First barrel run

[Steve3730]

Decided with my still set up in a more comfortable permeant spot and the world still locked down it is the perfect time to tackle filling up a virgin barrel. Going with a 5 gallon barrel from barrelsonline.com. With investing the time and money I figure I'd reach out for a little more wisdom on making this the highest quality run I've done

Recipe per 5 gallons of wash
flaked corn 12lbs
white wheat 3lbs
distillers malt 2lbs
flaked wheat 1lbs
Yeast DADY pre activated in a yeast starter
Treated water


besides making super tight cuts what else can I look for to put the most into this run?

[Durhommer]

Little more malt for flavor

[8Ball]

More water or less grain. You are over 3 pounds per gallon on the grain/water ratio.

[Steve3730]

More water or less grain. You are over 3 pounds per gallon on the grain/water ratio.

looking to mash with 8 gallons of water and collect just under 6. sorry had 5 cause I use a homebrew software to build my recipes but it gets confused with no boil. I should have been looking at just the mash part.

Little more malt for flavor

Think maybe 1lbs of crystal 20 or 40 will give it some malt flavor?

[Twisted Brick]

Depends on what you’re looking for. A great many bourbon grain bills run between 5% and 12% barley and yours comes in at 11%, right in the middle.

[Steve3730]

Depends on what you’re looking for. A great many bourbon grain bills run between 5% and 12% barley and yours comes in at 11%, right in the middle.

I looked at some commercial Bourbons recipes and I based my %s to be in line with the Weller and Van Winkle.

[Twisted Brick]

I would be using cornmeal and wheat malt, but that’s just me. I can’t justify a premium for pre-gelled raw grains.

[Steve3730]

I would be using cornmeal and wheat malt, but that’s just me. I can’t justify a premium for pre-gelled raw grains.

I get the flaked corn through group bulk buys my homebrew club does. So I get it around $30/50lbs bag. Probably still pricey compared to cornmeal but I'm not paying the $2-$3 per pound local home brew stores usually have it for

[Twisted Brick]

Gotcha. I was paying $30 for Bobs Red Mill medium cornmeal until I found (through a HD member) Restaurant Depot sells it for $16/50lbs. Don't know how long that is gonna last however, once the pandemic is over.

You probably get a group buy price for base malts I bet.

[Deplorable]

I would be using cornmeal and wheat malt, but that’s just me. I can’t justify a premium for pre-gelled raw grains.

I get the flaked corn through group bulk buys my homebrew club does. So I get it around $30/50lbs bag. Probably still pricey compared to cornmeal but I'm not paying the $2-$3 per pound local home brew stores usually have it for

Bob's Red Mill corn meal is about $1.40 a pound in the 25 pound sacks locally. Try you local Restaurant supply stores.

[Durhommer]

I just ground feed corn to meal lastnight its 7 bucks for 40 pounds here

[8Ball]

Gotcha. I was paying $30 for Bobs Red Mill medium cornmeal until I found (through a HD member) Restaurant Depot sells it for $16/50lbs. Don't know how long that is gonna last however, once the pandemic is over.

You probably get a group buy price for base malts I bet.

The last time I bought corn, I paid $7.50 for a 50# sack. Very clean, fresh, feed grade. My grain grinder & drill make short work out of creating fresh, coarse ground as needed.

[Twisted Brick]

The last time I bought corn, I paid $7.50 for a 50# sack. Very clean, fresh, feed grade. My grain grinder & drill make short work out of creating fresh, coarse ground as needed.

Damn. Great price. Thats a lotta likker for not very much money.

[Steve3730]

Do you still need to do the cooking process to get it to germinate like cracked corn? I've never done that step only read the process but for the little bit I'm making its worth the money to skip that step

[Twisted Brick]

Do you still need to do the cooking process to get it to germinate like cracked corn?

No. (I'm guessing you meant gelatinize). Flaked corn has been steamed and flattened with rollers to initiate conversion and facilitate faster conversion and increased yield. Cracked corn requires the time and heat of simmering to get it soft enough to gel sufficiently for conversion yet still offers a lower yield. I have heard of some distillers milling their flaked grains to obtain even faster mash times and increased yield.

This shows closeup what happens to corn granules as they hydrolize and gel. You can see and feel this happen during a mash and can eventually learn to determine if it's gelled enough just by looking at it.

[8Ball]

The last time I bought corn, I paid $7.50 for a 50# sack. Very clean, fresh, feed grade. My grain grinder & drill make short work out of creating fresh, coarse ground as needed.

Damn. Great price. Thats a lotta likker for not very much money.

Just checked. It’s up to $8.25 for 50# now ...
#1 Grade Whole Corn
-Triple cleaned to remove foreign matter and excess dust
-Aflatoxin tested

[cob]

Just checked. It’s up to $8.25 for 50# now ...
#1 Grade Whole Corn
-Triple cleaned to remove foreign matter and excess dust
-Aflatoxin tested

super secret source there 8Ball??

[8Ball]

Just checked. It’s up to $8.25 for 50# now ...
#1 Grade Whole Corn
-Triple cleaned to remove foreign matter and excess dust
-Aflatoxin tested

super secret source there 8Ball??

Here ya go!
https://centralstatesonline.com/product ... e-corn-50/