uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

[T-Pee]

So on this recipe how do I make it larger for exame if I'm using a 15 or 20 gallons how do I convert the recipe

Simple ratios. You paid attention in elementary math class, right?

tp

[One Sock]

Well, obviously it's a 5 gallon recipe, so bringing it up to 15 or 20 gallons should be pretty simple... did you have a specific question or concern?

[rpt124]

I'm sorry I am not trying to hide the fact that I am new. If you feel the need to use my questions for a laugh no worried go ahead it wont bother me.

I guess my specific question is I am going to do about a 15 to 20 gallon mash of this recipe, with a little twist. I am wondering if it will work or not I guess.

I am going to take the Water, Corn, (im going to add malted barley to this as well, my experiment), then sugar and yeast. The last time my recipe was just about the same as this but I cooked my corn in boiling water first. According to this I don't need to cook it.

So If I just use normal water and cook it is the yeast going to survive? Also Is my wash going to turn out ok? Because unless i'm reading this wrong there is no cooking. So I'm going to fill my can up with water, then the cracked corn and cracked barley, then sugar. Then top it off with pitching yeast in it and sealing the fermentor. I wont be opening it up again till the weekend probably Sunday to run.

[T-Pee]

No need to cook anything unless you're inverting the sugar.

Put cracked corn in fermenter, dissolve sugar in water (inverting if you want to), let cool, pour in fermenter on top of corn, pitch yeast, ensure fermenter is ~ 80 degrees F, dump rehydrated yeast in, stir, leave alone for a couple of weeks.

Pretty darned simple. And yes, we tease just about everybody. If you feel put upon, you should see how regular members get treated around here.

tp

[rpt124]

LOL - Thanks. I have been reading and doing a lot of research and there is just so many that have different ways hard to know who is right and which way is better.

Question according to the recipe from Jesse - the ferment would only take 3 to 4 days. here I see you saying up to 2 weeks. Which do you think is correct?

[Tokoroa_Shiner]

The time taken will depend on a lot of things. With everything going as planed in should be quick. But if your temps or ph drop too low. It could take longer. Never take a recipes finishing time as absolute.

[rpt124]

Ok so the first time I fermented I used a brand new trash can and put the lid on and duck taped the lid to seal it. I then placed a whole in the top and put a hose in it, then taped the hose to seal it and placed that other end of the hose in a bucket of water. Was this sufficient?

[rpt124]

Also I usually take whole corn and put it in a blender. Then I blend it down till its like corn meal consistency. Is this to much, Should I break it up less?

[The flint stones]

Anybody else loose count of what generation they are on? I'm somewhere around 15.

[T-Pee]

Ok so the first time I fermented I used a brand new trash can and put the lid on and duck taped the lid to seal it. I then placed a whole in the top and put a hose in it, then taped the hose to seal it and placed that other end of the hose in a bucket of water. Was this sufficient?

Just put the lid on and don't worry about the rest. The co2 blanket will protect the ferment as long as you don't peek a bunch and leave it alone.

Also I usually take whole corn and put it in a blender. Then I blend it down till its like corn meal consistency. Is this to much, Should I break it up less?

Why not just use cracked corn from the feed store and save yourself a lot of trouble?

tp

[T-Pee]

Anybody else loose count of what generation they are on? I'm somewhere around 15.

I was up to generation 8 ( I use a logbook) and switched to sweetfeed for a couple of runs. back to good ol' UJ again. I like my corn!

tp

[HDNB]

Anybody else loose count of what generation they are on? I'm somewhere around 15.

I was up to generation 8 ( I use a logbook) and switched to sweetfeed for a couple of runs. back to good ol' UJ again. I like my corn!

tp

i'm on 12. been letting it ferment out for 2-3 weeks without peeking...got an inventory now and busy summer months, so no rush.
apparently i'm a bit backward to most; my workshop is heated and insulated, so it is cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter...using recirculated water for cooling it is much easier to add snow and ice in the winter than tote in pails of water. face looks like this after a few trips (with puffing noises)

using lower target abv (=8%) and the cooler shop (14C) has produced nice product, albeit somewhat slow. the bakers yeast is still chugging along nicely!

[rpt124]

So just as an update I have my mash covered in the fermentor since about 9:00 PM last night. Right now it has a strong strong smell I can smell all through my basement. When I looked just a bit ago it has a large amount of the grain all over the top. Then when I stick my finger in the top I can see bubbling like the yeast is working.

I was told they call when on top the cap and that when that goes away its ready to be run. Is this the case?

Also I was wondering Saturday or Sunday would be ok to run it?

[rpt124]

Another thing I wondered is when im done with fermentation, can I just get my wash straight out of there or do I need to filter out all of the solids and just have the liquid? Also do I need to do anything else before?

[Prairiepiss]

You need to just let it finish. It will finish when its done. When will that be? A week to ? . And usually when the cap falls its done fermenting. But not always. This could also mean it has stalled. The best way to know is with a triple scale hydrometer. Once it is finished. Then you let it clear. A day or 10 to allow all the stuff to fall to the bottom. Cold crashing will help this happen quicker. Then you rack it. By siphoning the clear beer off the top of the trub. And leave the trub in the fermenter. You want the trub to be left in the fermenter for the next generation. It's part of this recipe.

[moosemilk]

Lacking a hydrometer, there are other ways to give you a rough idea. The cap falling as you said is one (but as also mentioned, could fall due to a stalled ferment as the cap is held up by co2). Taste: when all the sugar is worked off you will not taste any sweetness in it at all, it will be very sour/bitter/wine tasting. And you can take a little sample on a spoon over a heat source until all the liquid is cooked off, if there is a dark sticky substance or light brown, it is probably sugar and not done yet.

Mine have religiously worked off in four, five days max. On Gen 7 I had it take almost two weeks. It was still bubbling, and hydrometer indicated it was working off but slow, I added a bit of DAP just to help a little in case it was nutrients lacking, helped a bit, and pH turned out to be fine. That one produced my best tastiest likker so far. Be patient, let it work.

[rad14701]

Then when I stick my finger in the top I can see bubbling like the yeast is working.

That ain't your lady friend so keep your filthy fingers out of it or it'll get infected...!!!

[rpt124]

OK is siphoning it off important? Couldn't I just run all the liquid or is that bad>?

[Prairiepiss]

OK is siphoning it off important? Couldn't I just run all the liquid or is that bad>?

What are you wanting to do. Just pour the whole fermenter in?

If you want a good clean product. Yes rack the cleared beer off. And leave the trub behind. Again you need that trub for the second generation.

Or if you want a yeasty and or scorched flavored spirit. Then by all means dump the whole fermenter in the boiler. But you will wish you hadn't.

And +1 on keeping you fingers out of it. Leave it alone till its done. I ment to say that in the earlier post. But forgot.

[HDNB]

Then when I stick my finger in the top I can see bubbling like the yeast is working.

That ain't your lady friend so keep your filthy fingers out of it or it'll get infected...!!!

thanks Rad, i choked on my pork chop when i read that! had a sip of UJ to wash it down, and that came out me nose!

[moosemilk]

I have a question pertaining to methanol build up. I'm not sure if this is the right place for this post, so please move if it's not mods, thanks.

I run a pot still, no thumper. I am posting here because this is the recipe I use. I religiously collect and toss minimum the first 250ml out of a 5 gallon wash as forshots. Then I collect the heads, hearts, tails separately to the best of my current abilities (must be doing well, never had a hangover from my product, and switched a religious crown royal drinker over to mine). I have always tossed the tails in with the next run. What I was curious of, if I did this with the heads as well through generation after generation, would there be significant methanol build up? Or would it be safe to add the heads along with my tails to the new wash for each run? Should I just toss out the heads that still have significant ethanol? And what about build up of other volatile such as acetone? Thanks in advance!

[NZChris]

What I was curious of, if I did this with the heads as well through generation after generation, would there be significant methanol build up? Or would it be safe to add the heads along with my tails to the new wash for each run? Should I just toss out the heads that still have significant ethanol? And what about build up of other volatile such as acetone? Thanks in advance!

You haven't said what still you are using, so my answer is based on a pot still with no extras...

First out is the acetone. Learn how to identify it with your nose. It won't 'build up' if you discard it with every run.

To avoid buildup of undesirables, don't put heads and tails into subsequent washes. Save them until you have enough for feints only runs. Be patient. Sometimes my feints runs are two or three years apart.

[rpt124]

So with this recipe what if I just after the ferment run all the liquid. Get rid of the first part and keep all the rest couldn't I drink it wouldn't it be good?

[Prairiepiss]

So with this recipe what if I just after the ferment run all the liquid. Get rid of the first part and keep all the rest couldn't I drink it wouldn't it be good?

You could do whatever you want.

Just make it and run it already.

[moosemilk]

You haven't said what still you are using, so my answer is based on a pot still with no extras...

First out is the acetone. Learn how to identify it with your nose. It won't 'build up' if you discard it with every run.

To avoid buildup of undesirables, don't put heads and tails into subsequent washes. Save them until you have enough for feints only runs. Be patient. Sometimes my feints runs are two or three years apart.

Thanks for the quick reply, Chris. I did mention I am using pot still, but easily missed. Ya, anything I smell the acetone in gets used in the shop as solvent. I'll take your suggestion and hold off for an all feints run...shouldn't take long since I run about 10 gallons twice a week. And no, I don't sell nor drink that much. Just have a lot of friends I enjoy sharing with. And I refuse payment if they try. But I can't do anything about when somebody grabs my propane tank while I'm at work, fills and drops back off. Or anonymously leaves me a bag of sugar. Just those kinds of good friends....life is good!

Thanks again, Chris.

[rpt124]

So how Inportant is siphoning? The recipe said siphon off and run. So I should not just put everything in the boiler? What's the right way to do it?

[Tokoroa_Shiner]

If you were to put everything in the boiler you would kill the yeast and have to add more for following generations. Plus the greater risk of scorching. Possibly ruining your wash/distillate. Best just to follow the recipe and siphon. That way only the liquid is going into the still.

[rpt124]

Thanks for the advice....so how do I know when to stop siphoning? Def will follow the recipe and siphon.

[rad14701]

Thanks for the advice....so how do I know when to stop siphoning? Def will follow the recipe and siphon.

Use a clear hose and stop before you start getting trub in the hose... I use glass carboys so I can see when I'm getting close and then am very careful to avoid getting yeast/trub in the boiler...

[rpt124]

Ok what is "turb" so siphon everything's except the yeast and the solids?