Say Yes to Sugarheads

[subbrew]

There has been some back and forth on this forum about sugarheads. (for the novice reading, a sugarhead is when you take the used grain from an all grain fermentation and add sugar to it, re-ferment, and get a second batch.)

The two main camps are sugar heads are an easy and cheap way to get extra whiskey. The other is once you have had an all grain whiskey you can't go back to sugarheads.

My two cents is that sugar heads can provide an everyday sipper to keep you out of the good stuff, while being a good drink in itself. My goal is let my spirits age from 4 to 6 years. As this is only my 4th year really into the hobby and the first year was just experimenting and the second was getting down process, I still don't have any 4 year old drinks. That last two years I have been trying for 4 or 5 large batches per year, 35 to 40 gallon batches. But for part of that to stick around for 6 years I need to keep my lips off it. That is where the sugarhead comes in. Given the cost of sugar it is no longer much cheaper than a corn and barley batch but it is a lot easier as no grinding, boiling or enzymes. But if I do one 35 gallon batch a year it will provide enough afternoon sipper for almost a year at my present consumption rate. The key is to do narrow cuts on the sugarhead. That way there is very little to age out. In 9 to 12 months in a jar on some charred sticks you can have a decent drink. With narrow cuts it is not a complex drink but it is very smooth and easy to drink. That allows me to use wider cuts on my all grain because I can leave it in a jar or badmo clone for 4 to 6 years.

Perhaps in three or 4 more years when, I have 4 or 5 badmo clones per year coming of age, I will no longer have a need for sugarheads but I may continue as I don't always want a complex drink. I just want that short shot I can enjoy in a couple of swallows while I am doing chores in the afternoon. Sugarhead seems to really fill that spot.