Help Me!!!

Old Goat · Post by **Old Goat** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 7:28 pm

After doing a few mashes/washes basicly doing UJSM recipe, but cooking mine, I have a question. After straining off the beer from the top, and you get down to the sludge at the bottom, is there any easy way to extract the remaining liquid without going through a messy, labor intensive method? I am on my 3rd fermentation, and the backset is just getting bigger. Any help with how to extract the beer(easily)from the unwanted backset would be appreciated. Thanks, and a tip o' the hat to Jessie who made this possible.

new_moonshiner · Post by **new_moonshiner** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 7:41 pm

Racking cane ?

Post by **Dnderhead** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 7:49 pm

I think some leave it some have false bottom " spigot on bottom with
screen inside', UJSM you take out a can full and add a can full of new back

BW Redneck · Post by **BW Redneck** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 7:54 pm

Err... false bottom with a spigot? (That's what I see in brewer's catalogs)

I ferment on the grain and strain through an old shirt. I'd like to make my own false bottom for my fermenters, but I don't quite have the materials.

Edit: damnit dunder ya beat me!

Old Goat · Post by **Old Goat** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 8:11 pm

A racking cane has no use in the sludge that I have in the bottom. A false bottom, perhaps. I have been running backset through a wire strainer, then flushing it, then running it through again through my wire mesh strainer,and then through my micro stainer. There has to be an easier way.

Somebody Help Me Please!!!

Post by **Dnderhead** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 8:20 pm

A couple more spigot stuffed with ss scrubby or ss Brade off hoes

punkin · Post by **punkin** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 9:25 pm

I just use the grains as a filter bed. The tap on the bottom of the fermenter has a small insert with a slot for beer to taken off with out it pulling from the bottom. i take that off, stick some ss scrubber in there and put it back on, just let er rip into the boiler.

If you wanted you could pour the first yeasty litre or two back in the top of the fermenter but i don't bother. This is for uncooked grain mind you.

Post by **Dnderhead** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 9:32 pm

Punkin I think he does not have tap and trying to get last drop

Post by **Dnderhead** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:13 am

Another one put it in a pillowcase and hang up so as to drain in to pail

Old Goat · Post by **Old Goat** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:47 am

I have taps, but small, 1/2". It may not be worth the effort to get that last little bit out. The yeast and corn particles are so small, they clog muslin quick. Anyway, thanks for the advice. I guess I'll just do it with my wire screen first, followed by my 240 micron screen. Thanks again.

goose eye · Post by **goose eye** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:49 am

you aint ever gona get it all. turn it on the ground an lime it good

so im tole

Old Goat · Post by **Old Goat** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:58 am

Yup, we have a compost pile out back. Has some good fishin' worms in it. That's were it goes when I'm done with it. Have a good un'

As-Ol-Joe · Post by **As-Ol-Joe** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:04 pm

I use a pillow case. Put all my grain in it, when the time comes, just pull the pillow case out, put it in a strainer over a bowl while you rack the beer out of the fermenter. There is very little sludge in the bottom.

Walmart:$5

BW Redneck · Post by **BW Redneck** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:36 pm

Solution to the problem ya already got: Start a new UJSM with fresh ingredients (maybe a little backset), but this time, use a coarser crush on your grain. Your problem is a real pain in the ass if ya started with cornmeal or flour

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:48 pm

I like to just use a big fermenter. That way you can always have a full charge for the still, and also have plenty of room for grains. I have a ss 40 gallon fermenter and can fit lots of grain in there.

Post by **HookLine** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:58 pm

junkyard dawg wrote:I have a ss 40 gallon fermenter

junkyard dawg wrote:and can fit lots of grain in there.

I'll bet you can.

Old Goat · Post by **Old Goat** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:42 pm

I don't have a big fermenter,as a matter of fact, nothing at my age is big around here

Maybe I now understand what corn squeezins are, you have to squeeze the juice out of the bottom of your mash tub.
However, as I am progressing on this learning curve, one thing I have learned, and that is that home-brew rules!!!!
I have no desire to sell this stuff, it is hard enough for me to make enough to satisfy the household needs

So, with that said, "Happy Corn Squeezin Distilling to you all."
My 3rd run of sour mash should be ready soon, and if it is not any better, I am going back to sweet runs.
Cheers!

Post by **Dnderhead** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:24 pm

If you got chickens or hogs they just love the slops high in protein

Chev · Post by **Chev** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:42 pm

Old Ass wrote:My 3rd run of sour mash should be ready soon, and if it is not any better, I am going back to sweet runs.
Cheers!

Honestly, just starting out as a distilling newb it took me about six generations of UJSM before I actually enjoyed the stuff I made, actually drinking some white UJSM right now!

Gwig · Post by **Gwig** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:23 am

Drinking my 2nd UJSM now mmmm........I siphon my mash thru 6 inch ss strainer from walmart cost $6 into a 62 liter translucent sterilite http://www.sterilite.com/Category.html? ... tegory=41# $7 it has a domed bottem wich made my final siphon a breeze after 8 hour settling, <1/2 gallon left in here yeast slurry went back into mash pail

Old Goat · Post by **Old Goat** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 2:38 am

Well, my third run of sour mash is ready to run off. It has been settling for 2 or 3 days so I figger it is time to crank up the ol' still. I have the tails from my last run I will add in. I was going to cook off some mash before I ran this batch, but don't have the corn, so the backwash will have to sit a day before I can use it. I guess as long as it stays cool and moist it will be OK. Next mash I am going to use 2 buckets, one sour, one sweet, to see what the difference is when I distill. I had some great comments on the sweet before started this sour mash gig. I am willing to run it a couple more times, but if it doesn't improve, I am going with straight whiskey. I also get to see how my hi-performance racing funnel is going to work on the final strain charging.(Hope the filter doesn't get clogged). I run my wash through a 240 micron screen before charging.
I will post another topic in stills and stuff about these screens I found.

Cheers

Old_Blue · Post by **Old_Blue** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 3:33 pm

backwash will have to sit a day before I can use it.

How much ETOH did you leave? As long as it is above ~12% it will keep, just like wine.

Old Goat · Post by **Old Goat** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 5:03 pm

My 3rd run of sourmash is off the still, and it is ....good. But, I poured all my backwash into the compost.
So, now I have to start all over.
The third run really has a good flavor like you would expect a corn whiskey to have with some body and relatively smooth.
So, next ferment, I am going to run 60% corn, 20% malt barley, along with sorghum and my special essential oil additives.
If I get a get a good brew off the first run, I will sour mash it.
I am trying to replicate a chocolatey run that I did when I didn't know what I was doing (as if I do now).

Cheers, and salute