sweetfeed whisky

[Blue82]

So my sweefeed mash has been sitting now for almost 4 full days. Air lock is still releasing co2 about every 4 seconds. Took the lid off and man it smelled like old sour beer and was a bubblin like simmering water on a stove. Didn't get a hydrometer reading when I started due to it not being delivered yet. Took a reading today and it is at 1.010 and theres about a 1/8 inch layer of grain sitting on top (wash looks like murky water). Best I leave it set for a another day or so? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[modified9v]

Blue, if it were me I'd wait. I like to see the cap fall and hit .998... almost there. However, I have run it early and noticed no difference in flavors.

Modman

[Ghost]

Agreed - let it sit and finish out. Move it into a cold place once its done for a couple of days and this will help clear it right up.

[bigbuck]

is it ok to add more liquid molasses to the sweetfeed wash??? i know molasses has a very good sugar percentage and is cheaper than sugar when you buy it in bulk,going to play around with this,just thought maybe someone has already tried,if so what are the results???

[jeepkidd]

Update on the TSC - Rolling Acres - MR Sweet

It has been fermenting well and smells good overall, but I think the "Wheat Shorts" which were listed were pretty much just straw, so it has a bit of the straw smell to it. I'll update after running it, but because of these Wheat Shorts, I'm going to try another feed store to compare, even if this stuff gives a good taste.

[rad14701]

is it ok to add more liquid molasses to the sweetfeed wash??? i know molasses has a very good sugar percentage and is cheaper than sugar when you buy it in bulk,going to play around with this,just thought maybe someone has already tried,if so what are the results???

Why would you want to try boosting the %ABV of the recipe when doing so will only cause more foreshots, heads, and tails, to be produced and less additional hearts, proportionately...??? Molasses has roughly 40% fermentable sugar by volume... Remove the greed factor and you'll increase the success rate...

[bigbuck]

sounds good,thanks for the quick reply rad,just thought i would ask because i have so much molasses at my disposal,the deer love it in the winter time!!!

[steve2md]

with all the extra molasses, why not make rum?

[SwampFox]

After my first batch of corn meal mash being a bust and dumping the lot, I found success in this SF mash. Did a stripping run and couldn't wait until I had more low wines and did a spirit run. Extremely happy with the results. Did a hot set back for generation 2 and it was going like gang busters until today and really slowed down. Got a second batch of Gen1 going in another fermentor the following day. Think I did ok on my cuts too. Did the three step approach. I only collected 100ml per jar and then smelled, tasted, and hydro'ed them. Got some on oak and some white. Been itching to try some that I put on oak 2 days ago...... Already has a nice color and a great smell to it!! My spirit run took forever! From here on out, think I will wait until I have several batches of low wines before doing my spirit run. Only bad part now.... Snow is all gone! Gonna have to buy ice! Keep you posted on progress and thanks all for the help.

SwampFox

[Andy Capp]

is it ok to add more liquid molasses to the sweetfeed wash??? i know molasses has a very good sugar percentage and is cheaper than sugar when you buy it in bulk,going to play around with this,just thought maybe someone has already tried,if so what are the results???

I have done something similar.
I used equal parts corn/oats/barley and a cup of molasses per 28lt total wash.
i stripped 3 gens( sour mash )for a spirit run then replaced some grain and added another cup of molasses for the next 3.
the results are very encouraging.
gives a real nice light rumsky flavour that we are happy with after 6 months aging.
will be doin more of this but will use new charred oak instead of used oak for aging.

[TheRevDr]

is it ok to add more liquid molasses to the sweetfeed wash??? i know molasses has a very good sugar percentage and is cheaper than sugar when you buy it in bulk,going to play around with this,just thought maybe someone has already tried,if so what are the results???

If you mean replace some of the sugar with molasses, it will just be more like rum and even less like whiskey. If you use all the sugar and add more molasses, you could start stressing out the yeast causing off flavors.

[blackedout]

I'm about an hour into my first run with my pot still. things are going great! the temp is at 199.1 and I'm getting about 3 drops per second

[Blue82]

I'm about an hour into my first run with my pot still. things are going great! the temp is at 199.1 and I'm getting about 3 drops per second

I'm also running my first ever. Tossed first 150ml. Proofed the first 200ml after that was was about 140 proof. Turned my heat even lower. Getting about the same 3 drops per second. Smells like sour apple candy

[blackedout]

mines not that strong, my first jar was about 115 proof. second jar is 105 proof. I'm trying to keep a nice steady heat that slowly increases the temp. and if i turn it down even a little, the temp starts to drop. but i don't want to get more water than alcohol, which may be my problem.

[Blue82]

Just proofed second jar. 130 proof.

[modified9v]

Just sampled some product that has been oaking a week. Thinking I dipped too deep into the tails. I can really taste it and smell it as compared to the previous generation run. Thinkin' I got greedy. Will time take care of this??? Our previous product has been very drinkable on a cube of ice... this stuff is a bit too full of sweet feed flavor. Amost has a 'straw' taste to it. Hmmmmmmmm.

[blackedout]

i finished my first run, i got two jars of hearts. i set my still up again, with the heads and tails added, and then my silicone seal in my condenser started leaking. so ill have to wait for it to harden again, and run it tomorrow night.

[Blue82]

Whole batch taste like rubbing alcohol. Gross. Disappointed. Wonder what I did wrong. Started at 140 proof then the last one I collected was 70proof. Smells and tastes like the alcohol you would get for cuts and wounds

[steve2md]

put coffee filters over the top of your jars and let them air out for a day or two, then smell and taste again. You'll see a difference

[blackedout]

i have paper towels over mine, and mine dont smell or taste very good either.

[on1wheel01]

Mine is also the same. Smells and tastes horrid. I plan on mixing it with my Ujssm and double distilling it all. That should take care of it I would think. And hopefully not ruin the whole batch. I only have 2 quarts of the sour mash(mine was from pellets). I figure this way it gets rid of it and helps boost my other.

[Blue82]

Gonna mix mine together to proof it down and make Apple Cinnamon out of it. Gonna try corn next

[blackedout]

Gonna mix mine together to proof it down and make Apple Cinnamon out of it. Gonna try corn next

i think I'm going to do corn next as well.

[Blue82]

since i had never tasted moonshine before, i went to the store and bought a bottle of moonshine from my local liquor store. tastes just like the stuff i made. disgusting. My moonshine experience is done lol. Was interesting, just not worth the time for me.

[Ghost]

Its not for everyone! Good luck in your next venture.

[smokindave]

since i had never tasted moonshine before, i went to the store and bought a bottle of moonshine from my local liquor store. tastes just like the stuff i made. disgusting. My moonshine experience is done lol. Was interesting, just not worth the time for me.

I am somewhat disenchanted as well, as I expected to get some better results than I did to start. I am currently flavoring some sweetfeed on oak chips and some partial mash wheat whisky on oak chunks. It is not disgusting, but I also would not trade it for some good bourbon that is readily available at any liquor store. The flavor is not anywhere near what I would call better than any average whiskey I have had. Maybe a lot of it is the barrel aging, and I cannot begin to replicate that on my budget. And, would I want to age something I made for 8 years.......I just do not see that happening.

It is a lot of time investment, and so far I can buy some $20 bourbon that tastes better, IMHO. Time will tell. I am going to stick with it long enough to get some 6-8 months of age on my oak soaked products. If it still tastes like a stick, or like everclear, I will probably sell the still on Ebay.

[Ghost]

Guys I will say this - I could easily compare what I make now and then compare what I made when first starting out and tell a world of difference! Its night and day. In fact I can remember my first few runs - yeah it wasnt all that great. Its not a easy hobby for sure - time, money and effort are more than most want to spend.

[smokindave]

Hey Ghost,

I was wondering the same thing, but I don't know what I would do differently. I am following the recipes to the letter, and I run my still pretty well I think. It is a 2" boka. I have been running it detuned, and I am wondering if I would like it better with a potstill head for whiskey. But, I have read that a lot of guys make whiskey on a detuned boka. I think, in general, I just do not really like the taste of white dog sugar head liquor, for lack of a better term. My cuts could get better for sure, but I think even the middle heart cut of my sweetfeed is just grainy and sweet......no real complexity on its own.

And, from what I have read, it is not very easy to age it and have it stack up to even a run of the mill bourbon. I am not giving up yet, as I have yet to do an all grain bourbon. But if I try that, and don't like it, I can't say I will do too much more whiskey when I can buy Evan Williams Single Barrel for $22.

My partial mash wheat germ was better on the spirit run tasting, but I blended in too many tails, so I think that was just a failure on my part. I will probably just redistill most of that with some feints and try and make a neutral for vodka, etc.

With the sweetfeed, I just can't see any depth of flavor building. Has anyone made sweetfeed and aged it for however long, and can honestly say it has a better or as good as whiskey flavor than Maker's Mark or Jim Beam Black, etc. That is all I am really looking for out of this hobby. Something comparable. If it will happen over time, I will give it my best, but so far I am getting discouraged with each test sip I take.

[blackedout]

i think it may just be the sweet feed. what recipe should one try to get a basic alcohol taste with a pot still? i think the sweet feed just tastes a little weird and gross.

[DuckofDeath]

Not sur ewhat you did wrong. Mine smells and tastes awesome! I use a hybrid flute still and pull off at 185 proof. I may try pulling some packing and try for 180.