sweetfeed whisky

[Honest_Liberty]

Denver metro, feed supply store:
Says "FEED" on bag.
Corn, oats, barley, molasses.
That's it.
You should see nothing else listed and someone already put up photos. Molasses drenched Crushed grains and nothing else

[30xs]

Looks like the only way I’m going to be able to try this is mix my own. I can purchase everything individually locally, but in order to keep from messing up I thought I would ask here.

1. Good old corn.
2. Oats, crimped or rolled? Thinking rolled
3. Barley, they had a had two optioned. Steamed or just barley?

Thanks if advance for helping me get the right ingredients. Heading in to pick them up tomorrow/toady.

[Twisted Brick]

Looks like the only way I’m going to be able to try this is mix my own. I can purchase everything individually locally, but in order to keep from messing up I thought I would ask here.

1. Good old corn.
2. Oats, crimped or rolled? Thinking rolled
3. Barley, they had a had two optioned. Steamed or just barley?

Thanks if advance for helping me get the right ingredients. Heading in to pick them up tomorrow/toady.

I really like the concept/freedom of mixing your own sweetfeed and have previously researched exactly what you are looking for. In order to optimize such a mash, I recommend grinding your corn (or using cornmeal), utilizing glucanase rests with whatever oats you decide to use, fancy molasses, and just go with barley malt since its cheaper than flaked and brings enzymes to the party. This assumes you will be using exogenous enzymes to help in conversion.

Here's my thread if you haven't read it already.

[30xs]

Here’s my list:
50# whole oats. 9.80
50# whole corn. 6.10
50# steam rolled barley. 13.80
15# molasses. 5.45

Ran corn through the corona single pass to fine crack with some flour. Ran oats and barley through at a 1/4 turn tighter on the plates. Did a 5 gallon pail of each, much respect to the hand grinders out there. Decided on triple batch for the fermenter. Here’s where I’m a little confused on the recipe. 4” was quoted to be ~7.5 pounds. Triple would have been 12” in a bucket. I know the oats grew due to the husks opening but 7 pounds of oats and barley filled a 5 gallon bucket. I can test #5 of unground oats to see what they equate to, but not sure it would all fit by the given weights. Either way it’s in the barrel now with 7 gallon of boiling poured over and I tossed in a little amylase to see what happens.

[hellbilly007]

I left enough for one boiler charge on the sweet feed through the fall and winter. It got a lacto infection, which I am fine with. Now it has a strong acetone odor to it. Has anyone experienced anything like that? By the way, the lacto infection "cap" has fallen to the trub.

Does a lacto infection create excess ethyl acetate, if left over an extended period of time?

[Durhommer]

I have some red star 9804 dady will this have adverse effects on the recipe or should I stick to the bakers?

[acfixer69]

That will work fine.

[Durhommer]

Sweet thanks it won't effect wash ferment time any ?

[30xs]

Quick question. Being a multigenerational ferment are people pulling only the liquid down to the grain, or squeezing them before tossing them back into the drum to start the next ferment?

[Honest_Liberty]

I press my ferment through a mop wringer to within an inch of the bottom of grains so as to avoid extra yeast in the dirty charge. I toss the grains... For now. Not interested in a gumballhead

[30xs]

This recipe is essentially a multigenerational gumballhead. I was just curious about the liquid left in the grains. 2-3 gallon left in the grains would be space that could be used to create new alcohol instead of being recycled through the next ferment.

Excellent recipe by the way. Stripping four runs at about 11 gallons each gave me almost 10 gallon of low wines. After a long drawn out spirit run I wound up with a very conservative 2 gallon after cuts. Fourth pint seemed to go to hearts in the last few ounces and held solid for the next 7-8 jars. Planning on keeping it white, does this seem to be a fairly accurate yield compared to what others are seeing?

[Grog]

Now that I have been distilling neutrals for a while, I am appreciating clearing my wash and running the end product through a carbon filter. With sweet feed, I always dumped the fermenter into the boiler through a paint strainer bag and stopped when I saw the bottom yeast about to spill in. Would this recipie benefit from pouring the wash into another fermenter, clearing it, then double distilling it(I always double distill SF). Also, has anyone run SF through a carbon filter? Is it worth it or does it strip out a lot of the flavor?

[Honest_Liberty]

I have not run it through a carbon filter. It is quite delicious as is.
I much prefer the corn + enzymes approach as it yields a much smoother drop with more of the grain flavor profile. Much drier, very, very smooth. I've given my taste notes recently in this thread. It is worth the extra time and effort in my estimation. I just use a mop wringer and run it dirty. No problems as of yet.

[Stob]

This was my first run. Keg pot, column and Liebig, all cleaned and cleaning run done. Followed the recipe at the beginning of this thread, all grain sweet feed, 4" in buckets, 5# sugar and 1 packet of yeast. Bubbled along fine for 5 days, this morning with a coverage of floating grain on the top. This morning, most of the grain had sunk to the bottom, so I siphoned it off and had 5 full gallons of wash. Ran this slow. A small/fine stream of liquid, took about 20-25 minutes to fill a quart jar. Tossed the first 6 ounces then started collecting. Right after the heads tossed, I had 118proof and filled a quart jar. Then it was running at 100proof, ran a quart of that. 3rd started at 80proof, and towards the end of the 3rd quart it was at 60proof. I stopped it there. Right or wrong, I combined the 3 jars then refilled them mixing it all.

I've read to not expect the best from the first run, the second generation will be better. This run isn't the best taste, not offensive but not the smooth stuff everyone raves about. I added 50% backset and water and have them going again.

I was hoping for a better tasting drink. Did I do something wrong? Anything I could do better?

Oh, I started another mash, the same as this one except using brewers yeast, to see if there is a difference.

[30xs]

i would recommend doing stripping runs until you have enough low wines to do a run using them. There is no comparison between a single run and double run on the flavor. It takes a little longer to get a drop to drink that way, but it’s worth it.

[Greenhorse]

So I’m about to give this recipe a shot. I’m going to use DADY because that’s what I have on hand.

My question is.... Is there any reason why I shouldn’t bring some water up to 175 degrees and mash in the sweet feed?

Thanks

[Greenhorse]

So I’m about to give this recipe a shot. I’m going to use DADY because that’s what I have on hand.

My question is.... Is there any reason why I shouldn’t bring some water up to 175 degrees and mash in the sweet feed?

Thanks

So I read about 30 pages if this thread last night. It seems to me that mashing in is not necessary. I’m going to get the alcohol content from the sugar and the molasses. The grains will just be for flavor.

Do I have that correct?

[acfixer69]

That is correct. No mashing needed just dissolve the sugar.

[Durhommer]

That sweet feed ....sounds good but don't it have pellet in it isnt that what the molasses is wrapped around to trick the animal into eating it?

[Greenhorse]

I’m finding out that all grain sweet feed is very difficult to find... at least in my area of Massachusetts it is. Everything has pellets in it. That said, I think I’m gonna make my own with a mix of 80% cracked corn, 10% rye, 10% 2-row and molasses. Other than the corn I have it all on hand. Going to follow the same process.

[Durhommer]

Yeah prolly better to mix your own grain for that recipe

[will4me]

I have been Reading and reading some more and have tried a few recipes but this one is EASY and turns out a good product.
The only thing I do different is when finished doing my sprit run, I cut it down to 45% ABV then I run all of it through a Brita Filter then put a little Glycerin in it then Oak it.
I use medium toasted oak chips then put it in a oak Barrel to age for a few weeks.
I like to drink this on the rocks.
Also I use a Stainless Pot Still with Copper Packing.

[still_stirrin]

...I run all of it through a Brita Filter...

Not a good idea...definitely NOT RECOMMENDED here!
ss

[Twisted Brick]

I’m finding out that all grain sweet feed is very difficult to find... at least in my area of Massachusetts it is. Everything has pellets in it. That said, I think I’m gonna make my own with a mix of 80% cracked corn, 10% rye, 10% 2-row and molasses. Other than the corn I have it all on hand. Going to follow the same process.

The benefits of customizing and managing your own mash outweighs the convenience, IMO. Unless you're using enzymes, you might want to increase your barley malt to around 20%.

[Honest_Liberty]

I have been Reading and reading some more and have tried a few recipes but this one is EASY and turns out a good product.
The only thing I do different is when finished doing my sprit run, I cut it down to 45% ABV then I run all of it through a Brita Filter then put a little Glycerin in it then Oak it.
I use medium toasted oak chips then put it in a oak Barrel to age for a few weeks.
I like to drink this on the rocks.
Also I use a Stainless Pot Still with Copper Packing.

I have never felt it necessary to filter this nor add glycerin. I think it is perfect as is. Filtering is for neutrals IIRC, because you are stripping so much of the flavor that this recipe creates

[radiatorboy]

does anyone do this in Australia. what do you ask for at the feed store? or what's the ratio of the grains and molasses. so I can mix it up myself

[CuWhistle]

It doesn't exist here mate.

Lots of stuff in the USA can't be had out here. Copper unions, 153 everclear grain alcohol, recharging your own auto A/C. Etc.

[radiatorboy]

oh bugger. does anyone got the ratio for grains in it. might have to mix my mind own up.

[30xs]

does anyone do this in Australia. what do you ask for at the feed store? or what's the ratio of the grains and molasses. so I can mix it up myself

30% corn
30% oats
30% barley
10% molasses.

My local feed store sells dry molasses, so I just buy each individual ingredient and mix them myself. Even in the USA it’s hard to find anything without pellets in some areas.

[will4me]

I have been Reading and reading some more and have tried a few recipes but this one is EASY and turns out a good product.
The only thing I do different is when finished doing my sprit run, I cut it down to 45% ABV then I run all of it through a Brita Filter then put a little Glycerin in it then Oak it.
I use medium toasted oak chips then put it in a oak Barrel to age for a few weeks.
I like to drink this on the rocks.
Also I use a Stainless Pot Still with Copper Packing.

I have never felt it necessary to filter this nor add glycerin. I think it is perfect as is. Filtering is for neutrals IIRC, because you are stripping so much of the flavor that this recipe creates

I tried it without Filtering it (I thought that this is what was done and did not try it without filtering it, and now know this is not necessary) and without the glycerin as well and found that I do like the taste.
I realize that I should have read more and now have changed the way I Bottle it up.