Actually this is very dry for me.
I usually end up around 1.002 or 1.003 with all grains.
Although my rice this time went down to 0.992

[Oldvine Zin]

I drained a 1 gal barrel of almost 2 month panela rum and filled it back with my honey bear

Thinking about doing another batch or three after my honey bear sugarhead finishes, I have a virgin 5 gal Gibbs waiting for some goodness
OVV

[rager]

I'm gonna shoot the bear!


So I have hatched a plan to save a couple gallons of Honey Bear ferment to charge my thumper with, start the spirit run, and when clear of heads Shoot The Thumper with some of the maple sap.

Will keep ya posted.

id really like to try that. big fan of maple syrup in whiskeys as you know

[Shiny Coke]

To you guys using the 45gal barrels - do you use any kind of lid or are they open to the environment? I've been splitting my batches between 2 12gal fermenting buckets/cans and loosely placing a lid on them both then covering with a bed sheet.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

To you guys using the 45gal barrels - do you use any kind of lid or are they open to the environment? I've been splitting my batches between 2 12gal fermenting buckets/cans and loosely placing a lid on them both then covering with a bed sheet.

I just recently switched to the big barrel. But I waited for the 55 gallon HDPE locking cap to become available. Now I just put that lid on, but unscrew the 2 nuts on top. Just place them loosely over the hole.

Heard of people just putting a towel overt it to keep nasties out.

Prior to that, I ran this recipe and all recipes in (3) 6 gallon buckets with airlocks.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

Sipping on late hearts on a spirit run from originally 45 gallons of wash. Mmmmm. That honey flavor hearts at the end before tails is freaking awesome. Even white.

My first of three barrels of wash down! I asked for a new 5 gallon barrel from Gibbs this Christmas. Of course my first barrel will have to have honey Bear in it! I figure it will take me about 150 gallons of wash to get the 5 gallons. So, I'll cook up number 2 this weekend, and hopefully fill the barrel the day I get it!

Cheers.