Cornflakes whiskey

[flyweed]

I'd like to make this as my next "run"....how did you distill it..do you do a stripping run, and then spirit? or run single potstill mode to retain flavor? Thanks for any advice.

[flyweed]

Hey guys,

I have 6 gallons of Corn Flake wash probably a day or two away from running right now. Just wondering which way to run this for best flavor? I can run pot still mode, OR reflux mode. Should I strip a run, or should I do just one run and run it slowly? or should I strip run, and then proof down to under 40% abv, and run a spirit run in full relfux? won't I loose a lot of flavor if I run a slow spirit run?

THanks for any input.

[still_stirrin]

If it were me, I'd use the potstill...strip and then a spirit run. You could do a single pass if you have a thumper. I wouldn't run the reflux unless you're trying to make it a neutral.
ss

[flyweed]

Thanks SS. Here is my plan for now...I am going to do two, 5 gallon washes of CF...I'll run both through a stripping run...then I'll proof the low wines down to about 35% abv with the backset...then run the entire thing again in a slow (non reflux) spirit run. Then I am going to put into oak barrel and age.

[FullySilenced]

Or drink some of the hearts as a white whisky...

[flyweed]

Ohhh...I am SURE there'll be some of that too!

[flyweed]

So I started a second batch of CF today...trouble is, I went to the fridge and was out of my Fleischman's active dry yeast. I did have two packs of Lavlin 1118 in my mead making supplies, so I rehydrated a pack in 2 oz of water and some sugar until it was foaming (about 15 minutes) and pitched it...Will this be OK to use???

[rad14701]

So I started a second batch of CF today...trouble is, I went to the fridge and was out of my Fleischman's active dry yeast. I did have two packs of Lavlin 1118 in my mead making supplies, so I rehydrated a pack in 2 oz of water and some sugar until it was foaming (about 15 minutes) and pitched it...Will this be OK to use???

If the yeast is viable it will work fine...

[flyweed]

air lock is slowly starting to push water up, so I assume it's kicking in. I do have a smack pack of Wyeast 3068 sitting in the fridge too, if the 1118 isn't doing anything in a day or so, I can pitch the 3068 if needed. It may turn out good with a CF, as the 3068 is for a grain, "wheat beer" ale anyway.

[Qualityoverquantity]

Has anyone scaled this recipe up for say a 30 gallon drum? Thanks!

[jawjatek]

I made this recently: did 2 separate mashes, stripped the first, and added the low wines to the 2nd wash, ran that as a spirit run slow in my pot still. Kept the hearts as a 'shine, saved the heads and tails as feints. I thought it was OK, but not what I was looking for. My friends liked it OK I guess, but no one asked me for a jar. Oh well.

I did think the first batch with 1 large box CF/7 gal, was a little thin on flavor, so I added a box of all-Bran along with the CF to the second mash, and I thought it was better.

A good easy recipe to learn on, though, so I appreciate that. I have easy availability of corn so I am moving on to the real thing.

[Greenthorn]

Gonna try this... thanks!

[Swedish Pride]

Has anyone scaled this recipe up for say a 30 gallon drum? Thanks!

I did a 2nd gen 80l (20 g) batch 1.5 k CF, 10 KG sugar, 2 multi vitamin tablets, 50 g yeast, 15l backset, and water to make up 80 l
very low OG 1.04 or so, just did the spirit run on it yesterday, great off the spout, better than the corn AG i got the backset from, no sugar burn

[Greenthorn]

Doing 6 gallon ferments.

Ingredients

1 gallon backseat (All Bran)
1 1/2 box of Kellogg's corn flakes, (the big boxes) = 1020 grams
7 pounds white sugar
1 tablespoon 15-10-10 fertilizer
1/2 cup red star distiller yeast

Poured the fresh hot backseat into my fermenter (with 7 lbs sugar), it was around 120F degrees. This set for an hour or two. Yeah, I sloshed it around several times but no serious mixing.

During this time, I was cooking the corn flakes on low heat for 40 minutes with 2 gallons of water, mixed and stirred every 5 minutes, didn't measure a temp, but it was prolly around 85F degrees (never boiled.)

I did not mash up or crunch up the corn flakes, they melted into a slushy slurry anyway.
Filled the fermenter up to the 6 gal mark.
I then mixed the corn flake slurry into my sugar/backseat mix, and aerated. I aerated at least 15 minutes with my mixing wand. (Milwaukee drill / w/ paint mixer)

Waited till it got down to 87 - 85F degrees then pitched my yeast.

Stats for the wort, before pitching the yeast..

pH 5.5
OG 1.063

Wish me luck please, cause I'm a newbie...

[Greenthorn]

Kept at 85 degrees.
Finished less than 72 hours.
pH 4
FG .098

Gonna experiment with corn syrup and wash mixture in my thumper.

[volcaniani]

Hi,

First of all thanks Odin for all information he shared in the topic. I read all 21 pages (i believe carefully). I followed the instructions and my baby is bubbling since a week. My SG was 1063, which seems quite ok.

My first question is; in some other sources i read they recommend especially for whiskey mashes the fermentation process must be stopped in 7 days maximum even the bubbling continues. If i'm not wrong in this topic it is agreed to wait until it completely stopped. Or am i missing a point?

I cannot get any sample from my fermentation bottle without opening the cap, for that reason i cannot measure FG. My past experience in non-whiskey mashes shows i usually end with 1.010, 1.020. so if i maintain the same then the AbV will be about %8,5, which Odin suggests. Any suggestions?

Regards.

[der wo]

Wait until it stops. And better don't open it before.
Welcome! Please write a welcome post in the welcome center.

[volcaniani]

Thank you der wo. I hope my SG will result a AbV app %8
I will visit wellcome center right now.

[der wo]

For 8% you need a FG 1.000, if the SG of 1.063 is correct. But normally this should not be a problem. You know the formula?
%abv = (SG - FG) x 0.13
Only valid for hydrometers, not refractometers.
Your brandy mashes dropped only to 1.010-1,020? Why? Are you sure? Did you check the hydrometer with water?

[volcaniani]

I'm sure but I did not think to check it with water, I will do that asap. I know there is a correction about C in AbV but is there a similar formula for hydrometers?

[der wo]

Yes, but it's not really necessary:

corrected SG = SG + (0.2 × °C) - 4

So 1.070 at 30°C = 1.070 + (0.2 x 30) - 4 = 1.072.
You see, there is almost no difference.

[volcaniani]

Thanks, i will check the hydrometer. By the way in my regular washes i check the FG after the bubbling stopped and the mash sit for a week, it never gets lower then 1.010-1.000. Isn't that normal?

[der wo]

That's not normal. 0.988 for sugar washes and 1.000 for all grain are normal numbers for me.
Do you filter the samples? Does it still taste sweet? Sweeter or dryer than sparkling wine?

[volcaniani]

I never looked from that perspective. I have sugar washes and since now i only check for the SG and FG to calculate AbV. I add tasting to my ToDo list.
I do not filter because i do sugar washes, get the mash to the potstill by syphoning and also i let it sit for a week.

[der wo]

If it tastes not drier than sparkling wine, the yeast had either not enough nutrients (unlikely for cornflakes whisky, but possible with for example birdwatchers) or the pH of the wash was crashed. I don't know, what water you have in your country. You need hard water for mashing. Although I have very hard water I always add calcium carbonate to buffer the pH. The most here do it. You find much with HD Google search and words like "pH, crash" or "calcium carbonate" "sea shells".
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =3&t=62196

[volcaniani]

Thanks for your help, i'll do it a research as you advised. Seems like i need to dig the forum more and more

[volcaniani]

I distilled my wash and after the cuts i have 1.8 lt of 50% spirit. I ordered JB oak chips but cause they are still on the way i bought some no-name french oak chips (they say its french, but i'm not sure). After a brief searching in the forum and main site a put some in the oven at 180C for half an hour. There were no sign of being charcoal. I decided to add 5gr/lt. Now it is light brown, i think it is going well.

Here are my questions for novice friends.

- Is the amount of oak chips ok?
- how long should it sit before filtering oak chips and diluting to 43%
- Do i need to add any sugar and/or glycerine after filtering?

Thanks
Volcaniani

[Odin]

If it's going well, it's going well. I think color is a great way to decide on when to stop. If I remember correctly I used around 16 grams of chips per liter, but not 100% sure.

Regards, Odin.

[volcaniani]

Thanks Odin,

Do you add any sugar or glycerine after filtering oak chips and diluting to 43%?

Regards, Volcaniani

[still_stirrin]

- Do i need to add any sugar and/or glycerine after filtering?

Huh? Why would you (ever) want to do that?

Your cornflake whiskey will taste just fine after aging on wood. And the "mouthfeel" will be completely natural...no glycerine needed.

Just wait....you'll understand when you sample your first bottle.
ss