uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

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Deezil
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by Deezil »

well, been enjoying this stuff white for a couple days, made some apple pie with it, took some proofed to 40%, added some whiskey essence, and its good! Glad I made the change to this from SF!

Thanks Uncle Jesse!
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by Deezil »

that said, I think I screwed it up (results of pouring the shine in before the last run?), just did a gravity test after its been fermenting and bubbling for a week, its at 1.03! The last run after a week was .89 , this would be the second sour ferment.

I did not take an SG sorry. wish I did so I know where it was... I guess Ill let it keep clearing and see what it does.
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by HDNB »

deezil, i got a similar thing going on. i'm on gen4 and i siphoned off a nice clear beer today to run and halfway through the boiler fill i tasted it and it was a bit sweet.
(apparently i was starting to think i knew what i was doing and did not measure it)
so i checked the sg and it was still at 1.01, but the ferment seemed to stop (bubbling) 3 days ago and it cleared nicely so i was just plowing ahead.
since i had the boiler full and i'm never one to let fear and common sense stand in my way, i decided to run it -sweet and all.

then i had an idea :idea:

hey, i got all these stripping runs saved up.. and since this ferment was not complete, i dumped about 5 litres of 53% into the wash and lit 'er up.

the result is imho, outstanding!! ended up with about 10L of 53% (average) and the middle came out at 64,60, 55, 50 with a great subtle flavour and 4 different complications of flavour. it was a bit sweet, obviously some of the sugar got through but i think it will age really well and i won't have to add the agave syrup i have been doing to enjoy it.

i'm calling this a happy accident!

i added water to the grain bed and it started bubbling like mad, so i'm guessing that i added too much sugar on the last gen, and the yeast just ran out of water to swim in. I tapped it back a bit this time to see if i can level out the ferment and get back to a 7-8% potential wash and save my 5th gen.

i guess what i'm saying is: watch the numbers and don't get too crazy with the sugar when you are refreshing the ferment...maybe add a bit of water and see if yours finishes down under 1.
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by Deezil »

cool, Ill check my gravity tonight and make sure its still going as it should, maybe Ill add new yeast or something? Or start over, the first sweet run was done in 5 days, so something has changed for sure.
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by T-Pee »

Warm it up and give it a stir maybe?

tp
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by Deezil »

Its been pretty warm, Ill try another gravity reading after work, and give it a stir. I hasn't cleared like the other two rounds have, so it must not be done yet. Ill report back!
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by T-Pee »

Deezil wrote:I hasn't cleared like the other two rounds have, so it must not be done yet.
Exactly!

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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by Deezil »

I just wondered if I ruined it when I added the shine into the mash a run ago.. dang noobs anyway. :) I have a second fermenter, might start another batch anyway.
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by T-Pee »

Deezil wrote:I just wondered if I ruined it when I added the shine into the mash a run ago.. dang noobs anyway. :)
Not unless the alky % was high enough to kill the yeast.
I have a second fermenter, might start another batch anyway.
Fill that puppy up, bro! I have three 10 gallon ferments going at a a time...a UJSSM, a Birdwatcher's and an apple sugarhead right now. :thumbup:

tp
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by Deezil »

Im beginning to see the need to convert over a keg, my little 5gal pot is starting to look too small!

That said, still sippin the stuff from the last run (first sour run), I dig it, I put some on JD barrel chips last night, will check on that later. Ive been putting whiskey essence in some and that's pretty good actually. Having fun over here! :thumbup:
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by T-Pee »

Try a cinnamon stick along with the chips in a quart. Should only need a 48 hour soak. You'll be surprised.

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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by Deezil »

T-Pee wrote:Try a cinnamon stick along with the chips in a quart. Should only need a 48 hour soak. You'll be surprised.

tp
Will do, thanks!
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by planethax »

Prairiepiss wrote:
hemistude wrote:I've read most all of this topic and wanted to see if I've got the basics well enough. I tried to put the whole UJSSM process down in a few simple lines using a very few mods to make it easier for me. I still have a few areas where I'm uncertain so any help is welcome. I think I've got it boiled down pretty well without going into serious detail. I decided to use corn syrup rather than cane sugar and I've had great luck with EC-1118 yeast.

I put a batch of NChooch's Carolina Bourbon all-grain in the fermenter over the weekend and my arms are still tired from stirring. I decided to go with 5 or 6 rounds of Uncle Jesse's next time.

Here goes:

Uncle Jesse’s Simple Sour Mash (personalized) 10 gal batches

1. Add 14 pounds of cracked corn and 7 gallons of boiling water to the fermenter
2. Add 15 pounds of white corn syrup to the hot mixture to dissolve sugar. Stir well
3. Top the fermenter to 11 gallons with cool water
4. After the fermenter has cooled to 85F, pitch 4 packets of hydrated EC-1118 yeast
4 packages is more then really needed. I would rehydrated one package. And make a starter. I would also not use EC-1118. If you have an disliking to bakers yeast. I would use DADY or a good beer yeast.
5. Record specific gravity, cover fermenter and place airlock
6. After fermentation, record ending gravity and siphon all clear liquid into the distiller
7. Immediately add 7 gallons of ambient temperature water to the fermenter to keep yeast alive
I would only add enough to cover the trub. At this point.
8. Perform the stripping run, discarding foreshots and saving everything down to 20% ABV
9. Set aside the resulting strip for a combined spirit run after accumulating 5-6 gallons
a. On the spirit run, first cut the strip to 40% with fresh water
b. Discard foreshots, Distill down to 20% ABV and make cuts
c. Accumulate feints for later re-use in a feints-only spirit run
10. Retain 2-1/2 gallons of hot backset and dissolve 15 more pounds of corn syrup while its still hot. Stir well
11. Allow sweet backset to cool to 160F. Add to the fermenter on top of the fresh water added earlier
I would use the water I didn't add earlier. To drop the temp of the backset to 80 ish deg f. Maybe lower with the EC-1118?
12. Collect any floating corn and replace with fresh corn
Should be done after racking.
13. Adjust fermenter temp to between 75 and 85F by adding hot or cold water as appropriate to top the fermenter off at 11 gallons
14. Return to step 5, repeating the process for up to six cycles before tossing the whole mess and starting again (retain 2-1/2 gallons of final backset for use in the next new batch)

Some questions:
Should I add a little new yeast with each subsequent batch?
No.
Do I need to add nutrient on subsequent batches?
Maybe? But a regular removal and addition of grains. Should be enough.
Should I stir the old yeast bed and corn after siphoning the wash but before adding fresh water?
Pouring the water in will do this.
Is 2-1/2 gallons of backset per batch appropriate? Too much, too little?
Note: My arbitrary 11 gallon mark should result in nearly 10 gallons of wash per batch.
I bet it will be less then 10 gal. Those grains and trub bed. Will hold a lot more liquid then you think.

All comments/corrections/criticisms are welcome. Thanks in advance!

Hemistude
Sorry Just quoting this post so I can find it at a later date.
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by Deezil »

tested the gravity last night, still 1.03, and its a aerated white color liquid yet... I gave it a good stir which released a lot of air from the bottom. See what it does this week I guess, tomorrow Ill start a second batch in my other fermenter...

Tested the white on the JD wood chips, after 24hrs WOW was it good! Exactly what Ive been wanting to make. Now to master the mash and Im good to go!
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by baron4406 »

Just want to add to this recipe, I did 30 generations of this recipe last year, and only used one yeast packet to start. I'd highly recommend Nottingham Ale yeast, re-hydrated. Its a great " no frills" yeast that will take a licking, and keep on ticking. I'm even starting to use it in my beer recipes mostly on IPA's. It will also ferment in very cool temps.
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by barefoot »

Just finished my second run of Ujssm. Took all collection on first run and used it for the feints for second run. I'm using a 30" tall pot tower with some copper packing. I collected 6+ quarts today on second run. Straight off the still this stuff tastes awesome and smells great. started coming out at 170 and finished around 120 and very cloudy. I needed to clean up the area my still was at so I sealed off all jars for a few hours and then opened them back up to air out. The first one I opened had a completely different smell and taste then when It was fresh off the still. This came from a pint jar collected a few jars into the run. What should be the good stuff? My question is will it air out to something similar to straight from still smell and taste? How long do you suggest airing it out? Like I said it was great straight from still.

Now to figure out what to use for aging. I have some oak chips, just trying to see what's the best.
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

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barefoot wrote:Now to figure out what to use for aging. I have some oak chips, just trying to see what's the best.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=4

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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by HDNB »

oooo....i can't believe i'm writing this, almost like i know something....barefoot, you need some some more reading time.
i'm collecting this to 30, and its clear as glass. suggested reading is:
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=11640
for the "cuts" thats the good stuff... and
TP's link for the aging.
if you cut off at 120, that's where i find the "good stuff" starts and runs down to 80 (for me) others like more heads, some like more tails.
if you are getting cloudy at 120, somethings wrong...my guess would be too much input heat, and it's pukeing.... but you should research this more or hope one of the more experienced guys can give you a shortcut to a solution.
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by Deezil »

just tested mine again, 1.02 now, its been two weeks come sunday... longest wait yet..

My other batch I started two days ago, its at 1.05 g and bubbling like crazy
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by T-Pee »

How's the pH doing?
I've got one running slow too. I might just pull the corn, replace a quarter of it, start with fresh yeast, 2 gallons of backset and see what happens.
8 gallon ferment, btw.

tp
Last edited by T-Pee on Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

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I don't know how to test that?
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by Deezil »

it taste like sweetish beer, would adding new yeast get it back to normal speeds?
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

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Deezil wrote:I don't know how to test that?
pH test strips like folk use on the concrete swimmin' hole. Available at your local brew shop. You want to run about a 5.
it taste like sweetish beer, would adding new yeast get it back to normal speeds?
Not at this point. Yeast is added at the start and the wash is aerated which is what allow the yeast to reproduce and they do so until the available O2 runs out. Once is does, that's when they start producing ethanol and CO2.

What's the wash temp right now?

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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by Deezil »

temp is in my living room, at 72deg
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by T-Pee »

Image

At this point I just let mine run and it finished off yesterday.

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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by Deezil »

checked it again, still at 1.02g, its been 2.5weeks almost, when I get time Ill run it and start a new mash, this one must be no good anymore....

My other new batch I started last wed. is down to just under 1.0 already, from 1.05!
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by HDNB »

just an idea:

if you had too much sugar for the yeast it will stop. for example....if the yeast you ae using can only withstand 12%abv and your sugar gave you a 14% potential, the yeast run out of swimmin' water and stop working...so your final does not finish to under 1....add some more water, the yeast goes back to work. that's perhaps why most suggest this recipe start at about 8% -10% potential.

i racked some off and put some water on the grain trub and it took right off again.

on another note, i had some week old backset.
yesterday I racked a (different) pail and it smells great...then i put some water with a tablespoon of sugar on the grain trub. four hours later it was happily bubbling along.
so i mixed 5kg of sugar into a 25% mix of backset and fresh water. mixed the two together and mixed back and forth many times then topped off the pails with fresh water. and added 4 cups of the same cracked corn i been using all along. gave me a start at 8% potential.
today i go to check the ferement and it's bubbling away like normal, but 1 pail smells like a bad fart and the other maybe a bit off and kinda corny but pretty normal overall. i stirred and aired out, came back a half hour later....same result smelled like shit. :problem:

i threw it all out in the slough for the ducks. any idea why this would happen?
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by One Sock »

@Deezil: Might be the feints you accidentally added drove the abv too high for the yeast, run it and use as feints for the next run.

@HDNB: Sounds like an infection may have set in? Mixing and fussing too much allows air borne nasties to get in, but sometimes the wash can smell funky to begin with and gets better after a couple days.
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by Deezil »

How long can a backset wait before you must use it?
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Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

Post by BoisBlancBoy »

Deezil wrote:How long can a backset wait before you must use it?
I would assume you could store it for quiet some time because of the PH.
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