Any rule of thumb for yields?

[lucetius]

I've got my first (distillation intended) fermentation going, and my carboy looks very low. I usually brew beers, and at this point I'm used to having five to six gallons in the carboy.

I ran 9 parts of Rye to 1 part of Barley, for a total of six pounds of grain. I cooked this in three gallons of water, and didnt add much else. I kept my stock pot mostly sealed while cooking (an hour and a half between simmering and a rolling boil). Im left with under two gallons of wort* in the fermenter - Rye is like a sponge! After this batch is finished fermenting, how much final product can I realistically expect after distilling? I've got a six gallon carboy and a 10 gallon stockpot, so I can go bigger next time around. Oh yeah, I'm doing all this in a studio apartment in downtown Portland, so I cant go much bigger than what Ive got - heh.

Also, I just used sparge bags for the grain, any other suggestions?

Any help is appreciated!

(* - please correct me if any of my terminology is incorrect!)

[Dnderhead]

first was any of this malt? was it cracked?
if you did it right 2 lb of grain to the gallon should yeald 5-6% wash,,,

got reading over your post you say you boild all the grain?? or did I read it wrong? if so as a brewer you should know better.
all your doing is making a "beer" with out the hops, only the Unmalted grain neads to be boild, then add malt (for the enzymes)
just as you whould beer,any way 3 gal. of wash at 6% will yeald .06x12qt= about 3/4 qt (24oz) of alcohol , or at 100pr 48oz.
(this is without cuts)

[lucetius]

Cracked malted Rye. 6 lbs of grain to three gallons of water. Put between a simmer and rolling boil for around an hour. Ice bath cooled to proper temp and got a good initial specific gravity. Pitched yeast and I've got plenty of action going on in the fermenter the next day.

Keep in mind this is my first ever attempt at distilling, and also my first time using a malted grain and not a malt extract.

[lucetius]

only the Unmalted grain neads to be boild, then add malt (for the enzymes)
just as you whould beer

Well ... shit. Just using malt extracts before this, always added after the boil, I never thought not to boil malted grain. Duh. Is this batch nuked? There is action in the airlock, just dont know if Im now fermenting a batch of rocket fuel or god-knows-what.

Thanks for the reply.

[Dnderhead]

the little yeastys are either eating starch or some converted on the way to a boil, (enzymes work best at (150f) 66c.
you could add enzymes or some cracked malted grain.they will work at lower temp. just a lot slower.

if it was all malted grain you used, all you needed was to crush and add hot water (150f) (66c) hold there about 1 hour+

if useing raw gran then you crush,cook, cool to 150f add crushed malt or enzymes and hold for 1+ hour.
(a cooler works good or rap in blanket ,,I rap mine and leave over night.

(if you want to look it up it is a cereal mash)

[Fastill]

Add more malted grain or Amylase enzyme and just be patient and let it work off. Maybe add some beeno,(is this still acceptable??) made to convert starch at low temperatures.

[lucetius]

I appreciate the info from both of you guys. Time to give it another go, I believe.

[Dnderhead]

beeno converts the higher sugars,yes it is acceptable if needed,some brewers use it if there beer is too "malty" to much caramel or over cooked.
in are case the "caramel" wont carry over anyway,so it mite as well be used for alcohol.