uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

[Deerhunter]

I've had 2 gallons of backset from a 3rd Gen. of UJSSM in the frig for about 2 months or more maybe. Wanted to use it today because my wife wanted it outta the frig. Had a very sour smell to it. I didn't want to take the chance so I dumped them both. We all know how bad backset smells to begin with. I just wasn't sure that this was still good. I could have dumped perfectly fine backset down the drain but I didn't want to take the chance in ruining my next ferment.

[HDNB]

i would have suggested using it. some guys say scrape the mould off and give 'er. i've used over a month old backset...thankfully no mould though...

[jedneck]

i would have suggested using it. some guys say scrape the mould off and give 'er. i've used over a month old backset...thankfully no mould though...

Me to, long as it don't smell worse than the normal lovely smell of uj backset..

[Pirata]

How long will the back set last stored at room temperature? I believe I read on here that Rum dunder is best at 7 to 21 days. Would that work with the corn backset too? I have very little refrigeration space right now.

[Antler24]

I been drinking everything as fast as I can make it lately, other than a gallon of ujsm I've had on oak since March. I just filtered it 3x through coffee filters tonight and I think I've over oaked it. It's got some good corn flavour but it's got an overwhelming woody taste I can't really describe. Only way I can put it is it tastes the way building lumber smells. I really didn't think I had a lot of oak in there, just two 5"x3/4"x3/4" charred white oak sticks in a gallon jug full.
I'm doing another spirit run of ujsm this week sometime so I'll just have to cut down the aged stuff to get it to my liking. On the bright side I'll get more drinkin likker from it. Maybe I'll put the gallon back on the shelf and just drink the excess lol

[still_stirrin]

....it's got an overwhelming woody taste I can't really describe. Only way I can put it is it tastes the way building lumber smells. I really didn't think I had a lot of oak in there, just two 5"x3/4"x3/4" charred white oak sticks in a gallon jug full...Maybe I'll put the gallon back on the shelf and just drink the excess...

+1 Just wait on it. It's young. That "woody" character will subdue with time into more complex flavors. Cinnamon, vanilla, toast, and so on. And the corn flavor brings a little butternut character too. Look for it...look forward to it.
ss

[ranger_ric]

According to our good buddy GA Flatwoods, "The hardest thing to add to a bottle of shine is patience"

WORD!

Carry On
RR

[T-Pee]

....it's got an overwhelming woody taste I can't really describe. Only way I can put it is it tastes the way building lumber smells. I really didn't think I had a lot of oak in there, just two 5"x3/4"x3/4" charred white oak sticks in a gallon jug full...Maybe I'll put the gallon back on the shelf and just drink the excess...

+1 Just wait on it. It's young. That "woody" character will subdue with time into more complex flavors. Cinnamon, vanilla, toast, and so on. And the corn flavor brings a little butternut character too. Look for it...look forward to it.
ss

Toasted and charred or just charred? Charring is more of a filter than anything. The flavoring comes from toasting at various temps,imo. Correct me if I'm wrong.

tp

[Antler24]

About 75% of the oak is charred. The rest was charred. Ok I'll stick it somewhere out of site and try to forget about it. Thanks for the tips guys.

[S-Cackalacky]

What was the source of the wood? Was it properly seasoned? How was it toasted/charred? All considerations that might effect the result.

[Antler24]

What was the source of the wood? Was it properly seasoned? How was it toasted/charred? All considerations that might effect the result.

No idea really. It was bought from a homebrew supply store. Guy said it was for aging spirits. It came with a med-dark toast and I charred it myself with a propane torch.

[T-Pee]

Medium-dark sounds burnt. As in acrid.

tp

[Antler24]

It looks just like this before I charred it.

[T-Pee]

That looks dark and overdone. Mine doesn't change shade when toasted at 400 degrees in foil.

...other than a gallon of ujsm I've had on oak since March...

That should have mellowed three months ago.

tp

[HDNB]

i've had the woody lumber smell when oaking at too low of a proof. i try to stick around 62% now. the good news is with more time the other flavours will come across and the lumber will mellow...maybe 9 months? you could also cut with higher proof to lift it's spirits a bit.
The wood looks a little dark to me too. maybe it is a european oak? the brew stores like that for wine. does it have a spicer pepper note? that would almost for sure confirm it as euro-oak.
medium or heavy toast as a descriptor, and being from a brew store makes me think it is euro, for wine. i really like it in small quantities in my bourbon, but i mix it in the 10-20% range with 80-90% of 380* toast, heavy char 'merican white oak, for the balance i'm looking for.
and i'm completely sold on adding a 1/4 inch, per gallon, fresh Madagascar vanilla bean. knocks the corners off and makes it smell wonderful.

[Antler24]

i've had the woody lumber smell when oaking at too low of a proof. i try to stick around 62% now. the good news is with more time the other flavours will come across and the lumber will mellow...maybe 9 months? you could also cut with higher proof to lift it's spirits a bit.
The wood looks a little dark to me too. maybe it is a european oak? the brew stores like that for wine. does it have a spicer pepper note? that would almost for sure confirm it as euro-oak.
medium or heavy toast as a descriptor, and being from a brew store makes me think it is euro, for wine. i really like it in small quantities in my bourbon, but i mix it in the 10-20% range with 80-90% of 380* toast, heavy char 'merican white oak, for the balance i'm looking for.
and i'm completely sold on adding a 1/4 inch, per gallon, fresh Madagascar vanilla bean. knocks the corners off and makes it smell wonderful.

I called the homebrew store tonight and the guy said it was french oak. It was 60%abv when I put it on oak and its dropped to 56%. I took it off the oak so I'm just gonna stow it away and see what happens. If it doesn't mellow I'll cut it with white dog.

[HDNB]

all is not lost, blend with some american white oak with a lighter toast and a good char, add some hi proof white dawg and everything will sort itself in a few weeks!

if you are like me and don't happen to have a forest of oak nearby, the BBQ section is a good place to look for chunks of used barrel staves. clean 'em up, knock off the outside of the old barrel, re toast, re char... i'm not so much for chips if they can be avoided you'll be happier.

[raketemensch]

I scooped out about 4 cups of spent corn today (from a 5-gallon ferment), and wanted to add some pearl barley, since we had a 25-pound bag in the basement.

I added 2 cups, then realized that it's already grey... Since grey is how I decide which corn to scoop out, I wasn't sure how to tell if the barley is spent, so I replaced those final 2 cups with fresh corn.

Of course, in the end I'm usually just scooping the top inch or so off the trub bed -- is that safe to do with barley/rye, or do they tend to get mixed more into the trub because of different weight and/or mass?

[jedneck]

When I do uj I use a mix of corn oats and barley. I just replace what I scoop out with same volume.

[raketemensch]

When I do uj I use a mix of corn oats and barley. I just replace what I scoop out with same volume.

Thanks, that's good to know. Oats sound pretty tasty, too.

[jedneck]

When I do uj I use a mix of corn oats and barley. I just replace what I scoop out with same volume.

Thanks, that's good to know. Oats sound pretty tasty, too.

They are said to be smooth. The reviews I got on mine was creamy.

[raketemensch]

Alright, one more question...

I'm moving from a 5-gallon fermenter to a 25-gallon one this weekend. I saved extra backset from the last 2 runs, so I have ~3 gallons of it, if that'd be a good idea to use.

I just started up the 3rd gen yesterday, so I'd like to transfer that to the larger wash, if I can. It seems like right now might be a good time time to move it, since the yeast just got all fired up, but I'm more than ready to be wrong about that.

What would be the best practice for going from the smaller to larger fermenter?

[jedneck]

Alright, one more question...

I'm moving from a 5-gallon fermenter to a 25-gallon one this weekend. I saved extra backset from the last 2 runs, so I have ~3 gallons of it, if that'd be a good idea to use.

I just started up the 3rd gen yesterday, so I'd like to transfer that to the larger wash, if I can. It seems like right now might be a good time time to move it, since the yeast just got all fired up, but I'm more than ready to be wrong about that.

What would be the best practice for going from the smaller to larger fermenter?

Mix up your larger ferment and dump the smaller ferment into it. Make sure you have plenty of headspace, it might take off like a snowbunny on meth.

[raketemensch]

Mix up your larger ferment and dump the smaller ferment into it. Make sure you have plenty of headspace, it might take off like a snowbunny on meth.

Do I still need to pitch yeast?

It's a 25-gallon ferment in a 32-gallon can, so I'm hoping that 7 gallons of headspace will be enough.

[jedneck]

Mix up your larger ferment and dump the smaller ferment into it. Make sure you have plenty of headspace, it might take off like a snowbunny on meth.

Do I still need to pitch yeast?

It's a 25-gallon ferment in a 32-gallon can, so I'm hoping that 7 gallons of headspace will be enough.

Should be good yeast in small ferment.

[raketemensch]

Should be good yeast in small ferment.

Thanks again. It's bubbling away happily in the 5-gallon bucket, with no idea of the gift it's about to receive. Lucky little yeasties, it'll be like one of those videos where they let a dog out of its crate for the first time, and set it loose in a field.

I'd love to start it now, but I need to put together a 7-gallon all bran wash tomorrow to do cleaning runs on the stockpot and the keg/column. I picked up a Brute at HD on the way home tonight, and 3 gallons of vinegar. I'm hoping that the 30-amp breaker arrives in time to do the keg cleaning run on 5500 watts, but I'll do it at 120/1375 watts if need be.

[Snackson]

Mixed up 10 gallons today. Shared some of my 3-month old with a buddy after it was nuke aged and sat in a jar for a few months and he thought it was some high dollar whiskey! When I told him I made it, he wanted more. Now he wants me to teach him how to do it all.

[bitter]

I am oaking the T-pee way. This is 2 G of Gen 3 UJSSM. Right is a mix of chard and toasted. Left is toasted only.

This pic was after 2 months on oak. You'll get a nice product with this. Last 2 generations really comming on with the flavor. Only change I made was I used about 15-20% Rye flakes.



Now for for the bad and something I am learning. Gen 4 is done and ran (Got another gallon there from the weekend) and the Rye is about 1/2 used up. No easy way to separate the rye flakes. Going to have to restart with fresh gain soon due to the fact impossible to get the rye flakes picked out from the still good corn. I am still replaced and white/float corn each generation. I think the 5th gen will be the peak. I cut the backset down this run to as last one slowed a lot at the end and took an extra week or so to finish. Also worried about temps as house getting cold... going to need heat to keep the ferment going soon.

B

[HDNB]

i think gen 18 was the best one for me. i mixed something in there, malt 2 row i think.

i'd say at gen 5 you are just getting a good head of steam built up...keep pouring the coal to it! The rye will go away in the next gen if you do not add anymore.

consider running the feints back with the next wash, unless you are saving up for neutral.

[bitter]

Thank HDBN,

I am trying to keep it going but house temps not helping things... in the mid 60's and things definitely not fermenting at a reasonable rate. Might be done for the year till spring after this bunch. Will keep some backset to restart if that is the end result.

I did not run the feints back into the run this time but I did last time. I figure I need some neutral anyways. That 2.5G is between 55 and 65% also so a good amount of alcohol in there... Maybe will just run with my last run for the year if thats how things turn out... should be a good haul and give 2-3G of drinkable after cuts.

B