If you haven't tried it, don't knock it.

[Rocky_Creek]

Last week I did the first distillation of a sour mash run. They are suppose to get better and better. I made it from 30 lbs sugar and 10 lbs corn and rye mixture for a 18 to 20 % yield . Used distillers yeast.

Now I have't tried equal parts sugar and corn and haven't tried 7% to 8 % yield, but if you guys are making something better than this, I couldn't take it. I'd have to start going to the meetings. Next run is well on it's way, should run it next week.

[DBM]

Rocky:
It will get better, as I'm sure you will soon find out. Everyone has their own idea's about how to do things, and their own receipes, which they developed from the published recipes or gleaned from an acquantance.
A good general recepie for sourmash is one lb sugar and one lb cracked corn per gallon of fermenter. I personally use more backset than everyone else say's they do. It works for me.
One tip that almost everyone agrees on is the 1/2 rule. It goes something like this. Use three containers for your whiskey. Call them 1,2, &3.
When #1 is 1/2 empty, refill it from #2, When #2 is 1/2 empty, refill it from #3, when #3 is 1/2 empty refill it from (wherever). This will give your whiskey a uniform flavor.
Hope this is helpful, Good luck.

[Yttrium]

This will give your whiskey a uniform flavor.

This brings up an interesting question, does the typical home distiller want their product to be uniform in quality? Uniform quality is an absolute must for commercial distillers since a single lousy bottle can turn off a loyal customer for a lifetime. For the home distiller this isn't a concern. So the question is whether you want consistently good whiskey or whether you would rather have some so-so whiskey and some great whiskey.

[Tater]

sometimes the wonderin how it gonna tastes is part of the fun.What i like best about fruits.They seldom taste just alike, just close.

[The Chemist]

Seems to me that Rocky is pretty happy (maybe TOO happy) with his first effort. But I'm sure he has gathered from these posts that it will only get better. (Phone book. AA. If you feel the need )

[Rocky_Creek]

A good general recepie for sourmash is one lb sugar and one lb cracked corn per gallon of fermenter. I personally use more backset than everyone else say's they do. It works for me.
One tip that almost everyone agrees on is the 1/2 rule.

-------------------------------------------------------

It's the good general recipe that I don't follow. I like the high percent alcohol run for my present setup. My past experiance has been with sugar washes or wine. I have used 50% backset so far. I usually get about 12 gallons of drinking strenth together before any aging or treatment, so making batches consistant isn't a concern, it last a while. I am currentlly using 15 1/2 half gallon fermenters and still. I have a 40 gallon stainless that is about finished ( will put 25 to 30 gallons of mash in it maybe next fall/winter). At that time I might decide to experiment with lower percentage runs.