uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

[whiskymonster]

unfortunately though, im a city boy and feed stores are few and far between!
limited to the supermarkets and the cash n carry.
ah well. ill stick to sugar and neutral for the time being.
cheers anyway!
j

Here is a link to the grains available from Kentucky Shinner. He sells them in a 5lb bag. You could have a couple of 5 pound bags mailed right to your door. You could easily get 5 runs before any grain needs to be changed and then it would only be a little bit. With 2 bags I'd venture to say you could easily get 20 or more ferments.

http://www.hillbillystills.com/category_s/68.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

would love to, but postage to uk comes to $53!

checked ebay for cracked corn, and the only uk result that came up was this one.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Garvo-Mixed-Corn- ... _531wt_650" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

what do we reckon guys?
the price is acceptable, but are the contents?

[KY1792]

Don't see why it wouldn't work as long as it what it says it is and most chicken scratch is clean (I have chickens) the wheat and barley should add some flavors and nutrients plus the sorghum for the sweet tooth.

I'm on my 3rd generation of UJSSM using brown sugar and cracked corn but have also made Kentucky Shinners sweet feed recipe which is kinda like the mix you are looking at on ebay.

[fhhobbies]

Wow what a long read! Can't wait to try this out.... how much different is this to the sweet feed version taste wise? I was going to get a bag of sweet feed and cracked corn and try both but hmmm..... what to do first

[Mashy]

On 5th generation of UJSM. Using flaked rye and cracked corn and 15lbs of sugar just because it's easier with 5lb bags. Running around 52 liters. Yesterday was the 7th or 8th day and the mash was still sweet so I figured the acid was holding the yeast back after doing some reading. Lots of advice on different sodium and potassium to use but my choice was simple as all I had was baking soda/sodium bicarb. I dumped two heaping tablespoons in each bucket. I then added my backset and she foamed up nice which I'm guessing was the acid being neutralized? As soon as I put the lids and airlocks on they were bubbling and fast. Hasn't stopped bubbling since.

[Dnderhead]

tho sodium bicarb works sodium can build up after repeated use and slow ferments.
that is why others are recommended.

[Mashy]

Would it cause problems or reduce conversion of starch to use one temp for all grain types? Say 180F.

[RayDean]

I've got a question for you guys.. Three weeks ago I took the Cajun Flute out of service for some V-2.0 modifications. After racking out of my fermenter and charging my still, I added 5 gallons of water to my lees to keep them hydrated during my run. I normally would have added 3 gallons of backset with sugar and 2 more gallons of water to kick off the next generation for my 10 gallon wash. After the run I decided to make my still mods and forgot all about the fermenter. Fast forward 3 weeks and I've got 5 gallons of water and lees still in the fermenter. Smells great, looks nice and clear, but has a small amount of floating white stuff that looks like marshmallows floating on hot chocolate. Assume this is mold of some kind. Question is, toss the whole lot or spoon out the foamies and keep on trucking?

[Bull Rider]

RayDean:

If it were my mash, I would skim off the floaties with a strainer,

If you're not ready to make a run then I'd boil a couple liters of water, and add a couple of cups of sugar to the boiling water. Let it cool then add it to the mash to keep the yeasties happy until you can make the run. Although yeast can last a long time without adding anything.

It seems like the backset keeps the mold and crud out of the mash, it's due (I think) to the lower PH. The acidic PH prevents stuff from growing in your mash.

Bull.

[KY1792]

RayDean:

Did the same thing a bit over 2 weeks ago, hydrating but not adding sugar. Tonight I got 10 gallons with white mold, some even playing stalactite on the fermenter cover. It smelled like puke so I dumped it - the waffling smell reminded me of my teenage years many decades ago.

I had 2 identical 3rd generation batches going but forgot sugar in one of them on regeneration, one stripped nicely, the other smelled like a 30 year old bell burger from taco bell (yes they were pretty good back then - as I recall).

This did not happen to yours but it certainly happened to mine tonight - said first hand. The yeast committed kamikaze for lack of sugar and another puke flavored brute moved in. As long as it tastes and smell good I'd skim and run just as the Bull dude advises.

[HellsWintr]

I'm runnin UJSSM. this is my 10th generation. Dont get me wrong, this is great stuff, but i'm not getting a big corn flavor. Is this because it's a sugar mash? Would i get more flavor from cooking the corn down?

[Titus-a-fishus]

I'm runnin UJSSM. this is my 10th generation. Dont get me wrong, this is great stuff, but i'm not getting a big corn flavor. Is this because it's a sugar mash? Would i get more flavor from cooking the corn down?

When you find out let me know.
Cause I've been trying to get flavour for a couple of months now.

Tried sweet corn,
Tried roasting sweet corn,
Tried using oats and wheat as well as corn (for no real reason but trying to get some flavour),
Tied shortening the column,
Tried running the still fast and slow,
Tried clearing the mash ( racking),
Tried cloudy mash (uncleared),
Currently trying a mash that has soured, boiled it and added new yeast.

If you can think of anything else I'd be grateful if you could pass it on so I could give it a go.

I am getting a nice clean spirit with no flavour.... just what so many want.

My next set of tests will be regarding PH - once I get a meter or find test paper.
The last pool shop I went to only had the coloured test tube thing.

A frustrated TAF

[imeasystreet]

I've had better flavor when I cooked the grain. To my taste buds, cutting the ABV with water took the life out, so I use tails down to maybe 30% or until they get cloudy or scummy on top. I bought whiskey barrel smoker chips from Amazon, that seems to add a carmel-y flavor to age with.

g

[Mossyokk]

Uncle jesse,I made a mash useing sweet feed and I let it ferm for 5 days and yesterday I noticed their was two moths floating on top of the mash and their was a white skim on the surface floating.My question is,do I throw it away or can I go ahead and strain it threw a pillow case and run it?

[Dnderhead]

ya run it ,but I dont understand the "straining" part.

[Mossyokk]

strain the mesh threw a pillow case so I want get the grain in my pot and burn it.

[Mossyokk]

If your familiar with pinto shines design,the 6gal copper still,thats what i made and use.

[Dnderhead]

with this type of ferment you dont strain, if its finished fermenting then it will "clear"or settle out
then you dip/siphon/pump the clear off the top,leaving the grain,yeast behind,take off a bit of spent grain ,add more to replace. add water,then sugar.

[Mossyokk]

Its not clear,its a brown mirky color and I ran it at 173deg range and threw away the first 2oz and im now seeing a milky color and a very oily film and it smells a very strong and this is the 3rd time this has happened.What am I doing wrong?

[Dnderhead]

running to hard/fast?

[Fastill]

Uncle jesse,I made a mash useing sweet feed and I let it ferm for 5 days and yesterday I noticed their was two moths floating on top of the mash and their was a white skim on the surface floating.My question is,do I throw it away or can I go ahead and strain it threw a pillow case and run it?

Did the sweetfeed have pellets in it...
Also there is a seperate thread dedicated to sweetfeed sugarwhisky. Might find some answers there.

[Mossyokk]

it was a grain sweet feed

[clacker]

What's the benefit to replacing the spent corn if I don't plan on going past 7-8 generations? Which would give the better taste?

I've worked out I have a low density element...maybe 20 watts per inch on 1200watt setting; what sort of straining would I need to ensure no scorching?

[banter_king]

i just ran at around that 1200 and didn't have any scorching. No straining, just siphoned off the top of the fermented. Hope helps. Run went great. Thanks UJ

[clacker]

i just ran at around that 1200 and didn't have any scorching. No straining, just siphoned off the top of the fermented. Hope helps. Run went great. Thanks UJ

It does, thanks for that.

Best I could find at the moment was cracked corn from Better pets and garden.. $6.50 for 5kg. They also had Westfeeds horse muesli 25kg for $33.00. Not cheap but easy access.

About to start my first UJSSM now!

Got half a bottle of OD's UJSSM left and some of his oak so determined to get this right!

[banter_king]

im right there with you clacker. good thing the learning is fun. It will come with time.

[clacker]

im right there with you clacker. good thing the learning is fun. It will come with time.

Yeah my new VM that OD built for me has made this fun again... my old CM was a nightmare and I often dreaded running it

One thing I haven't been able to find...does anyone scoop off the initial crap that floats when you first put the corn in?

Almost all of my pieces sunk but there was a layer on top that I really regret not scooping out!

Edit: My mash has been running for 30mins and getting burps every 15 secs or so already!

[Dnderhead]

" there was a layer on top that I really regret not scooping out!"
scoop them off mostly empty halls, stalks,leaves etc.

[Bull Rider]

Clacker:

You might want to try a different brand or supplier for your cracked corn. I get just a few pieces debris, which I scoop off with a strainer.


Bull.

[clacker]

Clacker:

You might want to try a different brand or supplier for your cracked corn. I get just a few pieces debris, which I scoop off with a strainer.


Bull.

Yeah it was an impulse buy as I was in the shop getting chicken feed but as total volume, it really wasn't much so hopefully it'll be OK.

If i can use it for 5-7 generations without changing (anyone comment if that is better/worse than renewing?) then I'm happy.

I'm not concerned with the cost, my plan is just to go with 2 months or so of regular stillin' and then look to starting another batch down the track.

[WalkingWolf]

If anything you will lose a bit of flavor (hardly noticeable) as you move past the 5th generation. If you end up mixing the aged liquors together you'll never know the difference.

I don't think the stuff'll ever go bad. I just restarted and UJSSM that has set under airlock since the middle of Feb '11. Racked off the wash this past weekend and recharged. Put in fresh yeast and it took right off.