fermenting grain
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fermenting grain
My first all grain attempt. This recipe makes 5 gal, and Im on the second 5 gal pot. Grain bill is 7 pounds cracked corn, 1.5 pounds rye (milled) and 1.5 pounds Malted barley.
5 gal of water to a boil. Turn off heat, add corn and rye. Stir each 5 min til it reaches 160F. Add malted grain, stir, etc...
I did one pot, it's in my fermenter, the second pot of mash is cooling. I aerated the mash and added yeast. Until now Ive used bakers yeast or DADY. This time Im using Still Spirits whiskey yeast, not turbo. I have the 1 kg bag. The small bags are 72gm and says they are appropriate for 5 gal. So I added 72gm, added my heater to 80*.
As of now I have no evidence that the yeast is doing anything. In all other ferments the yeast has taken off like a rocket. Its been over an hour and I see nothing in the fermenter.
I have not checked the pH which is something I should do. The mash is sticky on my hands, so Im pretty sure there is sugar in it.
So whats up?
5 gal of water to a boil. Turn off heat, add corn and rye. Stir each 5 min til it reaches 160F. Add malted grain, stir, etc...
I did one pot, it's in my fermenter, the second pot of mash is cooling. I aerated the mash and added yeast. Until now Ive used bakers yeast or DADY. This time Im using Still Spirits whiskey yeast, not turbo. I have the 1 kg bag. The small bags are 72gm and says they are appropriate for 5 gal. So I added 72gm, added my heater to 80*.
As of now I have no evidence that the yeast is doing anything. In all other ferments the yeast has taken off like a rocket. Its been over an hour and I see nothing in the fermenter.
I have not checked the pH which is something I should do. The mash is sticky on my hands, so Im pretty sure there is sugar in it.
So whats up?
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Re: fermenting grain
Checked pH, was 6.6. Adjusted it does to 4.5. Took 8 oz of the wash, added some bakers yeast. Took off like I expected. Do I have a kilo of bad yeast?
Re: fermenting grain
I'd let it ride for 12 hours or so and if it doesn't kick off, pitch the bakers yeast.
You could try a yeast starter with the Still Spirits in the meantime just to confirm it's good or bad.
You could try a yeast starter with the Still Spirits in the meantime just to confirm it's good or bad.
Re: fermenting grain
drinkin_myway wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 12:23 pm The mash is sticky on my hands, so Im pretty sure there is sugar in it.
Did you taste it ? The stickiness could be the beta-glucans from the rye.
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Re: fermenting grain
Did you measure the SG? I doubt there is much in the way of available starch to convert from the short soak the corn got. Cracked corn needs a good while at high temps to gel and free up the starches for conversion.
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Re: fermenting grain
How long should the corn cook? Lots of gelling. Nearly as thick as oatmeal before I added the malted grain.
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Re: fermenting grain
Cracked corn is not the best, you're better off milling it to the consistency of polenta. Corn also gelatinises at a fairly high temperature, it would pay to read some of the Tried&True recipes that use corn, such as Booner's Casual All-Corn.
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Re: fermenting grain
SG was 1.030. Not crazy high, but not zero.
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Re: fermenting grain
You have a good mash bill and it'll make a good drop, but you'll need a lot of it to make a gallon of booze.
At 2#/Gallon, you should have gotten 1.060 or better. I get 1.074 with 2.25 pounds of grain per gallon using corn meal. Grind that cracked corn into a fine meal. I gel the corn for about 2 hours holding the temps above 180. Then let the temp fall to 150 before adding the malts.
At 2#/Gallon, you should have gotten 1.060 or better. I get 1.074 with 2.25 pounds of grain per gallon using corn meal. Grind that cracked corn into a fine meal. I gel the corn for about 2 hours holding the temps above 180. Then let the temp fall to 150 before adding the malts.
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Re: fermenting grain
Thank you for your advice sir.Deplorable wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 6:35 pm You have a good mash bill and it'll make a good drop, but you'll need a lot of it to make a gallon of booze.
At 2#/Gallon, you should have gotten 1.060 or better. I get 1.074 with 2.25 pounds of grain per gallon using corn meal. Grind that cracked corn into a fine meal. I gel the corn for about 2 hours holding the temps above 180. Then let the temp fall to 150 before adding the malts.
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Re: fermenting grain
I second this, your recipe sounds exactly like the one I use, I grind my cracked corn into almost flour, I then cook my corn at 180 for 45 mins, take off the heat and let cook until 150 before I add my maltsDeplorable wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 6:35 pm You have a good mash bill and it'll make a good drop, but you'll need a lot of it to make a gallon of booze.
At 2#/Gallon, you should have gotten 1.060 or better. I get 1.074 with 2.25 pounds of grain per gallon using corn meal. Grind that cracked corn into a fine meal. I gel the corn for about 2 hours holding the temps above 180. Then let the temp fall to 150 before adding the malts.
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Re: fermenting grain
For those of you who grind corn small to mash. How do you handle it in your mash pot? Dump it in and strain it our, put it in a bag. Do you distill on grain? Any issues with burning? BTW the yeast is kicking butt this morning.
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Re: fermenting grain
I cook everything in my pot and pour into my fermenter and ferment on the grain. After my mash is done I use a double mesh sieve and a cheese cloth bag to strain out all the grain into buckets, then I put in my pot and cook it up, a lot of people here strain into cheese cloth or paint bags and either suspend the bag over a bucket to drip drain or they squeeze it with a mop wringer.
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Re: fermenting grain
Any issue with burning? Gas or electric heat source?
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Re: fermenting grain
Ferment on the grain, put liquid in the boiler with electric element and slop in the thumper.
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Re: fermenting grain
Scorching during cooking or stilling?
I follow the SCD easy large batch mash protocol, so no scorching.
I ferment on grain, clear the wash, squeeze the grains, and let that cloudy liquid clear and rack off the trub. No scorching on either gas or electric.
I follow the SCD easy large batch mash protocol, so no scorching.
I ferment on grain, clear the wash, squeeze the grains, and let that cloudy liquid clear and rack off the trub. No scorching on either gas or electric.
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Re: fermenting grain
I was concerned about scorching when mashing. I haven’t distilled on grain and can’t imagine why I ever would. My boiler has internal electric elements.
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Re: fermenting grain
'Cause squeezing is a bitch, even if you got the best game at it.drinkin_myway wrote: ↑Mon May 03, 2021 6:41 pm I was concerned about scorching when mashing. I haven’t distilled on grain and can’t imagine why I ever would. My boiler has internal electric elements.
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Re: fermenting grain
That ain't no lie. But it's the cheapest of the 3 options. Squeeze it, run it in a thumper, or distill on grain in a jacketed still.ShineonCrazyDiamond wrote: ↑Tue May 04, 2021 3:12 pm'Cause squeezing is a bitch, even if you got the best game at it.drinkin_myway wrote: ↑Mon May 03, 2021 6:41 pm I was concerned about scorching when mashing. I haven’t distilled on grain and can’t imagine why I ever would. My boiler has internal electric elements.
Fear and ridicule are the tactics of weak-minded cowards and tyrants who have no other leadership talent from which to draw in order to persuade.