sweetfeed whisky

[redneckgeek]

So I started a batch of this earlier however I had to change it a bit. (someone grab a 4 lb bag of sugar) So I added a pound of brown sugar as getting a little late for a trip to the store and heading out of town in the morning for the week on business.

Just my luck the distillers yeast I ordered is suppose to show up tomorrow after I left, but I have Fleishmann's Active Dry Yeast *bakers yeast*.

My question is I have read on this thread from 1-5 packets. These are 3/4 oz packets, what amount should I be adding to a 5 gallon mix?

I have 70 mins left to decide on the right number of packets.

[Stainless dude]

I would guess 1 would be enough, a little more probly wouldn't hurt..

[redneckgeek]

I would guess 1 would be enough, a little more probly wouldn't hurt..

You are fast! Thanks!

[Hound Dog]

What your making there hound is called a sugar head, both sf and uj are and are both excellent recipes. But neither will ever be a bourbon. Whiskeys they can be called but not bourbon. Good luck on your run I'm sure you'll really like the flavor, very smooth drink.

Yea, I think we all know it is really a sugar head wash. Heck the thread is titled "Sweetfeed Whisky" but it is a sugar head. The same goes for most all of the tried and true recipes here. If we can call this wash a "whisky", Uncle Remus's rice and sugar "Vodka" and Uncle Jesse's corn and sugar a "Sour Mash" then I reserve the right to add a box of corn flakes to this and call it "Bourbon"

Like I said before, I am out to play around and experiment a little . If i end up liking it If not Back to ferment something else. I still have lots to learn and need to get better with my cuts. So I will keep reading the great posts here and practice with more runs. I appreciate all the great stuff I have learned from this forum. I couldn't have gotten this far so safely without it!

[woodshed]

Gotta go with stainless here. This is not a Bourbon, the other recipes can indeed be called whiskeys.
Bourbon grain bills and procedures are very specific and should be adhered to, even by the hobbyist.
It's just one small way to honor a true American icon.
Doing otherwise is just being dishonest to yourself and those you may share with.

[Richard7]

My question is I have read on this thread from 1-5 packets. These are 3/4 oz packets, what amount should I be adding to a 5 gallon mix?

I would end up using 30 grams for five gallons. Don't know how much is in a packet.

Okay you told me 3/4 oz packets. To tell the truth that makes more sense than grams. But all these metric to standard conversions drive me nuts!

[redneckgeek]

My question is I have read on this thread from 1-5 packets. These are 3/4 oz packets, what amount should I be adding to a 5 gallon mix?

I would end up using 30 grams for five gallons. Don't know how much is in a packet.

21g per packet, I will be traveling for 6 days, so should I try to divide two packets or just go with 2?

Thanks for all the help.

[Richard7]

21g per packet, I will be traveling for 6 days, so should I try to divide two packets or just go with 2?

I would say if it was oxygenated well before you pitched the yeast one would do. If not two will not hurt.

[Truckinbutch]

I'd just pitch 2 . If it finishes before you get back it just has more settling time . I pitch 1/4 cup of dry yeast on a 40 gallon batch of sweet feed wash and it takes off right away so long as I have the ph right . Takes longer to finish that what you fellers with smaller ferment vessels are taking .

[steve2md]

why make it so difficult? dissolve a cup or 2 of sugar in 2 liters or so of warm water, shake it up to aerate, add your pack of yeast and let it work for an hour or so. The yeasties will multiply over that time. shake up the mix and dump it in to your wash.

[Truckinbutch]

why make it so difficult? dissolve a cup or 2 of sugar in 2 liters or so of warm water, shake it up to aerate, add your pack of yeast and let it work for an hour or so. The yeasties will multiply over that time. shake up the mix and dump it in to your wash.

If ya don't have the same sg in the primer as you do in the main batch you may shock damage the yeast colony and be back to square one . Lettin dry baker's yeast accomodate themselves to the environment they are going to live in straight up has served me well . Just my humble opinion .

[redneckgeek]

So I have two 5 gallon buckets that have been fermenting for 7 days as of today.

I just checked them with the hydrometer and they are just under 1.000, do you think they will hold out till next saturday or should I run strips on them this evening? They are still bubbling some.

I have to leave for canada for the week early in the morning and will not be back till saturday. They are fermenting in my pantry that stays around 74 degrees 24hours a day.

[Jimbo]

My 0.02 is run them now. Things can get funky quick.

[Richard7]

So I have two 5 gallon buckets that have been fermenting for 7 days as of today.

I just checked them with the hydrometer and they are just under 1.000, do you think they will hold out till next saturday or should I run strips on them this evening? They are still bubbling some.

I have to leave for canada for the week early in the morning and will not be back till saturday. They are fermenting in my pantry that stays around 74 degrees 24hours a day.

If you have no signs of an infection the extra week should be no problem. It would even give it time to settle and clear a little.

[S-Cackalacky]

So I have two 5 gallon buckets that have been fermenting for 7 days as of today.

I just checked them with the hydrometer and they are just under 1.000, do you think they will hold out till next saturday or should I run strips on them this evening? They are still bubbling some.

I have to leave for canada for the week early in the morning and will not be back till saturday. They are fermenting in my pantry that stays around 74 degrees 24hours a day.

My first SF ferment set in two 5 gal. buckets for about 5 weeks (undisturbed). When I finally opened them to rack them off, they had a white film on top. From my reading here I found that it was a lacto infection which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I went ahead and racked it and ran it and it turned out OK. The next (2nd) gen has been racked and sitting in a plastic carboy for about a week and still looks and smells fine.

I think as long as you don't continually expose it to oxygen, it should be OK to sit for a while.

S-C

[drinkingdog]

Is there a sweet feed out there without any pellets. I just spent 30 dollars on 2 different types of sweet feed that supposedly didn't have pellets that I researched from order threads. it sure would be nice to know what everyone is using. I have just about given up.

[shadylane]

Tractor supply sells "Producers pride 10% all grain".

[S-Cackalacky]

Some folks are mixing their own. Buy cracked corn, oats and barley and mix it in equal parts. Then when you make your wash, add the molasses. The grains should be 30% each and 10% molasses.

S-C

[Hound Dog]

Tractor supply sells "Producers pride 10% all grain".

+1 on the Producer's Pride. It just says "10% all grain" on the bag and does not say "sweet feed". This is the molassas and grain mixture you are looking for. It is a purple paper bag. The purple synthetic bag marked "12% Sweet feed" has the alfalfa fillers in it. I would imagine that would give you the all natural grass and hay flavor if you're into it though . Also, if you don't have a TS to shop at, check the tag on the bottom of the bag and make sure it contains nothing but grains, molassas some nutrients and there will be a trace amount of a preservative that is in most molassas, can't think of what its called. Some have expressed concern on the preservative but it has been pointed out that it is so little by the time you add everything it does not affect the ferment.

[Still Water]

Tractor supply sells "Producers pride 10% all grain".

+1 on the Producer's Pride. It just says "10% all grain" on the bag and does not say "sweet feed". This is the molassas and grain mixture you are looking for. It is a purple paper bag. The purple synthetic bag marked "12% Sweet feed" has the alfalfa fillers in it. I would imagine that would give you the all natural grass and hay flavor if you're into it though . Also, if you don't have a TS to shop at, check the tag on the bottom of the bag and make sure it contains nothing but grains, molassas some nutrients and there will be a trace amount of a preservative that is in most molassas, can't think of what its called. Some have expressed concern on the preservative but it has been pointed out that it is so little by the time you add everything it does not affect the ferment.

Just picked up a couple bags from T.S. few weeks ago, It does not say 10%. It was just a paper purple bag that said All Grain. So far so good it is making some tasty whiskey

[S-Cackalacky]

At Tractor Supply the Producer's Pride "10% All Grain" and "All Grain" are the same product. The specification tags are identical except for the list of ingredients. The "10% All Grain" lists corn, oats, barley (cob) as indgredients, whereas the "All Grain" lists "grain products" as ingredients. Don't know why they do this, but appears to be the same product.

At other feed stores, you might also ask for "wet cob". Some stores just don't know it by the name, Sweet Feed.

Just sayin',
S-C

[barta24]

Would just like to know what kind of yeast you guys are using ? Thanks for any info

[Hound Dog]

Would just like to know what kind of yeast you guys are using ? Thanks for any info

Red Star bakers yeast from Costco. 2 lb pack.

[Still Water]

Would just like to know what kind of yeast you guys are using ? Thanks for any info

Prestige whiskey yeast with AG

[shadylane]

Would just like to know what kind of yeast you guys are using ? Thanks for any info

Bakers yeast, EC1118, K1V1116, DADY, and other yeast that I've used but can't remember.
My preference is 1118, it makes for a clean ferment.
Especially if your doing piggy back fermentations.
Guess it depends on temperatures, nutrient requirements, alcohol and pH tolerance.
And don't forget the flavor profile.
But never underestimate the power of bakers yeast to getter done.
Even if it's not my favorite.

[S-Cackalacky]

I don't know if I'm looking for advice here, or just chewing the fat to get things settled in my own mind. I know people using this recipe have a lot of different approaches as to how they get to a final drinking product. Some do their cuts on single runs - saving blended hearts for aging/drinking and recycling feints into the next generation run or a separate multi-gen feints run. Others may do several stripping runs and after several generations, do a spirit run on everything they have collected. Others may be doing variations of these methods.

For my first generation run I used a thumper and saved in small (8oz) jars, aired, and did cuts. On the second gen I decided to not use the thumper because of some technical problems and did a stripping run. For this run I recycled all the low wines from the first run simply because I didn't like the way they smelled or tasted. So, after the second run, I have about 1 and 3/4 gallons of distillate. I plan to save this and the results of my 3rd generation run to go into a separate spirit run. If I decide to go forward with this method, it looks like I'll be doing a spirit run with what I collect from each three generations. This should give me about 2.5 gallons of stripped alcohol to go into my 5 gallon boiler.

Now, after doing my 3rd generation run, what I plan to do is remove enough backset to start my 4th gen ferment and use what backset that remains in the boiler to dilute the alcohol going into the spirit run. My assumption here is that the backset will impart a little of its flavor into the spirit run. I'll collect the spirit run in small jars, air it out, and do the cuts and save the blended hearts. Whatever heads/tails are left over will go into the 4th gen run and I will start the process all over again.

By the way, for each run (even the spirit run) I will be discarding the first 8oz as fores.

This may all change when I get my thumper back online. I may go back to single runs - doing cuts on each run and recycling the feints back into the next run. I'm wondering how others here are doing your runs when using a thumper.

S-C

[S-Cackalacky]

S-C, I have a question in regard to the Producers Pride All-Grain. I was wondering if the soybean oil in the sweet feed created any problems ? I've got two 5 gallon batches fermenting and noticed a oily residue in both fermentor's . This is my first try at sweet feed .

I haven't noticed any problems. Most cooking oil sold in the grocery store labeled, "vegetable oil", is actually soybean oil. I've seen it recommended in some recipes to add a little cooking oil to the wash before distilling to help control foaming. So, based on that, my guess is that it's probably a good thing.

Just sayin',
S-C

[Rastus]

Now, after doing my 3rd generation run, what I plan to do is remove enough backset to start my 4th gen ferment and use what backset that remains in the boiler to dilute the alcohol going into the spirit run. My assumption here is that the backset will impart a little of its flavor into the spirit run.
S-C

in a similar note to what you mentioned, but not the same...

i didnt add anything to the wash for the spirit run, but, after i used the backwash to melt my sugar, molasses and brown sugar, i saved some of the left over from the boiler in a jar, I just hate dumping this stuff...

and last night when i was diluting down some straight 178 proof to drinking strength, i mixed a splash from quart #4 of a stripping run that was good flavored, and also a bit of the left over from the boiler that i saved... I just added till it was a light yellow color, and the flavor was awesome gave it a full body, warm sweetness ...

i was inspired by i believe by (forgive me if i am wrong) bucaneer bob who said the key to good rum flavor is a little of the dunder added to the spirit. even my buddy who prefers white whiskey with koolade liked it haha so i will mix a little larger batch for a serious evaluation... this morning no hangover... good sign. this is my 8th generation

[Bearded Distiller]

Howdy Wise Distillers.

I was given a bag of ProForm Horse feed, and was told it wwas sweet feed.

Right away I thought of this thread/recipie.

Has anyone used this brand before? Had any success?


Thank for the help,

BD

[Stainless dude]

The bag is going to have a tag that says what it contains,if it's not cob, then your not going to make sweet feed. Not saying it won't make something good though...