Home Distiller

got a hydrometer? if so what is it reading? if not does it taste sweet at all? dip a couple of fingers in there and when you take them out does it feel sticky? ( thats what she said) If it taste sweet still its not done, if it feels sticky its not done. But then if the bubbling has slowed that much it might be done -

You need to test the sg also. I always do the bubble test, taste test, and sg test

Don't have a hydrometer. definitely tastes... not sweet.

Should be dry like a really dry wine.

yep, it is. im gonna run it tonight!

68MUDSTUD wrote:yep, it is. im gonna run it tonight!

Gona run it after only 2 1/2 days. Don't. At least let it clear for two more days. So you can rack the cleared liquid off. No need to rush things. 2 1/2 days ain't long enough. Unless you used half the sugar. Then I would still give it at least a total of 7 days before I ran it.

Sounds good, PP. How are all you guys racking it off? I know, siphon, but what size hose and what type?

I have a racking cane bought from the homebrew shop. And use 3/8" vinyl tubing from Lowes.
I also have a bigger one that has 1/2" tubing for the bigger ferments. But I have since added spigots to my fermenters. So all I have to do is put a bucket under it and turn it on.

Damn, my third generation is stalling on me, or is taking its sweet time to start. I readded it around 5pm yesterday and it took until this morning at 8am to even show any "lift" in the air lock.

I'm betting that this is because I had a slight "accident" and dumped about 75-85% of the backset back into the fermenter because my grip slipped on the pail I had the backset cooling in.

If it's not started by the time I get home, I'll siphon some of the backset/sugar mixture out, and mix some sugar with the water and add it back in. If it still doesn't start because I inadvertently became a yeast murderer, I'll re-pitch the yeast.

i pretty much did the same thing but my was a miss read of the recipe. it took 2 days before it kicked again.try some nutrients

toast860 wrote:i pretty much did the same thing but my was a miss read of the recipe. it took 2 days before it kicked again.try some nutrients

They're already in there.

njscofflaw wrote:

toast860 wrote:i pretty much did the same thing but my was a miss read of the recipe. it took 2 days before it kicked again.try some nutrients

They're already in there.

If you got a brewstore nearby add calcium carbonate, If not pick up some Tums antacid and add to the wash.
I use calcium carbonate and 100% backset without a problem.

Now that I keep mine in the closet with a towel wrap it finishes in 4 days. But 2 days wow I don't know about that

I've read thru this a few times and started a batch about 5 days ago. It's pretty much came to an end with the airlock. I've read something on here but now I'm a little confused. I've still got it in the fermenter and won't be able to run it at least for 5 days. Is it ok in the fermenter yet? Or should I pull out the beer and freeze it. Help would be appreciated

Copper Comanche wrote:I've read thru this a few times and started a batch about 5 days ago. It's pretty much came to an end with the airlock. I've read something on here but now I'm a little confused. I've still got it in the fermenter and won't be able to run it at least for 5 days. Is it ok in the fermenter yet? Or should I pull out the beer and freeze it. Help would be appreciated

It'll be fine in the fermentor, just keep it closed and the airlock attached. It won't hurt to put it in the coldest place you can find to help it settle and clear but it doesn't need to be frozen.

Thank you much Fastill!

It started up this evening...I'm good to go.

Here's my six gallon batch with the 1 gallon of sweetfeed backset. I think it's cleared. Will check it tonight and hope to run it tomorrow for my weekends drinking supply

For those new to this recipe... notice the three layers on the bottom. The spent corn, the reuseable corn and the yeast bed.

Can anyone tell me why all the corn does not get spent?

you have more nurtients in the corn than you need to ferment

Ive run two 6 gal fermentors for the last two months being about 8-9 generations. Same yeast as day one. Know things have slowed to a crawl. My question is... should I procceed as normal but just repitch? or start with fresh corn? or rinse current corn and replace spent corn and keep on keepin on? On a 6 gal wash i get about a half gal of 150pr out of it after heads are used for windshield washing fluid and about a pint or so of tails on a single run, tails are added into the next run also. Ive got an 11gal ss with a refrac. head with copper scrubbers. Corn flavor is amazing and my buddies and good friends are hooked and cant get enough. Am I on track or do I need to tweak some stuff? Most times it smells sweet with a sweet touch to the lips then a smooth as a babies butt finish.

Probably over the generations, your ph dropped too much. Try correcting with some calcium carbonate. Or try to lower the backset percentage.

Odin.

SailorJerry wrote:Ive run two 6 gal fermentors for the last two months being about 8-9 generations. Same yeast as day one. Know things have slowed to a crawl. My question is... should I procceed as normal but just repitch? or start with fresh corn? or rinse current corn and replace spent corn and keep on keepin on? On a 6 gal wash i get about a half gal of 150pr out of it after heads are used for windshield washing fluid and about a pint or so of tails on a single run, tails are added into the next run also. Ive got an 11gal ss with a refrac. head with copper scrubbers. Corn flavor is amazing and my buddies and good friends are hooked and cant get enough. Am I on track or do I need to tweak some stuff? Most times it smells sweet with a sweet touch to the lips then a smooth as a babies butt finish.

Most likely low ph, timing sounds about right. Test if you can. I use calcium carbonate to raise ph.

Sorry I forgot to mention a few small details also. After racking I fill with cold water about 3gal. I make my run and use 1gal backset to add my sugar to and pour that in the mix then remove and replace corn and top off up to 6gal mark. Ill see if I have any of my wine ph strips left from back in the day. Ill keep you posted. I also run a BWW once a week too. Im in love with the sceem of things! Cant wait for spring and for bigger and better things to come!

SailorJerry wrote:Sorry I forgot to mention a few small details also. After racking I fill with cold water about 3gal. I make my run and use 1gal backset to add my sugar to and pour that in the mix then remove and replace corn and top off up to 6gal mark. Ill see if I have any of my wine ph strips left from back in the day. Ill keep you posted. I also run a BWW once a week too. Im in love with the sceem of things! Cant wait for spring and for bigger and better things to come!

Process sounds fine - assuming your backset/sugar is cool enough to add back to the fermenter.

Backset sugar mix is cooled yes. Just tested and the ph strips i have only go to 4.0. The reading was a 3.7. What can i do or what should i do?

SailorJerry wrote:Backset sugar mix is cooled yes. Just tested and the ph strips i have only go to 4.0. The reading was a 3.7. What can i do or what should i do?

Ph of the sugar and backset? Or of the whole thing after you added the sugar and backset?

SailorJerry wrote:Backset sugar mix is cooled yes. Just tested and the ph strips i have only go to 4.0. The reading was a 3.7. What can i do or what should i do?

Dissolve calcium carbonate in water, then add solution to xxxx, then test again. Repeat as necessary, trial and error. Preferrably you can add the cc solution to the backset before it goes in the fermenter at the beginning of the cycle. Don't add the cc directly to the acidic wash as it may react violently and you'll need a mop.

GL

yankeeclear wrote:

SailorJerry wrote:Backset sugar mix is cooled yes. Just tested and the ph strips i have only go to 4.0. The reading was a 3.7. What can i do or what should i do?

Dissolve calcium carbonate in water, then add solution to xxxx, then test again. Repeat as necessary, trial and error. Preferrably you can add the cc solution to the backset before it goes in the fermenter at the beginning of the cycle. Don't add the cc directly to the acidic wash as it may react violently and you'll need a mop.

GL

Good to know. The reading was of current mash. The mash is eight days old now. Should i run it and just treat the new backset? Or......?

SailorJerry wrote:

yankeeclear wrote:

SailorJerry wrote:Backset sugar mix is cooled yes. Just tested and the ph strips i have only go to 4.0. The reading was a 3.7. What can i do or what should i do?

Dissolve calcium carbonate in water, then add solution to xxxx, then test again. Repeat as necessary, trial and error. Preferrably you can add the cc solution to the backset before it goes in the fermenter at the beginning of the cycle. Don't add the cc directly to the acidic wash as it may react violently and you'll need a mop.

GL

Good to know. The reading was of current mash. The mash is eight days old now. Should i run it and just treat the new backset? Or......?

I would just wait out the current ferment and attack the ph on the next run. Should be fine taste wise, wll just take longer to finish.

10-4 ill just keep checkin sg. Got bww runnin as we speak and a gerber being preped!