What'd ya'll make today?

Production methods from starch to sugars.

Moderator: Site Moderator

User avatar
Twisted Brick
Master of Distillation
Posts: 4093
Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2013 4:54 pm
Location: Craigh Na Dun

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Twisted Brick »

jonnys_spirit wrote:Mashed my first successful 32 gallon brute bourbon this past weekend about 50lbs of HBB grains and 25gal water total. While it mashed and cooled over a 24h period I made a yeast starter. The mash was a little over 1.060 and pitched the yeasties. Very active ferment this week. Looking forward to the next run.

Cheers,
jonny
Nice job, jonny!

Although I haven't completed one yet, a larger mash has to be more efficient (plus its more funner), if not just for the time savings alone. It should ferment out nicely and 'still up into a tasty drop.

Twisted
“Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore, always carry a small snake.”

- W.C. Fields

My EZ Solder Shotgun
My Steam Rig and Manometer
Beerbrewer
Swill Maker
Posts: 393
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:00 am

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Beerbrewer »

Went to a pick your own farm today and got 15kgs of plums so I decided to make up a Slivovitz mash. Did it fairly old school and left the stones in (I'll take them off after a week), mashed them all up and topped up my fermenter to 20ltrs. OG was around 1054, just waiting for the temp to get to 30oC before pitching some wine yeast. I've been wanting to do this for a while and it may not be economically feasible in the future (15kgs cost me around £40) at least I can say I've done it now :D .
Sunshineer
Swill Maker
Posts: 380
Joined: Sun May 05, 2019 10:10 pm
Location: On a planet in a distance galaxy far far away

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Sunshineer »

I have three twenty gallon drums of corn mash fermenting like crazy seven seven gallon cartboys of blueberries in secondary fermentation and I'm going to start a sweet potato mash tonight in my thirty gallon drum. Will post details in the morning. Just finished mashing in the sweet potatoes my starting brix reading is 21 and this is before my enzymes have had a chance to convert any of the starches. Was pretty thick tonight hoping it will thin down some or I may be forced to add a little bit of water so far all I have used is the light corn syrup and water mix from the cans and the thirty gallon drum is four inches from the top. So if I have to thin it out I'm going to have to add another fermenter so that there is enough head space for blast off. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
User avatar
freshwaterjellyfish
Swill Maker
Posts: 216
Joined: Fri Nov 22, 2013 2:46 pm
Location: Ontario CANADA

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by freshwaterjellyfish »

...ready to stumble down stairs to pitch some red star dady yeast in 6 gal of hook rum mash I made late last night. I recently got this redstar from Amazon. I'd say it works well, but alot diff than bakers. I used to let cool over night but I've been using a homemade wort chiller. I would have pitched but the carboy felt on the warmer side. After the pitch, I'm starting on 10 lbs of already boiled potatoes for my first vodka mash. The wife wants caesers.
If anyone can give me pointers on the potatoes, I'd love to hear. I got a clean paint stirer ready to rock a bunch of amylase..giddy up!!
Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed , feels alone in a cruel world. Doctor says, "Treatments simple. The great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. That should pick you up." Man bursts into tears."But doctor. I am Pagliacci." 
User avatar
jonnys_spirit
Master of Distillation
Posts: 3914
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 7:58 am
Location: The Milky Way

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Spirit ran 15gallons of HBB low wines yesterday (Sunday). It took ten hours from start to finish. We got three gallons of hearts cut at about 160pf, a 3 gallon carboy of tails for next run, and some heads which I will probably chuck. This was the first run I recycled feints. Next run I’ll just use tails for feints. Out of the hearts cut we’ll take 1/2 gal as white and proof down the rest for the barrel and some staves. Mashed another 32g brute of hbb. Once the hbb grains are gone we’re doing a bunch of straight straight corn mashes at $7/50# bag for a solera style aging across 2-3 barrels. Will use a combo of malts and enzymes for the corn mashes and to average out some flavors for a house bourbon.

Cheers!
-jonny

Cheers!
-jonny
————
i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————
Sunshineer
Swill Maker
Posts: 380
Joined: Sun May 05, 2019 10:10 pm
Location: On a planet in a distance galaxy far far away

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Sunshineer »

A friend gave me six cases of sweet potatoes in corn syrup and water last night I filled a thirty gallon drum with twenty five gallons mixed them all up and added three gallons of water took a brix reading of twenty added my low temperature enzymes waited a couple of hours and pitched my yeast five hours later it blew the airlock off and I had to transfer three gallons to a small cartboy both have been fermenting for twenty two hours and my brix reading is twenty four, temperature is staying at eighty degrees with and indoor temperature of seventy five and a fan blowing cold air on them. This is the most violent fermentation I have ever seen. Forgot to mention that I adjusted my Ph to 5.2 before I pitched yeast and since they were already precooked I didn't even heat them up. Just made sure to star san everything really well before starting. Also I used distillers yeast with no additional nutrients. :D :D :D :twisted:
User avatar
Durhommer
Distiller
Posts: 2399
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2019 11:23 am

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Durhommer »

So my first blended whiskey is aging took my corn oat whiskey low wines and mixed with my triple malt corn barley rye low wines ran the spirit run and damn it this is a good whiskey now to make a sugar water mash for the cleaning run as I've upgraded my potstill head to a 3/4 inch vapor path.way I figure just more copper to grab sulphites
You have two ears and one mouth for a reason....
User avatar
Durhommer
Distiller
Posts: 2399
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2019 11:23 am

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Durhommer »

Cleaning/sac run is coming together just waiting on pitch temp so I can ferment this puppy
You have two ears and one mouth for a reason....
User avatar
Bushman
Admin
Posts: 18285
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 5:29 am
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Bushman »

Filtered and bottle my Double Raspberry liqueur. Having a pre dinner glass as I type this note.
Recipe:
viewtopic.php?f=94&t=48881&p=7567964&hi ... r#p7567964
Beerswimmer
Trainee
Posts: 928
Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: In the garage

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Beerswimmer »

Stripping like Truckinbutch, 12.5 gallons in each boiler of my new thumper setup.
20190824_161729.jpg
Ut Alii Vivant!!!!
User avatar
Durhommer
Distiller
Posts: 2399
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2019 11:23 am

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Durhommer »

Just felt I should say I'm manning the grill for the family tonight sipping my cbr corn barley rye ujssm from about 8 months ago shits firewater like fukk the likker sto!! Just felt that should be know! Free my family!!
You have two ears and one mouth for a reason....
Alchemist
Swill Maker
Posts: 156
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2006 9:49 am
Location: Peaking out of the rock I live under

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Alchemist »

It is a busy time here in the hills of Oregon this time of year. I finished up building an oak and iron cider press so to test it out pressed about 40 lb of feral apples last weekend. I tossed the 2.5 gallons of juice onto 2.5 lb of spent peated grain that I had just pressed off a whisky run. Just for giggles I also added 2.5 lb of brown sugar about 4 days in. I stripped the whisky last weekend, the apple yesterday and I'm currently do my spirit runs this morning.

This afternoon I'm pressing/pulverizing 120 lb of peaches for a brandy to be.
The whiskey makes it all so clear...
User avatar
jog666
Swill Maker
Posts: 348
Joined: Tue Dec 19, 2017 6:15 pm
Location: Swamp of the Ozarks

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by jog666 »

Finally getting around to an ujssm feints run. I did learn something from it. Do the math for abv / water needed BEFORE dumping everything into the boiler.
Last edited by jog666 on Mon Aug 26, 2019 8:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Bushman
Admin
Posts: 18285
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 5:29 am
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Bushman »

My wife’s cousin wants me to bring some Lemoncello for dinner at the end of the month when we go down for a family get-together,
User avatar
jog666
Swill Maker
Posts: 348
Joined: Tue Dec 19, 2017 6:15 pm
Location: Swamp of the Ozarks

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by jog666 »

jog666 wrote: Mon Aug 26, 2019 1:26 am Finally getting around to an ujssm feints run. I did learn something from it. Do the math for abv / water needed BEFORE dumping everything into the boiler.
Talk about some new/different flavors! A stretch toward the end of the hearts had some honey flavor to it. Since I didnt want to throw anything possibly good away, I went farther into the tails than I normally would. Found a kinda bland blackberry taste. I think Im going to have fun blending this batch.
Beerswimmer
Trainee
Posts: 928
Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: In the garage

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Beerswimmer »

Second strip run of UJSSM. One more and I'll have enough for my biggest, and probably the longest, spirit run ever!
Ut Alii Vivant!!!!
User avatar
Durhommer
Distiller
Posts: 2399
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2019 11:23 am

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Durhommer »

Heating water for some corn oat and malt 6 row next payday I'm buying 55 gallon blue drums this small batch shit sucks
You have two ears and one mouth for a reason....
User avatar
Durhommer
Distiller
Posts: 2399
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2019 11:23 am

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Durhommer »

Looks like I'm gonna be making hot toddys with some uj...well that honey lemon and tea...I feel like poop and my boys are home sick barking like dogs with snotty noses...summer colds suck!! I must of did something wrong to deserve this
You have two ears and one mouth for a reason....
User avatar
Kindafrench
Swill Maker
Posts: 179
Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2019 2:05 am

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Kindafrench »

UJSM, 5th generation. One day my 30 liter oak barrel will be full, I‘m sure. Trying to fill the barrel since 2 months now. At the beginning I did some calculations (faulty) so I though it will be full in 2 months, but you know, there is always something that keeps you away from the still. Luckily, yeast is patient and forgives a bit
I‘m already very happy with this young Whisk(e)y. Tastes a bit like Dimple / Chevas Regal.

Always keep an eye on the ph. It drops so fast. No buffering with RO water, maybe.
User avatar
fizzix
Master of Distillation
Posts: 3698
Joined: Tue Dec 05, 2017 4:08 pm

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by fizzix »

Kindafrench wrote: Thu Sep 05, 2019 3:17 am UJSM, 5th generation. One day my 30 liter oak barrel will be full....tastes a bit like Dimple / Chivas Regal.
You'll get your barrel filled --30 liters is a lot of whiskey!
And you're getting a Dimple/Chivas mock-up?? Sounds great!
User avatar
Kindafrench
Swill Maker
Posts: 179
Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2019 2:05 am

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Kindafrench »

Got about 5 liters of 55% ish out of 40 liters. Will have to sort the cuts out today, but last time I had 4 liters to put in the barrel. My wife gave me the barrel as a present. She didn‘t know then, that it would be such a success.... neither me.
Have a nice Weekend, HD. You always proof that things go right after a good study of your pages. Know what I mean?
cayars
Distiller
Posts: 1687
Joined: Fri Aug 23, 2019 8:08 am

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by cayars »

I've got a few different all grain batches currently fermenting away plus a couple of wines.

5 Grain Bourbon:
60% corn
10% Rye
10% Oats
10% Malted 2 Row
10% Malted Wheat

George Washington Rye
35% Corn
5% Malted 2 Row
60% Rye

Corn/Oats
50% Corn
50% Oats

Wheat Bourbon
55% Corn
14% Malted Barley
16% Malted Wheat

Then I also have a few small batches (5 Gallons) of nothing but Oats that I'm playing with trying to find a good way to ferment. Oats is HARD as it just absorbs all the liquid you feed it. :) I'm using cheap Tractor Supply whole Oats from a 50lb bag which was only $15.

I'm trying different grinds, different temps (with enzymes).

I've also been playing around roasting the whole grains in the over at various temps from http://barleypopmaker.info/tag/home-roa ... late-malt/
Of course these aren't malted grains but I'm just trying to see if this will change the flavor at all and how much if any. I tried small pan fulls of just dry oats and also oats I've soaked to let the oven dry the oats back out. I don't expect much malliard reaction however from this using whole grains. I do have one other experiment I'll probably try tomorrow and this might be promising. I plan to take 2 pounds of Whole Oats, boil them up with HTL enzymes to get the starch/sugar conversion going, then pull out the oats and try and toast these. That may get the malliard reaction working. If not the birds will be happy. :)

I'm also about to start trying to malt a couple pounds of oats to see if the TS bagged oats will malt or not. Might be interesting as well. I've got a half bag I really haven't been using much so I thought I'd play a bit with the oats to see what better use I might get from them!

Carlo
Programmer specializing in process control for ExxonMobil (ethanol refinery control), WT, Omron, Bosch, Honeywell & Boeing.
More than a decade working for NASA & FAA Tech with computer code used on Space Shuttles and some airline flight recorders.
CuWhistle
Rumrunner
Posts: 732
Joined: Sun May 27, 2012 1:05 pm
Location: Terra Australis

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by CuWhistle »

House keeping. I didn't strike a match this weekend for the first time in a while but I racked off another 3 good strips of 8% mixed grain / sugar head that's been running for a few generations now since I did my AG cooks. It started out as cornflakes, then UJ, and has now morphed since I threw my strained all grain in and it is producing. Today I took a few kg of spent grain off to feed the birds and topped up with some new corn and micronised barley plus the box of cornflakes I had left over. I put another batch down for another rack next weekend. The weather is warming and within an hour it is going off at a rolling boil. I love this stuff.

I keep thinking I should dump the grain and start again but it keeps producing. I'm a bit strapped for time so I'll probably keep it running till I have time to do another cooked AG. I also did a bit of work towards cleaning up my old bulk storage because I'm running out of glass. I found a mummified lizard so I've had to do some pretty serious cleaning.
User avatar
dieselduo
Rumrunner
Posts: 724
Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2012 11:36 am
Location: Florida

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by dieselduo »

Just finished washing some yeast from an ale. Will dry hop for a couple more days,then bottle of up
Beerswimmer
Trainee
Posts: 928
Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: In the garage

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Beerswimmer »

Just fired the boiler on gen 3 of UJSSM on my new rig. This will be the last gen, will do a huge spirit run in the next 2 days and will be keeping it white for mixing and macerations. Might even re-run a good portion of it to strip flavors for the macerations. Probably keep a gallon or 2 to age on toasted sticks. It was basically a cheap way to practice on my rig and have a bunch of white.

Started the next 2 gens I'll be running, a kind of BWKO. I milled and am currently mashing 15lbs of barley to put on the UJSSM corn in the morning with more sugar. I'll do this twice(gen 2 I might use wheat) and fill a used bourbon barrel with it.
Ut Alii Vivant!!!!
User avatar
NZChris
Master of Distillation
Posts: 13731
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2013 2:42 am
Location: New Zealand

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by NZChris »

I read this yesterday....
https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/brussels ... t-19428257
.... so today I made my first version of Brussels Sprout Gin. It's surprisingly good.
Beerswimmer
Trainee
Posts: 928
Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: In the garage

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Beerswimmer »

NZChris wrote: Tue Sep 10, 2019 1:02 am I read this yesterday....
https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/brussels ... t-19428257
.... so today I made my first version of Brussels Sprout Gin. It's surprisingly good.
:sick:
Ut Alii Vivant!!!!
Beerswimmer
Trainee
Posts: 928
Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: In the garage

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Beerswimmer »

Big spirit run running right now. Filled the boiler with 13 gallons of 40%, and the thumper with 10 gallons.
Ut Alii Vivant!!!!
Beerswimmer
Trainee
Posts: 928
Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: In the garage

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by Beerswimmer »

A big day of macerations for me, I ended up with around 7 gallons of UJSSM hearts. I tossed everything that had a hint of heads, but kept some with early tails for aging on wood later. The first batch has zero tails and was the most neutral, I mixed & cut down to 125proof and filled jars.

I filled half gallon jars with: sliced peaches, raspberries, blackberries, 2 with charred peaches, and one with a mix of black rasp and marachino.

quart jars with: mango, pineapple, and a mix of the two.

I also dumped the juice from 5 jars of marachino cherries and filled them with the UJSSM.

Pics:
20190913_192310.jpg
Jars, plus a 3/4 gallon of white to get used somehow later.

20190913_174334.jpg
20190913_192329.jpg
Grilled peaches and put some brown sugar on them to carmelize. No idea how this will turn out, but it's coloring up already.
Ut Alii Vivant!!!!
User avatar
fizzix
Master of Distillation
Posts: 3698
Joined: Tue Dec 05, 2017 4:08 pm

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Post by fizzix »

My favorite rye ferment is done and ready for squeezing tonight and distilling tomorrow.
The fresh ferment smells like clean linen of all things, and the roasted barley really turns this recipe dark.
Looks like brewed coffee.

Rye2.jpg
Post Reply