sweetfeed whisky

[Neal]

Hello everyone. I am new to distilling and I love it. My still is an all copper pot still with thumper. All I have tried is Kentucky Shinners sweet feed recipe. I have just a few questions. Before I asked please understand I have tried to look for the answers in older threads. I spend a lot of time reading the information on this site. The more I read the more questions I have. My sweet feed is a all grain 9%feed. Cracked corn, rolled oats, plant protein products, cane molasses, salt & mineral pack. My question is, is my mash supposed to be a dark liquid and sour tasting? It comes out of the worm crystal clear. I dump the forshots and usually collect around 10 or 12 pints. Numbering and proofing each one. It starts at 150proof and I collect down to 40 proof. Does this sound like I am on the right track.
Thanks.
Neal.

[FreeMountainHermit]

Yes to everything.

Pics of still ??

[still_stirrin]

My sweet feed is a all grain 9% feed, Cracked corn, rolled oats, plant protein products, cane molasses, salt & mineral pack....supposed to be a dark liquid and sour tasting?

After fermenting, I assume. Before fermenting, it will be sweet and have a grain flavor, perhaps even a little toasty flavor. How does it smell...before and after?

What yeast are you using in the ferment? If dry, do you rehydrate the yeast before pitching...or do you just sprinkle the dry on top and stir?

When you collect the jars, label and proof, do you then cut the heads and tails (according to Kiwi's guide)? Or do you just dump it all together (all jars) and put it on wood? What's your preferred method of flavor and aging the sweetfeed?

Just curious what processes you're using and whether or not you've tried to improve the product from what you've learned.
ss

[Neal]

Still_stirrin, thank you for the response. I have not tasted it before fermenting. That's something I need to do I guess. The yeast I use is Fleischmann's Active Dry yeast. I just sprinkle on top and stir when the temp is right. Should I rehydrate?
When I collect the jars label & proof I then cut the heads and tails to the best of my ability. Save the hearts use the rest for the thumper and the next batch. I did put enough together to make a gallon and made some apple pie. I don't care for it to much. I want desperately to make good sippen whisky. I haven't got a charred oak barrel yet to age it with. I think the sweet feed liquor needs a lot of improvement. I want to try corn I just don't feel like I am ready for that yet.
Everything I read about corn liquor seems very complicated.
Neal

[still_stirrin]

Still_stirrin, thank you for the response. I have not tasted it before fermenting. That's something I need to do I guess. The yeast I use is Fleischmann's Active Dry yeast. I just sprinkle on top and stir when the temp is right. Should I rehydrate?

Well, dry yeast is cells of yeast (single cell structures) which have been dehydrated. All the water has been removed from them. The water keeps the cells from crushing. When you pitch dehydrated yeast into a high sugar content liquid, the liquid will put pressure on the cell walls, and as they're dry and brittle, they may crumble under that external pressure.

Rehydrating restores some of the cell wall's structural integrity, but it also fills the cells with water so the external pressure is balanced by internal pressure and the cells won't burst (or collapse). Some try to rehydrate with a sugar solution, but this too is bad as the sugar again causes undue stress due to the osmotic pressure on the cell walls.

The best thing is to rehydrate with warm water (about your body temperature); sprinkle it onto the surface of the water in a small jar and let it slowly hydrate. It will sink into the water as the cells fill with water. When its all sunk into the water (15-20 minutes), you can gently stir it in the water. You'll likely see a little foam on top of the water which results from wetting pieces and parts of yeast cells that didn't survive rehydration. But that's OK because the rest (in the water) did.

When I collect the jars label & proof I then cut the heads and tails to the best of my ability. Save the hearts use the rest for the thumper and the next batch. I did put enough together to make a gallon and made some apple pie. I don't care for it to much.

Agree with you here, I don't really care for apple pie either any more. I thought the novelty was good when I first started distilling, but it wore out quickly.

I want desperately to make good sippen whisky. I haven't got a charred oak barrel yet to age it with. I think the sweet feed liquor needs a lot of improvement.

Well, sweet feed is a good faux-whiskey when processed properly. You've got to make conservative cuts and of course, age it properly on oak. It sounds like you have yet to do that...age it on wood. I think you'll find you like it a whole lot more with some time on wood. Try it, wait, and see.

I want to try corn I just don't feel like I am ready for that yet. Everything I read about corn liquor seems very complicated.

Have a look at Booner's All Corn recipe...and get some liquid enzymes. Corn is a tough cereal grain if you don't have the right tools, including the knowledge to work with it. Get your basic skills honed before you "jump off into the deep end".

Get some of the sugarheads fermented and run and aging. Then, try some all grain recipes with malted barley (like making beer) so you know the mashing processes. Then, try to step it up with corn. You'll get there.

Good luck and enjoy the venture.
ss

[bitter]

Ran my spirit run on my last sweet feed wash

Took 2l foreshot/early heads for fire starter
39 500ml jars (% a bit high all early jars about 85-90%)
4l tails run out at the end and shut down at 208f

I have 4g I will mix the cuts from this with unfortunately it came off higher % then normal. Very clean will make a nice mellow whisky mixed with the other batches. Expected at least another 2g maybe 3g of 62.5-65% as this seamed very clean coming off the still. Once aged about 44 750ml bottles once cut to drinking strength.

B

[Neal]

Thanks ss. I will rehydrate the yeast on my next batch. Now looking for oak wood to start the aging process.
Neal.

[Hound Dog]

Now looking for oak wood to start the aging process.
Neal.

White oak Neal. Not the red that is sold at Home Depot....

[Neal]

Wow. Thanks SS for all the reading material. There is a wealth of knowledge in those threads. I know nothing about distilling. What I thought I knew from talking to folks was all wrong. Scrap all YouTube videos. I am an infant in the process of distilling but I am on the right track now. Thank you for your help. I am enjoying all the reading. I just hope I do it all right!!!
Neal.
Roll Tide.

[Konrad Arflane]

Now looking for oak wood to start the aging process.
Neal.

I can highly recommend either of these Neal -

https://www.morebeer.com/products/hunga ... OAK480B1LB" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

https://www.morebeer.com/products/oak-cubes-french.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Slightly different flavor profile in the finished product, both yummy!

[jb-texshine]

Ok guys, with this having been my first time running sweetfeed I have refrained from commenting on it. But here goes now.

When distilling I noticed a distinct amount more heads between this and the ujssm w/oats or any other I'm familiar with. Like an extra quart more. I attribute this to the whole oats with husks and stems included in the bag. Still got the amount of hearts I expected... strange. Anyway, tasting after airing I wasn't impressed... actually I was disappointed. Three weeks later I am very happy with the product! Even the wife is happy with it. That's the true test. I can't wait to see how it is after a few months on Irish apple wood.

The second ferment on the same grain I did as an ujssm,used the backset from the first ferment but I didn't add any molasses. It still had the excess heads I noticed and still got the expected amount of hearts In spite of that. It's ageing also on apple wood. Already it's silky smooth from the oats.
Totally happy with this one but it does need some time to mellow out.
Jb-tex

[Deerhunter]

Well I'll be running my 3rd batch this weekend which should bring me to 12 gallons of low wines. I've been doing 10 gallon stripping runs and have been getting 4 gallons of low wines per run. Starts off at 65% and take deep into tails stopping at 15%. Hope to get a spirit run in. But can't imagine how long of a run that will be. I haven't taken off any fores on the stripping runs. I'll probably be taking a good liter of fores on the spirit run. Can't imagine the amount of heads I'll be getting.

I'm not to good in making my cuts as of yet and hoping its a little more distinctive on a spirit run.

[Bigbob]

Taters distilling advice in novices really helped me. Taste, smell and touch. Good luck on your run!

[Shine0n]

Deerhunter, you will able to tell heads from hearts without a doubt! Once you get a quart or two start collecting in smaller jars, maybe pints. Mine come off smelling like buttery cookies. When I do my cuts I keep a pint of early tails to possibly add to the mix (not to much though) just my flavor profile that I like but I've never heard a complaint either. Sf has become my favorite likker over the last year and don't show any signs of not being. I didn't read this entire post so I don't know what your recipe is, so I'll go back a bit and look. Good luck

[Deerhunter]

Thanks ShineOn........I've been doing SF ferments as well. The only difference is I make my own sweet feed. I do 7 1/2lbs of corn/barley/flacked oats (that's 7 1/2lbs of each) and 32oz of molasses with 25lbs of sugar with 20 gal. water and a cup of yeast. That's roughly a 12% mix.

As for my above comment made a typo.......I've been doing 20 gallon stripping runs and getting 4 gallons of low wines per run. 3 strips for a total of 12 gals. of low wines

[Shine0n]

I gotcha, I've never done strip then spirit run since I run a thump. I do however run with some grain in the pot with some wash and feints in the thump. I run a 2" keg still with a 7.5 gal thumper and worm set up. old school but effective for sf, rum and fruit 1 and done

[Gish]

Anyone else get a heavy molasses flavor coming through? I thought it would be light, but after a 3 plates flute still run, it has a strong molasses taste and smell. It's a little off putting.

[Konrad Arflane]

Anyone else get a heavy molasses flavor coming through? I thought it would be light, but after a 3 plates flute still run, it has a strong molasses taste and smell. It's a little off putting.

More info needed here...

What flavor of sweet feed did you use for fermentation? Commercial, home made? If home made, how much mole ass did you use in your formulation?

This recipe has often been described as truly a "rumsky" from early on in the recipe/thread...but of course the more mole ass involved going in, the more rummy the flavor coming out.

[Gish]

Anyone else get a heavy molasses flavor coming through? I thought it would be light, but after a 3 plates flute still run, it has a strong molasses taste and smell. It's a little off putting.

More info needed here...

What flavor of sweet feed did you use for fermentation? Commercial, home made? If home made, how much mole ass did you use in your formulation?

This recipe has often been described as truly a "rumsky" from early on in the recipe/thread...but of course the more mole ass involved going in, the more rummy the flavor coming out.

I used the all grain mix from TSC. http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/produc ... feed-50-lb" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I used a 50 lb bag in a 32 gallon brute with 50 Lbs of sugar. My buddy distilled it for me and I have a feeling that the heat was to high and I am smelling/tasting burnt molasses. Its kinda like a toasted marshmallow. This is my first time doing a sweet feed so I don't know if this is a normal taste and it will smooth out over time or not. It only has one day on charred oak tho.

[Hound Dog]

Good score on the TS All Grain. Have to say 50# is a little overkill. I put about 6 inches deep in a 20 gallon Brute can. Probably why you taste so much mole ass.

[Konrad Arflane]

Too much heat could have been an issue, certainly. But also HD is correct on the amount...generally about 6" deep in any given container is good for a single batch.

[Gish]

Thanks for the responses guys. I was using the 1.5-1.75 lbs per gallon rule that I saw in the post. I can try to measure how many inches a 50 lbs bag gets me.

[midlife-u-turn]

I made a batch of Barley/Red wheat and during cuts I had a light scorched taste. I was really disappointed in the flavor. After 6 months on oak I can't detect the scorched taste anymore. If anything it may have actually added some complimentary flavors similarly to a lightly peated Scotch.

[Konrad Arflane]

It really comes down to a basic volume equation...most containers we ferment in are roughly proportional, diameter to height...take a 5 gallon bucket and expand it proportionally to 55 gallons and you get something fairly close to a typical 55 gal. drum. Now, if you were using a cylinder 6" in diameter by 500 ft long...you'd definitely want more than 6" of grain at the bottom.

But also remember, the purpose of the grain (and its attendant mole ass) is strictly for flavor. You don't have to be incredibly precise here...an extra inch or three of grain will give you a bit more flavor in final distillate, so from that standpoint it's really a matter of personal taste.

[floridacracker178]

This is my 2nd time making homebrew. First time was with 24 hour turbo and it started at 140 and went down. I used this sweetfeed recipe and only got 130 on first jar and went down about 5 proof every pint jar from there down to 90 then i stopped. I wanna stay with the sweetfeed but also want more proof how do i do it. I use a 6 gal pot still. I used manna pro sweetfeed, 7lbs sugar, flieshmans yeast, 5 gal of distilled water. Thanks for any help.

[still_stirrin]

...I wanna stay with the sweetfeed but also want more proof how do i do it. I use a 6 gal pot still.

Simple...ferment enough for 3 still charges. Strip the three charges, collecting the low wines. Then, charge your still with the low wines (be sure to dilute to 40%ABV, if necessary) and run it. Your proof will be up around 160-170.

Double distilling with a potstill will boost the product proof, yet retain much of the mash flavors.
ss

[Konrad Arflane]

I wanna stay with the sweetfeed but also want more proof how do i do it. I use a 6 gal pot still..

Another option would be to add a thump between your still and condenser, which would up the proof on a single run by about 20% or so, conservatively speaking. I've gotten up to 160 - 165 proof at the beginning of runs using my thump.

[bridwell52]

Just ran a batch of this. Put 5 gallons in my pot still. Started out with the wash at 10%. Got a gallon on a stripping run and the highest abv was 40%. Stopped collecting at 12%. Is a gallon about normal for a 5 gallon strip.
7.5 gallon keg. 2inch copper riser 12 inches tall. 12inch arm. 25 feet of 1/2 worm in a 30 gallon bucket

[der wo]

Welcome bridwell52,

the first post should be in the welcome center. Write a bit about what you want to make and what you have made up to now and a bit about your equipment.

1gal from 5gal is IMO not enough if you want a flavored drink. 1.5-2gal would be better.
Are you sure you had 10%? The other numbers seem to be a bit low for 10%.

[Doc Holliday]

Well shoot, I just seen the post about pellets. I bought a bag from tractor supply. It looked like a pallet. I'm on day 4. Do I need to trash it and buy something else. I turned to mush when it hit the hot water