Deathwish Wheat germ recipe

[blanikdog]

I haven't made this for years and it's about time I did some more. Mostly I'm doing fruit washes cos it's right in the middle of the fruit season, but when it's all over this'll be a must do. I have some hidden away under the house somewhere. I must find it and see how it's developed.

I'll report my findings.

blanik

[Barney Fife]

I made a few batches of it when I first found this place, and every now and then I find another small jar of it. Every time, I think to myself "damn! I need to revisit this stuff!". It's that good. I keep meaning to get some more wheat germ and then do a sour mash-style run of a few generations of it to see what'll happen..

So many good recipes, so little time... <sigh>

[blanikdog]

I made a few batches of it when I first found this place, and every now and then I find another small jar of it. Every time, I think to myself "damn! I need to revisit this stuff!". It's that good. I keep meaning to get some more wheat germ and then do a sour mash-style run of a few generations of it to see what'll happen..

So many good recipes, so little time... <sigh>

Yeah Barney, I'm having trouble finding jars/bottles/anything to age/store my product. The good thing is that having a reasonable amout allows for decent aging.
Life is tough in the fast lane.

blanik

[Yungin]

What would happen if I didn't use as much sugar in this wash?

[Yungin]

What would happen if I used half the amount that is used in this recipe?

[LWTCS]

What would happen if I used half the amount that is used in this recipe?

Do you mean 1/2 the sugar for the specified volume?
Or stepped back the entire recipe by 50%?

[still crazy]

What would happen if I used half the amount that is used in this recipe?

Ya what kind of question is that?

Q: How many pancakes does it take to cover a doghouse?


A: I don't know cause ice cream doesn't have wheels.

[rad14701]

The recipe volumes scale well without causing concerns...

As far as ice cream not having wheels, that's a moot point because pancakes aren't up to building code in most towns - not even for dog houses...

[Yungin]

I'm sorry a typing error meant to ask wat would happen if I used half the sugar that is in this recipe?

[rad14701]

I'm sorry a typing error meant to ask wat would happen if I used half the sugar that is in this recipe?

The %ABV of the wash would be halved... The parent site has information about yield calculations and much more... Just remember that some of the hardware information is outdated with this forum having filled the gap from when the parent site was completed until now...

[WalkingWolf]

I made a few batches of it when I first found this place, and every now and then I find another small jar of it. Every time, I think to myself "damn! I need to revisit this stuff!". It's that good. I keep meaning to get some more wheat germ and then do a sour mash-style run of a few generations of it to see what'll happen..

So many good recipes, so little time... <sigh>

It's good alright. I'm finishing up a string of runs on DWWG multi-generations. Moving forward, not sure if I'll do anything past the 2nd generation. Flavor profile drops way off and it didn't ferment as well after 1st.

My last run was DWWG made with brown sugar with rum feints thrown in for the run. Taste good. Fella at work says I couldn't get same taste again if I tried. Maybe I'll try (or not)

When you say "sour mash-style" -- if you mean process; well O'k sorta. If you mean "sour"; I found it don't get that sour character like corn (or mine didn't anyway)

[Yungin]

How would this recipe work with crushed whole wheat instead of wheat germ would it take longer to ferment. And would it need to be boiled longer?

[Barney Fife]

When you say "sour mash-style" -- if you mean process; well O'k sorta. If you mean "sour"; I found it don't get that sour character like corn (or mine didn't anyway)

Yeah, process; reusing the backset in the next wash.

[Yungin]

Thanks rad I guess I will jus use the recipe as is.

[adama_bill]

I don't know about using half the sugar BUT these days I use half the wheat germ.
For me, this never fail recipe is what I use to (eventually) make my neutral spirit.

[Nemo]

I hate to be a spoilsport here but I am not too impressed with the 5 gallon batch of DWWG that I ran off last week. I boiled the jar of toasted WG in a gallon pot for an hour, simmered actually, and divided it into two 5 gallon water bottles to ferment. mixed 12 lbs of sugar in a bucket of hot water and added that to each bottle. Topped each one to 6 gallons and pitched a pack of EC1118 between the two at 75 deg. F. After three hours, very little action. Added a packet of bread yeast, a crushed vitamin B tablet and a tablespoon of Miracle Grow to each bottle. That did it, about a 1 inch head on each that went from a SG of 1.06 to .99 in 4 days. An overnight stay in the fridge cleared the wash very nicely. I ran it through my reflux still, 36 inches of packing and twin slant plate BOK slowly cause I wanted some good plain alcohol for Panty Droppers. I also added two gallons of heads and tails from previous batches. I think someone here mentioned that this has a lot of heads and tails, well they were right. I started collecting in fifth bottles after a good half gallon of heads had been collected, but not because they had gone, I thought I might be able to salvage them by carbon filtration. I collected 5, fifth bottles of 90% and I think only one, maybe two will be drinkable with a carbon run. Another half gallon of tails and I quit at 20% ABV.
I will give this one more try because I still have one jar of Wheat Germ to go.
I will probably add the good stuff to the wash but I am hesitant to add the heads to anything, I didn't think I would ever get rid of them

[Nemo]

Mistake in above post. It was only 6 gallons total. I had to leave town directly after that so I wasn't able to dilute anything and try it. I'll do that when I get back in a week but the smell and taste of heads were distinct in all the spoon samples, spoon of distillate, spoon of water into a small snifter, just fainter in the middle two bottles. I'm not gonna give this up, just disgusted and blowing off steam cause it didn't turn out as well as I expected.
Nemo

[Barney Fife]

It was a low gravity(low ABV) wash, and then you added 2 gals. of heads and tails to it? And you complain that it's got a lot of nasties.... I think you got what you asked for And of course, you're trying to make a neutral of what is essentially a flavored whiskey wash. Oh, no like the Miracle Grow, also; patience. Only 3 hours, no activity? Geeze, depending on the yeast, oxygen, temperatures, etc..., it can take 24 hrs. for enough yeast to multiply for you to see "action".

[rad14701]

If it was a 5 gallon wash your potential %ABV would have been 16.9%, and 14.1% if it was a 6 gallon wash... Although I'm not personally impressed with DWWG many folks are having great success with the recipe... As Barney Fife mentioned, it might be the addition of the feints that caused the problem rather than the wash itself... Perhaps your cuts weren't spot on...

When in doubt, dilute with water to ~40% and re-distill...

[Barney Fife]

Rad, isn't he saying he made two 6 gallon washes with it, using the 12lbs sugar? His SG of 1.06 agrees with that, also. That's a low ABV wash, definitely not 14%.

So, he changed the recipe at will, added junk to the wash, then tossed-in some unknown heads and tails, and complains about the recipe. <lol>

[WalkingWolf]

I made a few batches of it when I first found this place, and every now and then I find another small jar of it. Every time, I think to myself "damn! I need to revisit this stuff!". It's that good. I keep meaning to get some more wheat germ and then do a sour mash-style run of a few generations of it to see what'll happen..

So many good recipes, so little time... <sigh>

It's good alright. I'm finishing up a string of runs on DWWG multi-generations. Moving forward, not sure if I'll do anything past the 2nd generation. Flavor profile drops way off and it didn't ferment as well after 1st.

My last run was DWWG made with brown sugar with rum feints thrown in for the run. Taste good. Fella at work says I couldn't get same taste again if I tried. Maybe I'll try (or not)

I liked this recipe for a faux "neutral" for pot-stillers. My "second-generation" center-cuts are damn near neutral by 4 weeks. I've found that this wash does better with a slower run than your normal stripping run. Didn't have a feints problem even when I added a gallon of leftovers from a previous run.

I think you need to do a couple runs without any "interferences" so as to get a clearer picture of the performance of the recipe. Then play around a little. Definitely a keeper here.

WW

[Nemo]

Yep. Looks like I messed that one up. Oh well, I'll give it another shot and try to learn from my mistakes.
I don't have a big enough pot to keep it from boiling over so I'll have to use my milk can to boil it in.
Batch # 2 coming up.

[Yungin]

I have a few questions this is my first wash and i done everything jus as the recipe calls for except for replacing the citric acid with lemon juice and I put a little extra in there. It has been going for a little over 5 days and is still bubblin and foamin and still very murcy. Jus wondering if it is normal for it to take this long? Also have been keeping the temp up. And after it is done and cleared up how soon do I have to run it?

[WalkingWolf]

I have a few questions this is my first wash and i done everything jus as the recipe calls for except for replacing the citric acid with lemon juice and I put a little extra in there.

Use fresh squeezed lemon juice. Lemon juice out of a bottle will have preservatives and could slow down the ferment.

It has been going for a little over 5 days and is still bubblin and foamin and still very murcy. Jus wondering if it is normal for it to take this long?

As long as you have bubblin going on you have fermentation. If you have a hydrometer check the SG. My experience with this recipe is it will ferment all the way down every time (0.990 SG). The factors that affect fermentation time are varied and I don't spend time trying to speed it up. Put it together and let it run. When it finishes distill it.

after it is done and cleared up how soon do I have to run it?

I have run it the day it finished and I have waited to run it. I currently have a wash that finished three weeks ago that I will probably run on Friday of this coming week. As long as the container is sealed and the air lock intact, you should not have a problem with waiting to run it.

[Yungin]

Walking wolf thanks for the help. I will leave it alone then and let it run it's course

[Austin Nichols]

I just boiled up my 2nd brew of this and am happy with the 1st.

This time tho I've done it exact to the recipe, just waiting for it to cool down mow to add the yeast.

I'm using bakers yeast and not too sure exactly how much to use, so i was thinking just chuck in about 100 grams.

Would that be about right or not?

AL.

[WalkingWolf]

That'll be fine. Mix 50gms sugar in 500mls 95F water and add yeast. Give it 15-20 minutes to get started and pitch.

[pistachio_nut]

I'm getting ready to do this recipe this week or next week. I'm thinking about using four 6-gallon food grade plastic fermentors and grain bags to hold the wheat germ. I'm planning on using Malt O Meal as the wheat germ, does that sound right? It says wheat farina on the box and mentions lots of the nutrients that are supposed to be in the wash. In addition, I have multivitamins and B-50 capsules and vitamin C tablets. Actually, the recipe calls for fresh lemon juice so that's what I'll use. Let me know if it's better to use five 6-gallon fermentors for this, it's no big deal for me to buy one more. I'll be at the shop tomorrow and can pick up any number of first stage fermentors to use, and I have ten 6-gallon second stage fermentors that would not accommodate a grain bag.

After the fermentation has stopped and cleared, I'll rack with a racking cane to three 6-gallon food grade plastic containers and give it a week and a half to clear. Then siphon with the racking cane to a 15.5 gallon boiler and run with a reflux column detuned to run as a pot still.

500mL jars to do the collection, select the foreshots for disposal, the heads and tails for a second run, and the hearts to age.

It seems like I should get about 1500mL of hearts out of a run like this with about 2500mL of heads and tails.

Is that about right?

On a second run I plan on pretty much the same scenario but one gallon short on the wash. It might take another day or two to finish fermenting and clear, but that's OK. Add the heads and tails from the last batch to the boil and plan on collecting 2000mL of hearts, and 2500mL of heads and tails.

RInse and repeat ad infinitum.

What kind of ABV should I be looking for as I go through the run? I recall seeing 80% down to 20%. Once I get down to 20%, should I switch to reflux and boil away?

I'm interested in building up a reserve of distillate to age on oak of different kinds and develop a personal whiskey for myself and my friends, and I suppose that will come with time.

I've seen advertisements that allude to a piece of chain that can be dropped into the boiler that can be used to scrape the bottom and sides of the boiler when it's time to wash it out. Should I use a galvanized piece of steel chain for this or is there something better? Should I try to chase down a piece of copper chain?

Thank you for any comments and corrections.

[olddog]

I've seen advertisements that allude to a piece of chain that can be dropped into the boiler that can be used to scrape the bottom and sides of the boiler when it's time to wash it out. Should I use a galvanized piece of steel chain for this or is there something better?

Stainless steel would be better if you even have to do it at all, unless you are distilling on the grain, or have a very dirty keg to begin with, just a rinse out with a hose pipe with clean water is all that's needed.



OD

[Austin Nichols]

That'll be fine. Mix 50gms sugar in 500mls 95F water and add yeast. Give it 15-20 minutes to get started and pitch.

I did exactly as you said and it worked a treat, I'll be running it in the next few days.....

Cheers.