Home Distiller

Bah, you're right, I'm just thinking that I shut down while collecting at 45%. Early-morning brain fart.

Now I'm curious what ABV it really is.

I'd guess maybe 3.

raketemensch wrote:Bah, you're right, I'm just thinking that I shut down while collecting at 45%. Early-morning brain fart.

Now I'm curious what ABV it really is.

If it's leftovers from a spirit run, chuck your alcoholometer in it. If it's backset from strip run. Boil some and take the temp.

I'm on 8th gen now.truly happy with the product.I have been doing low and slow single runs on a potstill and am happy with the results.I've been saving only the tails from the runs and will soon have enough to run.has anybody done an all tails ujssm run?if so what might I expect as a final product?Thanks in advance.

aceswired wrote:I'd guess maybe 3.

Just to not leave this hanging, it was 5%.

Sooo... I have a winemaking glass carboy (sitting in a bucket in case it cracks) and it is now 3/4 full of the UJ.

And, after more than a month in the mail, my 240V power relay controller finally arrived!!

So I'm ready to start thinking about a spirit run. I might wait until I strip a few more times though. I think I might have to buy some more canning jars as well!

quick question - I've got 4 gens of low wines sitting now. Should I drop en all into my next mash (5th gen) or mix em and run em all together as a spirit run?

Good question! I suspect there will be several different opinions on the matter!!! I am wondering about the pros and cons of that as well, since I will be doing my first spirit run in the next two days....

If you put it in the mash, you'll kill the yeast.

I usually hold some of the last wash back to add to the spirit run, working out what %abv I want, then calculating how much to keep aside.

Oh - I guess I didn't read the above question that closely... I just assumed it was a) mix the spirit run with some fresh wash, or b) do the spirit run totally on its own.

Yeah for sure you could only expect bad stuff to happen if you put low wines in your fermenter!!!

Quick question on my UJ...
Just started my second gen. Stripped the first gen and used 2 gallons of backset to about 5 gallons water. Added 7 lb sugar to the 7 gallons of water/backset over my corn/yeast. Checked SG and it was only 1.030... I assumed I have extra wash from first gen going uncounted and I added more sugar. I have a total of about 12 lb sugar added to what appears to be about 10 gallons water/backset/wash (pure guess on volume here). Calculated SG from parent sight and it should be 1.055 but I see 1.05-ish (just a shade under).
Anyone know why my SG isn't up to spec? Is it the fact that there is wash in my measurements?

rgreen2002 wrote:Quick question on my UJ...
Just started my second gen. Stripped the first gen and used 2 gallons of backset to about 5 gallons water. Added 7 lb sugar to the 7 gallons of water/backset over my corn/yeast. Checked SG and it was only 1.030... I assumed I have extra wash from first gen going uncounted and I added more sugar. I have a total of about 12 lb sugar added to what appears to be about 10 gallons water/backset/wash (pure guess on volume here). Calculated SG from parent sight and it should be 1.055 but I see 1.05-ish (just a shade under).
Anyone know why my SG isn't up to spec? Is it the fact that there is wash in my measurements?

What was the temp of it when you checked the gravity?

Not too far off really.
12 lbs added to about 10 gal.

Snackson wrote: What was the temp of it when you checked the gravity?

Great point and I forgot to include it...about 60-65 degrees.

Kegg_jam wrote:Not too far off really.

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12 lbs added to about 10 gal.

KJ - Agreed. I got somewhat similar results. But with the 7 gallons to 7 lb:
It should be 1.046...and I was way off there(1.03). 5 extra Lb of sugar to get to 1.05 seems a bit much for standard error and I'm guessing there is wash under my corn adding to the total volume...? That's all I can guess unless I missed something. Just covering all bases.
So "adjusting" to an SG 1.05 sounds ok to everyone in this situation?

BTW she's bubbling away right now...looks and smells good! Seems like progress to me.

This is the first mash I have tried doing. How do you all determine when the mash is ready to be run? Waiting for bubbles to stop, checking it's gravity, just not sure the best way. Thanks

Waiting for bubbles to stop is better, because you don't have to open the fermenter and risk an infection. And if you did not open it, it is no risk to wait a few days longer.
But in any case check the FG before distilling.

How long can it sit before going bad after it stops bubbling?

Long as you leave the lid on it and don't mess with it it'll last months.

Thank You. I use air locks so all looks good

I use a trashcan with lid and the longest I've let one set is 5 weeks after completion. And I opened it once 3 days into fermentation and again at seven. If your using sealed fermenter with airlocks it should be good for quite a while. Multiple months I'm thinking.

Wow, that's pretty wild. I didn't know if it would mess with it or not.

I float a hydrometer in each fermenter and Always check at three and seven days and the only infection I've ever had was my last ujssm and it went 21 generations before that happened. Between the co2 layer that builds up and the low pH its pretty hard to infect a ferment unless you just won't leave it alone. At least in my experience.

If you have the means, you could try lagering for several weeks to get some fruity esters going. As a home distiller there are no rules you have to abide by, so be inventive.

NZChris wrote:If you have the means, you could try lagering for several weeks to get some fruity esters going. As a home distiller there are no rules you have to abide by, so be inventive.

Sorry for the question, still in the learning phase, beginner learner phase, but I am not sure what you mean?

BTR Kentucky wrote:

NZChris wrote:If you have the means, you could try lagering for several weeks to get some fruity esters going. As a home distiller there are no rules you have to abide by, so be inventive.

Sorry for the question, still in the learning phase, beginner learner phase, but I am not sure what you mean?

BTR,

Brewing is fundamental (core skills) for distilling. I believe you should join a homebrewing forum and learn those skills. Or even read through the threads in the Mashing & Fermentation forum. You'll need those skills to be successful with this (distillation) hobby.

We can't spoon feed your lack of training. There is plenty of knowledge available if you use your resources. This forum (the T&T) is for discussions about this recipe, not brewing and distilling training.
ss

In my opinion you shouldn't cold crash(lager) multi generational fermentations.
You want some yeast to be boiled in the pot to provide nutrient for the next batch.

Hi trying to understand the process of the sour mashing. So far I have only done all grain but looking to do a couple quick turn arounds and have some fruit flavored shine for a family party. Tonight I'll be stripping my last all grain mash before I start sour. My question is can i use the backset and spent grain from that to start my first sour mash?

Current mash
10# flaked maze
2.5# of 6 row
1.25# of rye

would my steps change at all from doing a standard UJSM 2nd gen ?

Steve3730 wrote:would my steps change at all from doing a standard UJSM 2nd gen ?

Not at all. I would scoop out a third of the trub and add corn the same as I do for UJSSM, dump the backset hot onto the sugar to get some inversion, then follow the method without change.

ok so i did this tonight, took half the grain out and left the trub, added 3.75 gallons of warm water to the trub and added the grain back the the fermenter, added 3.5lbs of flaked maze, took 1.5 gallons of back set added 8lbs of cane sugar cooled it too 75 degrees, added it to fermentor and pitched some more yeast. OG was 1.073

So after this ferments I do a stripping run collect the low wines and repeat the mash and repeat until I have enough low wines to do a spirit cut

This process correct?

Yep

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