Birdwatchers sugar wash recipe

[cb_j]

I've just done my first BW. I'm amazed!

I added 2 tsp DAP and 2 multi vitamins exta, the rest is the same save for regular tap water.

Stripped 3x 25L and then a spirit run. I was thinking a third run but not necessary.

I'm putting 57% shots in tall glasses of iced tea and can't taste it.

I am pretty sure with my pot still and its construction with the power level setting it was on I've nailed this recipe!

[Due51]

Made another batch tonight, with a slight twist. I'm calling it BirdWheaters
I had 2# of cracked malted wheat and I wanted to add something to this recipe.
2# cracked malted wheat in 2 gallons of water. (Absolutely love the aroma this gives)
Steeped for 1 hour at 150* with a constant stir from a cordless drill and paint attachment
After 1 hour, added the tomato paste, lemon juice, and epsom salts.
Brought up temperature and added 6# of sugar in increments. Brought to a boil.
Cooled. Poured wash AND grain into fermenting bucket with 3 more gallons of water.
Aerated.
Added 4 tablespoons Bob's Red Mill Active Dry Yeast.

I should have got 1.067 but it's showing 1.064 which is fine with me.
Covered and put the airlock on.

[NZChris]

Trying to ferment and distil unconverted starch ain't way up there with the cleverest things I've seen on this forum. Let us know how it goes.

[moosemilk]

Trying to ferment and distil unconverted starch ain't way up there with the cleverest things I've seen on this forum. Let us know how it goes.

I'm thinking it's asking for scorching or foaming and puking. Or both.

[Due51]

Trying to ferment and distil unconverted starch ain't way up there with the cleverest things I've seen on this forum. Let us know how it goes.

Is that reply meant for my post? Sorry, I'm confused.

[hanon]

I think what they're trying to say about your use of cracked wheat was that if you wanted it to convert to sugars you needed enzymes (unconverted starch comment.) As far as the scorching or foaming and puking comment, he thinks you're going to distill without removing the solids, I would assume you're not. While the wheat won't contribute to the alcohol content if there wasn't any conversion, it might contribute to the flavor.

[Due51]

I mashed the malted wheat for an hour at 148-150. Am I missing something?

[Fastill]

I mashed the malted wheat for an hour at 148-150. Am I missing something?

Even if you didn't mash the grain, it won't be much different than stilling UJSSM or sweetfeed. I always add a pound or 2 grain to my neutrals to help feed the yeast. Seems to speed up ferment times.

[moosemilk]

I mashed the malted wheat for an hour at 148-150. Am I missing something?

Your recipe at first didn't say malted which lead to confusion.

[Due51]

I mashed the malted wheat for an hour at 148-150. Am I missing something?

Your recipe at first didn't say malted which lead to confusion.

My mistake. I'll edit the original post.

Just tasted the mash that i left in the test tube and it's got a great wheat taste.

[whiskymonster]

Happy cock up here.

Made about 30 batches of this stuff as its cheap, easy, clean, and did I mention cheap?

Been experimenting with rum and whisky lately, but after the Mrs commented she hasn't had the panty dropper recently, it was time to break out the tomato paste.


Usually go to about 1.070, usually takes about a week to complete and I'm more than happy with that.
Usually add a few berocca and about 5 teaspoons of fertilizer for luck.
I was tired, kids and the dogs doing my head in, and still so many things to do, so I royally cocked it up.

I missed out a bag of sugar, and added 5 tablespoons of fertilizer.

Starting gravity of 1.055, and I thought balls to it. Its late, I can't be bothered, I'll feed em some more tomorrow. Chucked the auarium heater in and went to bed.

Glad I didn't. 36 hours later, and its dry as hell, reading 0.99 and clear!

This is the fastest sugar head I have ever done, and as I was stripping at 3 kW I couldn't resist a little snifter from the middle. At 50%abv, straight outta the still a good measure in a 9 oz glass of coke just vanishes! Next strip I even got brave and tasted a little of the heads, and I have had worse from a stoli bottle.
Its usually clean straight out, but I have to air for a day for it to vanish when drinking

After 5 years on this site, I think I finally got over the greed thing.
In the spirits at least.
I can still covet more copper and the next boiler upgrade eh?

[HDNB]

I can still covet more copper and the next boiler upgrade eh?

best wishes that you get a metre of 4" for Christmas!

[rad14701]

Glad I didn't. 36 hours later, and its dry as hell, reading 0.99 and clear

See if you can replicate that... I've done several recipe work-ups that have fermented to dry and cleared in 36 - 40 hours yet were clean flavored... It's an added bonus when the yeast drops almost immediately...

[bearriver]

Glad I didn't. 36 hours later, and its dry as hell, reading 0.99 and clear

See if you can replicate that... I've done several recipe work-ups that have fermented to dry and cleared in 36 - 40 hours yet were clean flavored... It's an added bonus when the yeast drops almost immediately...

I follow this recipe frequently. The current one on hand took 4 days, with a record of 36-48 hours at its shortest on previous ferments.

High temps (80's), inverting the sugar, and moderate SG of around 1.07 max always provide me with quick dry ferments, using this recipe.

[Undies]

After 5 years on this site, I think I finally got over the greed thing.

Ha! Yes. This is a lesson most of us eventually learn. Usually after hundreds of litres of greed.

[whiskymonster]

Yep. And again.

40l of tap water
2 500ml cartons of cheap passata
5 tablespoons of miracle gro all purpose fertilizer
7kg sugar
3 berocca
Good squirt lemon juice
Half a tub (110g ish) allinsons dried active yeast.

Aquarium heater set at 30°c
SG of about 1.060

36 hours later its dry, clear and with a gravity of just below 1.00

Might be worth mentioning that I never use gypsum as the water round here is horrible hard to the point I can't personally drink it.

Yeasties seem to be happy enough in it though

[midnightmaraude]

Very good stuff.

I used 14lbs sugar.
About 7 gallons water
1 can tomato paste
9 packets of redstar active yeast
SG was 1.085
Finished out .098/7

Did a stripping run. Getting ready for the spirit run I broke my hydrometer. Oh well the show must go on. Collected 4 quarts (vodka still lit on fire).Made two separate handles of it (Added fresh strawberries to one and blueberries to the other, next day strained and added some water. After getting a new hydrometer (second as a spare) I tested first handle SPOT on at 40%, other (blueberry)was 55%. Brought that down and gained a near 5th.
Very drinkable on ice. Nearly undetectable (except for fruit flavoring) in some diet coke. Wife doesn't like vodka and hates my vodka up until this point. I poured her a glass (she will atleast try it) of the blueberry and diet coke. About a 3rd of the glass was vodka. She liked it and was buzzed a drink and a half later. Normally if I poured a adrink like that using Pinnacle it would go to waste with her.

Double distilling is definitely worth it. Takes me about 3 hours extra still time BUT worth it with the product you get and every drop seems to be that more valuable!

I'll have to make this again because those two handles are reserved for the new year's eve party I'm going to.

[greenthumb]

First time fermenting BW , so far so good

120ltrs water
30kgs sugar ( 49p a bag at pound stretcher result! )
1200g tom paste
0.80 tsp epsom salts
400ml lemon juice

27.5oC bit low but will soon warm up

sg is 1.085, and ph test strip says about 5 ph

[greenthumb]

Well its 2 days later and all is going well

ph of 4
25oC
Gravity of 1.040

after about 4 hours from pitching the yeast the OH demanded it was removed from the house " as it stinks" (120ltr batch)
Pumping out Co2, so I improvised and clamped the lid down, drilled a hole for a gromet and drilled through two walls and run a 10mm air line through to the outside into a bubler I made using a juice bottle

https://vid.me/LJhi" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[DrFlesh]

Thanks for all the awesome advice!

If making a 25L batch do I just divide all the ingredients by 3.2 (80/25=3.2)?

Using a Turbo 500

First time yielded awful stuff...very perfumey, even after the carbon filter.

[Undies]

Here you go, try this. It's an ingredient calculator... http://shuggo.com/birdwatchers/

[DrFlesh]

That calculator is genus!!

Thanks!

[DrFlesh]

Question about Epsom Salts. Can I use non scented, regular Epsom Bath salts (Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate)?

Can you explain what some of the ingredients do such as tomato paste, lemons and Epsom Salts?


Thanks, maybe you already have in this post, I just couldn't find it easily.

[Due51]

Question about Epsom Salts. Can I use non scented, regular Epsom Bath salts (Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate)?

Can you explain what some of the ingredients do such as tomato paste, lemons and Epsom Salts?


Thanks, maybe you already have in this post, I just couldn't find it easily.

Man cannot live on bread, alone. Yeast cannot live on *just* sugar. Tomato paste provides the nutrients, lemon lowers the Ph level, creating a healthy environment for the yeast to thrive in.

[T-Pee]

...lemon lowers the Ph level, creating a healthy environment for the yeast to thrive in.

Yeast seem to work best at a pH of ~5. If higher, use lemon juice to drop the pH. Keep in mind that the pH is going to drop during the fermentation process anyway.

tp

[DrFlesh]

Got my first BW mash on last night. The question I have is with the Calculator: FINAL WASH VOLUME means just the water added or total volume after sugars etc?

I have a 25L bucket so I put in Final Wash Vol. of 25L?

I used 21L H2O (didn't want to go any higher, first ledge of the rim)and 4.6 kg of sugar to get me to 1.060 and used the rest of the volumes in the calculator. My pH seemed to be below 6 (used pool test stripes, only go down to 6.2).

Temp is a problem for me but I do have a heating belt.

I'll let you know my out come.

Thanks.

[Undies]

Hey Mr Flesh... ah-hem, I mean, Dr Flesh

How did you go with your first attempt?

[Snackson]

Mixed a little over 11 gallons of this up last night, 24oz tomato paste, 10kg cane sugar and a few tablespoons of Just Lemon as it was what I had on hand. It started at 1.089 and mixed it up with some bakers yeast. Started bubbling away within an hour and smells pretty good! Going to start a second 11 gallon batch tonight with some lime juice instead. Trying to use up some of the ingredients I have lying around the house.

[Undies]

I know it's pretty close, but lemon juice and lime juice contain 1.44 and 1.38 g/oz citric acid respectively. Adjust accordingly. I can't imagine you would have any problems otherwise.

[Shyrac]

I finished preparing my second attempt at BW about 30 minutes ago.

My first attempt went rather well. I used my potstill to run it three times, and ended up with two 750ml bottles of 95 proof that is difficult to distinguish from the cheap vodka previously contained in the associated vessels. There are also three quarts of feints now waiting for company.

I did encounter some difficulty with my fermentation time. It took me almost a month to get from an SG of 1.091 down to 0.090. I was informed that this may have been a pH issue. It may also have been related to a power loss while I was away. This resulted in the wash dropping from where I maintain it at 90F down to 75F. This happened around day 6 of the process, and it remained at the lower temp until about 5 days later when I was able to fix the problem returning the temp to the high 80s.

So this time around I added 9lb 10oz of sugar, 6oz tomato paste and the juice from half of one lemon to 3gal of hot water with a base pH of 6.8. After adding another 2gal of cold water and aerating I ended up with 5.65gal of wash that has an SG of 1.078 and a pH of 4.4. I tossed in 1.5oz of active dry bakers' yeast after aeration, and now the bucket is bubbling away. I intend to hold it at 90F (continuously this time).