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Well i just bottled a batch that i used a pound of 6row per 5gallons of wash. Its beens sitting on a oak keg for a year and wow this stuff is one af the smoothest drinks ive ever done. Gess its time to start some more for next year. Just a suggestion make twice as much as you think you can drink and put half of it up for a year.
I also put up a half gallon on apple chips for a year. it has a realy nice red color and is smooth, im going to let it sit for 2 or 3 years and see what happens.

Well after reading the above post, I just couldn't help going and sampling mine... I stripped three washes and did a spirit run back in mid march, and the results have been resting on a few different wood variations in 4l glass jars with corked tops (for some breathing).

The stuff on old bourbon barrel chucks was so-so. The ones on toasted oak are fantastically smooth, but the one that I experimented with blew me away... just a few toasted oak chips (less oak longer, right?) and a pinch of 2 row malt (to be filtered out) and 1 peppercorn for every two liters (trick from the parent site). It really tastes like scotch. I had to go inside and try some scotch to back that up. after raiding the cupboard and trying a few different scotches I decided I was really happy with the flavours that had been imparted from the pepper (warming) and malt (sweet and... well... malty) so I've filtered them out and left it on the oak as its only about 2/3rds of the way there on the oak. of course, there is a magic about 12 and 15 yo stuff that I can't match in 3-4 months, but wow, smooth, and surprisingly complex. next time I'll be using sticks from wine barrel staves, so that should help get a more interesting flavour profile going. now I have to try and forget about it again for another few months. that's going to be tough.

Question: will I still be getting anything out of the chips after this long? or should I add some more for the coming months? like I said I think it needs a slightly stronger oak taste.

KS

Kiwi i would just let it sit and see what happens ive over oaked this recipie and it wasnt as good.Try doing a batch on apple chips it will give it a very nice red tint and in time it will be smooth as silk. If i use apple chips i like to over do it and put a whole hand full in. Good luck with the w8.

got a good buddy who is a scotch snob, I've heard time and again that this makes a nice Fau scotch.
If I were to add a kilo of malted and smoked barley to the mix do you think it'd make a decent product that he'd enjoy (not looking to replace his single malt, just bolster his liquor reserves)

yes. you can also chuck a handfull of malted or smoked grain when its aging for a malty kinda taste. god this stuff is smooth...

well I'll be running my rum off tomorow, then I'll put a batch of this stuff on.

I am going to use this for my first wash to make and my brother has a reflux head fitted on top of I believe a 6 or 7 gal keg. I was reading this thread a few days ago and noticed that someone had used some potatoes with this recipe ( or am I confusing with another thread ). If so, what should be the desired results for adding potatoes.

The 10 gallon drum(actually a 9 gallon) may be good for those folks running 5 gallon DWWG, not a bad price for a heavy duty fermenter. I am actually thinking about the 30 gallon for a 15 gallon DWWG, tired of mopping the garage floor....

I'd completely forgotten DWWG. I have some hidden somewhere which has been hidden for some years now. I must hunt it up, try it and make some more. A great recipe Deathwish.

blanik

Just got back from my monthly excursion to the scratch and dent.. Found the same name brand wheat germ that Wally World sells for 3.75 a jar for 1.05 at the scratch and dent.. Bought all 20 jars, lol...

20 jars at wally world $75
20 jars at scratch and dent $21
savings $54

They also had all kinds of Gerber at .55-1.05 a box for 8 oz, and 2.05 for 16 boxes.. Its worth the time to go out of your way to find the scratch and dents... LOL, I just wish they had 25 lb bags of sugar..

Good thread. I'm gonna be trying some of this soon. Thought it interesting to find when researching "wheat germ"..."Cream of wheat: It is sometimes called 'farina' and is finely ground, hulled wheat that still contains the germ and the endosperm. Only the outer bran layer is missing, and is a favourite hot cereal of children." I ate tons of this stuff as a kid. Think there might even be some in the cabinet...

Edited to add...Well there's a box of Malt-O-Meal in the cabinet. Ingredients: Wheat Farina, malted barley, calcium carbonate, ferric orthophosphate (iron), niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate), vitamin B2 (riboflavin).

Hi first time and looking to make a good mix, can anyone let me know the quantity of yeast to use in this Wheat germ recipe, and if there is a standard amount per gallon?
cheers

There is no "set" amount but one package (2-3 table spoons) should do 5-6 gallon (18-22L)wash.
you should "aerate" by air pump, shaking or vigorous string. before pitching yeast that lets
the yeast multiply.if you have to little yeast it takes longer to start (called lag) witch can be
anywhere between a few hours to as much as 48 hours.

Has any one tried useing say a pound of peet smoked malt with this recipe? Im thinking abought useing it in the wash but, maby useing during the ageing would work also. Any thoughts?

malt/grain does not work in finished product as it makes it cloudy.

Good to know thanks dunder. Ill try it in the wash.

Iv tryed all kinds of weird and not so wonderful things. each time I hear or think of something I have to try most do not work.
so I keep returning to the "old ways"

Hi just wanted to say thanks for recipe.
Followed your instructions and it was a heap fun coooking up lentils and sugar , made the shed smell great.
so much more fun than turbo packets.
Worked out well ( a bit slow as i had only a small heat pad and it was in a 50 liter drum ) and we had a week of cold temps.)
but now i have twin lights in brew box with auto thermostat (yay)
Any way ran a strip and all went well , and i love the smell of the low wines. added backing soda , reduced the smell but still left a little aroma and i love it
mixed it to 40 ABV and have to stop my self from sipping it.
Cant wait to do final run and drink some of this.

Gary & Angie

First time I've joined in a thread on this forum, so here goes.
I knocked down a batch of this stuff on the weekend,its going off like a frog in a sock, but had to use raw sugar instead of white, due to a mixup with purchasing instructions
My questions are : what difference the raw sugar might make to the end product, and would I need to use WG every boil if I was pitching onto the last yeast cake, or would enough nutrients still be present in the trub.??

Thanks in advance

Regards

elec

Hey elec welcome to the forum. I just started "stillin my own just a few months ago and have spent a lot of time reading on here about various stuff. I dont think its going to make that much a difference about the kind of sugar that you use. I am on my forth batch of this just because I like it so much didnt see no need to make anything else, just keepin it simple I guess. I just experime3nt with somethind a little differen in the receipe each time but so far I like the taste that the ec-1118 give to the product, others may have found they like something a little different. My las batch I made I plan to run this weekend I used turbo just cause I had it layin around and didnt want to waste it but after I racked it off the solids I went ahead and made up my sugar water mix with the juice from a lemon and just added it back into the solids from what I just made. Dont know how it will be but like I said just trying something new and if I like it this will cut my final product cost down a little bit more. All I can say is read how to be safe doing this, experiment a little, enjoy...enjoy !!

So I started abatch of this Saturday night.

16 OZ Toasted Mothers Wheat Germ
2 gallons of water. Brought to a boil and then turned down so it wouldnt boil over. Let it simmer for about three hours and then let it sit on the stove overnight. I should mention that the boil I used was a recycle boil. Rolling boil, but low enough for it not to boil over and all water vapor being returned to the pot by the lid.

Next day I brought it up to a warm temp, added 5 lbs of sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/8 tsp magnesium sulphate. Dissolves and dropped it in the fermenter. I used the water from my column to areate the beast and top off with smooth warm water. Added the next 5 lbs and stirred it until it was all dissolved. Mean while I used 1 cup off wash, 1 cup warm water and 1/8 tsp of Lemon juice and packet of Pasteaur yeast. It took off nicely and was getting ready to burp when I added it to the 5 gallon mix. Stirred the hell out of it, pitched two tblsp of baker's yeast just because I had it left over, and covered and locked.

Its not producing a "freakishly fast ferment"... Ideas? Im thinking it might need more heat. Smells really nice though.
My batch of Gerber came out so nice I kept the hearts in a seperate bottle than my others. Hoping to do the same with this.

SB

Recipe Summary
5 gallons water, 10 pounds sugar, 16 oz Toasted Wheat Germ, 1/4 cup lemon juice ( hard water, Alkaline) 1 packet Pastuer yeast, 2 tblsp bakers yeast. 1/8 tsp Magnesium Sulphate.

ScottishBoy wrote:Recipe Summary
5 gallons water, 10 pounds sugar, 16 oz Toasted Wheat Germ, 1/4 cup lemon juice ( hard water, Alkaline) 1 packet Pastuer yeast, 2 tblsp bakers yeast. 1/8 tsp Magnesium Sulphate.

Even with hard water it sounds like a lot of lemon juice... I'd also question the use of lemon juice in your yeast starter...

Most Wheat Germ washes kick in pretty quick with a very large krausen on top...

It might be worthwhile to check your pH...

Also, what is the wash temperature now...???

How many grams of Pasteur yeast was in the sachet...???

What was the yeast pitching temperature...???

rad14701 wrote:

ScottishBoy wrote:Recipe Summary
5 gallons water, 10 pounds sugar, 16 oz Toasted Wheat Germ, 1/4 cup lemon juice ( hard water, Alkaline) 1 packet Pastuer yeast, 2 tblsp bakers yeast. 1/8 tsp Magnesium Sulphate.

Even with hard water it sounds like a lot of lemon juice... I'd also question the use of lemon juice in your yeast starter......

Its pretty hard. Even a few days running the shower leaves white streaks all over the place.

Most Wheat Germ washes kick in pretty quick with a very large krausen on top...

Thats what I was expecting.

It might be worthwhile to check your pH...

My PH comes out on the high side of Alkaline..thus the lemon juice. I think I measured out at 5.9.

Also, what is the wash temperature now...???

Right now it should be between 68-70 degrees F. Unless the dishwasher has been run in which case we can add a few degrees on..

How many grams of Pasteur yeast was in the sachet...???

That I dont know. But the packet was active and produced a nice bubbly head within 10 minutes.

What was the yeast pitching temperature...???

I pitched it at somewhere around 104 F. I always try to follow my teachers suggestion of treating pitching yeast like warming up a baby bottle.

Im very tempted to go buy a heating pad and wrap the barrel with it.

SB

Yeah, 68 - 70 is s bit cool for bakers yeast... It starts getting sluggish below 75F, at least from my own personal experience... At least it's fermenting, albeit slowly, by your description...

You should have gotten an initial krausen if you pitched at 104F, unless the temperature spiked and killed some of the yeast... Or you boiled the living piss out of the wheat germ... I've never gone much beyond a 30 minute simmer...

Its a 5 gram package, typical of wine and brew shops.
Im thinking I might have to switch to Ec-1118. Its supposed to ferment well at lower temps.

ScottishBoy wrote:Its a 5 gram package, typical of wine and brew shops.
Im thinking I might have to switch to Ec-1118. Its supposed to ferment well at lower temps.

Yeah, Lalvin rates EC-1118 for temperatures between 15C/59F - 25C/77F and up to 18% ABV...

From their technical specification sheet...

Lallemand/Lalvin wrote:Saccharomyces cerevisiae bayanus
Competitive factor
High alcohol tolerance up to 18%
Short lag phase
Fast fermentation rate in a wide pH range
Wide range of temperatures for fermentation including low temperatures (Optimal between 15°C to 25°C)
Low requirement in assimilable nitrogen
Low O2 requirement (especially at low T°)
Low to average production of volatile acidity
Average SO2 production
Low H2S production
Low foam formation

I got a 5 gallon DWWG on the go at the moment,
didn't use any Lemon juice at all

just W/germ, 7lbs sugar 2tsp citric acid 2 gall rain water from the outside tank a rolling boil for 90 minutes

added another 3 galls cold tank water @ 75c
pitched EC 1118 2 sachets enough for 10galls but have only made 5 galls, airated for 15 mins put in the heater set at 70c and covered with a loose cloth left it till morning had, a look it must have had a 6'' crust / cap on the top, gave it a real good stiring put a lid with an airlock, I stir it every day and it
has been glugging away nicely for 3
days now.

Interesting. Its up to about 4 bubbles every 5 seconds if I dont disturb it. Air pressure is good, but if I give it a good swirl, the airlock goes nuts for about 5 minutes. I almost blew off the air lock last night and I only gave it about 5 good swirls in the can. I have a 6 gallon fermenter which I used 5 gallons in to give it some room. Smells kind of odd, but its not a bad smell.

SB

Can raw wheat germ be used that can be bought in bulk or does it need to be toasted as sold in grocery stores? Thanks.

It gonna be cooked if ya follow the recipe regardless so Id think it wouldn't matter.