UJSM Recipe Question?

[Gravel]

Hi,
I've got two batches of UJSMR fermenting and their both on their third run (i used the backset described in the recipe). It says to replace the spent corn that floats to the surface but i'm getting very little corn floating up. After 3 runs i wouldn't have had a cup full of floating corn. Can anyone tell me if thats normal?
Thanks..........

[MuleKicker]

the spent corn dont spend much time at the top before it sinks again. it can be as little as a few hours. when you drain off yer wash, the spent stuff will be on the top of the grain bed. pale, white. It dont hurt leavin it, it just takes up valuable space in the fermenter. Just scoop some off the top and add back.

[Gravel]

Ok, So even if i just scoop of, say a kilogram of the top and replace it with a Kg of new corn thats fine? Also,
if i'm collecting my spirit at around 80-90%abv and i want to oak and age it at 65% is it just a matter of diluting with filtered tapwater

[WalkingWolf]

Yea, if ya got fresh cracked corn (carry's good weight -- not some two year old corn all weaviled out) it'll run good for 5 generations. It want always float. After you rack off the wash and get down to the grain bed take a big spoon and drag it across the grain bed. You'll notice the top inch or so is a grayish-yellow then when you get a little further you'll see some corn with a real nice yellow to it. Take off as much as the gray-yellow stuff as you can. Just be careful when you start scrapping as the corn will mix up easily. I've found if you drain all the down to the grain bed it's easier than leaving an inch or two of wash. I use a SS wire mesh in a bowl shape as I rack the wash to keep the floating bits and pieces from getting pulled up into the siphon. When you get to the bottom your able to push this down in the grain bed a little allowing you to get all of the wash out. I also set my wash bucket on a 1 inch block of wood the night before to shift the last bits of the wash to one side. I have a gallon of water and 2 pounds of sugar dissolved and ready to go when I rack off the wash and replace the grain. This gives the yeast something to work on while I get the run done and mix the rest of the sugar in backset and get it cooled off.

Didn't mean to get long winded but I guess the process is a little more involved than we give ourselves credit for.

[WalkingWolf]

Ok, So even if i just scoop of, say a kilogram of the top and replace it with a Kg of new corn thats fine? Also,
if i'm collecting my spirit at around 80-90%abv and i want to oak and age it at 65% is it just a matter of diluting with filtered tapwater

I'm getting 80% with a 12% wash and the feints from the last run added together. I cut to 65% with rain water. I mix my wash with tap water.