RYE Whiskey Plan Help/Opinions

[Cvoss]

So i've been experimenting with 100% Rye mashes and wanted to try something a little different this time in attempt to get a bit of a more desirable taste. I want to lay out my plan and see if any of you can tell me the bad ideas before i do them or have any suggestions. Any help is very much appreciated!

I want to use 30 pounds of malted rye, and maybe 10 pounds of malted 6 row barley. 5.2 buffer, and I've never tried the powder enzymes or "malt" you buy at the brewing store so i was going to try that too. I bought "dark" (not sure if that was the right decision)

So i want to add the 5.2 buffer to 10 gallons of water and bring it up to about 125f so that when i add all grain it will knock it down to about 110f (if that's not the right amount of water please tell me because ive just been doing it till it looked right) then let it rest for about 45 minutes, infusing boiling water every so often so keep it at temp. Then add enough boiling water to raise it to about 142 - 148f and hold for 1.5 to 2 hours. Then is this when i would add the additional bag of malt? then i would test it with iodine in a shot glass to make sure it didnt turn purple and that all the starches where converted to sugar. Let cool to about 90 - 104f add yeast nutrient. mash out into buckets with husks and add ec-1118 yeast. a packet to every 6.5 gallon bucket.

I live in new york so i wanted to add some kind of local sugar ingredient. I was thinking local maple syrup or local honey. What do you think would taste better and at what point would i add it? I think i'd rather try syrup unless you all think thats a bad idea.

If anyone sees any flaws in my plan or have a way they think i can do it better please let me know..... Thanks so much!

[Durace11]

Malted rye and malted 6 row will not need any powdered enzymes at all, it has it's own. Powdered enzymes are for unmalted grain. 40 pounds grain for 40 quarts is about the max you will want to mash so you are ok there, I'd probably play it safe and go 30 pounds max so you get good extraction. You don't really need powdered malt either but you can use it to boost your wash if you miss on your conversion. Also, on the 6 row, since you are using malted rye you don't need 6 row, you can use 2 row if it's cheaper. 6 row is fine but it's overkill for all malted grain.

Your rests should be around 122°F and 145°F and 155°F for 60 min each. That should give you good conversion. You shouldn't need sugar unless you are trying to max out the yeast tolerance. Also, a lot of sugar will lower the flavor of the malt. Powdered malt and sugar and you are looking at going overboard on the ability of the yeast or convert it to alcohol. If I had to choose, I'd say powdered malt no sugar. That would at least perserve the malt flavor. On the same note, maple will give if a little woody/nutty flavor and honey is just too damn expensive, I'd skip it. Plus I think the flavor would not translate with that much malt unless you went like a gallon or more in 10 gallons of wash.

So my suggestion would be:
30-40 lbs malt of your choice (all rye or mostly rye some barley)
5.2 buffer
yeast nutrient (could or could not on this)
your temps are fine
leave everything else out

I believe someone has posted a rye edu de vie on here, might want to search for that, or check here http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=926#p11692

[Cvoss]

Thanks so much for the help, and yes i've read Uncle Jesse's amazing thread many times.

Any other help suggestions still very much appreciated!