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Posted: **Thu Jan 05, 2017 12:06 pm**

Oldvine Zin wrote:Hey Jimbo - did you do your hefe panela batch??

OVZ

I did not, damn 50 lb sack of Panela been sittin here goin on near a year.

To be honest I aint done much but some daily testing on a bourbon and triple smoke I recently unbarrelled. I got so damn many gallons of this and that put up, and been so busy on other shit I aint found the motivation to do much but brew beer when the kegs are running low.

Happy New Year Bud.

Cheers.

Posted: **Thu Jan 05, 2017 10:05 pm**

Jimbo wrote:
I did not, damn 50 lb sack of Panela been sittin here goin on near a year. To be honest I aint done much but some daily testing on a bourbon and triple smoke I recently unbarrelled. I got so damn many gallons of this and that put up, and been so busy on other shit I aint found the motivation to do much but brew beer when the kegs are running low.

Happy New Year Bud.

Cheers.

Your triple smoke sounds good! Not sure if I f-up the hefe experiment but it's still bubbling a few weeks later(smells great but not sure i it's worth it) The bakers yeast batch that I started a couple days ago is almost finished but doesn't have those great clove and banana notes.
Happy new year

OVZ

Posted: **Fri Jan 06, 2017 8:41 pm**

It's been over 20 days since I started my hefe experiment started at 15 brix and is only down to 9 - great clove and banana on the nose but...Time to move on. Brought the carboys up from the cellar to the kitchen where it's warmer re pitched each one with 100 ml of good old bakers starter.

The batch that I started two days ago might finish before this one.

OVZ

Posted: **Fri Jan 06, 2017 8:52 pm**

Look at all those children...so well behaved. A proud "papa" you mst be.
ss

Posted: **Sat Jan 07, 2017 1:43 pm**

I haven't been out to look at my ferment in a few days.
Yesterday I got my new InkBird ITC-306 controller and today tested it in a pan of water, works great.
So I just went out and put it in the fermenter and set the temperature to 75F.
I don't know if my aquarium heater is up to the task, the wash is at 49.5F currently.
It's also looking "different"...
Here's a picture:

: Some sort of infection

Posted: **Sat Jan 07, 2017 2:17 pm**

I haven't even started my rum batches from our last purchase of panela. In fact all I have done is purchased containers to hold my grains and sugars.

Posted: **Sat Jan 07, 2017 2:42 pm**

Bushman wrote:I haven't even started my rum batches from our last purchase of panela. In fact all I have done is purchased containers to hold my grains and sugars.

It's pretty cold here to be trying to ferment outdoors.
If it was easy everyone would be doing it!

Posted: **Sat Jan 07, 2017 2:50 pm**

I think my dunder is pretty active!
I poured it into the BOP while the wash was hot, didn't boil it though.

Posted: **Sat Jan 07, 2017 8:35 pm**

The restarted hefe ferment is finally dropping brix and the new ferment is already finished

Combined going to have over 60 gal to run

OVZ

Posted: **Sat Jan 07, 2017 8:46 pm**

nerdybrewer wrote:I think my dunder is pretty active!
I poured it into the BOP while the wash was hot, didn't boil it though.

Looks familiar

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2017 9:34 am**

Oldvine Zin wrote:The restarted hefe ferment is finally dropping brix and the new ferment is already finished Combined going to have over 60 gal to run

OVZ

That's a long day at the still my friend!
Or I suppose you could do a run a day and stretch it out over time.

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2017 10:12 am**

Just purchased a used 5 gallon Balcones Whiskey Barrel for my panela rum. I figure a 25 gallon run of low wines will get me enough to fill it. They also have 8 and 10 gallon barrels now.

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2017 10:38 am**

Snackson wrote:Just purchased a used 5 gallon Balcones Whiskey Barrel for my panela rum. I figure a 25 gallon run of low wines will get me enough to fill it. They also have 8 and 10 gallon barrels now.

I have one of those, my experience was (on my first fill) that I got a lot of color quickly.
It aged pretty quickly too, my first fill was with Scotch and since then it's been used for rum.
Mine had no leaks when filled (I just put my scotch in it without any pre-conditioning, no water first or rinsing out etc).

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2017 11:41 am**

nerdybrewer wrote:
That's a long day at the still my friend!
Or I suppose you could do a run a day and stretch it out over time.

Well I'll put Lynezy, my 4" stripper to the test and try to get it done in a day.

OVZ

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2017 3:42 pm**

The plan is to age for a year at 116-120 proof in the barrel. What doesn't fit will go into jars and remain white. Then I'm going to turn focus to whiskey for a little while and get enough to fill a Gibbs barrel, just gotta figure out what recipe I want to make.

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2017 4:10 pm**

Snackson wrote:The plan is to age for a year at 116-120 proof in the barrel. What doesn't fit will go into jars and remain white. Then I'm going to turn focus to whiskey for a little while and get enough to fill a Gibbs barrel, just gotta figure out what recipe I want to make.

If you're anything like me you have hundreds of pounds of Panela and hundreds of pounds of grains sitting waiting for the ice outside to thaw out enough to run water through your hose so you can run that last ferment so you can start another.

In the north if you can't BBQ or run whisky in the dead of winter you're just not trying hard enough!

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2017 4:30 pm**

nerdybrewer wrote:
Snackson wrote:The plan is to age for a year at 116-120 proof in the barrel. What doesn't fit will go into jars and remain white. Then I'm going to turn focus to whiskey for a little while and get enough to fill a Gibbs barrel, just gotta figure out what recipe I want to make.

If you're anything like me you have hundreds of pounds of Panela and hundreds of pounds of grains sitting waiting for the ice outside to thaw out enough to run water through your hose so you can run that last ferment so you can start another.

In the north if you can't BBQ or run whisky in the dead of winter you're just not trying hard enough!

Lol. I BBQ year around but today has been the warmest day on weeks and it's 25 degrees Fahrenheit! We were in single digits for quite a while and that does NOT include wind chill! Frozen pipes IN the house. I love where I live but this is a down side to it. Can't wait to be able run this Panela!

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2017 4:41 pm**

nerdybrewer wrote:
Snackson wrote:The plan is to age for a year at 116-120 proof in the barrel. What doesn't fit will go into jars and remain white. Then I'm going to turn focus to whiskey for a little while and get enough to fill a Gibbs barrel, just gotta figure out what recipe I want to make.

If you're anything like me you have hundreds of pounds of Panela and hundreds of pounds of grains sitting waiting for the ice outside to thaw out enough to run water through your hose so you can run that last ferment so you can start another.

In the north if you can't BBQ or run whisky in the dead of winter you're just not trying hard enough!

Minus the cold part. I gave that up when I joined the military back in '01 and left Michigan. Living in Southern California now. I have 300# panela, 50 pounds 2 row, 50# white wheat, 50# white corn, 50# blue corn, 5 gallons baking blackstrap molasses, and almost 15 gallons pilsner LME. Lots of stuff to run! The pilsner LME was free and is going to get hit with enzymes so it'll ferment dry and going to turn that into vodka.

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2017 7:18 pm**

Snackson wrote: Minus the cold part. I gave that up when I joined the military back in '01 and left Michigan. Living in Southern California now. I have 300# panela, 50 pounds 2 row, 50# white wheat, 50# white corn, 50# blue corn, 5 gallons baking blackstrap molasses, and almost 15 gallons pilsner LME. Lots of stuff to run! The pilsner LME was free and is going to get hit with enzymes so it'll ferment dry and going to turn that into vodka.

You F-ing so cal boys

Just jealous

OVZ

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 12:14 am**

Oldvine Zin wrote:
Snackson wrote: Minus the cold part. I gave that up when I joined the military back in '01 and left Michigan. Living in Southern California now. I have 300# panela, 50 pounds 2 row, 50# white wheat, 50# white corn, 50# blue corn, 5 gallons baking blackstrap molasses, and almost 15 gallons pilsner LME. Lots of stuff to run! The pilsner LME was free and is going to get hit with enzymes so it'll ferment dry and going to turn that into vodka.
You F-ing so cal boys Just jealous

OVZ

All y'all assholes with your organized group panela buy....

while I'm all by myself in the top right corner of Texas with herd life molly,soo jealous!

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 12:29 am**

jb-texshine wrote: All y'all assholes with your organized group panela buy.... while I'm all by myself in the top right corner of Texas with herd life molly,soo jealous!

Heck, I had to buy 500# solo as I couldn't find anyone else that was interested in the area. I couldn't pass the deal up and have since been able to offload 100# of it.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 6:22 am**

nerdybrewer wrote:If you're anything like me you have hundreds of pounds of Panela and hundreds of pounds of grains sitting waiting for the ice outside to thaw out enough to run water through your hose so you can run that last ferment so you can start another. .

Amen brother! Sounds exactly like my current situation. Too cold in the garage to do anything for more than 5 minutes. It's cold enough to hang meat out there.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 8:03 am**

My garage has been an extension of my refrigerator storing things that should be refrigerated.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 9:04 am**

Sounds like you guys need to dry age some steaks out there.

Posted: **Tue Jan 10, 2017 8:59 am**

Snackson wrote:Sounds like you guys need to dry age some steaks out there.

Now you've done it. You've given me another reason to go to Costco and buy that rack of Prime Rib and dry age it. I can taste it already.

Posted: **Tue Jan 10, 2017 11:40 am**

Euphoria wrote:
Snackson wrote:Sounds like you guys need to dry age some steaks out there.
Now you've done it. You've given me another reason to go to Costco and buy that rack of Prime Rib and dry age it. I can taste it already.

I picked one up from Costco and made prime rib for NYE. Been thinking about getting a small mini fridge to dry age steaks, just started reading up on it is where I got the idea from.

On another note, what PH do most of you get with your panela when using dunder? I used 8 gallons fresh out of the boiler in my latest 30 gallon batch with 50# panela and it looks to be stalling right now. 88 degrees and had a cup of oyster shells added at the beginning. Started at 1.065 and sitting at 1.018 after a week. PH was 4.0 so I might bump it up with some gypsum.

Posted: **Tue Jan 10, 2017 12:28 pm**

Snackson wrote:
Euphoria wrote:
Snackson wrote:Sounds like you guys need to dry age some steaks out there.
Now you've done it. You've given me another reason to go to Costco and buy that rack of Prime Rib and dry age it. I can taste it already.
I picked one up from Costco and made prime rib for NYE. Been thinking about getting a small mini fridge to dry age steaks, just started reading up on it is where I got the idea from.

On another note, what PH do most of you get with your panela when using dunder? I used 8 gallons fresh out of the boiler in my latest 30 gallon batch with 50# panela and it looks to be stalling right now. 88 degrees and had a cup of oyster shells added at the beginning. Started at 1.065 and sitting at 1.018 after a week. PH was 4.0 so I might bump it up with some gypsum.

Have you tried a Refractometer?
The hydrometer may not be the best tool for this type of thing, you have a lot of stuff in your wash that isn't fermentable (but it adds to flavor in the final product).
You've got over 25% dunder (was 30 gallons the whole batch or was it 30 +8?).
Does it taste sweet, or sour?
Brix plus calculation would give you a better read on what's happening in there.
Fermenting Panela is what convinced me to use the refractometer.
Also used it with my recent corn / wheat / oats ferment - a thick gooey mess.
Guess what I'm saying is it could very well be all done!

Posted: **Tue Jan 10, 2017 1:21 pm**

Yep, ~26% dunder. 30 gallon total ferment. I threw the shells in there to try to buffer it, which it is doing as it is still slightly fermenting, albeit a lot slower than start.

Checked with refractometer, 16 brix to start, sitting at 9 right now. I know there's going to be some unfermentables in there but it should get closer to 1.005. Gonna let it go til weekend and check it out then. Need to pick up another 30 gallon fermenter cause my barrel gets here Thursday and I want to get it filled before the end of the month.

Posted: **Tue Jan 10, 2017 1:34 pm**

Snackson wrote:Yep, ~26% dunder. 30 gallon total ferment. I threw the shells in there to try to buffer it, which it is doing as it is still slightly fermenting, albeit a lot slower than start.

Checked with refractometer, 16 brix to start, sitting at 9 right now. I know there's going to be some unfermentables in there but it should get closer to 1.005. Gonna let it go til weekend and check it out then. Need to pick up another 30 gallon fermenter cause my barrel gets here Thursday and I want to get it filled before the end of the month.

There are several online calculators for figuring the true final gravity.
Here is one:
http://onebeer.net/refractometer.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

From "Calculating Finishing Gravity with a Refractometer is Nuts" by Jeremy Short
(here is how to do it if you don't trust the online calculator or are a serious math nerd)

Refraction Index = sin(I)/sin(r)

The refractometer is already designed to do all that work for you. Cool. Easy. Now we get to the problem. Just as sugar content impacts the angle in which your leg bends so too does alcohol. Damn. What a pain. But there’s good news! Some people, who are much smarter than me, figured out how to get over this little inconvenience and still make the refractometer useful for working out the finishing gravity of a beer. And here it is:

SG = 1.001843 - 0.002318474*OB - 0.000007775*OB*OB - 0.000000034*OB*OB*OB + 0.00574*FB + 0.00003344*FB*FB + 0.000000086*FB*FB*FB

Where: SG is estimated specific gravity of the sample; OB is Original Brix; and FB is Final Brix

Posted: **Tue Jan 10, 2017 1:49 pm**

Yep, giving it approx 1.017, by using your calc and the one from northern brewer. Just going to be patient with it and check again Saturday.

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