sweetfeed whisky

[thumper123]

Ive done it serval times. Turns out great. Ive done . 2/3 craked corn and rye. Also done all three. Cracked corn sweet feed and rye.

Thanks, dl76. I have a few individuals in my family who don't like bourbon (crazy huh?) and would prefer an "American Blended Rye Whiskey". I'm thinking that a little experimentation will turn up something palatable for them. I'll try all your variations, and thanks again.

[buckfity6]

I left 5 gallons of back wash and new sweetfeed ingredients in my mash barrel for 2 weeks waiting to get money together for sugar and such, it has a weird smell and has turned creamy in color. Should I continue to finish this ferment? It almost smells like it fermented.

[jawjatek]

I have been working with this recipe a few weeks, only tweaking to use a simple sour mash UJSSM-style. I use a 20 gal trash can fermenter, and pot still in an electric 15.5 gal keg boiler with 5500W Camco element, using a 42" 1"-over-3/4" Leibig condenser, no doubler. I'm using Producer's Pride all-grain SF from Tractor Supply, about 1 lb. per gallon mash.

My first sweet feed ferment was stripped into a carboy. I kept a pint of hearts but did not like the flavor, a little harsh. I saved this whole run as feints. I then started another batch using 25% hot backset from the initial run to dissolve sugar, and added back to fermenter and topped off. It took 10 days to ferment dry because the pH went low (around pH 3.0). I got some calcium carbonate to fix that issue. This weekend I racked it off and ran the wash, about 13 gallons.
Here are the stats from the run of gen I simple sour mash sweet feed (SSSF):
Started heating 00:00 (elapsed hours:minutes) at 100% pwr, 13 gal simple sour-mash sweet feed gen 1 fermented 10 days with 25% backset from initial non-sour strip run.
00:46 first drops, went to 25% pwr and collected 1 pint fore shots (64 ABV), then ran @ 1 qt heads into feints/strip carboy. Then collected in qt jars.
jar 1 01:15 62% ABV 30% power
jar 2 01:38 60% ABV " "
jar 3 01:55 58% ABV " "
jar 4 02:11 56% ABV " "
jar 5 02:28 52% ABV " "
jar 6 02:43 50% ABV 40% power (taste is good, fire test burns)
jar 7 02:55 48% ABV " " "
jar 8 03:07 46% ABV " " "
jar 9 03:21 42% ABV " " (would not burn, taste is still good)
jar 10 03:36 40% ABV " " (won't burn, taste OK) - stopped collecting jars here and ran the tails into the feints/strip carboy at 50% power.
04:11 24% ABV
04:16 went to 60% power
04:30 ABV < 20%, stopped run here.
So yield was 10 quarts in jars to cut, and about another gallon into feints carboy combined with first strip (non-sour mash). Will add this to next run.
Taste is WAY better than first strip with no backset - nice sweetness and flavor of the grains. I am very happy with the results - best I've made so far.
Started gen II of SSSF mash using 4 gal backset, 25 lbs sugar, aerated until cooled. Added back to fermenter (20 gal Brute trash can white HDPE) with 1/2 cup calcium carbonate to control pH, with most of the old SF replaced with new that was boiled a bit to kill bacteria. No yeast added as there is plenty of barm in the trash can. Topped up with tap water. SG = 1.070, pH = 4.6. Went to bed and slept late. This morning I could hear it bubbling fiercely.

[raketemensch]

My wife and I made the cuts on my first sweet feed run today. It smelled incredibly harsh going into the boiler, pretty harsh coming out, and in the jars as I covered them with coffee filters last night, but by this afternoon it had already settled down a lot.

I ran probably 8 gallons through the flute, and only kept about a quart for now, the rest went into a shiny, new feints jar. Just for SF.

To be honest, I wasn't overly hopeful for it, I've really only run (many generations of) UJ so far, but it grew on me as I made the cuts, and the final blend is pretty tasty already. I'm giving it another night to air out, then I'll be dropping in some oak and stashing it for a few months.

I'd read that SF needs more time than UJ to be good and drinkable, but this was good already.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[rad14701]

simple sour mash sweet feed (SSSF)

Shouldn't this be SSMSF...??? Simple Sour Mash SSM + Sweet Feed... Like Uncle Jesses + Simple Sour Mash (UJSSM)... It's not Simple Sour Sweet Feed after all... If you think it's gonna catch on you might as well call it what it is... Or SFSSM... Just sayin...

[jawjatek]

Hey, I make no claim on the recipe nor the name; I'm sure the SF recipe has been done with backset before I came along. SSSF is just what I wrote on the jugs using masking tape and a Sharpie. We can call it UJSSMSF, but I'll have to cut longer pieces of tape.

Today after careful tasting with good water, I kept jars 3-8 and put the rest in the feints carboy (that thing is getting pretty full). Jars 9,10 had some oils floating on top, slight tails flavor, and jars 1 and 2 were astringent and heady. I combined the jars 3-8 and it proofed at @ 50% ABV. Tastes pretty good white, so I'll keep it that way. Just had some with ginger ale. When I run the feints in the next batch, I should hit high enough proof to oak. I got some toasted white oak strips ready for that.

[jawjatek]

Tip o' the hat to my Unk Jessie and KY Shiner (guess he was seein' double when he spelled it <ducking> ) for this TnT. Just had most of a pint after work, with an ice water chaser, and later some ginger ale; and it was great. I've a nice glow, and I'm feeling saucy. I know I'm new, but this is the best I ever made. The straight SF was OK at best to me, but mashing back really improves the flavor a lot IMO.

Was sippin' it and practicing on my D-18, working on Shady Grove. When I got sloppy, feeling the 'shine, I switched to the Fender and played "Lipstick Traces". Drinking good liquor makes me want to play music.

My tip: recycling the backset (used wash) into the next batch is practically free, and you can taste the improvement in flavor right away. No need for new yeast or grain, just sugar + 20-25 % backset, and maybe a little calc carb. Cool it down, and right back into the fermenter it goes, top off with water, done.

I might just pour everything else out, and replace with this. The feints-added run will be 2nd sour generation, and should give me good flavor + sufficient ABV in the hearts to oak some of it. I want to order a small barrel and fill it up. That's the ticket...

[Hillbilly Popstar]

20 gal. sweet feed stripping run going down tonight!




Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[Canaanite]

My local feed store can mix me up a sweet feed with no pellets. 33% cracked corn, 33% steamed crimped oats and 33% steamed crimped barley then the molasses. $26.40/100lbs 500 lb minimum. Anyone see a problem with this mixture before I go ahead and order 500 lbs?

[Hillbilly Popstar]

How much are you using at a time?

I'd be concerned that the bulk of 500 lbs would spoil before I even make a dent in it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[Canaanite]

How much are you using at a time?

I'd be concerned that the bulk of 500 lbs would spoil before I even make a dent in it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

i have 2 15 gallon fermenters. And a 15 gallon pot still. So I am thinking 25lbs per batch.

[Hillbilly Popstar]

How much are you using at a time?

I'd be concerned that the bulk of 500 lbs would spoil before I even make a dent in it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

i have 2 15 gallon fermenters. And a 15 gallon pot still. So I am thinking 25lbs per batch.

Each 25 lbs of feed is good 8-10 generations of wash. That's a lot of wash!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[midlife-u-turn]

My local feed store can mix me up a sweet feed with no pellets. 33% cracked corn, 33% steamed crimped oats and 33% steamed crimped barley then the molasses. $26.40/100lbs 500 lb minimum. Anyone see a problem with this mixture before I go ahead and order 500 lbs?

My suggestion would be to purchase 50 lb bags of each and mix it yourself. Less storage, stays fresh, and you can custom mix if you want, for the same price. I went down to the local cash-and-carry and got a gallon of food grade molasses and custom mixed it.

[Canaanite]

My local feed store can mix me up a sweet feed with no pellets. 33% cracked corn, 33% steamed crimped oats and 33% steamed crimped barley then the molasses. $26.40/100lbs 500 lb minimum. Anyone see a problem with this mixture before I go ahead and order 500 lbs?

My suggestion would be to purchase 50 lb bags of each and mix it yourself. Less storage, stays fresh, and you can custom mix if you want, for the same price. I went down to the local cash-and-carry and got a gallon of food grade molasses and custom mixed it.

How much molasses did you mix with the grain?

[Canaanite]

How much are you using at a time?

I'd be concerned that the bulk of 500 lbs would spoil before I even make a dent in it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

i have 2 15 gallon fermenters. And a 15 gallon pot still. So I am thinking 25lbs per batch.

Each 25 lbs of feed is good 8-10 generations of wash. That's a lot of wash!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

I didn't even think about that...running it as a sour mash, you wouldn't be using 25 lbs of grain per batch. Good thinking Hillbilly popstar.

[frodo]

How much are you using at a time?

I'd be concerned that the bulk of 500 lbs would spoil before I even make a dent in it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

i have 2 15 gallon fermenters. And a 15 gallon pot still. So I am thinking 25lbs per batch.

Each 25 lbs of feed is good 8-10 generations of wash. That's a lot of wash!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

Mind if i jump in here on your thread a ak a question ?


I have a 25 gallon batch of sweet feed wash fixen to be ready tomorrow.
to next gen it.
do i remove the wash
remove a 1/3 of the used feed.
add that 1/3 back with new feed
add water and sugar
let it go ?

[Hillbilly Popstar]

How much are you using at a time?

I'd be concerned that the bulk of 500 lbs would spoil before I even make a dent in it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

i have 2 15 gallon fermenters. And a 15 gallon pot still. So I am thinking 25lbs per batch.

Each 25 lbs of feed is good 8-10 generations of wash. That's a lot of wash!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

Mind if i jump in here on your thread a ak a question ?


I have a 25 gallon batch of sweet feed wash fixen to be ready tomorrow.
to next gen it.
do i remove the wash
remove a 1/3 of the used feed.
add that 1/3 back with new feed
add water and sugar
let it go ?

On mine, I didn't remove any feed. I racked the wash off the grain/yeast bed. Then poured the new mix right back onto it.

In this thread I read where some of your grain may turn a whiteish/gray color on the top and that this grain should be scooped off and replaced with an equal amount of grain. I'm on my 2nd generation. And have yet to notice a change in the consistency of my grain though.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[Hillbilly Popstar]

Don't forget to add 20-25% backset.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[frodo]

ok, thanks guys...

[raketemensch]

Don't forget to add 20-25% backset.

If you're going to be doing multiple generations and using backset, I highly recommend picking up some crushed oyster shells at the feed store and throwing a handful into your 3rd or 4th batch.

It keeps the ph from dropping too low. You can pick up cheap ph strips on Amazon for testing for something like $2.

[Hillbilly Popstar]

Don't forget to add 20-25% backset.

If you're going to be doing multiple generations and using backset, I highly recommend picking up some crushed oyster shells at the feed store and throwing a handful into your 3rd or 4th batch.

It keeps the ph from dropping too low. You can pick up cheap ph strips on Amazon for testing for something like $2.

I have oyster shells, but I was under the impression that grains also act as a buffer and that is why you don't have to worry about pH drop with malted beverages and all grain mashes?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[rad14701]

I have oyster shells, but I was under the impression that grains also act as a buffer and that is why you don't have to worry about pH drop with malted beverages and all grain mashes?

Virtually all backset is susceptible to pH crash due to acidity... That being said, not all ferments are necessarily susceptible but those using backset would be...

[Hillbilly Popstar]

I have oyster shells, but I was under the impression that grains also act as a buffer and that is why you don't have to worry about pH drop with malted beverages and all grain mashes?

Virtually all backset is susceptible to pH crash due to acidity... That being said, not all ferments are necessarily susceptible but those using backset would be...

Even with a buffer present?

That's what oyster shells are, a buffer.

I thought I read the the grain also acts as a buffer. Is that wrong?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[Hound Dog]

I never heard of the grain being a pH buffer. I use the crushed shells myself.

By the way, if you don't add some fresh feed to the next generation you are not getting the molasses flavor. You likely dissolved that with the first ferment.

[rrhino00]

I never heard of the grain being a pH buffer. I use the crushed shells myself.

By the way, if you don't add some fresh feed to the next generation you are not getting the molasses flavor. You likely dissolved that with the first ferment.

[rrhino00]

I never heard of the grain being a pH buffer. I use the crushed shells myself.

By the way, if you don't add some fresh feed to the next generation you are not getting the molasses flavor. You likely dissolved that with the first ferment.

I always remove half of the spent sweet feed and replace it with new. Have run 10 generations this way.

[Canaanite]

What ratio of grains seems to be giving the best flavor? Equal parts of all 3? More corn? More oats? More barley? I was thinking equal parts of each at first, but now I am thinking 50% corn 25 and 25...Please share your opinions.

[Bigbob]

Best flavor is subjective. What is good to me might not be to you. I suggest you try it as per recipe and then experiment.

[Canaanite]

Best flavor is subjective. What is good to me might not be to you. I suggest you try it as per recipe and then experiment.

There is no "as per recipe" for grain ratio. But...thanks?

[Bigbob]

You usally buy sweet feed combined already, if you have to make it yourself I guess a 30 % per grain would work. Sorry that I wasn't clear.