ferment speed

Any hardware used for mashing, fermenting or aging.

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Grappa-Gringo
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ferment speed

Post by Grappa-Gringo »

Good day folks... wondering what the average rate of a ferment is for everyone. My last batch seemed to hit 1.ooo in about 4 days... which I thought was pretty quick.... my ferments usually take a week.... just wondering....

8 gallons.... sugar wash... baking yeast with gypsom and tomato paste. I put a heat lamp over top of it and nestled nicely. Tasted it and it's pretty dry... so tomorrow will be a distilling day....

GG
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Re: ferment speed

Post by Bushman »

Some folks don’t ferment all the way, I usually do. I also have a BW fermenting and in my fermenting cart it has dropped from 20C down to 17.5. I use an aquarium temp gauge to keep the temp within 5 C. I usually let it go a few extra days before distilling it and without checking it I am guessing it is done after a week. Will wait until after Mothersday so will probably run it on Monday or Tuesday.
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Re: ferment speed

Post by StillerBoy »

Any sugar wash.. 6.5 - 15 gals, done in 3 days at .990, clears in another 3 days, ready to run on a 7 day cycle..

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Re: ferment speed

Post by Bradster68 »

Can anyone tell me what a corn and sugar wash should smell like when its done fermenting. I'm sure we all smell something a little different. Mine smells like beer.
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still_stirrin
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Re: ferment speed

Post by still_stirrin »

Bradster68 wrote: Sun Dec 12, 2021 1:11 am Can anyone tell me what a corn and sugar wash should smell like when its done fermenting. I'm sure we all smell something a little different. Mine smells like beer.
Corny beer. And maybe a little bready, if you used baker’s yeast. What was your OG?
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Re: ferment speed

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still_stirrin wrote: Sun Dec 12, 2021 4:51 am
Bradster68 wrote: Sun Dec 12, 2021 1:11 am Can anyone tell me what a corn and sugar wash should smell like when its done fermenting. I'm sure we all smell something a little different. Mine smells like beer.
Corny beer. And maybe a little bready, if you used baker’s yeast. What was your OG?
ss
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Re: ferment speed

Post by The Baker »

Sniff very gently always.

There can be a very strong carbon dioxide layer above the ferment!

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Re: ferment speed

Post by 8Ball »

The Baker wrote: Sun Dec 12, 2021 4:47 pm Sniff very gently always.

There can be a very strong carbon dioxide layer above the ferment!

Geoff
+1

Had two co-workers die by crawling into a nitrogen purged confined space. Only takes a couple of breaths and ALL oxygen in your lungs is displaced and you black out. So carbon dioxide could also do a number on you given the right (unfortunate) circumstances.
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Re: ferment speed

Post by Bradster68 »

Grappa-Gringo wrote: Sat May 08, 2021 12:21 pm Good day folks... wondering what the average rate of a ferment is for everyone. My last batch seemed to hit 1.ooo in about 4 days... which I thought was pretty quick.... my ferments usually take a week.... just wondering....

8 gallons.... sugar wash... baking yeast with gypsom and tomato paste. I put a heat lamp over top of it and nestled nicely. Tasted it and it's pretty dry... so tomorrow will be a distilling day....

GG
I did a couple corn mashes.
Heated water to 165
Added cracked corn 10lb
Added amylase
Let sit 90 min.
Added sugar 10lb
Brought down to 77 Added yeast. 10gram bakers

It took 19 days to get to 1. FG at 72 deg
Is this normal?
Should I have Added some nutrients?
Maybe warmer ferment temp?
I was not in a hurry iv just read that some people are fermenting in a very short time.
Just curious what everyone thinks.
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Re: ferment speed

Post by still_stirrin »

Bradster68 wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 4:44 am I did a couple corn mashes. <— Technically, it was a sugar wash, not a cereal mash. It was like the UJSSM but without the generational ferments.

Heated water to 165 … Added cracked corn 10lb … Added amylase … Let sit 90 min … <— You didn’t get much “fermentable” material there, just some “flavor”.

Added sugar 10lb … Brought down to 77 Added yeast. 10gram bakers <— Baker’s yeast likes it just a little warmer, like 80*F to 85*F.

It took 19 days to get to 1. FG at 72 deg … Is this normal? <— Not bad at 72*F. Ferment temperature is cold, however. It will work faster at a warmer temp.

Should I have Added some nutrients? <— Well, some DAP would have helped the yeast, especially after the initial start (aerobic phase) when the yeast is in the latent fermentation.

Maybe warmer ferment temp? <— Uhhhh….yeah, like I’ve said a few times already.

I was not in a hurry iv just read that some people are fermenting in a very short time … Just curious what everyone thinks. <— I “think” you’re a little inexperienced with brewing (and fermenting) beers or distiller’s beers. But, you’re learning, even if it is “the hard way”. So, keep studying. And keep practicing.
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Re: ferment speed

Post by Ben »

Bradster68 wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 4:44 am
Maybe warmer ferment temp?
Or just use a yeast that works well at your temp, there are plenty to choose from. SO4 or USO5 are common choices. You can reuse the yeast in perpetuity if you are a little careful.

On the nutrient side you can dump about half of your leftover sediment from the previous ferment into your mash or into your hot liquor tank to make your wash from. The now dead yeast make a good nutrient.
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Re: ferment speed

Post by Bradster68 »

If you don't recognize this comment it was also from you SS. my reading will pay off eventually.
If you don't recognize this comment it was also from you SS. my reading will pay off eventually.
still_stirrin wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:46 am
Bradster68 wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 4:44 am I did a couple corn mashes. <— Technically, it was a sugar wash, not a cereal mash. It was like the UJSSM but without the generational ferments.

Heated water to 165 … Added cracked corn 10lb … Added amylase … Let sit 90 min … <— You didn’t get much “fermentable” material there, just some “flavor”.

Added sugar 10lb … Brought down to 77 Added yeast. 10gram bakers <— Baker’s yeast likes it just a little warmer, like 80*F to 85*F.

It took 19 days to get to 1. FG at 72 deg … Is this normal? <— Not bad at 72*F. Ferment temperature is cold, however. It will work faster at a warmer temp.

Should I have Added some nutrients? <— Well, some DAP would have helped the yeast, especially after the initial start (aerobic phase) when the yeast is in the latent fermentation.

Maybe warmer ferment temp? <— Uhhhh….yeah, like I’ve said a few times already.

I was not in a hurry iv just read that some people are fermenting in a very short time … Just curious what everyone thinks. <— I “think” you’re a little inexperienced with brewing (and fermenting) beers or distiller’s beers. But, you’re learning, even if it is “the hard way”. So, keep studying. And keep practicing.
I can't figure out why this is not a cereal mash. Is corn not a cereal? Do I need a certain ratio of cereals to sugar? Iv heated corn to proper temp for gel? Iv saved my dunder or trub for next time. ( not sure about what to call what I saved from fermenting bucket. Iv been all over this forum and everyone seems to have a different name for this stuff).

Fermentable material? So corn alone is not enough. Should I have cooked longer to gelatinize the corn so the amylase could convert better? This is what the amylase is for right so the yeast has something to eating after the chains have been broken down?or do I need to find something else for the yeast to eat besides the corn?
Wow. I hope I'm understanding this process right?

Good to know about the temp for yeast I will definitely make sure for my next batch.
I'm not gonna change to much at first in my recipe so I can notice the differences in each change.
Also my fermenting area is now 5 deg warmer, I'll see what happens and log it.

Iv been reading a lot about DAP I will add to my arsenal.

And...I am very green at this hobby. Iv literally done only one mash. And apparently I didn't even make what I thought I was making.i have been reading my ass off trying to get my head around things. I won't give up. And my wife laughed and said thats the way I like to learn everything. "The hard way".
Thanks again for your time SS.
CHEERS
If you don't recognize this comment it was also from you SS. my reading will pay off eventually.
If you don't recognize this comment it was also from you SS. my reading will pay off eventually.
Last edited by Bradster68 on Tue Dec 14, 2021 5:03 am, edited 2 times in total.
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: ferment speed

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Mashing is when you use enzymes or malted grains to convert starches to sugars...

Corn is a bit of a bitch and for good conversion needs to be thoroughly gelatinized in order for the enzymes (in the malt or otherwise) to penetrate and do it's magic. Hard to say by your description whether you cooked the corn hot enough or long enough for the enzymes to convert the starches to sugars.

Adding sugar doesn't have anything to do with mashing.. It's already "sugar" and doesn't need any enzymes to convert..

You can do an iodine / starch test to confirm that all the starches have converted to sugars - Before adding any sugar...

If you didn't "cook the hell out of the corn" it probably didn't mash - an iodine test would confirm.

Look up the "No Boil" method for converting corn..

Cheers!
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Re: ferment speed

Post by Bradster68 »

jonnys_spirit wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 2:27 pm Mashing is when you use enzymes or malted grains to convert starches to sugars...

Corn is a bit of a bitch and for good conversion needs to be thoroughly gelatinized in order for the enzymes (in the malt or otherwise) to penetrate and do it's magic. Hard to say by your description whether you cooked the corn hot enough or long enough for the enzymes to convert the starches to sugars.

Adding sugar doesn't have anything to do with mashing.. It's already "sugar" and doesn't need any enzymes to convert..

You can do an iodine / starch test to confirm that all the starches have converted to sugars - Before adding any sugar...

If you didn't "cook the hell out of the corn" it probably didn't mash - an iodine test would confirm.

Look up the "No Boil" method for converting corn..

Cheers!
-j
Ahh. That's awsome. So I should have tested after my boil to make sure it was properly gelatinized so the amylase could do its thing. Then and only then can I add my sugar.
Now I'm guessing I didn't boil long enough. I did exceed the temp but probably didn't hold it long enough. It began to cool down soon after I hit 165ish. I'm only using the corn because I believed it would add a sweetness to my final product . I may have been mislead there. And I am kinda happy with my final product. It was kinda sweet tasting. Very clear. I separated my heads heart's tails.kinda by taste it's my first time soooo.Discarding the foreshots 5oz per 5 gallon to be safe. Taste and smell identified the foreshots too. I couldn't tell alcohol level I broke my hydrometer. ( getting another before next run). So I know I got a long way to go but I'm supper pumped so my excitement will keep me working hard at this.
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Re: ferment speed

Post by Ben »

https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 11&t=84742

Read through this, I have made a bunch of mistakes so you don't have to. Specifically pay attention to the corn temperatures and the use of high temp enzymes.
:)
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