Home Distiller

I've got my first batch of this underway as I type. I've been following the recipe as written. It is sitting at 144f with all the malt added. I'll go unwrap it in an hour to allow me to pitch before going to bed. I'll be using us05 dry yeast. I took an sg reading which shows 1040 after temperature correction.

Happy New Years everyone.

Until someone more qualified pops in, my chart says wait 90 minutes.
My apologies if my new greeny arse is wrong on this. (Been celebrating New Year's)

I added the malt about three hours before I reported that temperature. I just went and removed the blankets. It was at 138f. So it's been about 4 hours. I don't have any iodine, so I can't do a conversion test, but I'm hoping 5 hours will be long enough.

Cheers

Gotcha. This HBB is some good stuff.

Can't wait to taste it

I got a batch of this running over New year's eve. I added 7 pounds of cracked corn and .5 pounds of honey malt to 5 gal of boiling water. 4 hours later, the temp was 153F so I added the malt - a pound each of red wheat, white wheat, and 2 row barley. That brought the temp down to 147F.

Finally got the temp down under 100F after midnight. I pitched one package of US05 that I had rehydrated in warm water; it was nice and foamy with that great yeasty smell. Corrected OG was 1.048.

It was bubbling away this morning. It smells kind of pukey which is dissappointing. Time will tell.

So I have a very rookie question here---but hey I am one-----that I cannot find covered anywhere. Just tried my first batch of the recipe in the original post with the only exception being I used a Rubbermaid cooler instead of a bucket.

Once cooled down to 153 degrees I added the Malted Barleys----stirred in well And recovered.

10 minutes later my thermometer alarm is going off and the temperature in the cooler is up yo 194 and now sitting at 197 after being uncovered for the last 45 minutes.

Did I screw up???? Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for your insights.

Johnlj101 wrote:So I have a very rookie question here---but hey I am one-----that I cannot find covered anywhere. Just tried my first batch of the recipe in the original post with the only exception being I used a Rubbermaid cooler instead of a bucket.

Once cooled down to 153 degrees I added the Malted Barleys----stirred in well And recovered.

10 minutes later my thermometer alarm is going off and the temperature in the cooler is up yo 194 and now sitting at 197 after being uncovered for the last 45 minutes.

Did I screw up???? Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for your insights.

I think you need to post your first post in "welcome" - so please do - but I think the answer to your question is YES ! I'm pretty sure you will have screwed your malt enzymes - but I'll leave any recovery suggestions to those who "know about these things "

atb

p

Johnlj101 wrote:So I have a very rookie question here---but hey I am one-----that I cannot find covered anywhere. Just tried my first batch of the recipe in the original post with the only exception being I used a Rubbermaid cooler instead of a bucket.
Once cooled down to 153 degrees I added the Malted Barleys----stirred in well And recovered.
10 minutes later my thermometer alarm is going off and the temperature in the cooler is up yo 194 and now sitting at 197 after being uncovered for the last 45 minutes.
Did I screw up???? Any ideas?
Thanks in advance for your insights.

John, we'd like for your first post to be in the Welcome Center. Please post there next.

Unless you've violated the Laws of Thermodynamics ($$$ to you) there's no way to increase heat without input. Yeah at 197° the malts are destroyed IF that's truly the temperature.
I'm suspecting a faulty thermometer. Electronic I'd bet and it's whacked out

[Posted with Pikey]

Yup. If you get water in the probe, that's what happens. Get you an analog back up.

Just keep it wrapped for a few hours then cool to pitching temps and add yeast.

When you added the malt...could you run your finger through the corn twice but not three times?

Sorry for the violation---will post there now. Thanks for the cooler head---it was the thermometer---tried another and it is sitting at 146. Phew.

Johnlj101 wrote:Sorry for the violation---will post there now. Thanks for the cooler head---it was the thermometer---tried another and it is sitting at 146. Phew.

I'm betting that 140~150° was really where it was the whole time. Full speed ahead!

Your probably right.....pitched yeast about midnight last night and it is bubbling away right now!! Thanks again!

Johnlj101 wrote:...10 minutes later my thermometer alarm is going off and the temperature in the cooler is up yo 194 and now sitting at 197

I bet it really showed something even more exact, and wrong, like 197.2

I quit using digital crap a long time ago. I can see if my glass thermometer is broken.

My glass thermometer is filled with mercury. So if it is broken, I've probably wated a batch.

jon1163 wrote:

Sourwood wrote:New guy here, so sorry if this is obvious to some, but what exactly do Oyster shells do? I'm headed to NC soon and could pick some up if they're useful

They relgulate ph of a mash

Regulate it up or down? Or does it just keep it about right for where yeast like to party?

Sourwood wrote:

jon1163 wrote:

Sourwood wrote:New guy here, so sorry if this is obvious to some, but what exactly do Oyster shells do? I'm headed to NC soon and could pick some up if they're useful

They relgulate ph of a mash

Regulate it up or down? Or does it just keep it about right for where yeast like to party?

They act as a buffer, so yes, they keep the ph where the yeast likes it.

Thanks, Redwood.

jonnys_spirit wrote:Have not run my ~10gal wort yet from my first mash of this HBB but it's sitting in the cellar waiting to be run. I ordered malts to mash up and do about five more initial ~10gallon stripping runs through the boiler. I purchased different ale and some lager yeast for each mash to hopefully add some complexity and variety when I mix and spirit run the low wines. This will keep me busy mashing and stripping for the next several weekends plus some work travel taking me away

Do you guys rack off the trub or distil w/trub? I have a 5500W element in a 13gal still. No thumper and have been fermenting on-grain for this and squeezing after ferment is done. Don't want to scorch.

Cheers!
-j

I did the first batch now sitting as low wines. Second two batches started ferment last weekend and they each had about 12 gallons water, 7lbs ground corn / 2lbs rolled oats / 1lb honey malt / 2lbs each red-white wheat and barley malt (golden promise).. I just added the oats ot the bill instead of subtracting some corn. I think I have enough malts to do three or four double sized batches of this stuff... Yay!

On these two I fermented on grain (no strainer bags) and pitched a different yeast into each after starting them up in a 50/50 water/wort blend... Used safelager S-23 on one (my basement is so cold!) and a cask/bottling yeast called CBC-1 on the other... The CBC-1 finished out quickly while the lager is uh...lagging slightly behind but expect it finish soon anyway... Both smell quite different now so glad to blend up some different profiles into the overall same'ish grain bill on this series of runs... I purchases different yeasts for each batch just for fun and "layered complexity" even though I have mostly used the US-05 on most other whiskey style ferments up till now. Some people say it all ages out but all good I like the complexity of the story behind the bottle in any case

Wanted to comment on the different yeasts and that they currently smell quite different with one finished and the other almost finished... I'll be squeezing this weekend - probably clearing and degassing for a week maybe two before stripping. Maybe longer - I need to go to Superbowl and also do some classwork so that might interfere a little and I've still got three or four of this double sized batch to complete and might run a second distillation before the spirit run on these pulling a little heads and tails each time and also adding backset if needed to proof down high wines into low wines.

Got a 5g wine barrel freeing up soon so hoping for enough cask strength to fill it plus a little extra for top-up. Should give the honey bear a nice red hue so I might refer to it as the blood of the honey bear or somesuch.

Cheers!
-j

2.2 Pounds of grain per gallon of water.
For a 25 gallon ferment.

35 lb of crack corn
5 lb of pale malt
5 lb of red wheat malt
5 lb white wheat malt
5 lb of honey malt
Few or 5 handfuls of oyster shells?
What percentage of alcohol does the mash produce? 8%
If i grind my corn down a little fine i should get better conversion. Would using grits work better than
the cracked corn?

Does this sound like the correct upscale of your honey bear bourbon recipe?

2.5 lbs honey malt.

But yes.

I get 1.065, and end around 1.018 or so. Around 6 % or do. With enzymes you could probably get closer to 7%.

Thanks i will alter it to 2.5 lbs. honey malt.

will the cracked corn be alright just the way it is or do i need to grind finer?
any ideas on grits?

rollmeown wrote:Thanks i will alter it to 2.5 lbs. honey malt.
will the cracked corn be alright just the way it is or do i need to grind finer?
any ideas on grits?

Don't know about grits but do grind the corn to create more surface area. I put my corn in a blender and grind it to flour. Works great for this recipe!

Probably not very fun for you guys but I'm excited so I just have to post. I'm just about to start my latest spirit run of Honey Bear bourbon. This time however I have saved up just about 10 gallons of low wines and I have a 5 gallon Balcones Barrel waiting.

jon1163 wrote:Probably not very fun for you guys but I'm excited so I just have to post. I'm just about to start my latest spirit run of Honey Bear bourbon. This time however I have saved up just about 10 gallons of low wines and I have a 5 gallon Balcones Barrel waiting.

Are you kidding? This recipe was my all grain christening. Damn near smashed a bottle of champagne onto the still to celebrate when I finished this.
Be excited! Stay excited!

rollmeown wrote:.......any ideas on grits?

If you are asking what I think you are about grits, you can avoid this by stirring frequently when you first mix your corn flour with boiling water. Keep the corn broken up for the first hour and it won’t solidify after that. Otis

fizzix wrote:

jon1163 wrote:Probably not very fun for you guys but I'm excited so I just have to post. I'm just about to start my latest spirit run of Honey Bear bourbon. This time however I have saved up just about 10 gallons of low wines and I have a 5 gallon Balcones Barrel waiting.

Are you kidding? This recipe was my all grain christening. Damn near smashed a bottle of champagne onto the still to celebrate when I finished this.
Be excited! Stay excited!

Haha thanks

I'm listening to Pink Floyd and stripping my first batch of HBB. It is a six gallon batch, OG 1.044 FG 1.000. smells a bit cidery, but still very good. I added 1g of UJSSM backset when I made it. It is quite tart.I

We'll see how it turns out.

Shinerfortyniner wrote:I'm listening to Pink Floyd and stripping my first batch of HBB. It is a six gallon batch, OG 1.044 FG 1.000. smells a bit cidery, but still very good. I added 1g of UJSSM backset when I made it. It is quite tart.I

We'll see how it turns out.

Good deal! I have about 12 gallons of low wines of Honey Bear bourbon saved up and going to run that soon. We're filling a 5 gallon barrel in my house.

I was thinking grits cuz grits are commonly used where i work. I wouldnt think i would need to grind down anymore for
converting. But not sure if there is same starch content as corn. Google says that grits is just coarse ground corn often made
from hominy. Which i wasn't sure if you can use grits then. Also i dont have equipment to grind corn down finer. Read people use
cornmeal instead of grinding corn down. Thinking cornmeal is a easier way to go.