My First Barley Mash

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.
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ratdog01
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My First Barley Mash

Post by ratdog01 »

My First Barley Mash

3 kg Barley 50% maris otter pale / amber malt both crushed
20 lts water
2 kg sugar
1 teaspoon amylase
1 pack whiskey yeast 20g
cooked as per this site says about 15mins at strike point then 65c for about 60mins poured in to tub with net in (tried net off left in tub)
SG 1.05
cooled down to about 26-28c put yeast in
been standing over night and is going like mad think i got some happy little yeast temp running at 26-28c

got a couple Qs
1 Grains left in or taken out
2 did i need the amylase

thanks

any feed back even if i got totally wrong
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still_stirrin
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by still_stirrin »

ratdog01 wrote: Sun Nov 29, 2020 9:23 am 1 Grains left in or taken out
Depends.

Some ferment “on the grain”, I don’t..I lauter my mashes.
ratdog01 wrote: Sun Nov 29, 2020 9:23 am 2 did i need the amylase
Nope.

The barley malt has all the necessary enzymes to mash without additional added. Of course, the added enzymes don’t “hurt”, but are unnecessary.
ss

edit-corrected spelling.
Last edited by still_stirrin on Sun Nov 29, 2020 10:23 am, edited 2 times in total.
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ratdog01
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by ratdog01 »

thank you

hoping to get about 10 - 12 % when done
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by Setsumi »

with a sg of 1.05 you will not get 10%, more like 6-7%. but that is just fine.

i am a bit worried on your statement of "cooked as per site" malt looses their enzymes if heated too much. 72 deg Celsius max.
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ratdog01
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by ratdog01 »

yer did strike point and dropped to 65c never went over 70 i hope but still learning been reading stuff on here and bloggs books and anythink i can find

thanks
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SaltyStaves
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by SaltyStaves »

How are you intending to distill such a small mash as this?
ratdog01
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by ratdog01 »

i have a t500 with a copper dome makes it a pot still so it says
only holds 25 lt (5 gal us)
got a power controller i am going to try should be interesting
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SaltyStaves
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by SaltyStaves »

I have a similar sized boiler, but my mashes are 60-80L because I'm not trying to make single malt from a single pass through my pot still.
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by Deplorable »

You're going to want to make that same mash at least one more time if not twice. Three still charges of beer should get you enough low wines for a spirit run in that T500.
After you master mashing and fermenting in 5-6 gallon buckets, move up to a fermenter size that provides you with three still charges of wash. Strip 3 batches, collecting the low wines each time until your total collected is about 35% ABV in the collection vessel. Then, combine the results of your 3 stripping runs, and you should have enough low wines to fill your still with 35% low wines. Then collect in small jars around 300 to 500ml to make your cuts and blend.
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Corsaire
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by Corsaire »

And why would you use sugar if you're using malts?
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Corsaire wrote: Tue Dec 01, 2020 1:19 am And why would you use sugar if you're using malts?
Oiiiiiii that was my question. :lol:
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Durhommer
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by Durhommer »

:lol: :lol: :lol:
Corsaire wrote: Tue Dec 01, 2020 1:19 am And why would you use sugar if you're using malts?
You have two ears and one mouth for a reason....
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by ratdog01 »

thanks
it was one of them just incase things you know cover your bases
everyday is a school day leaning more and more all the time
i am going to put up a shed in the garden as a brew / still house over winter as working from my kichen so take up a bit of room
thanks for all your input will log fg and how it looks as i go
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by n_plains_drifter »

Corsaire wrote: Tue Dec 01, 2020 1:19 am And why would you use sugar if you're using malts?
Not sure what the OP's level of experience is, but adding sugar is a way to ensure that you get gravity points even if your efficiency sucks. I'll come at it a slightly different way:

RD01,

Good on ya for running with this. All grain mashing is an art unto itself. Looks like you had a great first attempt. You'll learn with each one, but there will always be a gremlin hiding in the weeds to trip you up if you aren't paying close attention. Keep on researching, and try to learn something new with each activity.

A possible next step is to do the mash the same way, but not use the sugar as a backup.

Best, Drifter
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by ratdog01 »

Thank you Drifter
been doing this for about 4-5 months only had the t500 about a month so early days but enjoying it
its interesting to read some of the posts but still trying to work some of the abbreviations used could do with a key
great forum nice people makes you want to lean more and become better
started with an air still and sugar washes made some nice drink using the flavor bottles even tried to make a rum using brown sugar not bad had some back flavors but not full on so this a growing hobby and i am loving it
thinking one day about putting forward an idea about a sample swap to see what others think of what others make but i am a bit away from that yet
the lads in the USA and NEW ZEALAND have been doing this for years we in UK are a bit behind as normal to be honest

thanks
RD01
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by n_plains_drifter »

RD01, I'm working on the same level of experience as you, but have been lurking here off and on for years making my plans and noodling a pot build.

A little thing called Coronavirus pushed me over the brink, and plan became action.

One advantage I may have is that I've been a serious beer (ale) brewer for 20+ years, and so had a full kit of equipment for mashing and fermenting, and good experience with all grain. As a matter of fact, my first run after sacrificial was an all grain corn whisky, and it went about as perfect as could be expected.

On the other hand, my next AG (after a few sugar washes) was a total train wreck. Luckily I had enough experience that every time I ran into a wall, I had a couple of ideas how to get around it.I ended up with a lower gravity than calculated, and a stuck sparge and lots of other issues, but hey, it turned into a nice spirit and is aging as I type.

Keep up the good work!

Drifter
ratdog01
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by ratdog01 »

yes been an odd year
the nearest i have have got brewing anthing before is a cut of tea
but hey it's fun
will update as it goes
thanks
RD01
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by ratdog01 »

Hi All
Seems to have slowed right down now one bubble every few mins
have removed grain g at 0.996
so if stays same should be about 7% avb SG1.05 FG 0.996
will let stand for a day or two then look at runing it to see what i get

thanks
RD01
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by ratdog01 »

Hi All
Have set another tub going as advised no sugar will see how long it takes this time
i have got a couple of Qs again may open a can of worms but here goes (been reading lower rate site)

1 will it make a big differance if i was to use my reflex column ( will i lose all my flavors)
2 would it be a good idea to add a couple of lts neutral before distilling it to give more yield

thanks
RD01 :clap: :clap:
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SaltyStaves
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by SaltyStaves »

Well its quickly morphing from a mostly grain bill to a mostly table sugar bill by the sounds of things... That happens when you are desperate for yield because you didn't size things up properly from the start. I'd run it through the reflux and treat it like a vodka. Otherwise, its going to be a real half-arsed whisky.

If you want to do barley justice, then you need a bigger fermentation (or several).
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Durhommer
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by Durhommer »

SaltyStaves wrote: Sat Dec 05, 2020 11:48 am Well its quickly morphing from a mostly grain bill to a mostly table sugar bill by the sounds of things... That happens when you are desperate for yield because you didn't size things up properly from the start. I'd run it through the reflux and treat it like a vodka. Otherwise, its going to be a real half-arsed whisky.

If you want to do barley justice, then you need a bigger fermentation (or several).
+1 on larger or several ferment
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by ratdog01 »

good point
but a bit stuck for room
I have been looking at 45 lt mash unit so maybe the way forward

thanks
RD01
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Durhommer
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by Durhommer »

My off grain mashes finish in 4 days
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ratdog01
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by ratdog01 »

Ran my barley mash smells great (can see why people do grain now )
got about 3 lts start about 60% went down to around 35-40% then stopped
stood over night open to air now smells even better removed first 200ml
did splits just to try my thinking the more i do it the better i will get at the middle two jars smell fruity (sort of sweet)
will store until done next lot then mix together for second run
had a taste all good
thanks for all you input to everybody
will update when done second run

RD01
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by ratdog01 »

hi
done secound barley mash same as above but no sugar seems to have funky smell
will it be ok to distill or is it a bin job

any help would be grateful
thanks
RD01
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Corsaire
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by Corsaire »

Run it

It's the only way to find out

I've no idea what you think is a funky smell. Did the ferment go well?
ratdog01
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by ratdog01 »

ferment was short and slow
have run it only 40% ish tastes ok smells ok
smell was sour
gona mix it with the other stuff and do the main run
see what we get
thanks
RD01
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by ratdog01 »

Hi Gents
Have done the spirit run now WOW
got about 3.5 lts (4 lt and bit total) of nice clear clean spirit and it smells great tastes good
did splits at 200 mil ran down to 40% but still nice bit more flavors in last jars
was well worth doing think still got some leaning to do , using grains with no sugar but will keep going possible up my grain amount hopefully that should give more food for the yeast
so thanks everyone for your words of wisdom and help
now have 10 gallon of sweet corn on the go so will see how that goes
thank you
RD01
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Corsaire
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by Corsaire »

Congratulations!
Put some aside, see how it changes over time and with oak.

There's lots of posts here about all grain ferments, and if you look up gumballhead or piggyback wash you may find another use for your spent grain ;-)

I hope the corn run goes well too
ratdog01
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Re: My First Barley Mash

Post by ratdog01 »

thanks :crazy: :crazy: :thumbup: :thumbup:
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