Banjo Pickin’ Bourbon
Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2020 5:26 pm
Here is my two pot method for making bourbon using malts and high temp enzymes for conversion.
1. Fill both pots with water and let sit overnight to de-chlorinate. • 4 ½ g. & 2 ½ g = 7 g’s total & 2.1# grain per gal
2. To each pot, add the following: o 2 tsp. gypsum & ½ magnesium supplement tab o ¼ tsp Epsom salts & calcium carbonate o ½ ea: crushed multi-vitamin & B-complex o ½ tsp citric acid or pinch of Vitamin C o 1 tsp Fermax & alpha amylase powder o ¼ cup yeast trub.
3. Start bringing heat up in each pot: Step mash malts in one pot while cooking the corn and steam rolled barley in another.
4. Bring 4 ½ g water up to 150F, start power stir, and add Corn & SRB (steam rolled barley).
5. Bring up to 160F. Set pH @ 5.8 optimal & add 2.0 ml HTL-A & 1 tablespoon alpha amylase to thin the mash.
6. Bring up to 205F x 60 mins to gelatinize corn & SRB. All HTL-A is denatured at this point.
7. Cool down to 180F. Verify pH @ 5.8 optimum and adjust if required using 10% backset (-) or calcium carbonate (+2 tablespoons). Add 3.24 ml HTL-A (0.36 ml per pound X 9.0 pounds). Hold at 180F x 90 mins.
8. Add step mashed malts to pot with corn and SRB. . Verify pH 5.8. Bring up to 180F x 30 mins.
9. Cool down to 149F. Adjust ph to 5.3 optimum. Add 5.31 ml AmyGl-B (insurance as malt is already converted) for 14.75 pounds of grains.
10. Hold at 145F x 240 mins. (GL-B is optimal 86-149F)
11. Check conversion at 142F using iodine. If not clear, bring heat back up to 145F x 30 mins and re-check.
12. Cool down overnight x 12 hours to pitch temp, 80-95F.
13. Record OG and potential ABV. Calculate amount of yeast required and start yeast bomb using wort sample for OG.
14. Transfer to sanitized, pre-chilled 10 g. fermenter (drink cooler).
15. Stir in 4 tsp Fermax and ¼ cup of crushed oyster shells.
16. Verify/adjust optimal pH of 5.8.
17. Pitch yeast starter at 85-95F. Top off if needed to 7 gallon mark.
18. Sprinkle an additional ¼ cup of crushed oyster shells on top of grain bed.
19. Ferment 7 -12 days or until grain cap falls. Record final gravity (FG). Calculate ABV actual.
20. Strip run, pot still, no thumper, shortly after cap falls to 10% ABV or 208F vapor temp. ¾ boiler capacity max. Discard 1.0 oz foreshots per gal of each run. Pack column with one scrubber at bottom. Some early tails are okay. Stop when it goes from ‘beer to bitter.’
21. Slow spirit run at ~33% ABV should yield 48 oz @ 75% ABV
Filled 5G Gibbs cask for second use with 62.5% BPB. Aged two years. Yield was 5.15G @ 44%. 26 bottles of 750 ml.
Angel share was 33%.
Banjo Pickin’ Bourbon
GRAIN BILL % LBS
Cracked corn 51 7.50
Steam rolled barley 10 1.50
Barley, 6-row, malted 10 1.50
Red Wheat, malted 17 2.50
Red Wheat, plain 7 1.00
Rye, malted 5 0.75
100% Mash 14.75
Yeast Starter (Last two digits of OG * Total gals * 0.05 grams yeast = amount of dry yeast)
E.g.: SG 1.064 & 7 gals water = 64.0 * 7.0 * 0.05
= 448.0 * 0.05
= 22.4 g dry yeast * 1.5
= 33.6 grams yeast (22.4g RS-DADY & 11.2 g Fleischman’s)
+ 16 oz water @ 95F
+ ¼ tsp Fermax
+ 8 oz wort sample from OG reading,
Rehydrate yeast in warm water only x 15 mins. Stir in Fermax and wort sample. Let sit in warm place x 2 hours minimum, covered. Pitch at 85F 95F and pH 5.8 mash values.
1. Fill both pots with water and let sit overnight to de-chlorinate. • 4 ½ g. & 2 ½ g = 7 g’s total & 2.1# grain per gal
2. To each pot, add the following: o 2 tsp. gypsum & ½ magnesium supplement tab o ¼ tsp Epsom salts & calcium carbonate o ½ ea: crushed multi-vitamin & B-complex o ½ tsp citric acid or pinch of Vitamin C o 1 tsp Fermax & alpha amylase powder o ¼ cup yeast trub.
3. Start bringing heat up in each pot: Step mash malts in one pot while cooking the corn and steam rolled barley in another.
4. Bring 4 ½ g water up to 150F, start power stir, and add Corn & SRB (steam rolled barley).
5. Bring up to 160F. Set pH @ 5.8 optimal & add 2.0 ml HTL-A & 1 tablespoon alpha amylase to thin the mash.
6. Bring up to 205F x 60 mins to gelatinize corn & SRB. All HTL-A is denatured at this point.
7. Cool down to 180F. Verify pH @ 5.8 optimum and adjust if required using 10% backset (-) or calcium carbonate (+2 tablespoons). Add 3.24 ml HTL-A (0.36 ml per pound X 9.0 pounds). Hold at 180F x 90 mins.
8. Add step mashed malts to pot with corn and SRB. . Verify pH 5.8. Bring up to 180F x 30 mins.
9. Cool down to 149F. Adjust ph to 5.3 optimum. Add 5.31 ml AmyGl-B (insurance as malt is already converted) for 14.75 pounds of grains.
10. Hold at 145F x 240 mins. (GL-B is optimal 86-149F)
11. Check conversion at 142F using iodine. If not clear, bring heat back up to 145F x 30 mins and re-check.
12. Cool down overnight x 12 hours to pitch temp, 80-95F.
13. Record OG and potential ABV. Calculate amount of yeast required and start yeast bomb using wort sample for OG.
14. Transfer to sanitized, pre-chilled 10 g. fermenter (drink cooler).
15. Stir in 4 tsp Fermax and ¼ cup of crushed oyster shells.
16. Verify/adjust optimal pH of 5.8.
17. Pitch yeast starter at 85-95F. Top off if needed to 7 gallon mark.
18. Sprinkle an additional ¼ cup of crushed oyster shells on top of grain bed.
19. Ferment 7 -12 days or until grain cap falls. Record final gravity (FG). Calculate ABV actual.
20. Strip run, pot still, no thumper, shortly after cap falls to 10% ABV or 208F vapor temp. ¾ boiler capacity max. Discard 1.0 oz foreshots per gal of each run. Pack column with one scrubber at bottom. Some early tails are okay. Stop when it goes from ‘beer to bitter.’
21. Slow spirit run at ~33% ABV should yield 48 oz @ 75% ABV
Filled 5G Gibbs cask for second use with 62.5% BPB. Aged two years. Yield was 5.15G @ 44%. 26 bottles of 750 ml.
Angel share was 33%.
Banjo Pickin’ Bourbon
GRAIN BILL % LBS
Cracked corn 51 7.50
Steam rolled barley 10 1.50
Barley, 6-row, malted 10 1.50
Red Wheat, malted 17 2.50
Red Wheat, plain 7 1.00
Rye, malted 5 0.75
100% Mash 14.75
Yeast Starter (Last two digits of OG * Total gals * 0.05 grams yeast = amount of dry yeast)
E.g.: SG 1.064 & 7 gals water = 64.0 * 7.0 * 0.05
= 448.0 * 0.05
= 22.4 g dry yeast * 1.5
= 33.6 grams yeast (22.4g RS-DADY & 11.2 g Fleischman’s)
+ 16 oz water @ 95F
+ ¼ tsp Fermax
+ 8 oz wort sample from OG reading,
Rehydrate yeast in warm water only x 15 mins. Stir in Fermax and wort sample. Let sit in warm place x 2 hours minimum, covered. Pitch at 85F 95F and pH 5.8 mash values.