uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

[Odin]

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If you have a question on sugar wash, not being All Bran, UJ, etc. In general: a sugar/water/yeast ferment will be too low on nutrients and have to high a PH to work properly.

Odin.

[HellsWintr]

@rgarry I ran my UJSSM to generation 20 last year. It started messing up on me around gen 17 or so. It was stalling out. Not sure if it was lack of nutrients or PH issue or what it was. I was using test strips to test for PH and using Baking Soda to correct. I was told both were mistakes. http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =3&t=23798 here's the thread.

[Odin]

I just fractionated my UJSSM-style based on 100% broken rye. The whiskey of gen 1 and 2 showed there is a great taste in rye. I like it! Just have to wait for my new potstill head to be ready to run this grain really well.

Going to upscale from a 30 liters to a 50 liters one. Canibalized on the 30 liter boiler already, so I had to use a 10 liter (gross) copper alambic. Lot of work & it came out a bit to strong after a final run thru my airstill, making cuts. Hearts at 86%, so I left some taste behind in the boiler.

And that's why I fractionated it (gen 1 & 2) into a rye vodka. I wasn't looking for a complete neutral, but more of a vodka with mouthfeel left. Like All Bran can give you. And that turned out very well!

Rye is great for vodka. Heared about it, now I know it from experience. I will keep on going to use this grain & yeast bed. Gen 3 will be started up tomorrow morning. For more vodka making.

I have some malted rye as well. I plan to use some broken unmalted rye backset to start that one up later. Just by the smell of the grain, there is more taste in the malted rye. More fruitiness?

Anyhow, the malted rye will be for rye whiskey, the broken unmalted rye will be for vodka. The vodka will serve as a base for young genever/gin, the whiskey will (apart from a whiskey) serve as a base for my old rye genever/gin. So that's four recipees out of two slightly different UJ-batches. And I think on using the neutral as a base for my lemoncello as well.

Love this recipe.

Odin.

[jace]

A few Questions:
background information. I'm running a pot still made from 1/4keg. 26" of 2" copper neck, 90 down to 1" into a 24" condenser, 1/2" inside 1" outside.
I ran my 1st 5 gal wash tonight. SG=1.15 FG=.996 giving me about 18% alc.

1st question: the best I could get out of this run was 55% alc. I collected down to 40% does this seem normal ? I thought a pot still would get around 65 - 70%
2nd question: the ferment finished on this tonight. How long can you wait until you run it ? It was a little inconvenient to run it tonight but i made it work since i was scared of it going bad if I waited. Could I have waited a few days ?

Thank you everyone for the help.

[Odin]

Your alcohol potential is very high. Aim for 11/12% to get a better result. Yes, a pot still can get you to 65% ... in the beginning of your run. Potstilling you usually do twice. Once to concentrate, second run to make proper cuts.

Odin.

[jace]

How long is it ok to wait after fermentation has stopped ? As far as getting my alc Lower I pretty much followed the recipe on the original page to the t. Only thing I did was added too much yeast. Would this cause the higher alc ?

Thanks for the help

[yankeeclear]

As long as your fermenter is closed to the environment and hasn't been infected, it should be fine for a couple or more weeks. More yeast may work the sugar off faster but convertible sugars dictate the projected ABV yield.

Have fun!

[Monty671]

Hope this is simple question. I just got done running 1st generation. The is great, and the the percent of alcohol in right where I expected it to be.

I ran only one run. Ran the still slow and gentle.I know many say to do two. I was trying for max flavor.
The taste is not bad.
Problem, As my pa says, it tastes HOT. Even down at 70 proof, it has a hot bite.

Will running the stripping run and then a spirit run remove the bite?

Most of what I have read here talk about the second run as a way to remove off flavors. Is the hot bite what you are referring to when you talk about off flavors? Other than the "Hot" bite it tastes good.

I use a simple (Milk Can) 15 Gallon pot still heated with flame.

Thanks

[yankeeclear]

Hope this is simple question. I just got done running 1st generation. The is great, and the the percent of alcohol in right where I expected it to be.

I ran only one run. Ran the still slow and gentle.I know many say to do two. I was trying for max flavor.
The taste is not bad.
Problem, As my pa says, it tastes HOT. Even down at 70 proof, it has a hot bite.

Will running the stripping run and then a spirit run remove the bite?

Most of what I have read here talk about the second run as a way to remove off flavors. Is the hot bite what you are referring to when you talk about off flavors? Other than the "Hot" bite it tastes good.

I use a simple (Milk Can) 15 Gallon pot still heated with flame.

Thanks

Hi Monty, congrats on the run of your first gen!

Can you report back with what type of still you are running an what the TG of your mash was?

[Barney Fife]

Monty, the second run will separate more heads from the hearts, and will smooth it out(IE: it won't be as 'hot' anymore). A lot of us find the good flavors are actually stronger after a 2nd or 3rd distillation; we're concentrating it further, after all.

So from here forth, don't bother running the first run slowly; let 'er rip, and collect it all, set aside a few runs' worth, then do a spirit run.

There's a reason we do things the way we do things.

[Monty671]

Barney Fife, Thanks. I had read where several just do single run for the flavor. But after tasting what I had, figured that I was going to have to do double run. You have helped confirm that.

yankeeclear, I am using 15 gallon pot with 3" Pot still head column

To continue with the same thought. What do you store the first run in? I figure I will need to strip about 6 gallon.

[markbec]

Hi,

Is there any objections to extending the 3-4 days for the wash to 7 days? Just makes it easier to distil on the weekend. Someone has probably already mentioned this, but just so many pages to read and getting a headache.

[yankeeclear]

Barney Fife, Thanks. I had read where several just do single run for the flavor. But after tasting what I had, figured that I was going to have to do double run. You have helped confirm that.

yankeeclear, I am using 15 gallon pot with 3" Pot still head column

To continue with the same thought. What do you store the first run in? I figure I will need to strip about 6 gallon.

So with a 3" Pot head (I assume 3" height), I wold expect that you would definitely want to double distill. Using a longer column (at least 2" diameterand at least 18" long) some folks seem to do OK with a single run. They get enough flavor to carry through AND get a high enough ABV with passive reflux due to the longer column.

If you run your strip fast then you should push a lot of flavor through (I generally run down to ~20% ABV with a 2x10" pot head) then a slower spirit run to help separating heads/hearts/tails. For me, with a starting ABV of ~12% this yields in the neighborhood of 30-40% ABV for the volume stripped).

After a couple of strips I have enough to do a spirit run with proper cuts. The hearts from the spirit run yield 60-70% ABV. I make conservative cuts and find the hearts are between 25-40% of the total volume of the spirit run (again, I run down to ~20%).

With a pot still, double distillation and conservative cuts I get very clean hearts with plenty of flavor.

I do my strips in a 15 gal boiler. I collect the strip in a 6 gal glass carboy and it generally takes two strips to make enough product for a spirit run. I do my spirit run in a 7.5 gal boiler.

Good luck and have fun!

[Prairiepiss]

Hi,

Is there any objections to extending the 3-4 days for the wash to 7 days? Just makes it easier to distil on the weekend. Someone has probably already mentioned this, but just so many pages to read and getting a headache.

Have you made the wash yet? Until you do and see how it goes for you. I wouldn't plan a time frame. It mite take longer for you? Plus the 3-4 days is just fermenting time. You still should give it a couple more days to clear. Before you run it. So 7 to 10 days is not out of the question. A good idea is to have two batches going. That way you will have one ready when you are ready to run it. Start one this weekend. Rack it to a secondary fermenter next weekend and start another. The the next weekend run the one you racked the week before. Rack the one you started the week before. And start a new one. From that point on still day you will have three things to do. Still, rack, start, and if one take just a little longer say 7 days. You are still covered. Because it has seven more days before its to be ran.

Do yourself the favor and read through it. Yes its a lot. But you will be that much more prepared if something may or may not happen. And that info I just gave you is covered to death around here. Now covered to death +1.

[yankeeclear]

Hi,

Is there any objections to extending the 3-4 days for the wash to 7 days? Just makes it easier to distil on the weekend. Someone has probably already mentioned this, but just so many pages to read and getting a headache.

Should not be a problem - many have left their mashes for several weeks and have been able to successfully distill them. Do not let the number of days be your guide - 3-4 days is a fast ferment under optimal conditions. It can take a week or two (or more) to fully ferment depending on local conditions and variables. Temp, sugar concentration, yeast concentration, nutrients, PH, etc all contribute to ferment time.

Now, drop some aspirin and read, read, read - this and probably lots of other questions you have have likely been answered in he forum. Use the Search or Google Search features.

Have fun!

[Prairiepiss]

Yankyclear 3" pot still probably means a 3" diameter column pot still. Not 3" tall.

[yankeeclear]

Yankyclear 3" pot still probably means a 3" diameter column pot still. Not 3" tall.

Yeah, wasn't sure so I stated my assumption. From my readings of the posts it seems that 3" diameter pot columns were rare. Seems most of the 3" columns are flutes, but I may be way off base.

Thanks for the feedback!

[markbec]

Thanks Yankeeclear,

Wil start my first UJSM tomorrow, then distill a week later on detuned reflux condensor from puredistilling. Using 22L water, 3.6kg sugar(dextrose), 3.6kg cracked corn and 1 packet of distillers yeast.

[Monty671]

Yeah, wasn't sure so I stated my assumption. From my readings of the posts it seems that 3" diameter pot columns were rare. Seems most of the 3" columns are flutes, but I may be way off base.

Thanks for the feedback!

The diameter is 3" and tube length is 12"

[jace]

I just ran my 2nd gen and the best I got out of my pot was 65%. Should I scrap my mash and start over hoping to get a lower starting abv ? It started at 18%

[Odin]

More info please, Jace.

Did you ferment an UJSSM dry at 18% abv? That would be a record. And did you "only" get 65%? Or do I misread what you write. 65% in one run is pretty darn good for a single pot still run.

And you are on gen 2. Maybe left some abv left in the backset of gen 1 with which you started up gen 2?

Confused.

Odin.

[jace]

Odin,
My initial ferment was was about 17% when i started. I read I should be aiming for 12%. When I ran it the first time per instructions, my collection started at 55% and i collected down to 40%. added my 1.5Gal backset back into my fermenter and 7 more pounds of sugar. My second distill I added all of my first collection back into the still and ran it with my 2nd gen wash. This time it started at 65% and down to 40%. I'm just a little confused because the OP instructions says to collect 80 down to 70% as drinkable on the second run and the best I'm getting is 65%.
I originally thought starting with the second run I should keep 80 - 70% as drinkable and 69 - 40% gets dumped back into the next run. Or should I just be saving everything until I have enough to do 1 spirit run ?

Thanks again for the help

[Odin]

The problem with cutting by ABV, is that another person's still may have more reflux, a higher (probably lower!) wash ABV, is being run harder or slower.

Cutting by taste is the only way to go.

If I read your post correctly, you ran gen II wash together with low wines of gen I. That's okay. I call this combination of one wash with one portion of low wines "distilling 1.5" and it gives me the best taste.

But when you are just starting out with this recipe, I would advise to combine 3 low wines and make one spirit run. Collect in small glasses, let it air out over night, taste and make cuts.

Odin.

[NcHooch]

Sittin here with Mrs Hooch, enjoying some UJSSM that was put on oak 2 years ago, ...and bottled just a couple days ago.

Show Spoiler

Ya, you guessed it, Heavenly

[Husker]

Sittin here with Mrs Hooch, enjoying some UJSSM that was put on oak 2 years ago, ...and bottled just a couple days ago.

Same here. Some 3yr UJSM, oaked about 9mo or so. Waiting for Walking Dead season finale

H.

[Padraig]

Sittin here with Mrs Hooch, enjoying some UJSSM that was put on oak 2 years ago, ...and bottled just a couple days ago.

Details man, we need details. How big a barrel, how full, and at what temp? Was the barrel charred or toasted? -P

[NcHooch]

Same here. Some 3yr UJSM, oaked about 9mo or so. Waiting for Walking Dead season finale

H.

Mmmmmm Mmmmmm!

[markbec]

Decided to do my first UJSM with standard ingredients for 19L wash plus half a cup of orange juice. The airlock stopped bubbling after 2 days so i checked the gravity. SG was 1040 and now 994 is this about right. Going to end up stripping the first run to put straight into the second.

Loving this site!!

[Drauka99]

Just ran Gen 1 of UJSSM, ended up with about 1 gallon total off a 6 gallon wash.(to be mixed in with the second run once it ferments) I collected down to 30%abv. Skimmed the "white" layer off the top cracked corn left in the fermenter, added back about 4 gallons of fresh filtered water. Let my broiler cool a bit and pulled out about 1-2 gallons of backset added 10lbs of sugar and mixed it into the fermented and gave everything a good stirring. Hopefully I will be running another batch soon.

One thing I noticed was even the tails were very clear for me, with my other runs the tails have had either a slight white or yellow tint to them. Oh well each wash is different I am sure.

[markbec]

Hey Drauka, post your outcome dude, would be interested as i'm not far behind. Doing my first this weekend of UJSM.