Home Distiller

The VERY first thing, is I HAVE been reading on the Forum.
That being said, here's what's on my to-do list.

I want to make a wheat bourbon AT SOME POINT.
Went to Farmers Co-op got 50# pounds of wheat & Cracked Corn @ $10.00.
I just put 5# of wheat in a bucket of rain water to start the malting process.
(Thought that's gonna take a while using malting process described on the HD website).
Question - If I'm malting wheat, do I need - or want - malt barley?

Planning to mash 4# Cracked Corn, 1# Malted Wheat with Baker's yeast each in five open 5 gallons buckets to ferment

While the wheat's soaking, I went to WalMart and noticed they had gallons of Hawaiian Punch for under 2 bucks.
Sounds time saving for a first sacrificial batch.
Thinking I'll add some invert sugar - maybe even turn it to Golden Syrup - and add Baker's yeast to ferment.

I still have to get copper tubing to connect thumper and worm. Opinions on the best length of tubing?

Also, after finishing that up, I'm going to scrub it down and run vinegar/water through it along with a couple of water runs to get some distilled water.
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Followed by the Alabama Punch.

Look forward to comments and constructive criticism.
Thanks!

Bamaberry wrote:I just put 5# of wheat in a bucket of rain water to start the malting process.
(Thought that's gonna take a while using malting process described on the HD website).

Have you ever malted cereal grains before? Are you prepared for the process? I hope you don't "drown" your wheat. Over hydration can adversely affect the enzyme activity and lead to spoilage.

Bamaberry wrote:Question - If I'm malting wheat, do I need - or want - malt barley?

Need....maybe not, if you are effective with your malting process. But, do you know how to do it? It isn't as easy as you might think...for beginners.

But a bourbon would benefit (flavor-wise) from barley malt. It's a key part of the taste profile of bourbon.

Bamaberry wrote:Planning to mash 4# Cracked Corn, 1# Malted Wheat with Baker's yeast each in five open 5 gallons buckets to ferment

I'd double that....10 lbs. grain in a 5 gallon bucket. Typically, 2 lb/gallon is a good starting point for an all grain recipe. But, with corn you may want to increase that to 2-1/2 lb/gallon, just because of your extract potential expectations. Maybe you're an experienced all grain brewer already so you know how to get the most extract out of the grains????

Bamaberry wrote:Look forward to comments and constructive criticism.

Posted.
ss

Well said ss, now about the cracked corn. You may get lower conversion with it and you'll have to cook the snot out of it which can be a pita from hell and sore arms unless you have an electric drill to ease your pain.

If possible and if this is your first ag try I'd go with cornmeal because of the simplicity of the mash. You can go with the no cook method and just dump boiling water in the corn meal, stir or mix the snot out of it and cover till it reaches 150f then add your malted grains. This way you have absolutely no chance of a scorch and will have a better conversion than cracked corn.

I'd also up the malted grain just a touch, I myself usually go 30% if corn is my base.

Shine0n

You want 7 or 8 worm coils, so about 25' if I remember correctly.
You can use a garden hose to mock it up, then measure.
Make sure it's "downhill" all the way. Dead spots are not good in a worm.

Sincere thanks for ALL the quick and helpful replies.
I did omit something that should have been the first line in my post.

I AM A NEWB!! Old enough not to be embarrassed to admit it.
I've read here and elsewhere and watched youtube videos - both good & ridiculous - So I know just enough to be dangerous!
The good news is that I know I have limitations. And with a lot of what I've read on HD, my first thought has been
"huh?"

My thought is to have sort of a two pronged "attack". At the same time I'm breaking in my still with sugar runs, I'll be preparing an All Grain Run.
"Success comes from experience. And experience comes from a bunch of failures." So it is.

So SS - my malting experience is limited to malted milk balls & chocolate malts at Sonic. My wheat was in the water for about 14 hours and has been draining in the pillowcase outside on an overcast day, 90 degrees. Tonight I'll soak again in new rain water, forecast down to about 75 degrees.

Appreciate the suggestion to bump up to 10# grain in the 5 gallon bucket. And after researching mash bills, I think I want to "tweak" the Weller/VanWinkle recipe.
(After all, if the people on HD weren't tweakers, we'd all be saying hello at the liquor store wouldn't we?)
I'm thinking 7 pounds corn (54%), 5 pounds malted wheat, 1 pound malted barley - you talked me into it. I ASSuME the barley will add flavor and help overcome any failures on my part in malting the wheat.

Looking forward to any other suggestions and THANKS AGAIN
BB
:Mr.Green:

Bamaberry wrote: "Success comes from experience. And experience comes from a bunch of failures."

No truer words have been said.

Just an update and a request for help.

Been letting my Hawaiian Punch/Invert Sugar Wash sit for over a week now. Loose barrel top, no airlock. Haven't bothered it for a while.

I BELIEVE my wheat is as malted as it's gonna get. Tropical storm finally moved on and it's been sitting in 90 degree sun for a couple of days.
Wondering if I need to put it in the oven.

Getting my rig finally put together and will need to do my cleaning runs and sacrificial sugar wash run.

Question is since this is my first run, what things in detail should I be looking for/learning from in the water and sacrificial runs?

Of course it will be a stripping run, but should I also do a "practice" spirit run as well?

Thanks!
BB

There's going to be a difference in a cleaning run and your sac run.
Cleaning run should be vinegar and water which will be like boiling water 212° and if you need to do the condenser don't turn on the water in order to steam it as well.
On the sac run there will be alc in there so the temp to boil will be lower, somewhere between 173° and 212°
MAKE SURE YOU CONDENSE EVERYTHING!!!!!

On your sac run I'd boil the snot out of it to make sure your condenser can handle the power you'll be throwing at it during a strip run.

Shine0n

Vinegar/water boil just let it boil and run for 30 to 45 minutes.
Don't cool the worm. Let it steam through.

Sacrificial: COOL THE WORM! Don't let alcohol vapor escape!
You'll get a tiny stream and drips of clear and possibly cloudy (grime) liquid.
Run for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Discard all runs. NO TASTING! I wouldn't re-introduce it as a practice strip run.
You've spent too much time getting the crap out. Don't put it back in.

Read up on cuts for your actual production spirit run, and "practice" then.
It's not tough in concept or action. Separate your cuts in small numbered jars.
Choose the middle jar when done (likely hearts), and start blending the good numbers from there.

Check this out...
Cuts: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11640

Is this helpful? [EDIT: Posted same time as Shine On]

Shine0n wrote:
..........boil the snot out of it........

So refined -