Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

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distiller_dresden
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Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

Hi community!

For my next run I want to develop something my own, new, but on the backs of greats. I've seen Odin's cornflake recipe and the Golden Pond corn recipe.

I have 40lbs of cracked corn sitting unused and want to do something with it, but I also want something with a real sweet corn flavor and a clean finish, something clean overall, white lightning. So I was looking at:

1lbs cornflakes
7.5 lbs sugar
5 gal water
and
5 gal water
7.5 lbs sugar
12 lbs cracked corn/corn

How can/can these two be combined in way that would be beneficial, that would produce a superior or different product with more corn flavor that people or I may like? Additionally, once I run this, I was going to try my first attempt at setback with the cornflakes and the corn, and run a sourmash going thing. Can someone help me develop a recipe who has a 'nose' for corn and experience who could theorize how things might turn out?

And briefly school me on how the setback works? I get I hold back 25%, so the yeast isn't 'dead', it's just dormant, right, then I add fresh water and sugar and corn/flakes and it'll recharge/get going again? No need for 'remash' in or boiling this next/second/further times?

My thoughts on initial are:
6.5 gal water
8.0 lbs sugar
1.5 lbs cornflakes
8 lbs cracked corn

I'm doing 6.5 gal because if I hold back 1.5 gal, about 25%, I'll have 5 gal for my still, which is a full run for my still and it does good with up to 5 gal I've learned repeatedly. Less than 4 and I get uneven heating and have trouble with even runs and end up in foggy tails too early no matter how hard I try to control heat.
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by kiwi Bruce »

distiller_dresden wrote: And briefly school me on how the setback works? I get I hold back 25%, so the yeast isn't 'dead', it's just dormant, right, then I add fresh water and sugar and corn/flakes and it'll recharge/get going again? No need for 'remash' in or boiling this next/second/further times?
I'll explain the whole set-back...back-set...dunder...vinaza :- thing for you. The liquid that is left over in the beer still, after the first run, is keep to one side and cooled. Only a small amount of the flavor in this liquid has been removed with the ethanol as it is distilled. The remains of the yeast, that did all the work during fermentation, will heatlyse in the boiler...this means the yeasts cell walls breakdown with heat and release the enzymes from inside the cells. These enzymes give a tremendous flavor boost to the back-set and it is now acidic. It is used in several different ways. It's added to the brewing water to make it acid (5pH) before the ferment is started. It's added to the finished wash before the first distillation for added flavor. It's added to the spirit run to cut the alcohol level back and to add even more flavor. After it's been used in five different distillation the back-set has reached it's full flavor potential and only about 10% can be used in any different application as any more and the flavor from the back-set will over-power the spirit...And then there's dunder...the same thing as back-set, but for British Naval Rums. The dunder is infected with bacteria and/or wild yeasts that develop the intense flavors found into this style of spirit. But you're not making Navy Rums just yet, so I'll stick to corn liquor. Don't remove the yeast haze from your beer wash if your not distilling on the grains, this is a major flavor component. When it's cool use this to adjust the pH in your next ferment and then use it in the first distillation, about 10% of the total volume. Then use it again to cut the low wine back to distilling proof instead of using water. When you compare this spirit to the one you make first, that had no back-set...you will be amazed at how good this has made it !
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by kiwi Bruce »

If you haven't already...take a look, It's UJSSM...viewtopic.php?f=14&t=725

http://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.php/index.php ... ash_Method" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

This is fantastic info on backset; thank you! Question; I am fermenting a rum at the moment. If I don't want to make rum next, and I would still like to save dunder, to try that down the line, and get into my corn experiment for a few months, can I save my rum dunder?

For that matter, how can I store ANY backset for liquor of any kind I'd like to do this with? Freezing?

Also from what I've read, it seems that after the first ferment none of the corn is likely to be used up so I don't need to worry about scooping and replacing, for my working this new recipe I want to develop. Is that right, that corn takes several ferments to soften and be used up/empty? I'm using cracked corn...
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by Honest_Liberty »

kiwi Bruce wrote:
distiller_dresden wrote: And briefly school me on how the setback works? I get I hold back 25%, so the yeast isn't 'dead', it's just dormant, right, then I add fresh water and sugar and corn/flakes and it'll recharge/get going again? No need for 'remash' in or boiling this next/second/further times?
I'll explain the whole set-back...back-set...dunder...vinaza :- thing for you. The liquid that is left over in the beer still, after the first run, is keep to one side and cooled. Only a small amount of the flavor in this liquid has been removed with the ethanol as it is distilled. The remains of the yeast, that did all the work during fermentation, will heatlyse in the boiler...this means the yeasts cell walls breakdown with heat and release the enzymes from inside the cells. These enzymes give a tremendous flavor boost to the back-set and it is now acidic. It is used in several different ways. It's added to the brewing water to make it acid (5pH) before the ferment is started. It's added to the finished wash before the first distillation for added flavor. It's added to the spirit run to cut the alcohol level back and to add even more flavor. After it's been used in five different distillation the back-set has reached it's full flavor potential and only about 10% can be used in any different application as any more and the flavor from the back-set will over-power the spirit...And then there's dunder...the same thing as back-set, but for British Naval Rums. The dunder is infected with bacteria and/or wild yeasts that develop the intense flavors found into this style of spirit. But you're not making Navy Rums just yet, so I'll stick to corn liquor. Don't remove the yeast haze from your beer wash if your not distilling on the grains, this is a major flavor component. When it's cool use this to adjust the pH in your next ferment and then use it in the first distillation, about 10% of the total volume. Then use it again to cut the low wine back to distilling proof instead of using water. When you compare this spirit to the one you make first, that had no back-set...you will be amazed at how good this has made it !

HOLY CRAP! Thank you. Thank you so much. Seriously. I have been reading and confusing myself for months now. This paragraph should be stickied as a Backset 101 for us noobs, such as myself, who feel like I'm treading water. I never even though about saving it for later use. I cannot wait to begin conserving backset properly
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by HDNB »

you want to be careful with the addition of backset for sour mashing. i've had ph issues just "guestimating" without a ph meter.

i'd suggest no more than 10% of wash volume in backset AFTER liquifaction (HTL) enzymes, or more succinctly, just before saccrification enzymes (GL or "mash in")

imho, a ph of 5.5 is the target for mash in or GL enzyme. 5 is a bit low from my experience...the ph continues to drop from when you measure it, so an hour after mash in you will lose ph points anyway.
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

Adjusting the recipe, mashing in tonight or tomorrow:


5.5 gal water
18 oz corn flakes
7.5 lbs white sugar
10 lbs cracked corn
11g DADY distillers yeast
3 tblsp Yeast nutrient
Last edited by distiller_dresden on Fri Mar 30, 2018 6:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

Mashed in, and already the yeast is working overtime. I have an aquarium heater in the bottom of my fermenter that heats at a constant 75*F, but the temp is 84* as of 9:42AM, and I only dropped the yeast in at 7AM. I had mashed in last night at 11 or midnight and let it sit overnight, covered, so the corn could soften and get that good gelatinization goin'. It's a milky soup for sure, and the soup tastes great, like corny malt-o-meal. Right now there is a foamy head on top and it looks like a giant glass of Guinness in there! I'll post photos in a day or so once it's properly developed. I'm excited.
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by kiwi Bruce »

distiller_dresden wrote:For that matter, how can I store ANY backset for liquor of any kind I'd like to do this with? Freezing?
I'm guessing from your HD handle that you're German...you have preserving jars there made by several companies, but "Weck" is a popular brand. Use the big 2 liter ones, fill the jars and process them in a hot kettle, as you would soup. You can just store the back-set in the jars unprocessed, there is not sugar left to ferment, but it could pick up a bug that would like to make your dunder it's new home. This could change the taste...however someone here on HD warned about botulinum, the pH is in a range that it could live...however your not going to be eating the stuff and heat destroys the toxin...so don't sweat it.
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

Hey kiwi Bruce - neat handle, New Zealander? I'm actually American, from Fort Wayne currently (IN), Dresden refers to one of my favorite literature characters (modern), a wizard - Harry Dresden lol. I DO see the mix up however! Good guess!!

Thanks for the tip! I'm actually going to be doing just that, jarring (or some reason people still call it canning...?) up a gallon and a half of my leftover dunder and letting it seal up safely and sterile, then the rest of the dunder I'm going to leave in a 5 gallon bucket with a loose cover to just toxic avenger away and see what happens to it. I've had a lot of excited people talking up this method and it's penchant for producing The Funk, like dunder that smells like juicy fruit gum and such crazy things like never dreamt of before... We'll see what happens. After the jarring I should have probably another 2.5 gallons or a little less dunder to experiment with in the bucket.

You can check out all the advice RE that experimenting and talk about dunder here, and then another GREAT dunder thread below that:
my dunder thread: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=70306
Otis expert dunder thread: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=69639
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by kiwi Bruce »

I have a suggestion, take a half doz pint jars - 1/3 full of dunder and deliberately infect them. I have the protocol to ID the fatty acids that different bacteria produce, that we can then use deliberately and not rely on a "spontaneous" infection. Others on HD are trying this also (I am not having the greatest success with mine, but I'm trying to slant my experiments toward Single Malts and not so much toward Rums.) Some of the thing I've read others have tried.
Earth/dirt...trying to capture Butric acid bacteria, this esters to a fruit/pineapple flavor and taste.
Parmesan cheese...Strong Lactic acid...
Yogurt...mild lactic acid...
Uncracked Barley Malt...Brettanomyces infection
Dead yeast cells...steak on the grill, tobacco, leather
look at the post "Dunder pit infections :- viewtopic.php?f=39&t=66998

I will make the time to write up the ID protocol for fatty acids and post it here and I'll also start a new thread.
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

I am deeply interested in this... What flavors do these each impart that the ones you didn't list flavors for? Are there other flavors?

Parmesan cheese...Strong Lactic acid...
Yogurt...mild lactic acid...
Uncracked Barley Malt...Brettanomyces infection

And this would go great in my rum thread or dunder thread-
rum- viewtopic.php?f=11&t=70044
dunder- viewtopic.php?f=3&t=70306

Or message me, but we should explore this idea! I'm cooking my rum out right now, I'll post the recipe in my rum thread or dunder thread. It's got a WONDERFUL banana flavor from bananas in it I mashed in...
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

12 hours into the corn mash (2)!
12 hours into the corn mash (2)!
12 hours into the corn mash!
12 hours into the corn mash!
Here's an update, just 12 hours into the corn mash, look at this mash go, the yeast is going NUTSO!! It smells like sweet butter and cornflakes, I'm so excited for it to work... Go yeast go!
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

corn mash 3.jpg
30 hours pic, much the same going on, maybe a bit more frothy? Seems a bit thicker on top, it's bubbling away a bit more than it was at 12 hours.
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

The foamy head has receded and slowed down and now it's just slow bubbles rising to the top, with still a strong sweet yeasty smell and a faint alcohol smell background. Time in the tank left
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

I noticed the Golden Pond mash was called for stirring once or twice a day; I guess I will stir this because it seems to have really slowed, but that seems against what I've known so far, but I've never had so much solids in a mash; anyone have input RE that?
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

SO it appears we are about done and I'm going to be filtering and cooking this off Saturday. I need some help from the board, please!

This is my first adventure into sour mash and backset. I'll be drawing off 4.5/5 gallons from my fermenter. I'm assuming my yeast is still 'active' but dormant, right? The corn still looks intact or sound, so it will stay in there, and I don't think I need to replace it with much if any, but I'll examine closer when I drain. So once I do that what's my move? Do I add 3.5 gallons water and once my cook is done add 1.5 gallons of backset as 'sour mash' to warm it up to wake up the yeast and add sugar and cornflakes to recharge my next batch? Or do I ignore the yeast and just do a new batch of hot water with my backset to soften the corn further to get the ferment going again on the new ferment?

For that matter I've been reading more and do I need malted barley or some enzymes for my corn? I know it's been soaking for a week by the time I drain off Friday so I will have well-soaked corn; when i do my second mash-in with back-set will the acidity of the sour mash be enough, with re-introducing boiled water, to break down all the cracked corn that is more or less solid/soft in the bottom of my fermenter? I could use some help and guidance from some old dogs of corn here...

Modified recipe for 2nd generation with backset will be:

5.5 gal water
18 oz corn flakes
7.5 lbs white sugar
10 lbs cracked corn
11g DADY distillers yeast
3 tblsp Yeast nutrient
2.5 lbs 2 row malted barley

Barley will be arriving Friday so I think I've cracked that nut I'll just need a bit of guidance RE above in that direction
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

Trying an ale yeast out for the 2nd gen instead of the distiller's yeast and will be adjusting recipe a bit; "never cry wolf" troubleshooting and creation on this recipe but so be it I'm gonna figure this one out and get her dialed in

ale yeast is being overnighted tomorrow, so I have it Saturday so after my cook I'm ready to mash in again - here it is:

Wyeast 1388 Belgian Strong Ale
alcohol tolerant strain will produce a complex ester profile balanced nicely with subtle phenolics. Malt flavors and aromas
Flocculation: low
Attenuation: 74-78%
Temperature Range: 64-80° F (18-27° C)
Alcohol Tolerance: approximately 12-13% ABV
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

Think I'll add this to my next batch, which will be a 3rd generation sour/backset corn, to see what these flavors could add to things. Still considering at this point:

"Maple & Smoked Bacon Candi Syrup - 1 lb.
Real smoked bacon and maple syrup cooked in small batches of Artisanal Belgian Style Candi Syrup. Not designed to overwhelm your beers with bacon, maple or smoke, rather it will add layers of complexity that will be appropriate in many different styles."
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

4.25 gal water
1.25 gal backset from prior corn cook (see above)
1.5 tblsp potassium bicarbonate (to raise PH of 1.25 gal backset to 5.5)
18 oz corn flakes
7.5 lbs white sugar
10 lbs cracked corn
3 tblsp Yeast nutrient
2.5 lbs 2 row malted barley
Wyeast 1388 Belgian Strong Ale

Measured the corn ahead of time, a day, and filled in hottest water from tap, draining and refilling approx. 2 hours before mash-in to reheat so that when I would boil my total 5.5 gals liquid and dump on the corn I wouldn't lose much heat, and the temp would be as high as possible to encourage/allow starchify. Used stick blender to decimate corn before draining just before liquid boiled, then drained it and dumped into fermenting container. Dumped liquid, temp was 201/198. Covered. About 2 hours later temp had dropped to 156, stirred (difficult!) and raised (heat trapped). When temp after stirring was 152 I dumped 2.5lbs 2 row malted barley, ran through coffee bean grinder first, into the mash, stirred, and covered, and ignored.

After about 2-3 more hours checked, stir temp was 136 and clearly corn starches were suspended in the water, it looked like flour soup before stirred. If you've ever gotten miso soup from Japanese restaurant that's what it looked like. Taking spoons from the bottom were all husk parts of corn and barley that used to have starch there; brava me! No idea what gravity is, but 'potential gravity' I figured without the liquid in the equation, based on perfect use of sugars involved, was like 1.7, don't know how the 5.5 gals of liquid affects that. Cornflakes have all but completely dissolved in here.

Waited until the mash got down to a stirred temp of 78.5 because the yeast max temp is 80 and I damn sure don't want to kill it on pitch! Pitched Monday evening at approx. 9p, today at 1p the mash looks like this (it looks like it's going freaking gangbusters, is how it looks) - I also used the stick blender before pitch to aerate the HELL out of it because I had so much starch-to-sugar and sugars in there, to make sure the yeast has the best chance possible to get a hold and kill dem sugars, make me so alkyhol. It was frothy and bubbly on top before I stopped aerating. Anyhow - pic of the mash ferment after 16 hours:
corn gen2.jpg
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

So I allowed the distilled first batch to air for 48 hours, then made my cuts. I got 60 oz of 120 proof white corn lightning with a sweet corn cereal smell, very pronounced. I put into a large jar to age with some med toast hungarian oak, light toast french oak, and med toast american oak cubes, then set said jar in front of the sun-catching sliding glass door. It's been 48 hours on oak now, and tonight I couldn't resist, so I just took 4 oz out and diluted to 80 proof, getting me 6 oz. Pronounced cereal (corn flakes!) notes, light vanilla, butterscotch, and definitely malt (as in carnation malted milk).

Took a sip. I can drink it like this. I woke my dad just now to try it, it's so fecking good. Even he, doesn't want to sip it, smells it, is basically compelled to sip it, says, "Wow, you cut it down too far, what proof?" I told him, 80. I did it by calculator, too, not by measure so I know it's spot on. This is so smooth; I can't wait for this to age more.

More importantly, I can't WAIT for the 2nd generation, which I've added malted barley to in order to get that good corn from and have 25% backset in (PH balanced) and am using a probably better yeast instead of just 'distillers DADY'.

But for anyone looking to get full on cereal, you can recreate my original recipe from first gen and get there easily. I can't wait for the 2nd gen now... It's still quite strong in fermentation today and I'm wondering how long a ferment I have on my hands?
corn whiskey.jpg
As for the cook: Standard cook, my wild card was 28 oz wash in the thumper, 4 oz honey, and 2 tblsp powdered carnation malted milk. I'd also soaked the 28 oz wash in 1c corn flakes for 2 hours, then strained, prior to adding to the thumper. I don't know if this is what carried over the malt/cereal/sweetness into my distilled hearts I'm sipping now, but I'll recreate this for each batch I do of my corn from here out because this has EXACTLY the corn/cornflakes/sweet/malty-on-oak flavor I wanted out of a pure corn spirit. I can only hope my 2nd gen with backset and malted barley maintains these properties but gets more complexities, because this is absolutely LOVELY.
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

Checked on the ferment this morning and it is still bubbling away like it's only 24 hours later, have to say I'm quite happy with the Wyeast live yeast I bought and pitched, it is doing its job quite well. Wondering how long it will be fermenting away, eating up all the sugars and making me yummy alcohols. Really doesn't seem to be any drop in the CO2 production either from after 24 hours, and now it's been 90 hours, or almost 4 whole days.

Maybe just because I'm used to distiller's yeast, or my last few runs were all, basically, sugar (molasses washes) and the ferments went so quickly. That's cool, I'm waiting for the good stuff to happen! Once it's done I'll drain the wash off and let it sit (think we are saying that's 'racking' it?) until I cook it next weekend. Unless something drastic happens, I really don't see this finishing up so I could cook it off on Sunday.

Is anyone following along or am I keeping a journal?
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

Ordered a few things, we're still fermenting away, but next batch, making a few adjustments - recipe will be:

4.25 gal water
1.25 gal backset from prior cook (see above)
1 tblsp potassium bicarbonate (to raise PH of 1.25 gal backset to 5)
18 oz corn flakes
1 lbs Lyle's Golden Syrup
4 lbs cracked corn
6 lbs flaked maize
1 lbs honey malt
2.5 lbs 2 row malted barley
1.5 lbs golden light DME
1.5 lbs ultra light LME
1 servomyces capsule
5 g Fermaid K
Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale

Will be fermenting right at 74-75*
Eliminating the sugar all together due to the addition of the DME, LME, and the Lyle's, which is a combo cane sugar/inverted sugar syrup. All together more than make up for the sugar, should also create much more flavor and complexity in the final product. Switched to the 1728 in the hopes of preserving the 'malt' flavor as I really like in Scottish ales.



Wyeast 1728 is as follows:
Flocculation: high
Attenuation: 69-73%
Temperature Range: 55-75° F (13-24° C)
Alcohol Tolerance: approximately 12% ABV
"Scottish ale strain is ideally suited for the strong, malty ales of Scotland. This strain is very versatile, and is often used as a “House” strain as it ferments neutral and clean. Higher fermentation temperatures will result in an increased ester profile."
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Shine0n
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by Shine0n »

I'm sitting quietly in the corner wathing, I too like to experiment.

I do think you're making a few too many changes in such short order with the washes unless I misread a post or something.

I like what you're doing as I do shit like this myself, you could also do different ferments and add the backset for multiple generations, keep them as is OR make an awesome blended spirit.

My 2nd Gen corn/barley is better than the first and I'm sure 3 will be better. I'll probably blend some of each for a small gallon of oaked spirit once I'm there but the rest will be oaked or left clear on its own.

Have fun friend, Shine0n
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distiller_dresden
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

Hey ShineOn, glad to see someone's on board!

To changes; the malted barley is really an evolution because originally I misunderstood starchification; so this currently fermenting generation is a correction. As to the changes for the 3rd gen around the corner - the flaked maize I've read is really similar in flavor to cracked corn, just much easier to use, and a friend of mine gave me 12 lbs of flaked maize. I am doing 2 more gens of corn before I go back to rum, so I split the flaked.

I wanted to replace the sugar so I see the malts and the Lyle's really as one change, replacing sugar; then a second change, yeast, which I'd actually MISSED they had a Scottish ale yeast, I love them for their maltiness and am hoping that malt character carries into my shine; the third change, the honey malt, to add a sweet honey character.

In the end, I can TOTALLY blend and that's exciting! But after that 3rd batch has aged a bit I can also know with these notes exactly what went into each generation, and I can taste that generation because I have all my generations of anything labelled, so I can always go back and isolate or revisit qualities or a recipe. Have I mentioned how much I freaking LOVE this lifestyle zen?

SO glad to have you along!

quick idea - what do you think of a corn flakes/DME only mash shooting for about 10% ABV and looking for a yeast that will enhance malt/cereal/sweet? I have this insane idea of wanting to taste cornflakes shine since tasting it so strong in my first batch recently, in the above tasting notes... something like 4-5 lbs corn flakes and 3-4 lbs DME and 1 lb of Lyle's golden syrup?
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

BATCH UPDATE

The ferment has FINALLY started to peter out, only 8 days later, that was a long cook off, I'm impressed by the yeast and I think it really go its teeth into all the gravity I had in the mash. The foamy, starchy 'cap' on top has nearly completely dissipated overnight and it's wispy, there are very few, slow bubbles coming, and beneath what's there the wash is clearish. Gonna be ready to cook off this weekend, and I can't wait.
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

Hey ShineOn, and anyone else lurking, is there any reason I can't/shouldn't use more than 20-25% backset in my mash-in for the new batch, as long as I PH balance it all to 5.5 (the liquid only) before I boil it and dump it on my corn? Thinking is it will add tons of flavor?

Tasting note edit: I couldn't resist and drained off 4oz of the corn whisky, and added 2oz spring water to dilute to 80 proof. The color is much darker, it looks like liquid gold. There is not much additional oak flavor from the last sampling I took, but the color has maybe tripled. Also, taking on a vanilla note, and a little mouth feel? Normal for oaking, I don't know? Not getting any other flavors, though I put medium American and Hungarian, and light French in there, all cubes, and several shards of Jack Daniels with char on them. Thing is, I'm not really a fan of American whisky or bourbon, or I haven't had any I've liked. I love Glenlivet, I have had a few other scotches and I don't like smoky scotches, I like sweet, malty ones. This whisky is cereal, touch of malt, and oak, very light vanilla now, and that's it, very clean, and I like it a lot, it is not overpowering at all as almost all American whiskey (y, ey?) and bourbon I've had has been.
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by Shine0n »

What's crackin DD, 10% isn't too bad imho. See what comes of it brother and post some results, I've never worked with DME so honestly couldn't tell you one way or another but from what I've seen at the store it's more than I'd like to pay but I'm a cheap bastard. lol

I'm also not sure about more than 25% backset other than ph issues as I guess it's just a standard that most have seem to fallen on. I assume that folks use that because it's been proven to be a good place for ph and flavors.
I use somewhat around that for mine although I rarely do sour mash, I've done a few gen of ujssm and it's good, I'm on gen 3 of a corn/barley and it's gotten better with each gen so maybe 25% is "the ticket"

I like your enthusiasm, you seem to be enjoying this and keep up the good work and stay safe.

Sorry if I didn't answer the q's very well but its at 445 am and just getting my first cup of joe. lol
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

Early bird, got that (copper) worm, hehe. Enjoying it, oh man. I wish I had about 6 fermenters like my 1, and 6 still set ups, all just set up so I didn't have to set up/take down each time. The kind of person I am with things, I get going on something and it tends to take over. I think about this stuff all day now; I do math in my head, ponder ingredients, recipes, or additions to my rum before or after distillation that might benefit it or the flavor profile. I think I have stumbled onto an unknown passion and one of my heart's true calling's in life. We didn't cook last weekend because the mash ferment was taking longer and it's been eating at me.

Man I read up on this flaked maize, it seems it might be awesome; it's pre-starched! I don't have to starch it, I'm supposed to pitch it when I pitch my malted grains. Since I still have some cracked corn as I'm splitting the flaked over two runs I'll actually probably pitch the flaked at like 162, since the temp will drop when I pitch it, and I don't want to miss the temp I pitch my malted grains at.

I read up on PH and malting and I'm gonna set a room temp/cold PH of 5.5 and then I guess it drops about .35 when heated, and the perfect pitch PH for malt performance is 5.15; hehe, I have just been kind of pouring over aspects of the hobby when I wasn't able to mash or cook this weekend.

Talk soon, thanks for thoughts and advice, peace.
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Re: Corn flake/cracked corn combo development

Post by distiller_dresden »

Just cooked off the 2nd generation of the CF/CC combo and I had 4 gallons in the still, which cooked off 106oz spread over 12 jars. It's now airing for at least 48 hours, I'll post notes when I make cuts.

Tomorrow I'll mash in the 3rd gen, and later tonight or tomorrow late morning I'll post the final decided recipe for that mash. The 2nd gen was tasting VERY corny, sweet, somehow from some freaking where notes of clear as bell vanilla off the worm which I have no idea where or how that happened??, I can only guess an ester that formed from the yeast I used maybe.

Best math I can get, worked over 3x to check it, I got 13.4% ABV out of the 2nd generation wash. Not freaking bad, yeast and mash!
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"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."
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