Reuse backset in sugar wash?
Moderator: Site Moderator
-
- Swill Maker
- Posts: 421
- Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2013 9:14 pm
- Location: Smoky Mountains
Reuse backset in sugar wash?
I have been making a sugar wash with 1 box of Lauren Lynn All Bran Cereal (generic Ingles brand) 8lbs sugar, distilled water, and 2 TBL spoons yeast for some time now. All of these have produced great results. I allways ferment in 5 gallon water bottles. The last time I racked 3 - 5 gallon bottles to my boiler, I decided to try to reuse what was left in the fermenter for another run. I added a lil water after racking just to make sure it didn't dry out. I then added 8lbs of sugar (after heating and melting sugar) (allowed to cool) to my fermenter then added the hydrated yeast. All seem to be fermenting great. I have read about people reusing backset when using corn, malt, molasis, etc. but not cereal. The cereal looks and smells fine after fermenting and it would be a waste to just through it out.
My questions are, has anyone tried this, will there be any off tastes or downfalls by doing this?
Either way, I will post my results when they are finished.
My questions are, has anyone tried this, will there be any off tastes or downfalls by doing this?
Either way, I will post my results when they are finished.
WERAT
-
- Bootlegger
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 9:17 pm
Re: Reuse backset in sugar wash?
I havent done it with cereal. but I've been doing it recently with everything. I'm kinda lazy so as soon as I finish running I mix the sugar in the hot backset then set it aside to chill out and add yeast later. I've had no upsets as of yet
- thecroweater
- retired
- Posts: 6114
- Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:04 am
- Location: Central Highlands Vic. Australia
Re: Reuse backset in sugar wash?
Well I'd have to say if you are chasing a neutral spirit reusing the stillage would be a mistake and work against your aims
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. Benjamin Franklin
- Saltbush Bill
- Site Mod
- Posts: 10539
- Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2011 2:13 am
- Location: Northern NSW Australia
Re: Reuse backset in sugar wash?
What crow said, backset is used to add flavor to things like Whiskey and Rum , with neutrals your looking for little to no taste.
Have a good smell of whats left in your boiler after your next run, do you really want to add that to your nice clean smelling neutral wash???
Have a good smell of whats left in your boiler after your next run, do you really want to add that to your nice clean smelling neutral wash???
-
- Swill Maker
- Posts: 421
- Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2013 9:14 pm
- Location: Smoky Mountains
Re: Reuse backset in sugar wash?
Maybe backset was not the proper word to use for this.Saltbush Bill wrote: Have a good smell of whats left in your boiler after your next run, do you really want to add that to your nice clean smelling neutral wash???
I didn't use what was left out of my boiler, I only used what was left in my fermenter after racking to my boiler. I reused the cereal I was fermenting on.
WERAT
WERAT
-
- Novice
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2012 2:42 am
- Location: Straylia
Re: Reuse backset in sugar wash?
The lees you are referring to, they will add some flavour definitely but if you want a consistent flavour then don't use them, stick with the same new yeast, otherwise you just create your own house yeast after a few gens, which is not a bad thing if you like the flavour! 

-
- Bootlegger
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 9:17 pm
Re: Reuse backset in sugar wash?
One of my fermenters is a 40gal Rubbermaid drum that I have never started over. I let it work til it settles and use a pail to dip off the top clear wash. Then ill add new wash and yeast to it. I'm sure soon I will have to empty it as the settlement builds up but it works too well to worry about.
-
- Bootlegger
- Posts: 129
- Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2012 12:21 pm
- Location: Old England UK
Re: Reuse backset in sugar wash?
I use hot backset for the next generation of cornflakes whiskey which also uses sugar as well as cereal and it does increase the flavour.
It's the same with Rad's Allbran recipe.
It's the same with Rad's Allbran recipe.
A man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over a man who cannot read.
-
- Rumrunner
- Posts: 541
- Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2012 3:19 pm
- Location: Southern California
Re: Reuse backset in sugar wash?
In Flanders fields the poppies blow * Between the crosses, row on row, * We are the Dead. Short days ago * We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, * Loved and were loved, and now we lie * In Flanders fields. -- from a WWI poem
-
- Swill Maker
- Posts: 421
- Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2013 9:14 pm
- Location: Smoky Mountains
Re: Reuse backset in sugar wash?
UPDATE:
I made a total of 30 gallons when I started this experiment. 15 gallons were used in all new cereal and the other 15 gallons were used in the leftover lees from the previous ferment. These were made up in 5 gallon water bottles. Each water bottle had 8lbs of sugar and 2 TBL spoons of bakers yeast. After 8 days the bottles that used the left over lees were finished dry. The other bottles took another 4 days to ferment dry. After allowing them to clear I tasted each ferment to see if there were any difference in taste. All tasted the same, color was the same, and smell was the same.
I racked each to my boiler keeping the new cereal batch and the reused lees batch in separate runs. Each run produced the same amount of spirit, the tastes were the same and I could not tell any difference between the two.
I am going to keep reusing the lees and make another 15 gallons of new (for taste comparison) to see how many batches I can get before it starts producing any off tastes.
I made a total of 30 gallons when I started this experiment. 15 gallons were used in all new cereal and the other 15 gallons were used in the leftover lees from the previous ferment. These were made up in 5 gallon water bottles. Each water bottle had 8lbs of sugar and 2 TBL spoons of bakers yeast. After 8 days the bottles that used the left over lees were finished dry. The other bottles took another 4 days to ferment dry. After allowing them to clear I tasted each ferment to see if there were any difference in taste. All tasted the same, color was the same, and smell was the same.
I racked each to my boiler keeping the new cereal batch and the reused lees batch in separate runs. Each run produced the same amount of spirit, the tastes were the same and I could not tell any difference between the two.
I am going to keep reusing the lees and make another 15 gallons of new (for taste comparison) to see how many batches I can get before it starts producing any off tastes.
WERAT