NChooch's Carolina Bourbon

[NcHooch]

Try this: I've done 7 runs of this recipe and it produces an excellent result . But first, a few words about Bourbon whiskey, 'cause ya cant just whip up any whiskey and call it bourbon.

* Bourbon must be made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn.
* Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume).
* Neither coloring nor flavoring may be added.
* Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak barrels.
* Bourbon must be entered into the barrel at no more than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume).
* Bourbon, like other whiskeys, may not be bottled at less than 80 proof (40% alcohol by volume.)
* Bourbon which meets the above requirements and has been aged for a minimum of two years, may (but is not required to) be called Straight Bourbon.
* Straight Bourbon aged for a period less than four years must be labeled with the duration of its aging.
* If an age is stated on the label, it must be the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle.
* Only whiskey produced in the United States can be called bourbon.

In practice, almost all bourbons marketed today are made from more than two-thirds corn, have been aged at least four years, and do qualify as "straight bourbon"—with or without the "straight bourbon" label. The exceptions are inexpensive commodity brands of bourbon aged only three years and pre-mixed cocktails made with straight bourbon aged the minimum two years. However, a few small distilleries market bourbons aged for as little as three months. <- this might be you

this is my Carolina Bourbon ....and it's fine tastin'
5-6 gallon wash yield.

I Start with 7 pounds of cracked corn, n cook in 4 gallons of good water for at least an hour (i usually go 90 mins) at a low simmer. ...careful not to burn it.
*optional - you may add a half pound of 6-row malted barley while cooking the corn to loosen it up a bit ( this is called pre-mashing) as it gets very thick.
Then cool to exactly 150f.
Pour into a large cooler (helps conserve heat during the mashing session)
Add 3 pounds of 6-row malted barley ...The temp should drop to approx 145f
...stir well every 15 mins, while you mash for 2-3 hours. Keep covered.

* Note: Don't add malted barley to the corn if it exceeds 155f! the enzymes will be denatured in short order and and you won't get no conversion.the mashing process requires that you keep the mash at 145f +/- 5f for the entire duration of the mash session which is why you use the insulated cooler.

*optional - If you want, you can add a lil beano (we'll look the other way)for additional conversion...and let it continue to mash overnight.

At the end of the mash, cool to 80f and transfer to fermenter (grain and all).
Top up to 6-7 gallons total volume.
Aerate well and pitch yeast (Prestige WD or your favorite yeast).
Ferment for a week on grain.
After fermentation is complete, strain out grain, and transfer wash to boiler. No need to let the wash clear.

*Note: I use a 5 gallon nylon paint strainer bag to separate the grain from the wash.

I distilled with my Bok (removed a lil packing so the spirits are 80% )....make appropriate cuts and dilute final spirits to 60% abv using good water.

I oaked at 60% with 2 pcs of my own new charred white oak sticks for 6 months in a glass jar (once again, we'll look the other way if you dont have a barrel). As long as you're using new charred white oak I think you can call it Bourbon.
Once your agin'/oaking is complete, dilute down to 45% and bottle.

This is what a recent bottle looks like after just 6 months on the oak. I love the color.

...and like I said, it's fine tastin .
a slightly earthy, woody smell with vanillas in it.
and a nice cherry /vanilla/oaky taste that does down really smooth

Cheers,
NChooch

[gretschem]

mmmm, Very nice...

[Kentucky shinner]

loookksss very nice man good job

[MuleKicker]

Pour me a glass please. 3 fingers, on the rocks.

[NcHooch]

Thanks yall! like I said, wish I could share it.

Ya MK, 3 fingers in the rocks is pretnear perfect.

If yall try this recipe, i'd 'preciate it if you could followup on the thread.

thanks
NChooch

[Mud Mechanik]

I'm pretty close to your recipe there Hooch, the only difference is I use the 5 liter barrels. That bottle sure does look tasty, take a sip for me and go ahhhhhhhhhhh Mud

[NcHooch]

Hey Mud,
I have 5 liters in a barrel right now, (only been in there for a month ) ...I sampled some recently , twas almost better than the bottled stuff. I recon I'll try an leave it in there for at least a year.

Damn I make good whiskey!

NChooch

[Mud Mechanik]

I have a buddy that ordered the barrels the same time that I did, he left his in for 4 months and it cut down to a very dark, oak tasting, hot likker. I left mine for 2 months, pulled it out and let it sit in bottles for 2 weeks, and it is very nice. Both barrels were filled with the same run of hooch. I now have the same barrel filled for the 2nd time, prolly gonna have to age it a little longer. Be careful aging it for a year, I would sample regularly. Mud

[NcHooch]

I'm keepin an eye on it Mud....thanks.

Any of yall that try this recipe, post a followup, I'd love to hear about your success...and by all means gimme a yell if you have any questions before you start.

NChooch

[rubber duck]

I've done a recipe similar to this except I used 2 row.

My feedback is that it's a rock solid process and recipe. The grain bill is basic but it's a good baseline for bourbon. I do think that 6 months is a little young for a barley corn whiskey.

I like a ale yeast but whatever you have will work.

That's a good write up NC hooch.

[NcHooch]

Thanks RD , 'preciate and value your opinion.
NChooch

[SuburbanStiller]

This sounds deceptively easy. Can I buy the right grind of corn at a feed store?

[Barney Fife]

Can I buy the right grind of corn at a feed store?

Yessir! Just ask for "cracked corn" and there ya have it. It's more common than whole corn. Another way to cook the corn is in a BOP, in the oven at 200F for a few hours(usually, the lowest possible setting on the oven, and you may have to wedge the oven door open an inch or so to prevent it getting too hot), or overnight. No scorching, ever.

[NcHooch]

It's not that hard once you get your routine down, and if you spend some time readin the process and understanding what's goin on, you'll have everthin in place up front and there won't be any surprises ....

Good idea there Barn (I think the sheriff used to say that) ....BOP = Big ol' Pot? I've gotten pretty good at bringin my water up to a big boil and then tossin the corn in , then lower the heat and let it come back to a light simmer real slow, stirring occasionally. But I might wanna try that next time.

*Word to the wise, Keep the heat low while the corn is in there, you don't wanna be burnin the corn.
NChooch

[Rargh]

A few days ago i started something pretty much the same as this.

I heated 50 l of water to 68C. to that i added 6.5 kg of micronised flaked maize (same as this but a different brand http://www.mi-feed.com.au/pdf/Micronise ... Flakes.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow, basically means i didnt have to cook them) and 3.5 kg of freshly crushed malt (British).
I kept the temperature at 64C for 3 hours (passed the iodine test) then i transferred to the fermenter.
Once cool to 20C the SG was 1058. I pitched 30 g of youngs all purpose yeast (http://www.thebrewmart.com/youngs-all-p ... 01592.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow) and i am fermenting at 20C.

Checked last night (2.5 days after pitching) and SG was 1008 so a little more to go, but ready for stilling soon.

Will let you know how it goes.

[SuburbanStiller]

OK so I did this as my first all grain, non-sugar mash because it seemed easy. That was dumb, it was actually a hell of a lot of work and I'm sure I screwed something up. I did all the steps but because it took so long I ended up pitching my yeast at 95F which I was hoping was not too hot. Also, my fermentor warmer worked better than it ever has and I came back after the weekend and my mash was sitting at 97F.

Anyways, I've stirred it a few times because the corn rises to the top and I thought it best to mix everything together. This morning I get up and the corn hadn't seperated, just a tiny bit of clearish liquid at the top. I tasted some and wow is it sour. I can't tell if there is any alcohol in there like I can with a sugar wash because it's so sour. I put on an airlock and had some activity yesterday (every 5 seconds or so like an active sugar wash), but nothing today (less than a bubble a minute). I couldn't take a hydrometer reading before pitching because my mash was so thick, and it's just as thick now. I can't still until the weekend anyways, should I leave it and see what happens or pitch more yeast?

Have I made booze, made a mess, or made a mystery?

[rubber duck]

SS I'm going to guess that you might have made a mess. I don't know without knowing your whole process for start to finish, but if this is your first all grain you probably screwed it up. The way I know this is that everyone messes up the first 2 or 3 or 5 they do. That's just the way it is, thing is most folks give up before they get it right. It is a lot of work the fist few times then you get the process down and your set.

If it's a failure don't worry about it get right back to it and give it another go. It takes a few times for most folks to get it right.

[SuburbanStiller]

I'm going to give it another go. I've got the rest of a 50# sack of corn, and the malt was all of $2.60, not a big investment.

The real question is what to do with my mess: run it, toss it all, save some some as a starter for the next batch..

[Rargh]

This was my first all grain wash but i am an all grain brewer with nearly 100 brews under my belt so found it pretty easy.
FYI when doing it with the flaked maize it was very easy to handle, it was very thin. Dont know how this compares to when using corn grain. If it tastes as good as using the grain then i reckon using the flaked stuff is really convenient. No cooking or crushing required and a really thin easy to handle mash. Winner

Oh yeah on the ferment. i am getting some particles coming to the surface but most of it in on the bottom of the fermenter. Smells good and tastes ok too

[Bull Rider]

SS;
Can you dip out a couple of cups of your mash, and pour it through a strainer to get a sample? Check the SG and see where you're at for gravity.

Also, the iodine test will tell you if you've converted your grain, I've used that several times with Idophor.

Sounds like it may be done fermenting if it's sour, I'd hate to see you throw out your mash if it's ready to run. Knowing if it's converted, and knowing the SG will help you decide what to do next.



Bull.

[Dnderhead]

there should be no difference in out come between flaked and ground corn/maze.the most likely problem is cooking
witch is a long and tedious job unless your set up for it.try a smaller amount of grain until you git the proses.

[rubber duck]

I'm going to give it another go. I've got the rest of a 50# sack of corn, and the malt was all of $2.60, not a big investment.

The real question is what to do with my mess: run it, toss it all, save some some as a starter for the next batch..

Run it.

[NcHooch]

Wow, been away for a few days 'n missed all the fun.

SS,
Ya, definitely run it ....it's been my experience that this recipe ferments out in about 3 days. It usually has a pale yellow look to it at the end if the ferment with just a little corn floating...99% of the grain will be sittin on the bottom.

I will usually try to test the wort before I pitch the yeast, just so I know what to expect ... as bullrider suggested , take a strained sample and drop your hydrometer in there, I like to use the nylon paint strainer bags (sanitized 'course)

A few times i've run this, i've timed it so the mash process is finishing at 10 or 11pm, then I toss it in the fermenter and let it cool overnight, covered (but not sealed), and pitch the yeast in the mornin.

Rargh, Sounds like you're on your way ...what are you plannin to run it in, column or pot? ....let us know how it comes out.

NChooch

[Rargh]

Well its down to 1002 now.
Unfortunately i am away from Sunday midday til Thursday morning so probably wont run my first run til then :-(
Unless i can get chance to do a sneaky run tomorrow whilst fixing the car.

I have a 20 l boiler and a pot still. I can put up to 15 l in it for a strip run so i will have to do 3 strips. Then charge it back up for the spirit run. Cant wait to see how it compares to UJSSM.

Will keep you updated

[SuburbanStiller]

I tested the mash from my first attempt just before I ran it today, it finished at 1.018. Smelled sour, tasted very sour, no sign of infestation, no mold or any other change. I got a paint strainer bag to trap the solids, ran it through my long pipe pot still head.

Now let me tell you, the distillate was the most wretchedly disgusting bile I have ever created of anything ever in my 37 years on this planet. God-awful, stomach churning. Stunk up my whole stillin shed, and my shed only has three walls. I pulled 250ml (51% abv), tasted a bit from my finger. Yuck. Pulled another 250ml (43% abv) thinking that this is where the magic of the cuts is going to come in. Tasted even worse. Pulled another 250ml, noticed that the likker was getting a little cloudy. For some insane, suicidal reason I stuck my big ole stupid beak right in the mason jar and took a big whiff. Well I turned green, ran outside and very nearly lost it. I could taste my lunch coming up, just barely held it down. Shut down and threw out the whole damn mess, mash likker and all. I'm not bitching, just thought you guys might get a kick out of reading about my misfortune.

I'd already decided to give this another go, so I boiled up some more corn. I gave it an honest 90 minute rolling boil this time on the propane, even got a drill powered paint mixer to do it justice. Guess I was kinda fartin around last time because the mash got way thicker than last time. Cooled it quickly to exactly 150 and mixed in my malt. It's all wrapped up out in the garage right now, will get the temp right in the am and pitch.

I tell ya, all grain is a bitch. Hope I can something good out of this before I get frustrated and give up. I did have to let my first batch sit for 2 weeks before I got to run it. Could that have caused me my trouble?

[NcHooch]

Sorry to hear about yer misfortune Suburban, but I did get a chuckle out of your story.

sounds like you missed something the first time , either in the mashing or the fermentation. Best of luck on the new batch though, sounds a lot more promising
let us know how the ferment goes

NChooch

[rubber duck]

I tell ya, all grain is a bitch. Hope I can something good out of this before I get frustrated and give up. I did have to let my first batch sit for 2 weeks before I got to run it. Could that have caused me my trouble?

That could be part of the problem, ideally what I do is run it one day after the cap falls, or one day after it doesn't produce a cap if your stirring it back in every day. Under normal circumstances it shouldn't take more then a week.

You probably had a laundry list of problems that all came together to give you still full of puke. It's good that your ran it though, now that you've done the process from start to finish it will get easier. Keep at it, it's a big learning curve.

[0re0]

Pour me a glass please. 3 fingers, on the rocks.

That's the way I like mine too

keep all the mixers and fruity crap
give it to me on the rocks!

i too am looking forward to trying this.

[SuburbanStiller]

I cooked off my 2nd batch tonite, and while it wasn't as wretched as last time, it's still nowhere near drinkable. I tasted the mash and it was sour, but not nearly as sour as last time. The distillate came out with an incredible corn flavor that you could taste thru the icky stuff. Damn, I really want that corn taste without the vomit flavor that comes with it. This's gonna be a beauty of a beverage if I can figure this out.

Questions:
Am I missing a step that you guys do without even thinking about it? The sour is acid, right? Am I supposed to mix in baking soda to neutralize it before I charge my boiler? Am I supposed to boil it again after mashing to kill any bug that might have been in the malt? I got to this after just one week this time, could that still be too long to wait? I can't really still during the week, but can I put it on ice to halt any further souring after a few days?

I'm gonna take a couple weeks before I try again and do some more research. I really want that pure corn flavor.

[rubber duck]

Hmmm are you double distilling it? Small single runs of corn on a pot still can sometimes be kinda ick.

I don't boil it after adding the malt and you definitely don't want to bring the mash ph level up before you distill it, that might cause ammonia. A week isn't to long I do that all the time.

It's probably not the fermentation temp being to high.

What are you using for yeast and how much are you using? If there's a problem I suspect this could be it.