1st bourbon attempt

[PTS_35]

No, crap, I posted without re reading. I meant the beer posting said refractometers ARE NOT accurate after pitching. They said the alcohol effects the reading.

[raketemensch]

No, crap, I posted without re reading. I meant the beer posting said refractometers ARE NOT accurate after pitching. They said the alcohol effects the reading.

...and folks are explaining why that's wrong. If you have your OG, you can accurately calculate your FG with a refractometer.

[skow69]

Well, technically, they're right, kinda. It's not accurate after pitching until you run it through the calc. That's why we have the calc. So the refracto can be accurate after pitching, right?

Are you with us, PTS?

[Oldvine Zin]

Also if you have your OG just run that through the calcs until you know what the corrected FG should read on your refract - after a while you will be able to know the correction without the calc

Edit to say - know what your target FG is

[skow69]

I think that makes you the calc, O.Z. lol

[Oldvine Zin]

I think that makes you the calc, O.Z. lol

lol - skow

[PTS_35]

Yeah got it

[PTS_35]

Last couple of days the top has been clearer with most of solids seemingly in bottom half. I pulled and just tested with hydrometer. It's at 1.0 for 2 days at least. I'm guessing after I filter it I should bag and squeeze out solids??

[PTS_35]

Idk if anyone is seeing this post anymore but here's what's been going on so far. I filtered out what I could for reading samples and after couple of times of it reading 1.0 I didn't have time; and still dont; to run it so I racked it onto a carboy, collecting the grain and squeezing it out. It's been sitting in a carboy since then. I actually like this because it's allowed all the sediment to fall. So I got a nice pale yellow liquid with all the solid on the bottom. Feel like it'll really help to get it off the solids. Anyone know how long I can allow it to sit thar way under airlock? It's in basement, 60 to 65f tops. Just don't know when I'll be able to run it

[PTS_35]

Well I stI'll haven't run it but now I'm beginning to worry it got an infection. Not sure but now it's starting to separate into 3 layers. Always had two, the trub at bottom and pale yellow liquid on top. But this am I am seeing this olive oil color as a thin layer on very top. I took off plug and smelled it. Nothing foul. Just the sour mix with little sweet. Any help, ideas? I don't like the olive oil color on top. Hoping it's just oils.

[raketemensch]

Well I stI'll haven't run it but now I'm beginning to worry it got an infection. Not sure but now it's starting to separate into 3 layers. Always had two, the trub at bottom and pale yellow liquid on top. But this am I am seeing this olive oil color as a thin layer on very top. I took off plug and smelled it. Nothing foul. Just the sour mix with little sweet. Any help, ideas? I don't like the olive oil color on top. Hoping it's just oils.

If it's not covered with stanky weirdness, don't sweat it, just run it. If it *is* covered with stanky weirdness, run it anyway.

[PTS_35]

Running it now. Stripping. You guys do a 2 runs or 1.5? I did 1.5 on the brandy. Thought maybe I should do it here for the flavor. When syphoned to the still I took the liquid left the solid just like anything else. I noticed that the solid was more fluid than I thought. Smelled of corn. Hope I didn't lose flavor

[PTS_35]

Gentlemen we have 65% jar 1. Heck yeah. I was worried with the talk of viscosity. Alright!

[PTS_35]

This really seemed to drop more so than sugar washes. Jars 1-6 in %: 65,60,53,45,36, 30. 300 ml each

[skow69]

So you collected about a half gallon, right? How big was the still charge? And what ABV? [Sorry if we've been through this. My memory sucks.] Your sugar washes probably have higher ABV than this one, don't they?

Also, I wouldn't be so worried about conserving flavor. You get a lot more to work with from a bourbon grain bill than from a UJSSM or sweetfeed. At least, that's how it seems to me.

Time for cuts and blending and sampling of the hearts. I love this part. You might find it easier if you collect 200 ml cuts next time.

[PTS_35]

Well there's the question bc of viscosity. I didn't take liquid off top of mash tun after mash session. So I had to strain it best I could for a sample. OG was 1.068 and FG was 1. If that's correct it was 8.7 which coulda been high. My charge was probably 3 gallon. It wasn't 3.5 because that's what I started with. And between straining and then leaving sediment Im sure I lost volume. Usually my all bran or wineo's get me 8 jars at 300ml a piece. Usually the readings are in the 8% range for those. I probably coulda eeked out a 7th jar but didnt feel like it. It was getting late. I don't usually make cuts on the strip runs. Just the spirit

[MichiganCornhusker]

This really seemed to drop more so than sugar washes. Jars 1-6 in %: 65,60,53,45,36, 30. 300 ml each

This looks ok. The yield on an AG will be less than a sugarhead all along the process.
When I strip, I don't shut down until the abv of the entire pot of low wines averages 30%. If you stopped at 30% for the last jar, your overall average is higher than that.
I get more product, and I hit the aging proof I want by collecting to the 30% mark for the whole batch of low wines.

[skow69]

Yeah, that sounds about right for a 3 gallon charge at 8%. Here is a calculator that is pretty handy for that. http://homedistiller.org/index.php?mn=c ... &timeti=15

[PTS_35]

Just to update, I just made another mash last night. This time I poured the hot water into the mash tun first then slowly added the flaked maize while stirring. A lot better results. No clumping at all. Let it cool to 145 or so and added the malts. After 3 hrs I took a sample off the top like suggested. Worked well. Got a nice clear solution, hint of yellow. OG was 1.068. Hope it ferments well..