Hello all

minnesnowta · Post by **minnesnowta** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 11:10 pm

I am new to this hobby. I've been reading on the site for a while now and it got me interested. I am in MN. I have done a cleaning run with vinegar and another with crappy vodka that was cut to 10%. And, one with some junk mash. I am interested doing corn bigger corn mashes (55 gallons). I want to do it that way because I can. I have made one mash so far. It got the white bubbles and I think turned to vinegar. I ran some of it just to see what would happen and the abv came out to 5% through the whole run.

I am working with:
15.5 gallon boiler (keg) soon to get 26 gallon milk can
5500w immersion heater with controller
Thermometer in top of boiler
2" to 3" adapter
3" column
28" Liebig condenser
Parrot

55 gallon food safe drum w/ locking lid
Air lock

Cooking corn in 30 gallon cooler

Looking forward to picking some of your brains and getting some feedback. Great to be here.

Post by **OlympicMtDoo** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 7:56 am

Welcome to HD minnesnowta, Sounds like your'e having some recipe issues, go to the tried and true section and pick one of those because they are tried and true, then experiment later on if you want. If you follow one of those recipes you can't go wrong. Well I guess you still can but not very easy. Good luck

dakotasnake · Post by **dakotasnake** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 3:03 pm

you from minnesto ya, i make 3 or 4 trips there every yr. do check the tryed and true threads . welcome aboard

minnesnowta · Post by **minnesnowta** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 8:25 pm

I think it was contaminated and got sick.

I cooked 25lbs of fine ground corn in 12 gallons of water. I boiled the water then mixed the corn with a drill in a cooler with the lid closed. It cooked for about an hour holding about 170*. It converted. I let it cool to 150* with the lid open and then added 1 gallon of ground 6 row malted barley. I don't want to use yeast from a bag. I like the idea of a natural yeast. It thinned way out. I mixed it for about 10 mins. I then added that mess to 25 gallons of water that had 50 pounds of sugar dissolved in it. Topped it off with water, up to about the 53 gallon mark. I mixed it up real good and capped it and put the air lock on.

24 hours later there was a little bit of CO2 going. I gave it a mix and capped it. Smelled like rotten eggs. And left it for about a week. It was working off very slow. I figured because the temp was 60*. I opened it up mixed it again. It didn't look like there was any infection at that time. I put a space heater in the room and left it alone for 4 days. During those days it started working off like crazy. Temp was at 80*.

After the 4 days I opened it up and it smelled like vinegar. Still making lots of CO2. The sugar was at 1.07. That was the first time I checked it. (I know it should have checked it at the start). I capped it.

2 days later I checked it again. It had the white bubbles and the spider webs. The sugar was at 1.03. It didn't taste sweet but was sticky. I ran some through the still and it was junk. I dumped the rest down the drain.

I'm thinking the problem is that I didn't disinfect anything before starting, plus I opened it to many times allowing and infection to get it.

I'm starting a new mash tomorrow. I've cleaned everything with bleach really good. I'm just hoping that my raw grains are not carrying the infection. I would think that they would die after they are cooked though. I will update on how this next mash goes. Any input would be great.

slohand42 · Post by **slohand42** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 8:37 pm

Since I'm rather new, I'll let the more experienced ones give you some help right now.

Tried and true is a great place to start. I started with a Corn Flake wash then went to UJSSM. Not a bad mash or run yet (well, I did mess up my cuts a time or two).

BTW, my wife's husband lives in Minnesnowta. The poor guy just suffered through another 9 inch snow.

MitchyBourbon · Post by **MitchyBourbon** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 11:12 pm

Welcome to the forums minnesnowta,

I am also from the land of 10,000 lakes and inclement weather.

There is a ton of info here and many people who can give answers to what you can't find.

Good luck and be safe.

Cornfed50 · Post by **Cornfed50** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 12:25 am

Hello Minn. Its sounds like the bacteria was present in your containers. Dont be afraid to use good yeast. It will give you the most consistant results. Anheuser- Bush has been cultivating the same strain of yeast for over a hundred years and its what they use for Budweiser everyday.I personally reccomend Gert, Fermentis,lallemand,white labs,wyeast,redstar and for old timers ole fleishmanns. It is easier to get the wild strain in the spring and summer but you can make vinegar just about any time .I think you would just love the plain ole super start distillers yeast and some nutrient. Best of luck and keep her clean . Cornfed

minnesnowta · Post by **minnesnowta** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 3:24 pm

Cornfed50 wrote:Hello Minn. Its sounds like the bacteria was present in your containers. Dont be afraid to use good yeast. It will give you the most consistant results. Anheuser- Bush has been cultivating the same strain of yeast for over a hundred years and its what they use for Budweiser everyday.I personally reccomend Gert, Fermentis,lallemand,white labs,wyeast,redstar and for old timers ole fleishmanns. It is easier to get the wild strain in the spring and summer but you can make vinegar just about any time .I think you would just love the plain ole super start distillers yeast and some nutrient. Best of luck and keep her clean . Cornfed

I'll have to read up on those yeasts. I haven't grasped the concept using the same strain every time yet. But, I am interested in doing that. I'll post about my next mash in the, "my first" section if all goes well.

The old lady really wants me to make a fruit mash. Like berries or something. I seen one in the tried and true section that I'll try for her. She likes to help.

Thanks for the welcome guys.

minnesnowta · Post by **minnesnowta** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 3:27 pm

MitchyBourbon wrote:Welcome to the forums minnesnowta,

I am also from the land of 10,000 lakes and inclement weather.

There is a ton of info here and many people who can give answers to what you can't find.

Good luck and be safe.

Are you in the twin cities? I'm in a suburb of st. Paul. Kinda hard doing a ferment here being that it is winter for 8 months out of the year.

dakotasnake · Post by **dakotasnake** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 4:56 pm

im in the northern praire -cold winters, not hard to ferment just gotta use 5 gal buckets in the house and tote them out to the garage to run.

Post by **Dnderhead** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 4:59 pm

using wild yeast is hit or miss and doing so in your house makes it more miss than hit.
if you live in city or other inhabited place is also a strike against you.

Post by **MuleKicker** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 7:32 pm

I may or may not have been a victim of that 9" snowfall that you speak of in MN........

MitchyBourbon · Post by **MitchyBourbon** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 8:35 pm

I may or may not be in a Minneapolis burb.

I find that winter is the best time to ferment. I keep mine off the cold floor and use belt heaters if necessary. I like winter fermenting because I can move the fermenters into my garage when fermentation is complete. The temp in my garage is steady at 40 F. This is perfect for crash cooling. I always get a very clear rack into my still. Plus I can store it for as long as I want without fear of infection.

Cornfed50 · Post by **Cornfed50** » Sat Mar 16, 2013 12:57 am

The best fermentation I've ever had was in the dead of winter.Cornfed

Home Distiller

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