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When the mash is ready

Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 8:50 pm
by GrandPa
Just came in from checking the mash. I pulled the lid, everything has settled to the bottom and no bubbles.
I gave it a stir and lots of bubbles were released. Has a nice beer smell. If there are no gas bubbles whould it be ready?
Its only on it's third day....I didn't taste it for sugar.

Re: When the mash is ready

Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 9:09 pm
by Dnderhead
sounds ready a couple of test does it taste sweet? ( the best I thank) what is sg? ( some does not measure right)

Re: When the mash is ready

Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 9:21 pm
by GrandPa
I don't have a hydrometer yet. I'll see if I can find one in town tomorrow.
*edit* I went on out and gave it a taste. It tasted like beer and not too bad at all either. The last batch
still has a slight sweetness, it was put on a day later.
I'm reading some conflicting reports about stiring the mash. Some say don't stir while it's fermenting and others are
stiring every two days or so.

Re: When the mash is ready

Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 11:59 pm
by punkin
Mate, just use a beer hydrometer. They're only a couplea bucks and they take alllll the guesswork out of it 8)

Re: When the mash is ready

Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 6:06 pm
by GrandPa
punkin wrote:Mate, just use a beer hydrometer. They're only a couplea bucks and they take alllll the guesswork out of it 8)

I looked for one today @ a wine shop and no luck.
I did find a vinometer though.
I tested the turbo sugar wash and it showed 22%, the sweet feed mash showed 13%.
I'm sure it's off a little, probably 20% top and 11% on the grain because my Alcometer showed 11 or 12 on the grain.
My equipment didn't show today but is supposed to be here tomorrow acording to the tracking number.
I'm pretty excited too.
I stopped buy a friends house to get borrow an extra gas bottle until I find out how buch I'll be using.
He had a little left of a jar of stuff that went around about 3 or 4 years ago that was the cats A$$.
I ask if I could get a smell so to prime my nose (because I knew it was the best I've had), he got it down
and said "hell, take a taste too" I took a small taste, maybe a half shot because he had less that a pint left. It was as good as I remembered.
Very smooth and taste almost like a weak honeysuckle that lasted only a second or two.
maybe one day I'll get someting close.

Re: When the mash is ready

Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 6:27 pm
by wineo
It sounds like its done.When you stirred it up,It releaced co2.If it doesnt taste sweet,let it settle some and run it.
If it passes the taste test,its good to go.You can use your new hydrometer on the next batch.

Re: When the mash is ready

Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 8:33 am
by trthskr4
I'm with Wineo, let it settle and run the hell out of it. I'm finding that double distilling multiple batches seems to help with the smoothness along with airing. If you can drink it neat white at 60% I'd say that'd be the cat's meow.

Re: When the mash is ready

Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 9:25 pm
by GrandPa
trthskr4 wrote:Idouble distilling multiple batches
So you strip a few batches and the throw them all together and run?

Re: When the mash is ready

Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 3:38 am
by goose eye
yup ole boys round here call em low wines. you cap the low wines right off cause it will cause a likker fire. if you on first charge cookin beer they wait til it up to hot fore they cap it so they can stir.

id get up with that ole boy that noed how to make likker an watch one time itll help alot


so im tole