Truckinbutch wrote:I hope I didn't give you the impression that you were being a dick I was simply stating my situation . Setting up 40 gallon ferments kind of negates faucet mounted filters for a kitchen sink . Lots of folks before me used this same water successfully . It just takes a little more time .
I re read my post and I thought it sounded kinda like I was bragging. I'm glad you didn't take it so.
I have a 30 and 21 gallon going at the moment. Plans to do up to 50 gal. I just have a waterbed fill hose hooked to my faucet in my basement. If you must do it outside with a hose then yes I can see where that would cause an issue. I dunno of any way to soften water except chemicals
We had a big system for all that crap at the house we rented before we bought our current house. It made the water taste even more like shit than without it.
Man, KS wasn't kidding when he said it would be crackling like bacon in a pan. It really is. The BW I'm just finishing up was like a sizzle and fizz. But the sweet feed is a serious crackle. Totally different.
About to run my first ever wash did this sweetfeed whiskey mash. Got my mash made let it ferment and now straining it but I only have about 3-4 gallons of wash. Should I add another gallon to the mash and strain that to get the five gallons of wash or just run it with 3-4 gallons of wash as is? Thanks for the help
I've got about 15 gal of this bubbling away now for about 2 weeks, but the P & T hydrometer stays at 10/5.
Yet when I take the lid off the 20 gal Brute the delicious smell of alcohol smacks me in the face. I've never before had such an almost pure alcohol smell before. Tested the hydrometer in tap water = zero. Bubbling has slowed of course, but for at least a week it has read just under 5%. What's going on? Lack of patience?
Lonesome Loins wrote:I've got about 15 gal of this bubbling away now for about 2 weeks, but the P & T hydrometer stays at 10/5.
Yet when I take the lid off the 20 gal Brute the delicious smell of alcohol smacks me in the face. I've never before had such an almost pure alcohol smell before. Tested the hydrometer in tap water = zero. Bubbling has slowed of course, but for at least a week it has read just under 5%. What's going on? Lack of patience?
Temperature in the room could slow things down. I ferment my stuff in the basement next to the furnace but the mash is usually anywhere from 64-68degrees. It doesn't harm anything to ferment at lower temperatures as far as I know. Might take a little longer but I think the yeast don't get stressed out. I can't have any stress in my mash. There's enough of that going around as it is.
Thanks. Yes that's about the same temp mine stays at, about room temp including nights, despite a heating pad. But a week with no measurable progress is what's bothering me. I'm about ready to run it despite the fact it's still bubbling a little bit.
I've been having issues with 40 gallon batches of multiple generation sweet feed ferment times . Not unusual for me to go well beyond 30 days to complete one . I control heat with aquarium heaters and insulation . I think my issues come from ph levels and I'm still working on that . Getting impatient and running too early is not a solution . (Don't ask me how I know this ) It will get done when it gets done .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
Truckinbutch wrote:I've been having issues with 40 gallon batches of multiple generation sweet feed ferment times . Not unusual for me to go well beyond 30 days to complete one . I control heat with aquarium heaters and insulation . I think my issues come from ph levels and I'm still working on that . Getting impatient and running too early is not a solution . (Don't ask me how I know this ) It will get done when it gets done .
I'm tired of paying for store bought while I wait. Guess I'm going to have to buy more fermenters.
Truckinbutch wrote:I've been having issues with 40 gallon batches of multiple generation sweet feed ferment times . Not unusual for me to go well beyond 30 days to complete one . I control heat with aquarium heaters and insulation . I think my issues come from ph levels and I'm still working on that . Getting impatient and running too early is not a solution . (Don't ask me how I know this ) It will get done when it gets done .
I'm tired of paying for store bought while I wait. Guess I'm going to have to buy more fermenters.
Well , you could go ahead and just run it then . Won't taste no worse than what you buy in the store .
That's what I'd do!YEP! BY GOD! That's what I'd just go ahead and do (Laughing My Ass Off)
I'm with ya , brother . Just couldn't resist raggin ya some . Go ahead and run it . After all , the cook has to eat/drink all their mistakes . In a case like this ; bitchin the cook only requires a mirror .
(Disclaimer ; this post was all posted in fun and not to be taken as solid advice by any reader .)
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
Lonesome Loins wrote:I've got about 15 gal of this bubbling away now for about 2 weeks, but the P & T hydrometer stays at 10/5.
Yet when I take the lid off the 20 gal Brute the delicious smell of alcohol smacks me in the face. I've never before had such an almost pure alcohol smell before. Tested the hydrometer in tap water = zero. Bubbling has slowed of course, but for at least a week it has read just under 5%. What's going on? Lack of patience?
Temperature in the room could slow things down. I ferment my stuff in the basement next to the furnace but the mash is usually anywhere from 64-68degrees. It doesn't harm anything to ferment at lower temperatures as far as I know. Might take a little longer but I think the yeast don't get stressed out. I can't have any stress in my mash. There's enough of that going around as it is.
You didn't mention what yeast you're using. Different yeast like different temps. If you're using baker's yeast, it likes the temp a little high - mid 70s to 80F.
Odin had a thread going recently about the effect of "keeping the yeast happy" related to the amount of heads/methanol produced during fermentation. His experiments seemed to indicate that proper yeast temp was an important factor in controlling the amount of heads produced.
S-C
Every new member should read this before doing anything else:
Lonesome Loins wrote:I've got about 15 gal of this bubbling away now for about 2 weeks, but the P & T hydrometer stays at 10/5.
Yet when I take the lid off the 20 gal Brute the delicious smell of alcohol smacks me in the face. I've never before had such an almost pure alcohol smell before. Tested the hydrometer in tap water = zero. Bubbling has slowed of course, but for at least a week it has read just under 5%. What's going on? Lack of patience?
Um.. Are you using a proof hydrometer to measure a wash?? It won't work. You need a mash hydrometer.
Truckinbutch wrote:I've been having issues with 40 gallon batches of multiple generation sweet feed ferment times . Not unusual for me to go well beyond 30 days to complete one . I control heat with aquarium heaters and insulation . I think my issues come from ph levels and I'm still working on that . Getting impatient and running too early is not a solution . (Don't ask me how I know this ) It will get done when it gets done .
I believe your right.
If your using more than 25% backset, you need a way to measure and adjust pH.
If your making a mash and need to lower the pH to around 5.5 then backset will do the job.
If your making a wash and using backset, you need to be careful. Once fermentation starts the pH will quickly drop.
When the pH gets too low the ferment will slow down or even stall.
Yep , that's where I'm at . Out of test strips and hydrated lime . Farming and family issues preclude me from going to town to resupply . Mebbie tomorrow or Saturday and then I can begin to get the ferments back on track .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
You didn't mention what yeast you're using. Different yeast like different temps. If you're using baker's yeast, it likes the temp a little high - mid 70s to 80F.
Odin had a thread going recently about the effect of "keeping the yeast happy" related to the amount of heads/methanol produced during fermentation. His experiments seemed to indicate that proper yeast temp was an important factor in controlling the amount of heads produced.
S-C
I use distillers yeast. I'll have to check out that thread you mentioned. Thanks for the heads up. (See what I did there?)
You didn't mention what yeast you're using. Different yeast like different temps. If you're using baker's yeast, it likes the temp a little high - mid 70s to 80F.
Odin had a thread going recently about the effect of "keeping the yeast happy" related to the amount of heads/methanol produced during fermentation. His experiments seemed to indicate that proper yeast temp was an important factor in controlling the amount of heads produced.
S-C
I use distillers yeast. I'll have to check out that thread you mentioned. Thanks for the heads up. (See what I did there?)
This is the thread - viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42602" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow . Fermenting would seem to be a much more complex process to control efficently than it appears on the surface. I think I'll be reading that thread another time or two to try to put it all together.
I've only used baker's yeast, but I've read that most yeast packages will have the optimum temp on there somewhere. Having gone back and re-read the first few posts of that thread, I'm wondering about the importance of the choice of yeast for the particular type of ferment (i.e., fruit or grain). According to the thread, fruit ferments work best at higher temps and grain ferments work best at lower temps. So, this makes me wonder if baker's yeast is maybe not the best choice for the SF recipe. But then, maybe because it's a sugar head and not a true grain ferment, that would make a big difference in optimum temp - I don't know - it's a bit confusing.
S-C
Every new member should read this before doing anything else:
You didn't mention what yeast you're using. Different yeast like different temps. If you're using baker's yeast, it likes the temp a little high - mid 70s to 80F.
Odin had a thread going recently about the effect of "keeping the yeast happy" related to the amount of heads/methanol produced during fermentation. His experiments seemed to indicate that proper yeast temp was an important factor in controlling the amount of heads produced.
S-C
I use distillers yeast. I'll have to check out that thread you mentioned. Thanks for the heads up. (See what I did there?)
This is the thread - viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42602" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow . Fermenting would seem to be a much more complex process to control efficently than it appears on the surface. I think I'll be reading that thread another time or two to try to put it all together.
I've only used baker's yeast, but I've read that most yeast packages will have the optimum temp on there somewhere. Having gone back and re-read the first few posts of that thread, I'm wondering about the importance of the choice of yeast for the particular type of ferment (i.e., fruit or grain). According to the thread, fruit ferments work best at higher temps and grain ferments work best at lower temps. So, this makes me wonder if baker's yeast is maybe not the best choice for the SF recipe. But then, maybe because it's a sugar head and not a true grain ferment, that would make a big difference in optimum temp - I don't know - it's a bit confusing.
S-C
Bakers yeast will stall completely if the temp gets down to 60 or so. I found that out last week the hard way. My wash was 80 degrees and my heater took a shit. Wash dropped to 60 and it stalled completely. Once the heat got back up over 70 it picked right back up.
I have a sweetfeed that is 7 days old right now. I used two packets of prestige WD with AG and its still crackling away like frying bacon. Been keeping it right at 80 degrees. OG was 1.068 and I checked it tonight as I couldn't wait any longer and it was 1.014. I think the warmer the better but I'm super new so WTF do I know
I have two 5 gallon batches of Sweetfeed going right now. I got a SG of 1.072 and 1.068 from the two batches last Saturday night. I checked them Wednesday night and got readings of 1.002 and 1.004. I used distillers yeast and at lower temps. I'm new too so I don't have any technical background and need to do more research.
S-Cackalacky wrote:
This is the thread - viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42602" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow .
S-C
I'm getting a bad message on my computer AND my phone when I try to open that link. The link has been corrupted or there's an issue with configuration on the server.
S-Cackalacky wrote:
This is the thread - viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42602" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow .
S-C
I'm getting a bad message on my computer AND my phone when I try to open that link. The link has been corrupted or there's an issue with configuration on the server.
Uncle Jesse mentioned that he was doing some maintenance on the forum server last night - might have been your problem.
S-C
Every new member should read this before doing anything else:
S-Cackalacky wrote:
This is the thread - viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42602" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow .
S-C
I'm getting a bad message on my computer AND my phone when I try to open that link. The link has been corrupted or there's an issue with configuration on the server.
Uncle Jesse mentioned that he was doing some maintenance on the forum server last night - might have been your problem.
S-C
Would you mind telling me the title of the thread and the author? I'll just search for it that way. Thanks. Due
Tater wrote:Here is another one from parent site A "genuine" moonshine recipe, as still being used by Deb Brewer is ...
* 5 gallon bucket all grain horse feed (we use MannaPro Hi Grain sweet feed)
* one package of yeast (using bread yeast now--others will increase quality and ferment time)
* 5 pounds sugar
* water
Put enough feed to cover bottom of 5 gallon bucket a good 4 inches deep Add 5 pounds of sugar. Fill 1/2 full with warm water--warm enough to melt sugar but not so hot as to kill yeast. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Add yeast and mix some more finish filling with warm water--again not so hot to kill the yeast. Cover with lid--our lid has a little cap that screws on, leave it loose to breathe.
4-5 days later it's ready to run! This is an old-timer recipe and works quite well. Our liquor is always 170-190 proof. You can substitute corn meal for the grain (horse feed) but I don't recommend this for pot stills cuz you can't filter it well enough. The meal will settle and burn in the bottom of your still. The old-fashion way of making corn liquor--with real corn--just is not feasible time wise.
Ok I have a few questions but would like to find the answers on my own if possible. I am new to all of this and just wanted to do it for a hobby and a little drink in the end. In reading alot of the posts I have noticed that there is an entire language of its own here and as I read I find myself more confused after reading. My question is, is there a spot in the forms here that I can get a copy of the terminology? I also live in the north east part of the country and would like to know if I can start a batch of mash using the quoted recipe, in colder temps. I have a plastic sparklettes water bottle that i will be using for the fermenting and will be using rubber stopper with a double bubble airlock. Any pointing will be greatly appreciated.
I realize it's repeated over and over, but you can't get enough reading in when attempting this hobby. People talk about reading constantly and still learning new things - even if they've been doing this a while. I started this hobby about a month or so ago and I have read something from the site every single day.
EDIT: Also, regarding temps for fermenting. Your sparklets bottle should work fine as long as you clean it real well and sanitize it. Plastic can get scratches in the surface where germs can hide out. I have been fermenting with Fleshman's bread yeast and distilliers yeast. My mash temps are 64-68 degrees. Certain yeasts thrive at certain temperatures. This is something I'm learning about and trying to read up on.
To increase temps in your fermenter, you can take a big box that will fit over your sparklets bottle, place it over the it (so the bottom of the box is now facing upwards), cut a small hole in it big enough to accept a light bulb, and stick a lamp or reading light into the hole. The heat from the light bulb in such a small space can be enough to raise the ambient temperature.
Welcome aboard New Shiner. If you would please step over to the welcome center. And give us a proper intro.
The must read new distiller reading lounge. Is the best place to start your research. But if you have particular questions about the recipe this thread is about. They have been answered many times over in this thread. There probably isn't a question about it that hasn't been asked. It may be a long thread to read. But you will learn so much more if you do.
Spirits from any still should come out clear. Only exceptions would be maybe gins or any other spirits that may be flavored with botanicals in the vapor path.
So if you don't get a clear product. You have a problem.
Whiskey gets its color from the barrels its aged in. New make white whiskey has flavors. Not exactly the same flavors as a aged brown whiskey. When aged it pics up some more flavors. And changes some of the flavors it had as white.
I was simply stating my situation . Setting up 40 gallon ferments kind of negates faucet mounted filters for a kitchen sink . Lots of folks before me used this same water successfully . It just takes a little more time .
) It will get done when it gets done .
