Cornflakes whiskey

[Swedish Pride]

personally I had little to no foaming, about and inch tops.
Have both fermenters going at the same time, that way you should be able to strip at the same time and get about 2.5 to 3 gallons of lowwines for your spirit run

[Beerbrewer]

Does anyone here have different experiences with different brands of cornflakes? While this is only my empirical observation, for the first three or so runs I have done this year (I only run my still from April to September) using the cheapest brand cornflakes I could find, I found that it was much easier to get out of my fermenter manually because I could just scoop the spent flakes off the top of the wash or it settled down quite well at the bottom and my tap didn't get clogged up. As opposed to last year using more expensive brands where they stayed in suspension and I would usually lose a fair few litres in transfer.

[Swedish Pride]

I only used the cheap ones and found the difference to be if you smashed them up or if you kept them intact.
Smash em up and you'll have a lot of slurry to deal with, keep em whole and most will settle fine, some will float and some in suspension but most are settled.
That my experience anyways

[Beerbrewer]

I only used the cheap ones and found the difference to be if you smashed them up or if you kept them intact.
Smash em up and you'll have a lot of slurry to deal with, keep em whole and most will settle fine, some will float and some in suspension but most are settled.
That my experience anyways

I'll keep that in mind, cheers.

[Justafarmer]

I recently stripped a cornflakes wash. I used two 5 gallon fermenters. For each I crushed and boiled to mush a large box of Kellogs plain corn flakes. I boiled 8 pounds of plain white sugar in a gallon and a half of water for 20-30 minutes until it was a golden color. I added a crushed B complex vitamin, a quarter of a cup of bakers yeast, a healthy pinch of Epsom salts, and a quarter teaspoon of Miracle Grow rose food to the boil. I added all this to each fermenter and topped off with cool water. When the temp dropped below 100 F I pitched 1/4 cup of Fleishmans in each. Fermentation finished in about four days, but I didn't get to run it for about five weeks. It finished dry, 0.996, and cleared nicely, but left about six inches of sludge in the bottom of the buckets. That left me with around 8 gallons of wash to strip, which I ran fast through my pot, collecting 2 gallons of low wines down to about 15%. The low wines actually smell really nice, and a sip from where I'm guessing the center of the hearts are was really good, lots of flavor and not too harsh. I'm gonna add a gallon of backset to these low wines and make a spirit run early next week, I hope. I also just cut and toasted a bunch of white oak heartwood fingers for aging that I'm anxious to try this on.

[Greig56]

Hey there! I caught this recipe of yours about three weeks ago while doing some perusing. Same time I was reading a thread on a Deathwish Wheat Germ Sugar Wash so got to thinking this might be a real neat twist on a simple 5 Imp Gal wash! I was in a mode looking for something to fill in my impending demand! Getting hitched -again in one week tomorrow and yea I know..! But I expect a demand for product at the reception so intend to accommodate with some quality tipple this wash and previous so think will be busy!!
It won't be long aged but have read of nuclear aging for what'll become whiskey, the rest tainted with some of those wee bottles to 'make' something else tho I think there's one for a bitters for me!
Half a 700g big box of cornflakes, a single 13oz bag of Wheat Germ [I think this makes ~350 some grams but don't hold that conversion to me at the moment!] which I did a 90 minute 360 degree 'bath' on with some enzyme and 9 pounds of sugar for a 25ltr primer come 22 ltr carboy for two and a half weeks total! -After the WG bath I took it to a boil and added the flakes making sure they came to a boil for at least 5 mins, added the sugar and put it to a primary! Along with some yeast energizer/nutrient I have a whiskey yeast along with some 1118 I did in a starter, half an hour later off it went! I did this out in my garage so it's been warm enough out there right now! 1130 down to 1014, done deal!
Now this is only my third wash I've done! The result is last night I hit it with my pot for it's first run! Smooooooth!!! I mean really smoooooth for a first run! Tried to look out and notice the changes in flavour while doing my run from that first bottle of heads to the reeaaly smooth hearts! Noticed too when it was becoming more tails -thankfully well into a good bit of hearts! Didn't want to be overambitious or cocky in testing so held back and just tasted lightly! I got after removing the first 100+ml near 6-7 ltrs, it might be near 8.. It was late 9 till midnight is what it took, then walk the dog and flop into bed for work today! No rest for the wicked! 75%ABV till it dropped to 32% is when I stopped.
Good thing i caught this thread again as just noticed you recommended adding a bit of backwash into the spirit run, which is a good thing as I only stopped, killed the gas and power to the garage and locked the door so my clean up is tonight!

So far this is a nice smoooth simple recipe! She who beleives she must be obeyed has been gracious! Been spending too much time on this site reading shite for next time! Next wash will be a rum!!! It might be a shortwhile till I get back on here!
Cheers!

[Swedish Pride]

Greig,
Great to hear of your success, but slow down man.
Are you sure that sharing homemade stuff with a reception party is a good idea, do you trust every single one there not to blabber to their mates about Greig who made us great shine for his wedding reception party?
Also you are really pushing the yeast with a SG of 1.130, especially if you still are running your pot still unmodified. Most recommend about 1.06 for a sugar wash in a pot.

Anyway, enjoy your special day, hope you have a great day!

[Greig56]

Point has been noted SP! I've been committed for a while now so it's been too late to back out even if it's a short-list of just family! The price at the Guvm't store here and our 'state of the union' means these options are few! Then if I can't provide for my own festivities then why are we here doing this? I can appreciate a decent quality and don't normally tipple that much, what I've come up with thus far is decent enough to present to family! Thankfully this hobby here in Ontario doesn't carry the level of what to call it, danger and limits of ejudication as some parts and places Stateside! That said I have my gas run model planes well out front in 'plane' view!

On the other side, yes after I saw my original gravity I realized there was too much sugar put to it so I'll put that down to a trial by fire experience and consider a wee bit less next time!
I did my spirit run last night with near 2lts of backwash to the spirits I got out first run! For a basic pot still I was extremly impressed for what I go out last night! A decent bit of heads and a good bit of hearts followed by a very short bit of tails! 91% to 89%ABV then the tails dropped like a stone to 48 then 28%ABV. Very very light and clean so I'll have to wait till tonight to get home to do another more detailed perusal. I've been running the roads and burning the wick at both ends for a while but I beleive it was near 5 ltrs total is what I have airing out back at my special place! Heck that reminds me it ruined my hydrometer holder!! Turned it white and at the very end I noticed it cracked the base!! A lesson in not mixing plastics with high test 'fuel'!!

Thanks again!
Now to find out if aging is done better [this time only quicker!] at higher proof or 65 or 40%ABV!! I've checked the threads and haven't found any definite hint or answer in that vein yet!

[aceswired]

If nothing else, tell them that your friend has a still and you helped him make this. That's what I tell my neighbors who drink with me.

[rad14701]

Heck that reminds me it ruined my hydrometer holder!! Turned it white and at the very end I noticed it cracked the base!! A lesson in not mixing plastics with high test 'fuel'!!

And if you dumped those samples back into your spirits the whole batch has been tainted with dissolved plasticizers... Do you really want to drink those spirits...??? There's good reason why we have Rule #8 of The Rules We Live By... They aren't called the rules we die by for good reason...

[Benoit]

Set a batch of this going last night but I did use the frosted flakes, from the printed sugar content it should have come out at SG1.055 but actually came out at 1.062. My math sucks but I'd like to think the cereal box is lying or there's more than 1kg of sugar in a 1kg bag (I used 3kgs sugar & 1kg Frosties)! Made it all up to 24 litres to try and water the gravity back a bit but I started to run out of bucket.
I used a tsp of citric because I had no backset and my water is always really neutral, then disaster struck...all my bakers yeast went into a batch of Cachaca wash a few days ago & all I had was 1 meagre pack of ale yeast. When the wash got down to 20° I pitched & sealed up, no sign of life after an hour but it was late & I needed sleep! Hopefully everything will be motoring along when I get back this evening, would have preferred to have more yeast on hand to get it going more quickly but these things happen I guess

Benoit

[DAD300]

I recently was given a huge quantity of outdated cereals, mostly corn flakes.

I mashed them with enzymes and used no added sugar. 10 pounds of cornflakes and 2 pounds of cherrios mashed with five gallons of water made for an Sg of 1.07! The result was great, taste was all corn.

I know the cereal had some sugars and vitamins added. An AG from breakfast cereal.

[Benoit]

What temperature did you mash at DAD?

Benoit

[Odin]

I recently was given a huge quantity of outdated cereals, mostly corn flakes.

I mashed them with enzymes and used no added sugar. 10 pounds of cornflakes and 2 pounds of cherrios mashed with five gallons of water made for an Sg of 1.07! The result was great, taste was all corn.

I know the cereal had some sugars and vitamins added. An AG from breakfast cereal.

Hi DAD, that's the ultimate CF you made! Can't wait to visit you and try some (just suggesing ... I will be near Gettysburg in 4 weeks time!).

Odin.

[kashmoney]

Is it ok for my corn flake mash to be bubbling after only 1 hour? I'm getting a bubble every 15-20 seconds. I just remember I had a tomato paste going that did that and it ended up doing really poorly...

30 minutes later it's sped up pretty drastically - it's bubbling every 2 seconds...

[StillLearning1]

Is it ok for my corn flake mash to be bubbling after only 1 hour? I'm getting a bubble every 15-20 seconds. I just remember I had a tomato paste going that did that and it ended up doing really poorly...

30 minutes later it's sped up pretty drastically - it's bubbling every 2 seconds...

Yep no problems there. My cf always start pretty quick. Its a wash not a mash by the way.

You should head to the welcome center, that's where most first post should be.

[Hound Dog]

Is it ok for my corn flake mash to be bubbling after only 1 hour? I'm getting a bubble every 15-20 seconds. I just remember I had a tomato paste going that did that and it ended up doing really poorly...

30 minutes later it's sped up pretty drastically - it's bubbling every 2 seconds...

The faster the yeast starts going at it, the less chance anything else has of getting in there to infect it. An early strong start is a good thing. Perhaps your last one did poorly because the SG was too high?

[rad14701]

I usually start getting air lock activity within about 15 minutes on most of my sugarheads and they are usually up to full speed within an hour or two...

[kashmoney]

Thanks for the replies - 36 hours in and it's going strong.

[Spankey]

READ MORE:

Ok bought a fermenter just for this. Now how is this
12 lbs sugar
2040 grams (4 boxes)
10 gal water.

Just not sure how much or which yeast. Thinking fleshmans day.
Any suggestions or comments welcomed

[Spankey]

Ok mixed it up and crap just to find out my hydrometer is cracked so no og so now my new question it seems to want to crust up. Do I keep punching it down a few times a day or just leave it be. Oh I also gave it a full jar if yeast hope not to much.

[Swedish Pride]

you're on track, OG should be around 1.055, just leave it alone to do it's thing.

A jar of yeast is a lot but not to worry, worst thing you used more than needed, prob finish a bit quicker too.

hands off until it has stopped fizzing

[Spankey]

Ok but that's really hard to do I just wanna peek lol. But I will let it work in peace. Thanks

[Spankey]

Wow didn't hear anymore fizzing so I peeked and a buble here a buble there but almost all the cornflakes are below the surface. Gonna check again in 2 days but holy cow that's a fast ferment. It sat at 82 degrees the entire time and now its at 75 degrees. So yeasties were not stressed. But the smell omg both me and my dog were drooling lol. It smell almost good enough to bottle and drink.

[jb-texshine]

Got a wash I need a lil help on. First time stuck wash. Five gallon wash, og 1.080. + one half cup or so of crushed oyster shell on day I set the wash.been two weeks today. Sg.1.046. Ambient room temp is 80 day and nite still has floating cornflakes.push them down and others come up. No way to check ph but made same as always and never had a single prob. What the hell is going on? Oh....yeast- Fleishmans bakers.one of the three pack strips rehydrated in a two litre soda bottle half full of water with a 2 tablespoons of brown sugar dissolved in a bit of water added after ten min.yeast started fine. Added a 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to wash earlier just as a way to check ph.slight bit of foaming but not what you would expect in something overly acidic. Help me out guys.
Jb

[Spankey]

I can't help on stuck ferment but i also had the cornflakes creating a crust at the top when stired up just came back. But they now are way below the surface. So as the SG goes down they will SINK. So when you get unstuck they will fall.

[Odin]

Don't stirr. You will introduce new o2 and potentially infect the wash. 1.080 is high. If it got stuck, check pH. Add some bicarb.

Odin.

[jb-texshine]

Ph tested with strips ph 5.8.... Tasted it and its no longer sweet tasted off,way off.smelled I lil off but still show sg 1.050...
I think bacteria got it. Still showing sugar but don't taster rt for the sg. Smell and taste a lil off... Said screw it and dumped it.got two different washes ready to run so no great loss.only 5 gallon thankfully.
jb
Chalking it up to the game....

[Spankey]

Ok I just finished stripping the first half of my wash I got about 3/4 gal of lowines so far. Just heating up second half and will get about the same since both charges are exactly the same size 4 gal. I had 10 gal of water added and got out 8 gal of wash. My next round I scooped out half the cornflakes put in 2 boxes fresh cornflakes. 12/lbs more sugar and 2 1/2 gal backset and 7 gal of water. Backset is cooling after sugar added. When its cooled down I will dump it in the fermenter for round 2.

[Spankey]

Can't believe how fast round 2 is fermenting it stated on 5 min. It sounds like I opened a bottle of coke and already has the smell of alcohol. Love this hobby.