Picked up 100# Bobs Red Mill Cornmeal today

[nerdybrewer]

And here's the squeezin's!
Got something between 7 & 8 gallons out of the grain bed at the bottom of the bucket.
Heating up my stripping runs and the squeezin's now, I'll have bourbon before bedtime!
(note the small "b", I know what I've got}

7+ gallons squeezed / filtered out.

[Oldvine Zin]

bottom bucket bedtime bourbon might be the best

[nerdybrewer]

bottom bucket bedtime bourbon might be the best

Only time (and oak) will tell on this one!

[nerdybrewer]

Tried the whisky just now.
Not enough time, not enough oak.
It has improved though, been about 3 months.
Still much too smoky, hope time mellows that.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

It's hard to age in the winter, depending on your aging location. I usually pull all my winter stock in the fall. Even well aged whiskey seems to taste like crap in cold weather. I'm a firm believer that whiskey should be pulled in the summer, and cooled to room temp before removing oak.

No worries. In June that will be perfect for the pulling.

[nerdybrewer]

It's hard to age in the winter, depending on your aging location. I usually pull all my winter stock in the fall. Even well aged whiskey seems to taste like crap in cold weather. I'm a firm believer that whiskey should be pulled in the summer, and cooled to room temp before removing oak.

No worries. In June that will be perfect for the pulling.

Thanks, I drank it and it didn't make me puke so that's one way of looking at it.
Now drinking my 7 month old Panela rum to cleanse my palate...

I'll try it again in July.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

That, and you have entered the dreaded dead zone. 3 months is smack dab in the middle of yuck. 5 to 6 months is when it comes back around

[nerdybrewer]

That, and you have entered the dreaded dead zone. 3 months is smack dab in the middle of yuck. 5 to 6 months is when it comes back around

So true with everything else I've made, except Brandy - that shit takes a long time!

[rgreen2002]

3 months is smack dab in the middle of yuck...

I couldn't agree more SCD... I get antsy around 3 mos myself and have yet to be pleased. 6 minimum for my little b bourbons....

NB...almost forgot about this little run of yours. Glad to see its progressing. I've been debating on moving from fine grind in the corona with stone to annihilated into dust... just to see if i can get better conversion.

[SwollenGoat23]

Well NB,
It's working on 3 yrs now, how'd it turn out!?

[nerdybrewer]

Well I learned a LOT with that stuff. So much that I have not attempted it again!
It wasn't half bad last time I tried it, unfortunately the corn burned inside the fermenter when I had a tragic event with an aquarium heater.
The only way to get it to be palatable was to filter it through activated charcoal about 7 times.
That said, I still have some out in a Badmo barrel, I should check it!

[cayars]

Aquarium heaters aren't designed to be used in alcohol based ferments. They go bad much quicker than when used in water. Alcohol even in low ABV is hard on things!

Heater bands on the outside of your fermenter are much safer or do a "double boiler" style fermenter where you put a container in a container with the aquarium heater outside the fermenter only in water. Ie a 32 gallon brute inside a 44 gallon brute. Fountain pump and aquarium heater heating the jacket of the fermenter.

Also don't use big heaters but instead use two or three smaller ones instead maybe connected to an external controller as well. Same overall wattage but if one fails in the on position it can't cook/burn things or overheat the mash/wash pissing off the yeast.

It would suck bad to loose a big ferment to something like this! You're lucky you were able to save it with AC. But the AC probably also stripped a lot of flavor as well.

[nerdybrewer]

Cayars, right. The problem with mine (stainless steel sealed heater) was that it rose to the top as the grains formed a solid layer and then sat there until it started burning the grain.
When I have used it fermenting off the grain I have never had an issue.
I use temperature control however on the fatal batch the temperature sensor stayed submerged while the heater floated to the top with the grains.
If I ever ferment in the winter with a grain based mash I will squeeze before ferment.
Best to do mash in the summer, rum in the winter!

[Euphoria]

When you get ready to get a bigger mortar mixer, get hold of me. I need to down-size and reclaim some of my garage real estate, (to keep the peace with the wife,) and I haven't even used it, so it's hard to justify keeping it any longer. I bought it a few years ago, and it's still a virgin. Brand new, never used. Willing to sell the whole shebang to someone in the area who might be interested. I have all paperwork, receipts and manuals where applicable. Paid well over $1,000 bucks for this stuff. Will sell for $800 firm if anyone is interested. Sorry, must either pick it up or, if not too far away, possibly meet in the middle somewhere, (greater Puget Sound area.) Won't ship it. It's all brand new-never used. (Electric heating controller and propane burner, seen in pics, not included.)

BN6400 Mixer (Paid $200)
BN 6100 Portable Mixer Stand (Paid $250)
Brew Built 22 Gallon Stainless Steel Brewing Kettle w/bottom spigot, and thermometer (Paid $485)
Brew Built Mash Tun False Bottom Kit for 22 Gallon Mash Tun, (Paid $125)