Millet whisky

[mtnwalker2]

I was just reading Ian Smiley's book about corn whiskey, and came across this:
"Millet is a cereal grain that is very commonly used in home whiskey making, and is contended by many distillers to make the best whiskey of all the grains...."

Being a very soft grain of 55% starch and a 10 minutemash at 82 C, made it sound so very interesting.

So I did a search of the entire site and forum, and came up with basically nill, except the Japanese used it and chestnuts as the first sake, but nothing for use in makeing whiskey.

Does anyone have any experiance, knowledge, or good guesses? Sounds like it might be a fun thing to try for a new taste and experiance.

[pintoshine]

You should ask BigJ. he is in SA and has some experience with sorghum.

[Virginia Gentleman]

pretty interesting mtnwalker, I missed that in Smiley's book. got a neighbor who grows a lot of pearl millet, mainly to attract dove and turkey for hunting and feed his cattle. may have to see if I can run a small test batch with it. More here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_millet

[Monster Mash]

I am trying to revive this old thread. My wheat style is almost finished and in the keg and I have been wondering about millet. Surely with all the crazy things that have been fermented and distilled on this site someone has some experience with millet? Anybody?

[Big J]

I did some mashing and fermenting experiments with flaked millet and crushed millet. I never actually distilled it. It mashed and fermented well and the beer tasted great. I'm sure it would make a nice whiskey.

Millet whiskey is popular in Ethiopia, Uganda (and the rest of north-central-east Africa), and China, perhaps other places too, those are just the ones I know of. A friend brought a bottle of mixed grain whiskey from China that included millet and it was terrible! But I'm sure it can be done right, this was probably just some cheap stuff.

You can get flaked millet from health food places, or just get regular millet from a feed store. Go for it!

Cheers,
J

[raildog]

Millet can be had a feed stores also. I have used it combined with cracked cooked corn and malted barley. However because it is so small it tends to clog the screen on the bottom of my mash-tun. I think it would work good for you folks who ferment on grain. It also is an inexpensive grain.

[Kill-Devil]

Couldn't find millet at the local feed store, but this is not a bad alternative:
http://www.amazon.com/Fifth-Avenue-Bird ... B0007R4IN6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Works out to $0.68/lb., delivered.

Some observations on millet:

- Very easy to cook. It doesn't take more than 15-20 minutes when added to boiling water to explode the starch. Turn off the heat and let rest 30 min till gelled.
- Very easy to separate. I ferment on grain and then press the wash in mesh bags, then rack off.
- Very productive - I typically get 6 liters @ 55% ABV from 10 gallons of wash when stripping (started with 25 Lbs millet)
- High quality ferment - sweet and flavorful. The tails are mild and don't come on til very late in the run

Currently experimenting with a sour mash 100% millet using enzymes and Ale yeast.
Previous experience shows that millet is an outstanding "fourth grain" when added to bourbon recipes.

-KD

[likkerluvver]

Some observations on millet:

- Very easy to cook. It doesn't take more than 15-20 minutes when added to boiling water to explode the starch. Turn off the heat and let rest 30 min till gelled.
- Very easy to separate. I ferment on grain and then press the wash in mesh bags, then rack off.
- Very productive - I typically get 6 liters @ 55% ABV from 10 gallons of wash when stripping (started with 25 Lbs millet)
- High quality ferment - sweet and flavorful. The tails are mild and don't come on til very late in the run

Currently experimenting with a sour mash 100% millet using enzymes and Ale yeast.
Previous experience shows that millet is an outstanding "fourth grain" when added to bourbon recipes.

-KD

In his book Ian Smiley said:
"Millet is a cereal grain that is very commonly used in home whiskey making, and is contended by many distillers to make the best whiskey of all the grains...."

So I'm wondering; Anyone working with millet

[loneswinger]

In his book Ian Smiley said:
"Millet is a cereal grain that is very commonly used in home whiskey making, and is contended by many distillers to make the best whiskey of all the grains...."

So I'm wondering; Anyone working with millet

I was hoping when I saw this thread resurrected that you were. I have a friend from Kenya who wants to open a distillery there so we will be experimenting with millet whiskey, but not anytime soon. Probably not until this summer.

-Loneswinger

[likkerluvver]

I have several other washes on the go for the next few months (been away a few months - stock is low)) but everything I have read about millet is so positive, I intend to run a few. Probably over the summer for me too, LS.

I was quoted $30 for 20lbs in a US feedstore. Amazon has 50lbs for $53 delivered (in US):

http://www.amazon.com/Fifth-Avenue-Bird ... 185&sr=8-3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Right now I'm looking for a cheap(er) source.

[Tater]

try a search theres a few post about it . http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... lit=millet. http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... lit=millet.

[likkerluvver]

try a search theres a few post about it .

Thanks Tater,

Been researching this for quite a while. Millet seems almost "too good to be true" in terms workability. Does not even require cracking, just 20 minutes to explode and 30 minutes until gelled. Might even go with enzymes rather than malt.

My plan is to do small batches (6usg) building flavours with backset. If I use enzymes, I'll use the "Brew in a Bag" method.

This should be a very easy all-grain recipe. All the taste-test reviews I've read are very positive too. If I like it, I'll upscale later.

I sure am open to any advice (I plan to start this in June) - a beer and wine brewer for years, but my all-grain experience is very recent.

[rubber duck]

I've done millet whiskey, It is probably the grainiest whiskey I have ever done, the mouth feel is incredible.

Millet is a pain to work with, getting a good grind is difficult and the starch disperses at higher themps then one would expect. You have to cook it down to mush. Also the amount of starch is low for the weight, the hulls take up a lot the weight so use more grain the you would a corn whiskey.

I get my millet at the feed store for 14 dollars a 50lb bag.

[likkerluvver]

Hello RD,

I've done millet whiskey, It is probably the grainiest whiskey I have ever done, the mouth feel is incredible.

Incredible - as in very, very good?

Millet is a pain to work with, getting a good grind is difficult and the starch disperses at higher themps then one would expect. You have to cook it down to mush. Also the amount of starch is low for the weight, the hulls take up a lot the weight so use more grain the you would a corn whiskey.

I guess I got that wrong about being easy to work with. But several say that there is no advantage to cracking/grinding if you boil for 20 mins until the grain explodes. My plan is/was to boil for 20-30 minutes until exploded, cool to 152F (67C). Add enzymes to mash in cooler. Cool to yeast-pitching temp.
Any thoughts/observations?

I get my millet at the feed store for 14 dollars a 50lb bag.

Wow, I have some serious research to do to get better prices than I have already found.

[rubber duck]

The mouth feel is like hard to describe but yes it's good.

With hulled millet you may be able to get away with just boiling it, IDT. I run mine through a roller mill and when I'm done it's pretty fine, that why it's a pain to work with, try boiling 50lb of flour... not fun. I think your going to need to cook it for more then 20 minutes, I hold a temp of 190f or so for 2 hours but it's over kill, a hour should do it.

I would use a mix of malt barley and supplement enzymes.

[el-zonko]

An old thread, I know ---

I live in China so ingredients are an issue for me. But millet is one of the staples here - so when I see threads like this I get really excited at the prospect of quality spirits from local ingredients.

But then I remember - rice and millet are what makes the local "bai jiu". It's 52% alcohol shite. The thought of drinking it makes my spine shudder, really.

Millet whiskey is popular in Ethiopia, Uganda (and the rest of north-central-east Africa), and China, perhaps other places too, those are just the ones I know of. A friend brought a bottle of mixed grain whiskey from China that included millet and it was terrible! But I'm sure it can be done right, this was probably just some cheap stuff.

Man, I've tried the cheap stuff (about 62 cents USD per bottle) and the expensive stuff (about 60 dollars per bottle). They were different, but had a common taste profile of indescribable awfulness that made me quake in my boots.

Back at home we used to have a bottle of the expensive stuff, a top brand called Mao Tai. The only way it got consumed was as a party dare or forfeit. It stank so badly that once after downing a shot and jumping straight into a taxi, the taxi driver was complaining about the smell and winding down all the windows! I remember now trying to describe the taste of the expensive stuff, I came up with "rotten chocolate".

Now, here in China, as soon as somebody is drinking that in the same restaurant as you you can smell its vile perfume.

Clearly though, it's still popular with the Chinese. Although, since they drink mostly as a show of machismo bravado, down the hatch with something completely terrible to drink makes sense as a challenge.

But when I saw people swearing by how good millet whiskey is, I start doubting myself. The Chinese distill bai jiu from millet (amongst other things). Can it really be as bad as I remember?

Is it a technique thing? Knowing Chinese production standards, they're putting heads, tails and anything else they can find in this to boost their profits.

Whatever the result, I have to try to use the local ingredients to make good likker. I'll be trying a UJSSM with millet just like mtnwalker in due course and will try to let you know the result.

Zonko.

[BFC]

My eldest stepson brought me back two different bottles of millet whiskey from China. He did me no favors, liquid shite. And they were supposedly top shelf.

[likkerluvver]

I have a 50lb bag of millet sitting in my basement waiting for me to get off my arse and start using it. I plan to use alpha and GA rather than malt barley so I can asses the true taste of the millet alone.

I have never tasted millet - let alone worked with it. Yet another new experience. Any suggestions

Hopefully it will please me more than the "Sino-Shite" referred to by EX and BFC. Time will tell.

[el-zonko]

Hopefully it will please me more than the "Sino-Shite" referred to by EX and BFC. Time will tell.

Sino-Shite. LoL!

Bottles of sino shite has been on special offer down at the local super market - I wondered about buying a few bottles, airing them and putting them oak as an experiment. I wonder if it'd make it drinkable. The stuff's so god dammed cheap, I think I might try it.

I have a 50lb bag of millet sitting in my basement waiting for me to get off my arse and start using it. I plan to use alpha and GA rather than malt barley so I can asses the true taste of the millet alone.

I have never tasted millet - let alone worked with it. Yet another new experience. Any suggestions

I thought that too likkerluvver. Adding (barley) malt is likely going to affect the flavour. Alpha and GA I can get hold of. But another alternative would be malting the millet. It'd still be pure millet - but I am not sure of the diastic (spelling??) power of malted millet though.

Besides rice, millet is the other staple here. I just have to go for it sooner or later.

Would LOVE to hear more people's experiences of millet whiskey!

Zonko.

[el-zonko]

In one of the other threads, pinetar reports using a recipe like this:

"10 gal. Water, 10 lbs. Crushed Millet, 3 lbs of two row barley, 10 lbs of cane sugar. "

Why is sugar being used here? (Possibly this is just barley, rather than malted barley, i.e. no conversion possible.

I would like millet to be my first all grain. Has anybody got any refinements on this recipe?

Cheers,

Zonks

[rtalbigr]

It would be interesting to do a millet whisky but I don't have a source here that I know of. There are plenty of combinations you could do but a simple one would be 14 lbs millet, 6 lbs 2-row barley in 10 gal water. That combo would give you adequate diastic power to get your sacccrification. If you wanted to use a higher percentage of millet than you could go to a 6-row barley (say 15# millet/5# 6-row), or even to a malted wheat (16# millet/4# malted wheat). Actually millet and wheat sounds like an interesting combination.

Big R

[rubber duck]

In one of the other threads, pinetar reports using a recipe like this:

"10 gal. Water, 10 lbs. Crushed Millet, 3 lbs of two row barley, 10 lbs of cane sugar. "

Why is sugar being used here? (Possibly this is just barley, rather than malted barley, i.e. no conversion possible.

I would like millet to be my first all grain. Has anybody got any refinements on this recipe?

Cheers,

Zonks

The reason for the sugar is that millet is really low on starch. Although it's low in starch it's high in flavor an mouth feel, it makes a wonderful sugar head whiskey.

It makes a good addition to a corn or wheat grain bill but as a base grain you just don't get much out of it. I've been using 20% in my corn based whiskey and wheat vodka, it really makes a good product.

[el-zonko]

Really looking forward to using millet!

The reason for the sugar is that millet is really low on starch. Although it's low in starch it's high in flavor an mouth feel, it makes a wonderful sugar head whiskey.

It makes a good addition to a corn or wheat grain bill but as a base grain you just don't get much out of it. I've been using 20% in my corn based whiskey and wheat vodka, it really makes a good product.

Don't want to contradict you here (you clearly know what you're talking about) but mtnwalker2 says:

Being a very soft grain of 55% starch and a 10 minutemash at 82 C, made it sound so very interesting.

If that's true, isn't 55% considered quite high? Or is mtnwalker2 wrong?

[rubber duck]

If it's hulled he might be right, I don't know. Most of the literature online says it has more starch then I'm getting out of it. I can tell you this, with the hulls on I'm not getting 55% starch, or I'm messing it up somewhere. It seems like the stuff I'm using from the feed store has a lot of protein and fiber.

Also there is nothing wrong with pointing out a contradiction. Millet is a grain I don't have a lot of experience with so I could be messing something up but I don't think so. Someone else needs to actually give it a go so we can get some more feed back.

[hitman5363]

For already hulled....good organic millet beads.....go to War Eagle Mill in Arkansas.

[EziTasting]

This has been a very interesting read! Just sad it seems to have stopped before it started...

With what I've seen (again only snippets) there's very little info out there... millet is my next project so I'm looking for info, procedures and possible recipes....

[malt_lover]

I did make home made Sorghum malt. Was the quickest and easiest grain to work with. I made a single malt beer with it, didn't like it much. More infor and pics here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/thre ... st-8743319

However, it can be added as an add-on & may lend a nice taste.

[EziTasting]

I did make home made Sorghum malt. Was the quickest and easiest grain to work with. I made a single malt beer with it, didn't like it much. More infor and pics here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/thre ... st-8743319

However, it can be added as an add-on & may lend a nice taste.

Mate, keen to find out how this went! From what I saw you did this in December 2019. Did the flavour come thru in line with the aroma you described?

[malt_lover]

Hello, the malted grain smelled really good but the brew, it smelled funky, from beer point of view, not so good. I didn’t add any hops to the brew and wanted to taste the real Millet. I’m yet to make a whisky from it. The taste wasn’t bad and I think it should be good for up to 20% grain bill. I’ll make it again after lockdown is over. I believe Sorghum has good beta amylase too.
Cheers.

[EziTasting]

rito, looking to for info because I want to have a go at Millet... had some quinoa whisky from a local distillery which tasted 'dirty'. Expensive and not totally enjoyable... hoping for better results with millet...

Not too many commercial distilleries doing it so not sure it has any real merit...