uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

[NZChris]

....4 is enough im thinkin??

4 is enough if all your jugs are full and ain't gonna get empty in the next five years.

[CanadianBacon]

After restarting but using backset from very last run on the generation it all smells and tasted much better fermenting. Not sure what happened but something went wrong around the 4rth generation and started smelling like wine.

[ashkierantucker]

Hey so I am brand new to brewing and decided to start with ujsm. Just ran my first distillation and need help! Firslty questions, can I add left over wash (the 5 gallon mash was bigger than my still) to my second fermentation? or do I only add that which i distilled? Also my distilled abv was only 20%, I left the mash to go for 7 days, it was still bubbling a little bit so I'm thinking I ran it too soon? Also it came out with an appleish taste? So far I have added the distilled alcohol and tails, more corn, water and sugar to the second fermentation, just not sure if I should chuck that left over wash back in, doesnt seem much point distilling it when I only got 20% abv. Any pointers will be greatly appreciated. Using a stainless steel single pot straight to copper condenser.
I understand it takes trials and error but gee i'm thirsty!

[goblin]

if you are thirsty. you need to go buy something to drink. while you are drinking please continue to read. sounds like you do not know what you are doing. you will not get "spoon-fed" here.
sorry

[HDNB]

if you are thirsty. you need to go buy something to drink. while you are drinking please continue to read. sounds like you do not know what you are doing. you will not get "spoon-fed" here.
sorry

+1
at least read the recipe and the instructions. good lord

[CanadianBacon]

Hey so I am brand new to brewing and decided to start with ujsm. Just ran my first distillation and need help! Firslty questions, can I add left over wash (the 5 gallon mash was bigger than my still) to my second fermentation? or do I only add that which i distilled? Also my distilled abv was only 20%, I left the mash to go for 7 days, it was still bubbling a little bit so I'm thinking I ran it too soon? Also it came out with an appleish taste? So far I have added the distilled alcohol and tails, more corn, water and sugar to the second fermentation, just not sure if I should chuck that left over wash back in, doesnt seem much point distilling it when I only got 20% abv. Any pointers will be greatly appreciated. Using a stainless steel single pot straight to copper condenser.
I understand it takes trials and error but gee i'm thirsty!

You cant add the tails and the distilled alcohol to your second fermentation buddy. You will kill your yeast at around 15-18 abv using even somthing strong like lavlin 1118, You can add abit of backset tho (when its cool).... It sounds like you have never made any homebrew before. You might want to start with fermenting properly, With out a properly fermented mash you wont make anything. Try fermenting some apple juice/blueberry/cherry/whatever fruit with yeast and some sugar and drink that if your thirsty for now. From experience I don't know anything that has fermented in 1 week, yet alone 2..

[One Sock]

Yeah, lots of things wrong here, the ferment should be quiet and clearing if its done, tho most of mine do finish in less than a week. Are you making the real rookie mistake of thinking a 5 gallon wash should equal 5 gallons of spirit and running the boiler till its nearly dry? That could explain a 20% result too...

[ashkierantucker]

No I didn't run it until it was dry . I thought that probably and correct me if I'm wrong that if alcohol boils at a lower temp than water that the alcohol is depleted way before the end of other mash in your still.I think the problem that I may be having is the lack of alcohol in the mash in the first place .owell practice makes or text thanks one sock

[Tokoroa_Shiner]

You don't have a thermo in your still do you?

[NZChris]

I think the problem that I may be having is the lack of alcohol in the mash in the first place .owell practice makes or text thanks one sock

Get an hydrometer and learn how to use it.

[One Sock]

No I didn't run it until it was dry . I thought that probably and correct me if I'm wrong that if alcohol boils at a lower temp than water that the alcohol is depleted way before the end of other mash in your still.

Yes, but some don't even know that much. You need to provide some more information, are you following the recipe; 7 pounds cracked corn, 5 pounds of sugar and 5 gallons of water? What yeast are you using? What's the temp of your ferment, some yeast like it warmer, some cooler. It sounds like your still is on the small side, and that affects the run too.

[HDNB]

I ran #18 yesterday, back to a normal corn bed after trying the malt barley experiment with #17. top inch or so of corn spent and bright yellow underneath...so the barley definitely did some kind of "cold conversion" of the corn bed last go...since i know so little about it, if there is anyplace to learn more i'm all ears.

here's the wierd thing about #18... i have a thermo at take off (cm, external jacket) not that i use the thermo, but it's there so i look at it. usually (on a wash) the still starts producing at 150 or so and stabilizes at 178-180 and then climbs up into the tails, finishing around 200, or 25-30 proof.
this run was unique insofar as it started to produce and climbed right up to 190 for a 500mL fores and a litre of heads and then dropped and stabilized at 185 for most of the run and then climbed back up towards 198 before i shut down (10L later) at 30 proof.

never seen it start high and then drop. average abv was within specs of og/fg and yield was in the ballpark. the only difference i noted was a larger than normal charge at 42L vs normal charge of 35-36L
was it maybe flooding the column but not quite puking?...everything was crystal clear as usual...

[moosemilk]

Hey HDNB, how did the flavor from that added barley come through? I really loved it with my AG, hoping your experience was the same. It even carried over on my piggyback of my AG into a uj style. Added a bit more corn for nutes, then my sugar, best damn uj yet! Got 2 gallons sittin...one on oak, other white at 125 proof for Christmas. barley...mm Mmmm chocolate!

[HDNB]

Hey HDNB, how did the flavor from that added barley come through? I really loved it with my AG, hoping your experience was the same. It even carried over on my piggyback of my AG into a uj style. Added a bit more corn for nutes, then my sugar, best damn uj yet! Got 2 gallons sittin...one on oak, other white at 125 proof for Christmas. barley...mm Mmmm chocolate!

got 3L out of the middle of that run and they never stood a chance. added a lot of mouthfeel and another layer of grainy goodness. it would have been good to leave them on oak for a while, but alas, they are gone.

[HDNB]

which got me thinking, damn, that was so good why did i switch back.... so i went and dumped 2.5 lbs of malt 2 row in the ferment....the experiment continues....

[shadylane]

can I add left over wash (the 5 gallon mash was bigger than my still) to my second fermentation? or do I only add that which i distilled?

Normaly, the answer would be no, But I have added a bucket full of actively fermenting wash into the next batch for the yeast.

Also my distilled abv was only 20%,

If you only had 20% after saving all the stripping run then your wash didn't have enough alcohol or you ran too far into the tails
30-40% is what I normally get on a sugar-head strip.

I left the mash to go for 7 days, it was still bubbling a little bit so I'm thinking I ran it too soon?

That's probably what you did. Figuring out when a fermentation is finished takes practice and/or a hydrometer.

[CanadianBacon]

Just pulled off an amazing 7th gen run, 20 litter charge. My striping run came out delicious on the second jar - 500ml, No burn what so ever. Full corn flavor, but smooth like drinking water. It runs down to 50ABV. So smooth i am pulling it off the still to save it because its that danm good. I tossed 200 ml of fores and head with strong smells.

Strangest thing my batch was infected ( after 3 weeks so its not fermentation yeast ) ........absolutely amazing whisky. I will be continuing my infected batch (skimmed infection off) now as long as its good.

Going to save the jar for the Brad Paisley concert this weekend

[Full_moon]

Have a flavor question, I think I know the answer but not sure.
I have always run Red star bakers yeast and switched to DADY to try it out. The only thing I changed in my usual process was the yeast. I saved up 4 plus gallons of low wines and made a spirit run and it has an off flavor.
I can tell the heads heart sand tails, but through the hearts and when blended is has a kinda off taste of the tails through it. Not quite tails just something not as pleasant as it should be.
My ferment started out when we were in a high heat month and my ferment went to 94 degrees in the garage pretty quick and I think I might have stressed the yeast.
Is that the off taste you get with stressed yeast Got a gallon + aging on oak right now, but don't give it much promise.
To top it off, the mice got into my corn sack and made a mess, so had to throw it away. forgot to put it back in the barrel.

[Stonemull]

I can't open the wiki page from the first post, keep getting a database error.
anyone have a readable version of the recipe?

[HDNB]

I can't open the wiki page from the first post, keep getting a database error.
anyone have a readable version of the recipe?

right below the wiki page link, on the first page of this thread.

[CanadianBacon]

I know your not suppose to add baking soda in whisky, But I put 4 table spoons into my 19 litters stripped with my tails (let it sit 3 weeks), reduced heat during spirit run and my cuts are coming out much better and taste right. I think ill be adding a small amount of baking soda in from now on, About one table spoon per gallon.

[CanadianBacon]

Tasted my ujsmm that was abit hot after blending and after 2 months of oak and it mellowed allot. Nothing like it tasted the first week, great stuff. Seem to lose most the nasty stuff within this time in my room that's about 20 degrees.

I will never be able to not age now...

[youngonce]

Not sure is anyone has thrown this variation in yet so here goes..

I have two fermentation's going at once usually - an all grain for bourbon and of course UJSSM. I use my AG backset in my UJ - brings some AG flavor over and of course use it hot so I can melt the Sugar..

That is all!

[HDNB]

ran #19 yesterday with about 2.5lbs of 2 row on top of the usual recipe. great flavour and it does seem to increase the yeild nicely. not enough scientific type notes to lend any credibility but now that ive done this twice with good flavour results, i may have to open up a recipe development thread...with better notes.
on #17, the addition of malt seemed to "eat up" all the corn trailings that had accumulated. left a grey congealed mass to the bottom. #18 was the usual bit of spent corn on top, and the latest try (19) adding some more malt barley to the mix seemed to eat up a bit more corn than usual but not significatly more than an average run... still a big bed of bright yellow corn.
so whatever happened on 17 to eat it all up didn't happen this time... but the flavour is still very much a bonus! for my tastes the barley is a welcome addition!

[Roaster]

Canadian, what was the tell tale sign you batch was infected?

[CanadianBacon]

Canadian, what was the tell tale sign you batch was infected?

In the end it accualy was not infected, I still dumped it and restarted.

I learnt that whatever it looks like if you run it chances are its still ok.... Might just look nasty. I won't be throwing out anything anymore till it distilles as viniger.

Forgot to mention, infecting is ussualy blue or green, purple mold. The white stuff and brow stuff is ussualy yeast.

[Roy_robinsonv]

Last night I did my first sour mash stripping run. The result was a low wine that I collected from 80 proof down to 40 proof. The taste was better than the first sweet run. The corn flavor of the corn wasn't as strong. I think this coming weekend I'm gunna get another fermenting bucket to put on another ujssm. At this rate to get five gallons of strip it will take me about 4-5 months. Can I use backset from this current wash and use it to start another 5 gallon wash? I would assume yes correct me if I'm wrong. I also think I have gotten a good idea on my cuts. Between my sac run,first sweet run, and I ran another wine run plus this run I can tell when the tails are coming. The head cut for me is a little tricky because I like my likker to have some twang to it.

[sltm1]

HDNB, could you explain how you did the barley mix with the corn, or send me to where the recipe is? Thanx.

[NZChris]

Last night I did my first sour mash stripping run. The result was a low wine that I collected from 80 proof down to 40 proof. The taste was better than the first sweet run. The corn flavor of the corn wasn't as strong. I think this coming weekend I'm gunna get another fermenting bucket to put on another ujssm. At this rate to get five gallons of strip it will take me about 4-5 months. Can I use backset from this current wash and use it to start another 5 gallon wash? I would assume yes correct me if I'm wrong. I also think I have gotten a good idea on my cuts. Between my sac run,first sweet run, and I ran another wine run plus this run I can tell when the tails are coming. The head cut for me is a little tricky because I like my likker to have some twang to it.

You can use the backset and trub to start more, or larger ferments. I make three or four from one. It takes three or four strips to get a full charge for a spirit run, so a fermenter that can hold four charges worth of wash is a beautiful thing.

If you stopped your still at 40% at the spout, you left corn flavor in the backset. You can strip till the total collection is 40% or less.

[Roy_robinsonv]

Rodger that thanks for the input.