Tell us about your mistakes.

[Due51]

The overnight should be done after the 2nd enzyme, not the first.

Its still in the igloo. I'm going to let it set all day.

[NgrainD]

I started heating some water to mash my corn. I got what I thought was only a minute or two into my burner being fired up, not nearly long enough to heat 7gallons too hot, so I thought. Suddenly I remembered that I never got my initial ph reading. I put my meter in the water, stirred it around a little, the reading was just over 7. Normal I thought. Then I felt something "snap" from inside the meter,and the reading went real low. I pulled the meter out and looked at the bottom. The electrode was shattered. I felt the water, it didn't feel too hot, but I guess it was out of operating range.

[Due51]

I'm doing something wrong. I'm not getting conversion from my unmalted grains and enzymes.

This morning I milled 1 pound of red wheat. I was a good crush. I put it in 1 gallon of water and heated to about 190. I simmered for ~45 minutes, took a Ph reading (~6.0), then added my first enzyme. Cover and let set for over 1 hour, stirring regularly. When the temp got to 148, I adjusted the Ph with citric acid (~4.0), and added the 2nd enzyme. I've maintained 135-145 for over an hour now. I just did an iodine test and the sample turned completely black.

What am I doing wrong?

[Jimbo]

Are there solids in yoru test? soids will always fail teh starch test. pH of 4.0 is too low. enzymes need 5.2-5.5 pH

[Due51]

Are there solids in yoru test? soids will always fail teh starch test. pH of 4.0 is too low. enzymes need 5.2-5.5 pH

I thought I read that the 2nd enzyme likes 2.5-5.0 ph?

Also, thank you for the tip on grains in the sample. Of course I screwed that up. Thanks again Jimbo

[Due51]

I just took a sample from the top of my mash from the igloo. No grain in the sample, and voilà. Didn't react to starch.

[Jimbo]

Holding a grudge like a teenage girl.

Tater knows what Im talking about. We had a long chat after some pointed comments made recently, and I'd like to report the hatchet is buried and Ill swap out the silkies for some ....hmmm, maybe a kilt,..... hey Bigbob......

[youngonce]

Chicken got loose in the garage and I chased it out but on the way out it ran past the collecting jar and knocked it over and the contents caught fire on the cement and the bird scorched its tail on the burner on the way out.. I had about 30 gals of water for cooling so no big deal - plus it was heads so no loss - you can't make this stuff up..

[yakattack]

Chicken got loose in the garage and I chased it out but on the way out it ran past the collecting jar and knocked it over and the contents caught fire on the cement and the bird scorched its tail on the burner on the way out.. I had about 30 gals of water for cooling so no big deal - plus it was heads so no loss - you can't make this stuff up..

Haha now that's taking still cooking to a whole new level. Flash fried chicken: p
Flaming pulet

[Jimbo]

Chicken got loose in the garage and I chased it out but on the way out it ran past the collecting jar and knocked it over and the contents caught fire on the cement and the bird scorched its tail on the burner on the way out.. I had about 30 gals of water for cooling so no big deal - plus it was heads so no loss - you can't make this stuff up..

Haha now that's taking still cooking to a whole new level. Flash fried chicken: p
Flaming pulet

Alcohol marinated flash fried chicken. Sounds delicious.

[ranger_ric]

Chicken got loose in the garage and I chased it out but on the way out it ran past the collecting jar and knocked it over and the contents caught fire on the cement and the bird scorched its tail on the burner on the way out.. I had about 30 gals of water for cooling so no big deal - plus it was heads so no loss - you can't make this stuff up..

If you get enough on them you dont have to pluck them..

Course they could run all over the garage settin EVERYTHING on fire, but all the feathers will be burned off..

[Johnny6]

Okay, so you know how when you eat strong horseradish and it goes right up your sinuses? I made the mistake of sniffing some fores from my latest batch and it was 10X worse. It shot through my skull like an ice pick. This is my first time working with all-grain (cracked corn) and enzymes and there are obviously some differences between this and the sugar-heads that I've done before. Of course, not to learn too quickly from my mistakes, I think I must've done the same thing half a dozen times before I really figured out what was going on. I'm curious (but not too curious anymore) what chemical it was that does that. Anyhow, by using full reflux to compress the heads on the spirit run, I was able to clear that particular fraction from the good stuff... I think.

Word to the wise... use that "fanning-with-your-hand" technique they showed us back in high school chemistry to carefully check the smell before sticking your nose over any unknown cuts... especially the early stuff off the still!

[stangas]

I had a fermenter barrel explode on me once..

I was using those 25L square plastic barrels as fermenters with the air lock in the lid with a rubber grommet.. The air lock was a very tight fit.

I had just put the wash into the still and left the remaining yeast muck in the barrel, then topped with water and sugar to start the next cycle.
Where I stuffed up was I thought I might use some of the turbo yeast I had left over.. so I chucked it in as well.

The air lock started bubbling immediately.. (in the missus' laundry mind you.. that's the place where the big metal machine that the boss keeps putting our clothes??)
Well then the bubbling got faster.. and faster.. and faster.. until the bubbler was flowing so fast that the fluid started coming out the top
So I pick the barrel up and quickly took it out onto the back lawn and stood back..

This thing did not stop and got worse and worse to such an extent that the barrel started to blow up like a balloon

This is about when I started to get worried... so I grabbed the missus and the dog and hid behind a door.

Well the damn thing exploded didn't it.. It sounded like a bomb went off.. sugar wash sprayed everywhere.. bits of plastic everywhere.. the air lock shot up into the air so high that it landed in a nearby tree.

I now have a healthy respect for the reaction of yeast, and now make the air lock have a sloppier fit. Never thought it was even possible until I saw it with my own eyes.

[ranger_ric]

I think it is past due time for a Turbo Yeast challenge !!!
What say You??
We need to gather 5 Bona Fide Stories/recipes of success in distilling a great drink with Turbo yeast... The Great drink recipe must be duplicated by another member and tried against a regular yeast(i.e. DADY bakers etc.)..... Anybody up for the challenge.
Let us put this to rest Brothers....

[Truckinbutch]

I think it is past due time for a Turbo Yeast challenge !!!
What say You??
We need to gather 5 Bona Fide Stories/recipes of success in distilling a great drink with Turbo yeast... The Great drink recipe must be duplicated by another member and tried against a regular yeast(i.e. DADY bakers etc.)..... Anybody up for the challenge.
Let us put this to rest Brothers....

I work too damned hard to make a good drop to be fuckin with no turbos just to make a point . All a matter of taste ........; or lack of it .................

[woodshed]

I think it is past due time for a Turbo Yeast challenge !!!
What say You??
We need to gather 5 Bona Fide Stories/recipes of success in distilling a great drink with Turbo yeast... The Great drink recipe must be duplicated by another member and tried against a regular yeast(i.e. DADY bakers etc.)..... Anybody up for the challenge.
Let us put this to rest Brothers....

Too easy as what you are proposing just is not possible. Turbo ALWAYS tastes like turbo. 5 recipes? Good luck.

[woodshed]

Pulling hearts on a Smoke Shine run just yesterday. Talkin to my brother on the phone and turn to check the still and a 64 ounce jar is just starting to overflow. I set the phone down on the window ledge, turn to change the jar and knock it over. Of course it finds it's way to the concrete floor and, well, enough said.

[Truckinbutch]

Pulling hearts on a Smoke Shine run just yesterday. Talkin to my brother on the phone and turn to check the still and a 64 ounce jar is just starting to overflow. I set the phone down on the window ledge, turn to change the jar and knock it over. Of course it finds it's way to the concrete floor and, well, enough said.

I expect that that gets entered into the log book under AWWWWW SHIT !

[ranger_ric]

Ouch Shed, That hurts...
My condolences... That is the second jar this week that I have heard about...

[woodshed]

Exactly TB. Good thing is there is a spot for that on the monthly reports.

[ranger_ric]

I think it is past due time for a Turbo Yeast challenge !!!
What say You??
We need to gather 5 Bona Fide Stories/recipes of success in distilling a great drink with Turbo yeast... The Great drink recipe must be duplicated by another member and tried against a regular yeast(i.e. DADY bakers etc.)..... Anybody up for the challenge.
Let us put this to rest Brothers....

I work too damned hard to make a good drop to be fuckin with no turbos just to make a point . All a matter of taste ........; or lack of it .................

My point exactly... If the newbies would do a search for "Turbo" or Alcotec" we could solve 34.6% of our problems on here....

[woodshed]

Ouch Shed, That hurts...
My condolences... That is the second jar this week that I have heard about...

As I said above I can put it on the report so not pay on it there but the lost time and money already in that jar hurts for sure.
64 ounces of 80% hearts.

[ranger_ric]

Dammit WoodShed we were supposed to break the heads jars......

[woodshed]

I would rather break a "plethora" of heads jars.

[ranger_ric]

Would you say we have a "PLETHORA" of Heads jars Jeffe?

How do you know it is a male plane?

[woodshed]

Que si hermano.

[NgrainD]

The Devil tapped his shoulder,
And Woodshed turned around.
When he looked back
He witnessed Satan knock his smoke shine to the ground.
The feeling that it gave him
Was a swift kick to the nuts.
The devil walked away and smiled
And said "I always get my cut."

Sorry for your loss Woodshed.
That jar will surely be missed.

[cranky]

Well I guess it's confession time for me. I just finished building my new rig which is quite tall and required me to buy a new pump capable of about a 7ft lift. I chose one from Harbor Freight with 11.5ft head lift and 650GPH max flow rate. I spent most of the day doing the cleaning runs and finally got to the sacrificial run which was going quite well and fast, no leaks, no problems, until I turned my back for only a minute. It really wasn't long at all but suddenly my new pump started making a hell of a racket. Looking up I realized the return hose from my condenser had come out and I didn't hear it. Looking down my shoes and everything else on the garage floor was wet. I'm not sure what the GPH is at the 7ft lift but it sure didn't take long for my new pump to empty out 25 gallons of water! Fortunately I got everything shut down while it was still condensing everything and since I had been doing cleaning runs and using lots of water I had a second reservoir cooling down from the earlier runs so I was able to pull the pump out of the now dry reservoir and finished the run with the second reservoir.

[greggn]

I recently purchased a 1500W cartridge heating element to replace the fold-back element that burned out. After applying a few turns of plumbers tape on the NPT fitting I installed it and filled the boiler with water to verify it was water tight. No leaks ... good to go.

Fast forward to today when I had a batch ready to run. After stabilizing, I dialed back my reflux condenser and started pulling fores. Green fores. What the hell.

With everything else being exactly the same as when I ran my the last batch, just a week ago, I have to assume the heating element had some residual machining oil of flux on it. I can't believe that I was so brain-dead to have introduced a new component into the still without thoroughly cleaning it first. I'll never do that again.

[Drunk-N-Smurf]

Not really a mistake...more of an oversight, I gone done filled all my fermentors up with ferments, and neglected to leave one empty to rack to for clearing...

Guess I'll have to sneak into the storage room and steal one of the wife's million rubbermaid tubs...she'll lose her mind, but hey....what's a stiller to do?