First AG Mash

[tzzler44]

I've been homebrewing for a while but this was my first AG mash geared specifically for distillation.

Usually in homebrew you mash a little higher than 150*F, depending on the style, because you want a little unfermentable sugar in the end product. I mashed 4 gallons of water with 10 pounds of grain for 60 minutes at 150*, drained the wort then batch sparged with 2.5 gallons at 170*F with a 20 minute rest. I ended up collecting about 6 gallons of wort.

I rehydrated some US-05 yeast while the wort chilled with my immersion chiller and pitched when the wort hit 70*. My OG was 1.050, I'm expecting to finish with about 5% abv.

My plan is to run my bokakob low and slow in pot still mode for a couple pints to try my hand at some bourbon, then strip the rest out for a spirit run later.

[ShineRunner]

What was your grain bill?

I might go even lower on your temp. I usually do 145-147 for maximum fermentables. You could even go lower than that..

SR

[tzzler44]

I kept it simple, 10 pounds of 2-row.

The homebrewer in me reallyyyyyyy has a problem going much lower than 150* but I guess I need to realize beer for drinking and beer for distilling are two different beasts.

[ShineRunner]

I understand.. But just try to imagine you're making a Belgian beer. They're usually mashed low to get a dry beer.

https://missionarybrewer.files.wordpres ... r_mash.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[still_stirrin]

The homebrewer in me reallyyyyyyy has a problem going much lower than 150* but I guess I need to realize beer for drinking and beer for distilling are two different beasts.

Understand this well, as I too have brewed all grain beers for 25+ years, even in a commercial brewery. If anything, you especially should know and appreciate the mash temperature protocols. And realize that your target when distilling is for a wort to be maximally fermentable. You KNOW these things and therefore, as a longtime beer brewer, you should use the tools to your advantage.

With an all-malt recipe, you will have the makings of a very nice whiskey. Make conservative cuts and properly age it and you'll be rewarded early in your distilling journey.

And remember (quoting Georgia Flatwoods here), "patience is the hardest thing to put into the bottle".
ss

[Shine0n]

Congrats on your first

I just last weekend completed my first AG run of honey bear bourbon and must say it's a fine recipe.

3 weeks ago was my first attempt and found out that temp are VERY important, I forgot to reset my digital thermometer. I denatured 35 lbs of malt and had to make a sugar head with it. Fortunately it tasted fine and is aging but it was a lesson learned.

The next batch went perfect since I went ocd on my protocols and now have a gallon of HBB on oak for a year.

All barley is on my list very soon and hope to make a variety of AG for aging.

Good luck and keep us posted on the progress (good and bad)

Shine0n

[Saltbush Bill]

My plan is to run my bokakob low and slow in pot still mode for a couple pints to try my hand at some bourbon, then strip the rest out for a spirit run later.

I'm not sure that your going to end up with bourbon that way, more likely something with a lot of fores and heads in it.
Best have a read through Kiwis guide to cuts before you get that far.

[bitter]

Nice job.. Agree on the temp a little lower will get more ferment-ability

Take a look at this thread for my proticol for barley (I used 1/2 malt 1/2 unmalted to cut costs)
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... lit=+irish

My last mash of the above recipe fermented down to .997 using Nottingham yeast fermenting at about 60F

B

[ShineRunner]

My "single malt" with specialty grains just finished up. I'm going to strip it today. Started at 1.058 and finished at .998, with us-05. Mashed in a cooler at 147-146

It'll be interesting to see what yours ends up at.

SR