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I gave mine a quick mix twice a day for the first week, then once a day until activity was obviously winding down. I also just used a loose lid, no airlock, just to make access for all the stirring easy. As far as I'm aware the stirring just helps the fungal components get to the grains since they weren't conventionally mashed.

Would it be possible to ferment with a BIAB bag inside the fermentation vessel for easier straining after the ferment..? Assuming I leave it wrapped around the lip of the vessel so I can access the grain for stirring?

I don't see why not, but you increase the chance of an infection (bags are hard to sanitise), not that this matters a lot (compared to beer brewing).

I just ferment loose and then syphon the liquid. When that's gone all the way through, I strain the grain and squeeze.

FWIW I've gone through a couple of BIAB bags from squeezing too hard.

m0rdecai wrote: ↑Sun Apr 04, 2021 7:14 pm Would it be possible to ferment with a BIAB bag inside the fermentation vessel for easier straining after the ferment..? Assuming I leave it wrapped around the lip of the vessel so I can access the grain for stirring?

I usually just tie the bag off inside the fermenter.

Also, I use 5 gallon paint strainer bags and toss them after 1 use.

I bought a hop filter that hangs on side of bucket. Helps keep grains from getting sucked up by your siphon. Easy to clean also. Not "perfect," but gets the job done when fermenting on-grain.

I did a spirit run of rice wine done with this stuff last night. Started with ~16L of stripping run that was just under 40%. I must have been getting some serious passive reflux, as it held steady through first 4L of off-take @ 87% @ 500W on my digiboil w/ potstill head. I just added a 2'x2" spool to my boiler & packed it with 2 rolls of copper mesh. It was getting late, so I cranked it up to 1000W & pulled off 1L of what appears to be tails (dropped to 74% when I shut it off).

Everything is airing out now. Will determine cuts tomorrow.

In meantime tonight, I will run what's left in boiler through my reflux head as a sacrificial run (vinegar run already completed).

It's almost 48hr since I pitched "the stuff" and it's still bubbling well. Most of the husks from the crushed oats are empty and floating. The mash is a lovely milt colour and pH is staying steady at about 4.4.

I was thinking of try all barley next time for vodka. And I was wondering if anyone has tried making grain vodka with this stuff? Do is impart too much off flavours?

Anyway I've got this to finish and run and put down on oak then a couple of wineos batches (one I'm stripping now) and then maybe I'll give it a try.

Could all barley micronised and rolled with yellow label make a nice vodka?

Cheers SomethingObscure

Barley contributes barley flavor. I don't call that an off flavor, but my try at using it with this protocol is not my favorite for drinking as a young white dog. I wouldn't choose barley for a vodka, but I'm not a vodka drinker. Put it through a reflux still and choose your cuts carefully and you should be able to make something that somebody likes, hopefully you.

Similar story here to what Chris is saying .....Ive done a bit of all Barley using this yeast, got a few versions sitting to one side for further evaluation. White dog I kind of like as a sipper, then I have some put aside on medium toast SD Dominoes and some put up on French Oak cubes from an Australian cooper by the name of A.P Johns http://www.apjohn.com.au/ . I don't think I'd waste good barley on trying to make Vodka.....Id go for a more bland grain like wheat.
At the end of the day its your call, your choice ...there are people who enjoy trying to make neutral from molasses and other weird things,
without experimentation the hobby stalls.

NZChris wrote:Barley contributes barley flavor. I don't call that an off flavor, but my try at using it with this protocol is not my favorite for drinking as a young white dog. I wouldn't choose barley for a vodka, but I'm not a vodka drinker. Put it through a reflux still and choose your cuts carefully and you should be able to make something that somebody likes, hopefully you.

Thanks for the info. I was meaning the off flavour from "the stuff" (how they describe the contents of the angle yeast)

There's a couple of reasons why I wanted to try barley vodka. While on a Cruze many years ago. I tried some Finnish vodka and thought it was amazing. I recently found out that it was 100% barley vodka. I've tried a UK barley vodka since and that was good too. I'm sure not using malted barley will change the flavour massively anyhow.

A reason why wheat could be trick is my local feed store only stocks whole wheat and it cost 20% more than the barley which is already partly processed.

I don't own a grinder do you think this yeast will as effectively process the whole grain as the micronised rolled barley?

Cheers SomethingObscure

SomethingObscure wrote: ↑Tue Apr 06, 2021 11:16 am
There's a couple of reasons why I wanted to try barley vodka. While on a Cruze many years ago. I tried some Finnish vodka and thought it was amazing. I recently found out that it was 100% barley vodka. I've tried a UK barley vodka since and that was good too. I'm sure not using malted barley will change the flavour massively anyhow.

Cheers SomethingObscure

Give it a whirl & let us know how it turns out! You might also try rice. This stuff turned a bag of Calrose I bought @ Costco into some very nice flavored wine. I remember reading someplace on HD that rice made a great base for neutral.

Duck

SomethingObscure wrote: ↑Tue Apr 06, 2021 11:16 am I don't own a grinder do you think this yeast will as effectively process the whole grain as the micronised rolled barley?

Not according to Angel's instructions.

Angel Yellow far prefers a good crush to the grain I can confirm that wheat works well with it for a vodka

rubberduck71 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 24, 2021 12:52 pm

zed255 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 24, 2021 12:08 pm The volume of the rice remnants was much smaller than the rice volume at the start. The remaining trub had a volume of about 2L.

I have damn near 4 gal/15L of stripping runs to do a spirit run with this weekend.

Duck

So I pulled 4L of hearts @ 82% from this run. I just proofed it down to 6L 55% for oak/ageing. Keeping 3L as white dog for comparison (and other small batch experiments) & oak spiraled the other 3L.

All I can say is "wow." In my young time in this hobby, I've not yet experienced a white spirit that was consumable (to my palate) straight-away... There's a very nice semi-sweet in the background (hint of rice?) & just overall smoothness to it. Very excited to see how this ages...

Duck

I followed the instructions as written and continued to stir for the first 5 - 7 days and activity pretty much stopped by 10 days but I found like a film of like fat forming on the surface so I siphoned off into another container, let settle and run it. I haven't used it again since as the wash had a funny fruity taste and smell that carried over into the final product after the normal strip and spirit runs and an oily film on top.

I have been having success with sour mashing with 20% backset. No loss volume..

silverbean wrote: ↑Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:36 am I followed the instructions as written and continued to stir for the first 5 - 7 days and activity pretty much stopped by 10 days but I found like a film of like fat forming on the surface so I siphoned off into another container, let settle and run it. I haven't used it again since as the wash had a funny fruity taste and smell that carried over into the final product after the normal strip and spirit runs and an oily film on top.

The fatty look is probably a Lacto infection. I've had it on at least one of mine and don't worry about it. I've never thought it caused problems in any of the products I've had it on.

Oil on heart cut is a good sign that you've included at least a couple of jars too many from the end of the run.

I was wondering if anyone has had success or otherwise using wheat floor?

I seem to remember Demi trying it maybe in a different thread. But don't recall him posting results.

Cheers SomethingObscure

SomethingObscure wrote: ↑Fri Apr 23, 2021 10:54 pm I was wondering if anyone has had success or otherwise using wheat floor?

I seem to remember Demi trying it maybe in a different thread. But don't recall him posting results.

Cheers SomethingObscure

I'm also interested in this. This is Demi's thread https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 83&t=80521; it doesn't have a lot of detail regarding using the yeast per the instructions. Instead, Demi explains that he just used it for the enzymes at normal mashing temp (killing the yeast component).

SomethingObscure wrote: ↑Fri Apr 23, 2021 10:54 pm I was wondering if anyone has had success or otherwise using wheat floor?

I presume you mean flour. In that case yes It worked but a pretty uninspiring result and pretty messy to separate at the end - it did not settle well.

Teddysad wrote:
I presume you mean flour..

Yes I did. Thanks for the info.

I just did cuts and blended my first AG using angle yeast, was really impressed with how it tasted.

I've got a few rum washes to finish but then I'll definitely make more, maybe I'll do an all barley next time.

Cheers SomethingObscure

Has anyone noticed the exothermic output of this yeast compared to other yeast? Just trying to plan out how to keep it at 90f. Lately, my temps during fermenting have been running at about 75-80f in my unfinished part of the basement when fermenting out. This has been fine as I've been using a dry ale yeast which likes a little cooler. I am hoping this yeast may put out more heat that others. If so, a little bit more insulation, pitch with on the high side of amount of yeast, and/or move to the finish part of the basement should get it to 90f. Otherwise I may need to make other arrangement to get it to 90f as all the post are really saying it will ferment real slow if below 90f.

I've noticed that for the first 24h or so I hardly need to supplement heat to my 60L ferments... it generates enough heat to get to 34-35 degrees by itself.

Will an AG with this yeast require any nutrients or water adjustment?

I've never bothered and they've worked fine. I use rainwater (which has pretty much no dissolved minerals).

MartinCash wrote: ↑Thu Apr 29, 2021 3:23 pm Will an AG with this yeast require any nutrients or water adjustment?

As above , It should get all it needs from the grain.

Just started up 2 fermenters with some George Washington Rye recipe & angel yeast today. When it's finished, going to try a gumball by adding sugar.

I plan on attempting my first true reflux vodka with this recipe on my new column.
I have a brick of the starter for liquor making.
1.5#/gallon steam rolled barley
.5#/gallon 6 row

I'm planning on heating up, still using ht alpha and then Gluco, and then pitching with angels.
I'm assuming overkill.

I've read mixed opinions and I tend to over engineer everything.

Complete overkill, the Angel yeast will do the job on its own if you just follow the instructions.

Saltbush Bill wrote: ↑Fri Jun 25, 2021 4:09 pm Complete overkill, the Angel yeast will do the job on its own if you just follow the instructions.

Ok thanks. It appeared that way but I've been stuck on overkill for awhile. I'm going to do this straight up with angels after 170F water