First All Grain...

[cannon.co.tn]

Haven't been around much. Life gets in the way you know. I finally decided to break out the still again and just did my first all grain mash, waiting for it to cool down right now so I can pitch my yeast.

50 lb. Cracked Corn
15 lb. 2 row malted barley

I boiled the corn in 2 10 gal. batches (I'm using 15 gal kettles)

After the first batch was done and cooled to 158 or so I added 5 lb of the malt to let them get working while I boiled the rest of the corn.

Once the second part of the corn cooked I let it cool a little in the kettle and then dumped it on top of the first batch in my fermenter. Then the other 10lb. of malt went on top.

The first batch thinned out fairly well and I expect the second will too but with a 25 gallon batch it's still a very thick mash.

I expect to get only 6.5% from this which seems a little low. Any idea how much corn flavor I will come lose if I do a step ferment and add 20 lb. of sugar in a couple days to bring me up to 10%?

I'm not really going to be able to drink that much more but I don't want to waste time and energy cooing off such low alcohol mash. If I bring it up to 10% I can probably get by with 2 runs but at 6.5% I'll probably need 3.

[Tater]

I would keep that grain and do second ferment with spent grain and sugar

[Fastill]

I would keep that grain and do second ferment with spent grain and sugar

But keep the final runs seperate. I run allgrains and am happy to get a 5% wash and always run a second sugar run on the spent grains, but they go into seperate jugs after they are run.

[Tater]

I would keep that grain and do second ferment with spent grain and sugar

But keep the final runs seperate. I run allgrains and am happy to get a 5% wash and always run a second sugar run on the spent grains, but they go into seperate jugs after they are run.

Id let my taste buds decide mix

[cannon.co.tn]

Thanks for the suggestions. I took a gravity reading and got a little over 1.060. I'm not sure how well that will work as the grain is still in the fermenter but It'll surely be close. I pitched half a cup of yeast on 25 gallons or so and in a few days I'll run it off and then refill with sugar water on top of the corn.

[cannon.co.tn]

Gad. My hydrometer broke and I'm running off the corn soon. I called my local homebrew shop and got static for wanting a hydrometer for "over 20% alc)