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[quote ="Canaanite How much molasses did you mix with the grain? [/quote]

I mixed 1/2 gallon food grade molasses with the grains and sugar in approx. 12-13 gallon mash. (Two batches from 1 gallon)
My grains were 1/3 each by volume.

I have run out a 50 pound bag of sweetfeed whiskey and this is a great recipe. everyone loves it. I age it on blocks of applewood.

The 4" inches on the bottom is 7.5 pounds for me. My recipe was 7.5 lbs sweetfeed, 7.5 pounds sugar, 1/2 cup yeast. Runs like a charm.

No extra nutrients, oyster shells, DAP, fertilizer or additives? Just the feed, sugar and yeast? PH of water?

Down_Home52 wrote:No extra nutrients, oyster shells, DAP, fertilizer or additives? Just the feed, sugar and yeast? PH of water?

Yep, just like the recipes on Page 1 explain... It really can be that simple...

Down_Home52 wrote:No extra nutrients, oyster shells, DAP, fertilizer or additives? Just the feed, sugar and yeast? PH of water?

Well oyster shells are not nutrients.

Successive generations of this recipe may require a few handfuls of oyster shells to prevent pH drop.

But aside from that, grain has everything the yeast needs.

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rad14701 wrote:

Down_Home52 wrote:No extra nutrients, oyster shells, DAP, fertilizer or additives? Just the feed, sugar and yeast? PH of water?

Yep, just like the recipes on Page 1 explain... It really can be that simple...

+1 rad! This is my go to recipe and it IS that simple. Everybody wants to add this or that and it doesn't need it! All new guys should run the recipe EXACTLY as its shown in the first page of this post. Learn to run it, then play with the recipe( although I can't imagine why)!

Bought 50# of 100% grain sweet feed today. As soon as I get my first run of corn sugar wash ran I am starting 40 gallons of sweet feed wash. That stuff has everything you need in it!! Will it be OK to use pure corn sugar in the recipe?

Down_Home52 wrote:...Will it be OK to use pure corn sugar in the recipe?

You can...but it is more expensive than white (cane) sugar. Corn sugar is primarily dextrose. Cane sugar is sucrose. Both are fermentable. But they taste differently in the fermented wash. It might make your distillate taste a little different too. Again, they both ferment so you'll get ethanol out.

It all depends if you want to spend the money. Most here don't, so they use cane sugar. YMMV.
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I have 70 pounds of Dextrose on hand. It was $60 shipped for 100#. I used 30# in my corn sugar wash. Need to use the open bag up at least. The sweet feed I picked up was 50# of 100% grain Producers Pride.

Mixed up an 18 gallon wash just now of sweet feed. Went by the original recipe. Two things, guessing the grain and molasses impact SG? Mine started at 1.045 using 8 pounds grain and 7 pounds sugar per 6 gallons. Also, after putting sugar and feed in a 44 gallon primary and adding 7 gallons of boiling water I was down to 120 degrees in 30 minutes. Did a lot of stirring to make sure all sugar was dissolved so that cooled it quick. Am I OK? Warmed additional water so I would not chill below 90F when I added it. Pitched yeast at 90 degrees. Did not do a starter on the yeast. I used Red Star and sprinkled it in and then stirred. Found a great SS paddle for large quantities of wash. 42" Bayou Classic SS. Heavy and really works well in the grain. Cheap too!! $24 on Amazon.

244,000 views of this topic....everyone must have moved on to something else??

Down_Home52 wrote: Found a great SS paddle for large quantities of wash. 42" Bayou Classic SS. Heavy and really works well in the grain. Cheap too!! $24 on Amazon.

Good tip on the paddle.

Down_Home52 wrote:244,000 views of this topic....everyone must have moved on to something else??

Well, it's probably more like after this many posts in the topic most everything has been said... Only individual problems with ferments or distilling should require addressing...

I was bouncing what I saw from "doing" against what the OP listed in the very first post. Was just looking for feedback. Was wondering if SG with that much stuff floating around was relevant, seemed low, and if not staying at the higher temp for 90 minutes was an issue. It is working off so I guess the point is moot. Thanks.

Down_Home52 wrote:I was bouncing what I saw from "doing" against what the OP listed in the very first post. Was just looking for feedback. Was wondering if SG with that much stuff floating around was relevant, seemed low, and if not staying at the higher temp for 90 minutes was an issue. It is working off so I guess the point is moot. Thanks.

You could have kept it at 90 degrees the whole time...wouldn't have mattered as you weren't mashing the grains. Temp. (apart from high enough to help the sugar dissolve, and low enough for the yeast to propagate) is irrelevant to a sugarhead recipe, as long as it is within spec for the conversion process. The process outlined in the recipe is not meant to try to convert grain starches into sugars the yeast can eat, pooping ethyl alcohol...it's meant to convert the added sugar to yeast pooped ethyl alcohol.

Gratitude. Looks like the sweet feed would be a good product to run for an AG wash. Mine was mostly cracked corn.

Did 2 spirit runs of 1-4 generation strips in my simple keg-boiler pot still, using fresh mash to dilute the low wines below 40%. I dumped the first quart of fores/heads and collected in pints. My shop is full of numbered pints covered with coffee filters! The hearts seemed to really stretch out and tasted good all the way down to 40 ABV. Everything under 40 down to 20 ABV I ran into my feints jug.

I did the runs slow, running at 10%, then 15%, then 20% power toward the end, using my power controller I posted in the electric section. It took over 7 hours for each run, running a very thin "pencil lead" interrupted stream. ABV was right around 80 to start and in the 70s and high 60s for most of the run. It tastes great right off the still, and I am very pleased.

Question: I noticed that when you get close to and into tails, the distillate stream starts "wagging" or kinda twirling. Is this why they call it "tails"?

Each batch was about 5 gal low wines and 5 gal 4th gen SF wash, and I got about 3 gallons of product (before cuts). I plan to let it air out and do the cuts over the next couple days, then into glass jugs with a strip of toasted white oak. I will keep some white at high proof for making apple pie or Strawberry PD for friends; I don't care much for flavored stuff; I like it plain or oaked.

GREAT RECIPE!

Ps I used one 50 lb bag of PP all-grain for all of this. That is dang cheap. Next up - UJSSM.

What size boiler and column? I have about 1-1/2 gallons of corn sugar low wines at 50-55% abv from two stripping runs of corn sugar wash. I have 20 gallons of first generation SF ready to run in a couple of days. I used corn sugar in it. Was thinking about doing a spirit run with the corn sugar low wines diluted with SF wash instead of water. What do you think? I ran my stripping runs like a spirit run of the corn sugar wash. Made conservative cuts. I have a gallon of some really nice hearts, had a little bite, that I put on oak today. Figured it couldn't hurt to try. I also mixed a quart of 110proof at about 50/50 with some stout banana wine I had. Whoa baby what a drink!!!!! As soon as I get the corn sugar product squared away it's on for 4-5 generations of SF. I love opening the primary and smelling the wash. BTW using a 15.5 gallon SS boiler and 3" copper column. Liebig condenser. I too ran a toothpick size stream even on the stripping run.

BTW I bought some toasted/charred oak sticks off ebay. They are about 5"x1/2"x1/2". I put 10-12 of them in the gallon of hearts at 55%abv. They have been in there for 24 hours and I am seeing no color change. The claims by the seller was that it would be only a few hours before they started to impart flavor and color. Suggestions?

Down_Home52 wrote:BTW I bought some toasted/charred oak sticks off ebay. They are about 5"x1/2"x1/2". I put 10-12 of them in the gallon of hearts at 55%abv. They have been in there for 24 hours and I am seeing no color change. The claims by the seller was that it would be only a few hours before they started to impart flavor and color. Suggestions?

Your starting abv may be part of it. Most distilleries oak at 62-65 abv, but apart from that I don't know anything about those ebay sticks or their preparation.

Personally I like to use french oak cubes (medium plus toast) for my SF, like the ones listed here, particularly the one lb bag listed at the bottom, which is the most economical: http://valleyvintner.com/wine/WE-50-5305.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

About 12 to 15 cubes per half-gallon and I start seeing color change within an hour or so...

Thanks Konrad. Had seen where others (T Pee) were oaking at 50-55% but that could be the problem. I have yet to accomplish 62-65% abv other than the heads. I am going to leave them for a week or so and if nothing happens I will filter the product and add that gallon back into my spirit run. Thanks for the tip on the cubes. I can't get that link to load yet but my computer is slow this morning. I have some applewood that is aged that I was going to split and char myself but didn't want to screw up the first batch so went with the purchased sticks. This is all new to me but being able to back up, blend, re-distill etc makes it less tedious to try something different.

Yeah...only way I'm able to get that high an abv throughout a combined hearts portion is that I'm using a thump.

When I ordered my still I ordered a 90 degree elbow coming off the top of the column with a ferrule to add a thumper. It would go in place of the Liebig. I have not packed the column yet but will do so on my spirit run to see where it gets on %abv without a thumper. Do you charge your thumper with feints or wash?

Sometimes wash, but usually just water, saved to be added back to the next run.

Cheap packing idea...all copper scrubby pads from the kitchen cleansers section of your local supermarket...just be sure they are all copper.

I've got 6 gallons of SF in the carboy that was bubbling good for 4 days, today is day 5 and it slowed significantly. I did a FG reading and it was 1.000, however the color is more like an apple cider than a dark beer. Wondering if I should let it sit for a few more days based on the color?

Color can be a light Amber to a dark color depending on how much molasses is in it. I would let it sit a few more days just to see if the gravity drops anymore.

My first batch of 15 gallons on the left....

How much variation do you guys find in different brands of SF?

Has anyone came across a brand that didn't make good whiskey?

Jesus turned water into wine, we turn wine into shine.

I have the exact same fermenter. Perfect for me to do 2 strips and a 1.5 spirit for my rum and AG whiskey (after much practice and help from these guys). Your work area looks a little more spacious and tidy than mine does.

Hillbilly Popstar wrote:Has anyone came across a brand that didn't make good whiskey?

Ummm...almost any of the ones with pellets?