Thinning the mash with water AFTER Ferm to get more wash out??

Any hardware used for mashing, fermenting or aging.

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EricTheRed
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Thinning the mash with water AFTER Ferm to get more wash out??

Post by EricTheRed »

I read somewhere on this forum about this, but cannot find it now

once fermentation is done, let settle, take off all the thin/clear liquid
then add xx% water back into the now thick mash to have the alcohol and water bond
let settle, take off the thin/clear liquid

squeeze the rest

Is that a thing or did i completely get that wrong?
Last edited by EricTheRed on Thu May 26, 2022 3:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Thinning the mash with water to get more yield??

Post by Metalking00 »

I think youre thinking of this one

viewtopic.php?t=86985
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Re: Thinning the mash with water to get more yield??

Post by EricTheRed »

Metalking00 wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 12:37 am I think youre thinking of this one

viewtopic.php?t=86985
almost - but not the post i was thinking of
maybe it was Setsumi - let me hunt around his posts
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Re: Thinning the mash with water to get more yield??

Post by Setsumi »

EricTheRed wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 12:51 am
Metalking00 wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 12:37 am I think youre thinking of this one

viewtopic.php?t=86985
almost - but not the post i was thinking of
maybe it was Setsumi - let me hunt around his posts
No, it was not me. I have a dutch cheese press to press the meal.
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Re: Thinning the mash with water to get more yield??

Post by EricTheRed »

Setsumi wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 2:33 am
EricTheRed wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 12:51 am
Metalking00 wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 12:37 am I think youre thinking of this one

viewtopic.php?t=86985
almost - but not the post i was thinking of
maybe it was Setsumi - let me hunt around his posts
No, it was not me. I have a dutch cheese press to press the meal.
:) Like your press btw! - did you ever upgrade those milk crates?
I use this one - which works pretty well if you let it gravity drain for a bit first
image.png
The post i am referring to was something about adding water to the thick mash after fermentation and taking off the clear liquid to help get the alcohol molecules away from the thick mash.

So anyone have thoughts on the feasibility of such a thing?
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Re: Thinning the mash with water AFTER Ferm to get more wash out??

Post by Metalking00 »

Seems like youd get a bit more alcohol at the cost of watering down your flavor, similar to the idea of bumping up your abv with sugar to just get a bit more per run. You would also be lowering your boiler abv.

I had also thought of rinsing the grain after squeezing (like was mentioned in the thread i linked) and keeping the second washing for its own run to see how much it actually got out of the grain, and what kind of flavor it has left. But, Im lazy and i dont think theres gonna be enough left to make it worth it.
Last edited by Metalking00 on Thu May 26, 2022 4:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Thinning the mash with water AFTER Ferm to get more wash out??

Post by EricTheRed »

Metalking00 wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 4:18 am Seems like youd get a bit more alcohol at the cost of watering down your flavor, similar to the idea of bumping up your abv with sugar to just get a bit more per run. Maybe try it and keep the second washing for its own run to see how much it actually got out of the grain, and what kind of flavor it has left.
But would it really dilute flavour? I'm not adding anything else - it would be a bit like watering down your lowwines - not seen anyone saying that dilutes flavour? Remember, it is AFTER fermentation - not after enzyme action

??
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Re: Thinning the mash with water AFTER Ferm to get more wash out??

Post by Metalking00 »

I edited a bit while you were posting.

Ive seen it recommended to strip until you are at a low enough abv to reach a target abv in your spirit run so that you dont have to dilute your low wines which could dilute your flavor. Diluting low wines more than usual is done when making neutral specifically for that reason.

What the difference would actually be, I dont know. Im still quite new to all this...
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Re: Thinning the mash with water to get more yield??

Post by Setsumi »

EricTheRed wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 2:56 am
Setsumi wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 2:33 am
EricTheRed wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 12:51 am
Metalking00 wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 12:37 am I think youre thinking of this one

viewtopic.php?t=86985
almost - but not the post i was thinking of
maybe it was Setsumi - let me hunt around his posts
No, it was not me. I have a dutch cheese press to press the meal.
:) Like your press btw! - did you ever upgrade those milk crates?
I use this one - which works pretty well if you let it gravity drain for a bit first
image.png

The post i am referring to was something about adding water to the thick mash after fermentation and taking off the clear liquid to help get the alcohol molecules away from the thick mash.

So anyone have thoughts on the feasibility of such a thing?
Yes I use my ss mushtun now. Nice press yourself.

While you can press, why dont you just "sparge" your pressed grains with a small amount of water? That way you will not dilute your boiler charge much.
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My controller
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Re: Thinning the mash with water to get more yield??

Post by EricTheRed »

Setsumi wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 7:46 am
EricTheRed wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 2:56 am
Setsumi wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 2:33 am
EricTheRed wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 12:51 am

almost - but not the post i was thinking of
maybe it was Setsumi - let me hunt around his posts
No, it was not me. I have a dutch cheese press to press the meal.
:) Like your press btw! - did you ever upgrade those milk crates?
I use this one - which works pretty well if you let it gravity drain for a bit first
image.png

The post i am referring to was something about adding water to the thick mash after fermentation and taking off the clear liquid to help get the alcohol molecules away from the thick mash.

So anyone have thoughts on the feasibility of such a thing?
Yes I use my ss mushtun now. Nice press yourself.

While you can press, why dont you just "sparge" your pressed grains with a small amount of water? That way you will not dilute your boiler charge much.
Methinks I'll try this on my next mash currently on the go
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Re: Thinning the mash with water AFTER Ferm to get more wash out??

Post by jonnys_spirit »

I’ve done this a few times. Siphon beer to the grain bed then add water - maybe enough for another strip or half strip(?), let it all settle and siphon again and run it. Might be easier than squeezing. This worked fine and of course did produce less low wines on that strip. Lately I’ve incorporated my second ferment rat bastard rumski-head on spent AG grains to put off all the bending over and squeezing and still use the beer left in the bottom of the ag barrel.

Cheers!
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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Re: Thinning the mash with water AFTER Ferm to get more wash out??

Post by Deplorable »

jonnys_spirit wrote: Fri May 27, 2022 4:27 am I’ve done this a few times. Siphon beer to the grain bed then add water - maybe enough for another strip or half strip(?), let it all settle and siphon again and run it. Might be easier than squeezing. This worked fine and of course did produce less low wines on that strip. Lately I’ve incorporated my second ferment rat bastard rumski-head on spent AG grains to put off all the bending over and squeezing and still use the beer left in the bottom of the ag barrel.

Cheers!
-j
Bending over?

For what? I put my mop bucket on top of a 5 gallon bucket, and it puts it at just the right level that I don get fatigued.
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Re: Thinning the mash with water AFTER Ferm to get more wash out??

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Deplorable wrote: Fri May 27, 2022 7:25 pm
jonnys_spirit wrote: Fri May 27, 2022 4:27 am I’ve done this a few times. Siphon beer to the grain bed then add water - maybe enough for another strip or half strip(?), let it all settle and siphon again and run it. Might be easier than squeezing. This worked fine and of course did produce less low wines on that strip. Lately I’ve incorporated my second ferment rat bastard rumski-head on spent AG grains to put off all the bending over and squeezing and still use the beer left in the bottom of the ag barrel.

Cheers!
-j
Bending over?

For what? I put my mop bucket on top of a 5 gallon bucket, and it puts it at just the right level that I don get fatigued.
I do that too but there’s only one good way to scoop the slop out of a 50g hdpe barrel and that involves practically climbing into it to get maybe three or four scoops into the mop strainer set into the 5g bucket. An hour or so of that effort and my back hurts. If I can make it 1/3 or half the effort then I’ll go with it.

Bad back for many years so I’m just a little triggered and sensitive and want my whiskey trophy now please…

Cheers!
-j
————
i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————
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Re: Thinning the mash with water AFTER Ferm to get more wash out??

Post by Deplorable »

Ahh. Tall barrels.
That's been one of the reasons for me sticking with 30 gallon barrels. I can reach the bottom with a 2 quart scoop, and what I can't scoop, gets lifted and poured.
The downside is it takes more ferments to get a 5 gallon barrel full of spirits.
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