Home Distiller

Has anyone run the 30 gal version of this (post page #5) with bakers vs prestige WD yeast? I was just wondering about taste difference.

rolandt03 wrote:i picked up a bag of "sweet feed" from tractor supply, when i opened the bag it was small compressed pellets. not the sweet feed i wanted!

I posted this about 2 pages back.

FreeMountainHermit wrote:Tractor Supply SKU 5021132 is what you want. I've seen the bags marked differently at times so pay attention to the SKU number. All grain. No pellets. I have 150 lbs. on my porch. Not all their stores carry it in my area so sometimes I have to drive. Sometimes one store will ship to another. Ask.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/p ... feed-50-lb" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

FMH.

Pretty easy to find if you had looked.

FMH.

Ok so i made a mistake and got the wrong type! i knew that once i opened the bag, fig i would try it and see since i opened it and already home. trial and error no big deal! fig i would share my experience! I normally get all my live stock feed straight from the feed mill. it was a sunday and the normal mill was closed.

didn't know i had to read an entire forum to make sure it wasn't already mentioned!

I have been running this recipe for a few weeks now, guess I got a little greedy and tried to make an all backset wash. Been close to 18 hours and no bubbles to speak of yet. Should I just discard the 10 gallons I have trying to ferment and start over?

jake22si wrote:I have been running this recipe for a few weeks now, guess I got a little greedy and tried to make an all backset wash. Been close to 18 hours and no bubbles to speak of yet. Should I just discard the 10 gallons I have trying to ferment and start over?

Your pH is too low. You might could salvage it. Read this http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter15-4.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

If you try something, Id recommend pulling a gallon off, boiling it with the alkali of your choice, since they arent all that soluble in water, and stirring back in. You may need to repitch if the acid environment zapped your yeast.

Jimbo wrote:

jake22si wrote:I have been running this recipe for a few weeks now, guess I got a little greedy and tried to make an all backset wash. Been close to 18 hours and no bubbles to speak of yet. Should I just discard the 10 gallons I have trying to ferment and start over?

Your pH is too low. You might could salvage it. Read this http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter15-4.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

If you try something, Id recommend pulling a gallon off, boiling it with the alkali of your choice, since they arent all that soluble in water, and stirring back in. You may need to repitch if the acid environment zapped your yeast.

Thanks, I tossed it and started fresh. I knew it was too much when I did it and questioned myself as I did it but I did it anyways!

Don't feel bad Jake. Your not the only person who's made the mistake of using too much backset.
Just a suggestion. Next time don't use any backset but reuse the lees from the bottom of the fermenter.
This works especially well if the original ferment was less than 10 or 12%.

shadylane wrote:Don't feel bad Jake. Your not the only person who's made the mistake of using too much backset.
Just a suggestion. Next time don't use any backset but reuse the lees from the bottom of the fermenter.
This works especially well if the original ferment was less than 10 or 12%.

I did reuse the lees and it worked well when I used 50% backset. Should I add any new sweetfeed to the mix when I reuse the lees or is it just preference?

I always did a partial exchange along with the spent grains roughly 25%

jake22si wrote:

shadylane wrote:Don't feel bad Jake. Your not the only person who's made the mistake of using too much backset.
Just a suggestion. Next time don't use any backset but reuse the lees from the bottom of the fermenter.
This works especially well if the original ferment was less than 10 or 12%.

I did reuse the lees and it worked well when I used 50% backset. Should I add any new sweetfeed to the mix when I reuse the lees or is it just preference?

I take out some of the spent grain and replace it with fresh, then add my backset with sugar disolved in it and tap water to cool it down. It always starts right back up. The PH may drop over several generations, but easy enough to correct - just monitor it after setting up each new batch.

S-C

rolandt03 wrote: didn't know i had to read an entire forum to make sure it wasn't already mentioned!

You didn't. Try using the HD Google search engine.

Asking at Tractor Supply would have helped. Get a sales person and cut a small slit in the bag. Seal with tape. No Brainer.


You've been her 3 days. "Do a search" is a mantra here. Git used to it.


FMH.

you don't know the TSC in our area, they don't know the diff. between up and down. it said sweet feed on the bag so i took an $8 dollar gamble, not going to ask them to cut open a bag! big deal!
wont post my findings again thats for sure! not going to do a full research project just to know if its ok to post my findings- have better stuff to do than compare sausages over the internet!

Just picked up my first bag, it was marked all feed on it. Happy to report it is bubbling away nicely. Can not wait to run it.

rolandt03 wrote:you don't know the TSC in our area, they don't know the diff. between up and down. it said sweet feed on the bag so i took an $8 dollar gamble, not going to ask them to cut open a bag! big deal!
wont post my findings again thats for sure! not going to do a full research project just to know if its ok to post my findings- have better stuff to do than compare sausages over the internet!

It's a forum Dude. You got what all noob slackers get. Read or bleed

FreeMountainHermit wrote:Tractor Supply SKU 5021132 is what you want. I've seen the bags marked differently at times so pay attention to the SKU number. All grain. No pellets. I have 150 lbs. on my porch. Not all their stores carry it in my area so sometimes I have to drive. Sometimes one store will ship to another. Ask.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/p ... feed-50-lb" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

FMH.

Thanks. In my own search to find 'sweet feed' I've been frustrated. My local "Ranch & Home" that has an excellent selection of products for both ranch and home, carries Grainland Select as one of their major suppliers of feed. It is typical of what I find on the internet in terms of labeling deficiency. Each 50# bag looks identical, despite the contents. A tag is sewn in that is only a little more specific: "whole corn" or "cracked corn" and a short analysis about the % of fiber, fat and protein.
That's it. Even if the type of grain is identified, there's nothing about the proportion of each grain. Apparently this is an industry standard, because every sack I looked at has the same limited information. Nothing about whether or not it is pelletized. In the case of the whole corn I bought, there is nothing about vitamins, tho' it is obvious upon inspection that it includes vitamin pellets or some kind of pellet along with the whole corn.

The online disclosure for SKU 5021132 is equally uninformative:
"Producer's Pride® All Grain Feed is a wholesome mixture of corn, oats and barley with just a touch of molasses for that sweet "granola" flavor. It is designed as an energy source for mature maintenance or lightly-worked horses, cattle, goats, and sheep on good quality forage and a vitamin/mineral supplement.
Low in protein
Non-fortified
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min.) 10.00%, Crude Fat (min.) 2.00%, Crude Fiber (max.) 8.00%, Ruminant meat and bone meal free."

"A mixture of corn, oats, and barley" with a 'touch of molasses." There is no way to tell whether it is 1% corn or 99% corn, unless you open the bag.
This is what accounts for uncertainty when the buyer shops.

There is also no mention of whether any of these grains is ground, or if ground, how coarsely. Same with the 'Cracked Corn.' What does that mean? How finely or coarsely is the corn ground?

Well , there's what all of us have to deal with shopping for grain at the big box stores . They supply a guaranteed nutrient level for the specific animal species they have tailored a bag of feed for . Market conditions dictate to them how they meet those requirements . The only certain way to get what you want is to buy individual grains and mix what you want . I understand your frustration and am not doggin you . If these big box feed suppliere can meet their 'guaranteed nutrient analysis' with alfalfa pellets because they are cheaper than corn , that's what they will do . They don't care about a poor distiller that doesn't want his hooch to taste like boiled grass .

Lonesome Loins wrote:There is also no mention of whether any of these grains is ground, or if ground, how coarsely. Same with the 'Cracked Corn.' What does that mean? How finely or coarsely is the corn ground?

Its not really all that exact of a science. You are just making a sugar head liquor. The grains and feed are just thrown in for some nutrient and a little flavor profile. Oh yea, and to make it seem like you are a real back woods moonshiner......

Hound Dog wrote:

Lonesome Loins wrote:There is also no mention of whether any of these grains is ground, or if ground, how coarsely. Same with the 'Cracked Corn.' What does that mean? How finely or coarsely is the corn ground?

Its not really all that exact of a science. You are just making a sugar head liquor. The grains and feed are just thrown in for some nutrient and a little flavor profile. Oh yea, and to make it seem like you are a real back woods moonshiner......

Hound dog is right. a real moonshiner almost always finds small animal bones in their subs' spent mash when they're dumped out. The creek sands in it complete the flavor profile so it's hard to match everytime. A tip. Sweetfeed can easily (and quickly) get moldy in warm humid weather which will also add a grass flavor. It's real cheap to use but might need cold storage depending on where you live.

rolandt03 wrote: wont post my findings again thats for sure! not going to do a full research project just to know if its ok to post my findings- have better stuff to do than compare sausages over the internet!

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA !!!!! Most of us here have done a full research project. I had an Irish Setter that would get lost at the end of his leash,.............

http://www.brewersfriend.com/stats/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

http://homedistiller.org/calcs/rad14701" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

You're welcome, FMH.

Lonesome Loins wrote:There is also no mention of whether any of these grains is ground, or if ground, how coarsely. Same with the 'Cracked Corn.' What does that mean? How finely or coarsely is the corn ground?

Typical cracked corn is 6-8 per kernel any finer they refer to as griss or meal and finer then that is flour.

I went to Tractor supply and these guys are stupid OMFG!! First off they didn't have the SKU number I needed. My wife was like hey, this is the same thing....I;m like NO!!! Dammit...if we don't get the right SKU its not going to be the right stuff. She asks the lady(their
feed expert")....who says no pellets in this one and this one ect.... So not believing her I look it up online....PELLETS in every one!!! So not only does my TSC not carry the one I need they are effin' idiots. No one has manna pro either.
I went to the only other place down the road. Independent place. The guy(owner) knew every detail about everything he carried. The brand I got was a regionally manufactured brand. 14% protein and the only kind he had out of all of them that was all ground and pellet free. Grain, cracked corn, molasses. I'm hoping this will work.
If not then I will have some happy turkeys in the spring and I will move on from sweet feed to something else.

Here is a quote from the web page:

"high-fat, fully fortified blend of oats, flaked corn, and flaked barley wrapped in molasses and vegetable oil for excellent acceptance and palatability."


Anyone???


EDIT: ...I opened it up and its ground nicely. Not coarse. No large chunks at all. Seems like exactly what I need no?

Folks need to keep in mind that TSC is a general merchandise farm supply retail store. They sell anything from nuts and bolts to lawn mowers, tracter parts, stoves, pet food, candy, BB guns, clothing, near every damned thing else. Three fourths (or more) of the people they hire are hired for their ability to run a cash register. Talking with some of those folks, I found that some are horse people, a couple were dog trainers, and some had worked in hardware type stores like Home Depot or Lowe's. I think it would be rare to find one of their employees with specialized experience with types of feed grains. I'm lucky in that the guy at the TSC where I shop has stocked the grain department for ten or more years. He's not necessarily a grain expert, but he's learned which of the sweet feed bags contains pellets because people like me have asked him to open them. He also special orders the all grain stuff that we all use because he knows there are people like me who want it.

I would suggest that you talk to the folks at the grain store where you shop and find out if they can get it if they don't have it. If they are unwilling, or too stupid, then do like Truckinbutch said and mix your own. If you can't do that, then maybe you should find another recipe. A lot of people seem to like UJSSM. If you can't get cracked corn, then life is a bitch.

Just sayin',
S-C

S-Cackalacky wrote:Folks need to keep in mind that TSC is a general merchandise farm supply retail store. They sell anything from nuts and bolts to lawn mowers, tracter parts, stoves, pet food, candy, BB guns, clothing, near every damned thing else. Three fourths (or more) of the people they hire are hired for their ability to run a cash register. Talking with some of those folks, I found that some are horse people, a couple were dog trainers, and some had worked in hardware type stores like Home Depot or Lowe's. I think it would be rare to find one of their employees with specialized experience with types of feed grains. I'm lucky in that the guy at the TSC where I shop has stocked the grain department for ten or more years. He's not necessarily a grain expert, but he's learned which of the sweet feed bags contains pellets because people like me have asked him to open them. He also special orders the all grain stuff that we all use because he knows there are people like me who want it.

I would suggest that you talk to the folks at the grain store where you shop and find out if they can get it if they don't have it. If they are unwilling, or too stupid, then do like Truckinbutch said and mix your own. If you can't do that, then maybe you should find another recipe. A lot of people seem to like UJSSM. If you can't get cracked corn, then life is a bitch.

Just sayin',
S-C

This lady was called their feed expert by their manager. She was kind of a bitch too. But your point is dead on. Just like going to the plumbing section in lowes before 4 in the afternoon and talking to the older guy that knows everything about everything plumbing related. Then coming back around 8pm and trying to ask the dumbass 21 year old kid (who is just waiting for break time so he can smoke) a joint where something is.

ledyard wrote:

S-Cackalacky wrote:Folks need to keep in mind that TSC is a general merchandise farm supply retail store. They sell anything from nuts and bolts to lawn mowers, tracter parts, stoves, pet food, candy, BB guns, clothing, near every damned thing else. Three fourths (or more) of the people they hire are hired for their ability to run a cash register. Talking with some of those folks, I found that some are horse people, a couple were dog trainers, and some had worked in hardware type stores like Home Depot or Lowe's. I think it would be rare to find one of their employees with specialized experience with types of feed grains. I'm lucky in that the guy at the TSC where I shop has stocked the grain department for ten or more years. He's not necessarily a grain expert, but he's learned which of the sweet feed bags contains pellets because people like me have asked him to open them. He also special orders the all grain stuff that we all use because he knows there are people like me who want it.

I would suggest that you talk to the folks at the grain store where you shop and find out if they can get it if they don't have it. If they are unwilling, or too stupid, then do like Truckinbutch said and mix your own. If you can't do that, then maybe you should find another recipe. A lot of people seem to like UJSSM. If you can't get cracked corn, then life is a bitch.

Just sayin',
S-C

This lady was called their feed expert by their manager. She was kind of a bitch too. But your point is dead on. Just like going to the plumbing section in lowes before 4 in the afternoon and talking to the older guy that knows everything about everything plumbing related. Then coming back around 8pm and trying to ask the dumbass 21 year old kid (who is just waiting for break time so he can smoke) a joint where something is.

Expert probably means that she manages the inventory - that is, she orders the feed and stocks the shelves. Tell her (or the store manager) that you have some stock that require a special diet and could she please order some all grain sweet feed. I was told that they have to order a minimum of 10 bags at a time. I wouldn't think 10 bags would be much of a burden for them to handle. If they get bitchy about it, ask them for contact information for their district/regional manager. If they think you're gonna rock their nice comfy little boat, they might be a little more cooperative. Prepare first - get your story straight and maybe print off the page from their website so they're clear about what is you're asking for. If a person acts like a moron, they probably are one and just need a little forcefull persuasion to move forward.

Just sayin',
S-C

S-Cackalacky wrote:

ledyard wrote:

S-Cackalacky wrote:Folks need to keep in mind that TSC is a general merchandise farm supply retail store. They sell anything from nuts and bolts to lawn mowers, tracter parts, stoves, pet food, candy, BB guns, clothing, near every damned thing else. Three fourths (or more) of the people they hire are hired for their ability to run a cash register. Talking with some of those folks, I found that some are horse people, a couple were dog trainers, and some had worked in hardware type stores like Home Depot or Lowe's. I think it would be rare to find one of their employees with specialized experience with types of feed grains. I'm lucky in that the guy at the TSC where I shop has stocked the grain department for ten or more years. He's not necessarily a grain expert, but he's learned which of the sweet feed bags contains pellets because people like me have asked him to open them. He also special orders the all grain stuff that we all use because he knows there are people like me who want it.

I would suggest that you talk to the folks at the grain store where you shop and find out if they can get it if they don't have it. If they are unwilling, or too stupid, then do like Truckinbutch said and mix your own. If you can't do that, then maybe you should find another recipe. A lot of people seem to like UJSSM. If you can't get cracked corn, then life is a bitch.

Just sayin',
S-C

This lady was called their feed expert by their manager. She was kind of a bitch too. But your point is dead on. Just like going to the plumbing section in lowes before 4 in the afternoon and talking to the older guy that knows everything about everything plumbing related. Then coming back around 8pm and trying to ask the dumbass 21 year old kid (who is just waiting for break time so he can smoke) a joint where something is.

Expert probably means that she manages the inventory - that is, she orders the feed and stocks the shelves. Tell her (or the store manager) that you have some stock that require a special diet and could she please order some all grain sweet feed. I was told that they have to order a minimum of 10 bags at a time. I wouldn't think 10 bags would be much of a burden for them to handle. If they get bitchy about it, ask them for contact information for their district/regional manager. If they think you're gonna rock their nice comfy little boat, they might be a little more cooperative. Prepare first - get your story straight and maybe print off the page from their website so they're clear about what is you're asking for. If a person acts like a moron, they probably are one and just need a little forcefull persuasion to move forward.

Just sayin',
S-C

Yeah you're right. But the stuff I ended up getting looks great and should do me just fine. AND my money went to an independent guy, not some dick corporation
I hate giving my money to large corporations if I can help it.

I posted this on the continuous fermentation thread:
"I've got a basic 'sweetfeed' mash going, with corn, sugar, malted rye, and molasses. Because I got whole corn instead of cracked corn, I over compensated with sugar and added water the next day to dilute it since I had very high SG readings. Then of course I couldn't leave well enough alone, and started grinding some of that corn and throwing it in as well. Anyway, now, after 5 days, I've got about 18 gal bubbling away nicely in a 20 gal Brute container. Alcohol content maybe only 4 or 5% . Well, I'm out of likker , so I thought, 'why not just siphon off 5 gal to a carboy and distill it?' Then I thought,' why not do this continuously, siphoning off 5 to 10 gal. and putting it in my 15 gal keg/boiler for distilling; and keep replacing the fermenter with more sugar, water, ground corn and so forth, indefinitely.'
Other than distilling lower AV wash, is there any big problem with this procedure?"

I figger this ferment may go on for quite a while as it will take longer for the whole corn to succumb to little yeasties. So, why not siphon some off early?
I'm desperate. I went to Costco today and bought a bottle of their "American Vodka, distilled six times", just to tide me over.
Only mistake I made was also buying a big bottle of their 12 year old Scotch. I've been drinking vodka and moonshine long enough now that those fusel oils and whatever seemed harsh.

Hey guys, this sounds like a good recipe for after my current all bran run... But I have a newbie question... What do you guys mean when you "3rd or 4th generation"?

russman wrote:Hey guys, this sounds like a good recipe for after my current all bran run... But I have a newbie question... What do you guys mean when you "3rd or 4th generation"?

Read the Uncle Jessie sour mash thread instructions and it will give you the idea.

ledyard I appreciate your frustration trying to find SF in your area TSC stores but the fact of the matter is that it's something of an anomaly in that not all their stores carry it and that it can be a seasonal as well as a regional order for them. Go online using their store locator and type in the SKU # SF for that particular store and it should tell you if they have it in their inventory.

Tractor Supply SKU #5021132 is what you want.

FMH.