My first all grain run (Jimbo's with photos)

Many like to post about a first successful ferment (or first all grain mash), or first still built/bought or first good run of the still. Tell us about all of these great times here.
Pics are VERY welcome, we drool over pretty copper 8)

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jon1163
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My first all grain run (Jimbo's with photos)

Post by jon1163 »

I've been distilling for a couple of years but have only run sugar heads, sugar washes, and fruit mashes so far. I just got through with two birdwatcher runs and they were my first without using Turbo yeast. I learned that I will never again use that garbage.

I decided to write a short blog on my first all grain experience which would never have been successful without all those who contribute to this forum. I would like to especially thank Jimbo, stillstirrin, HDNB, Bayoushine, and Truckinbutch. I'm leaving some out I am sure so thank you to those as well.

I run a dual-purpose, 8 gallon, stainless steel rig from Mile-High Distilling. Currently I use a 110 volt heating element connected to an electric controller. I run my still as a pot still and don't mess with the reflux much. It seems to require too much energy for my heating element and I don't like to buy propane on a regular basis. I use no packing in the column on my stripping runs and several rolls of copper on the spirit runs. I use a parrot on stripping runs and collect heads, hearts, and tails in a carboy. For spirit runs I discard the parrot and collect in small jars.

I began with Jimbo's Easy Half/barrel wheated bourbon and Gumballhead. Now that's a mouthful so I'll just refer to it as Jimbo's easy bourbon-no offense Jimbo... I scaled the recipe to two six-gallon batches. I didn't bother using cracked corn. I'm lazy and have a great hookup for flaked maize.

My first batch was as follows:
6 gallons water
7.5 ml lactic acid
2 tsp gypsum
10 lbs flaked maize
2.5 lbs wheat malt
1.5 lbs 6-row
2 packs of Sahale US-05 (one was pitched at 145 degrees and killed) the other pitched later. (note: I'm not really sure what this does but people say it gives the yeast something to munch on...I thought yeast only ate sugar but whatever. It's kind of like some Catholic dogma...I'll just accept it and move on.)

Step 1: I brought the 6 gallons of water (I have an Artesian well near my house that I normally go to get water but its dried up recently due to a hot dry Summer. I used Spring water from the store) to 150 degrees using a gas cooker.

Step 2: I took one cup of the water, whisked in the gypsum and lactic acid, and then pitched it back into the six gallons.

Step 3: With the grain sitting in my 10 gallon igloo mashtun I poured the water over it at a striking temperature of 150 degrees. I stirred it up and closed the lid. Over the next 90 minutes I opened the mashtun briefly and stirred the mash every 15 minutes. I quickly shut the lid to maintain the temperature.

Step 4: I pitched one pack of yeast at 145 degrees and then cooled the mash to 80 degrees before pitching the next one.

At this point the mash smelled good enough to eat. I ate a spoonful of it - could have eaten a bowl, and poured it all into my fermenter.
20170923_100627.jpg
At seven days my ferment was still bubbling and cracking. I did open it up twice over that time to stir it around. On day 8 I opened up the fermenter and stuck my nose near the cap to take a big whiff. I got a noseful of something...not unpleasant but it stung my nose. It stung deep like vinegar does or more like smelling a carbonated beverage and getting some of the carbonate in your sinuses. I tasted the mash and it tasted good but sour-not sweet. I took a reading and saw it was 1.00.

Step 5: I got a brewers bag and lined my boiling pot. I poured the mash into the bag and pot and then hoisted the pot up by a rope to squeeze out all the liquid. I was left with just about five gallons of yellow liquid. I poured this into a five gallon carboy and placed it in to the fridge.
20170923_100627.jpg
After a day it settled nicely. I am racking this off tonight to run.

I brought five gallons of water to 80 degrees and stirred in 8 pounds of table sugar. I pitched this, along with the spent grain that I squeezed out, back into the fermenter on top of all the sludge left in the bottom of the fermenter. I sealed it back up with an airlock and set it out to ferment the gumballhead. As of this posting it is pleasantly bubbling.

I'll update as things progress.
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HDNB
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Re: My first all grain run (Jimbo's with photos)

Post by HDNB »

nice work.
for future, you may want to avoid that yeast at too hot a temp. I did that once, forgot to stir the mash and the outside temperature of the mash was 110*, after i put the yeast in i stirred and it shot to 125+. That mash stalled after a few hours, never to be restarted.
I finally quit drinking for good.

now i drink for evil.
OtisT
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Re: My first all grain run (Jimbo's with photos)

Post by OtisT »

I do believe that sting you felt was CO2.
Otis’ Pot and Thumper, Dimroth Condenser: Pot-n-Thumper/Dimroth
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jon1163
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Re: My first all grain run (Jimbo's with photos)

Post by jon1163 »

OtisT wrote:I do believe that sting you felt was CO2.
I was thinking that. Glad I have a second opinion.

So I started my run. Here it goes. Cheers to all of you.
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The Baker
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Re: My first all grain run (Jimbo's with photos)

Post by The Baker »

Neat set-up.

Maybe one day...sigh.

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Re: My first all grain run (Jimbo's with photos)

Post by jon1163 »

I ran my Jimbo's last night and obtained about a gallon and a half of distillate. I ran the still to 20-25 percent and then cut it off. I froze two gallons of backseat for the next batch.
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Re: My first all grain run (Jimbo's with photos)

Post by TDick »

jon1163 wrote:I ran my Jimbo's last night and obtained about a gallon and a half of distillate. I ran the still to 20-25 percent and then cut it off. I froze two gallons of backseat for the next batch.
Hey Jon!
Wanted to give you a nudge.
How about a one year update?
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