Enough Enzymes ??

[rad14701]

fleetwould, it is hazardous practice to post your email in forums, especially ones which cater to the discussion of (theoretically) illegal activities... Next time you come back through these parts you should consider editing out that email address unless you're okay with Johnny Law stopping by some night while you and the misses are doing some taste testing... Also make sure it's not visible by others in your member profile...

[fleetwould]

rad14701 of course you are right .
doapy me i really never even thought .
thank you for watching out

[fleetwould]

Hay Pop.
thanx for the heads up
im headed there right now to do some copying

[Pop Larkin]

OK. So my quest continues on the "Bourbon" trail.

I made my mash tun (check out my other thread "fermenting in your mash tun") from a 5 gallon cooler with manifold "drain". I pitched 2-1/4 lb. of cracked corn into a stock pot with approx. 2 gallons of filtered water & heated for around 1 or 1-1/2 hours. At times there was a rolling boil. Don't know if this was a no no or not. Anyway I pitched the corn soup into my mash tun, added 3/4 lb. of cracked rye & let stand with the top on for a couple of hours. I then cooled the mash to 140 degrees & pitched in 1-1/4 lb. malt barley, screwed the top on & went out to eat dinner. The SG was 1.023. When I returned 3 hours later the mash had converted according to my iodine test so I pitched in my bakers yeast & screwed the top on (with airlock) once again. (Yes, I intend to ferment on the grain in the mash tun). 1 Hour later the airlock was bubbling away like crazy. 1 bubble every second at least so I went to bed a happy little camper.
Next morning the airlock was still going but a little slower, but by the afternoon, less than 24 hours after pitching the yeast, it had all but stopped . So late last night I unscrewed the top & took the temp of the mash. It was sitting right at 85 degrees which seems to work great for my UJSM mashes. I tried pitching a little more yeast & I also drained off about 2 quarts of mash & poured it back into the tun from a hight with plenty of splashing to try & get some oxygen into the mash. This morning there is a microscopic increase in fermentation but not anything to right home about .

Does anyone have any ideas as to what's going on?

A very disappointed Pop

[Dnderhead]

sounds like it is finished , often grain mashes does not take long to ferment.if it has "cleared" then take a FG reading, if it has not cleared
you wont git a accurate reading.

[Pop Larkin]

Hi again Dunder.

WOW . Really . Mostly done in less than 24 hours
I just took a peek in the mash tun & the mash hasn't cleared so I guess I'll just wait & see & keep checking to see when it clears. I'll check the SG once it has cleared. What sort of SG should I expect to see if it's finished properly?

Thanks again

Pop

[Dnderhead]

hard to say but about,,, 1.006?

[rad14701]

With an initial SG of 1.023 and a final SG of 1.006 you would only end up with 2.2% ABV... You could very easily get that in under 24 hours...

[Pop Larkin]

Thanks Guys

I haven't checked the mash in a while but it seems to have stoped compleatly now. Not a bubble in sight. Kinda a little disappointed right now.

So I should only expect 2.2% ABV That's hardly worth the effort . Is this about what I should expect as a rule from an "All grain" cooked mash or is there a way of increasing the yield ?

It seems the last "all grain" I got to run yielded more than this. What can I do?

Thanks again for all your input & help

Pop

[Dnderhead]

pop dont be discouraged, most doing grain have low yields to start, well worth it in the end. I fiend beer sites on mashing and calculator handy.
most have good ideas.you do not have to follow them exactly just use basics

[Pop Larkin]

SO, I just ran the latest mash tun fermented "all grain". The yield was down owing to the 2+ % ABV just like Rad said. I managed to squeeze a 750 ml bottle out of 3.5 gallons of wash at 50%ABV. I sometimes wonder if my taste buds are a little off as I can get right down in the tails & it still tastes good to me . Since I don't drink copious quantities I don't get a headache, so I guess I'm OK . Maybe it will age nicely like this though.
From what I have found so far, the whole "all grain" thing is getting the starches to convert & then once you have mastered the starch conversion you have to figure out how to get more yield, which is where I am now.

Anyway, onward & upward......................... well, once I can get to the store & got more rye that is

Pop

[homebrewnorcal]

as an all grain brewer and doing a lot of reading extract has a bunch or corn sugar (creates a subtle cidery taste) and the quality is just poor, you also have more creative control. I am getting my two row for about 35 bucks for a 50 lb sac...talk to your local craft brewery about adding a couple sacs of grain on their order... and in return give them your business and friendship ask to help on the bottling line and what not...as far as enzymes go 6 row but you need more Irish Moss

[Dnderhead]

went back over your post and -------- with cracked corn you should cook 45-60 min
with on the grain fermenting you will loose some wash in the grain unless you distill on the grain.

so I do off the grain ,,,
I cook the grain (add a small amount of enzymes/malt) when cooled to 150f (66c) add malt /enzymes hold at temp about 1 hour ,drain and add yeast (this first batch will be light) ,, ,, then sparg (rinse grain) save
that water!,,,

next batch
do over but ,,use sparg water (that you saved) to cook the corn. (this adds about 3%) cool to 150 (66c) add malt/enzymes
drain etc. each time you repeat it gaines by a small amount