My first UJSM

[321FLsurfer]

Step by step with photo docs, following the recipe from the forum by Uncle Jesse. I will apologize in advance for the poor image quality, shaky hands and camera phone:
1.http://s1140.photobucket.com/albums/n57 ... AG0171.jpg Used hole saw to drill the hole for bungs and airlocks in the lids of the 5 gal buckets we used for fermenting.

2.added water to the buckets, left about 5 inches or so from top. (no pic)

3.http://s1140.photobucket.com/albums/n57 ... AG0174.jpg weighed up the corn using a digital bathroom scale good to tenth of a pound.

3A. http://s1140.photobucket.com/albums/n57 ... AG0172.jpg remember to tare your scale and add your materials before it shuts itself off

4.http://s1140.photobucket.com/albums/n57 ... AG0175.jpg same for the sugar

5.http://s1140.photobucket.com/albums/n57 ... AG0176.jpg adding distillers yeast

6. http://s1140.photobucket.com/albums/n57 ... AG0177.jpg after everything was in about 2-3 inches from the top of the bucket.

7. http://s1140.photobucket.com/albums/n57 ... AG0178.jpg used rubber mallet to hammer lids down tight, labelled lids with time/date and ingredients.

We ended up making two batches (buckets) with different quantities, as on the first one I didnt realize we were really only going to have about 3.5-4 gallons of water, so we scaled the quantities down accordingly for the second batch. Heres another helpful tip for complete noobs such as myself; you have to add water to the airlocks. We were a bit concerned when they werent bubbling after a day or so, until we had this epiphany

Suffice to say we got it right, based on the product we 'stilled yesterday . that will be my next to post to My First.... , a photo doc'd chronicle of our run yesterday.

Huge thank you to Short Bus for answering numerous rookie questions via PM, thereby saving me a public shaming, Uncle Jesse for the recipe, and all the admins and mods who keep this wonderful resource online. You guys rock.

Also, aforementioned mods or people on this forum smarter than, feel free to comment below with specific instructions on how to get images to appear in my posts, i tried using the IMG tool and linking it to a photobucket account, it told me the images speifications acouldnt be identifed or something like that.

[NcHooch]

Glad to hear it all worked out surfer. Confrats on your first-run success.

[Kal]

Also, aforementioned mods or people on this forum smarter than, feel free to comment below with specific instructions on how to get images to appear in my posts, i tried using the IMG tool and linking it to a photobucket account, it told me the images speifications acouldnt be identifed or something like that.

On the right hand side of that photobucket screen is a section with an IMG link for forums. Click on that and it will copy the required text to your clipboard, then simply paste in the post. Note: this forum requres that the images conform to some size restrictions so you can't have them more than 1000 pixels wide (which is the error I got when I tried posting your pic)

[Kal]

Thos portrait pic of yours met the size restrictions (less than 1000 pixels wide)

[emptyglass]

Hammer on lids can be a PITA when you go to get them off.

Not so bad if you rack (syphon) it to another container when its done, then let it settle again, but when you pull the lids off (with your knee in the middle, wresling the bucket) it will stir up all the stuff at the bottom.

If you are doing UJSSM, you sort of want to keep the stuff in the bottom- its your next batch.

You don't want this stuff in the still, either way.

Screw on lids work better.

[rad14701]

I've never seen a plastic bucket lid that needed to be hammered on... Hand or knee force is usually more than enough to firmly seat a lid... But that doesn't guarantee gas proof seal any more than hammering would...

How much did Lowe's pay for that advertising...???

[321FLsurfer]

@NChooch Thanks man, we are super duper stoked it all worked. it took three days of trying to run a vinegar solution cleaning run before we figured out the 1500w hot plate i got wasnt getting hot enough, then we moved into the kitchen and started using the glass stove top burner, worked waaaay better.

@kal thanks for the info i am going to try to put the pics from the first sillin run up next

@empty yeah i was thinking screw on lids would be better too, will order some of those next

@rad LOL i know, i was thinking we should ask for a sponsorship. i tried pushing them on and it didnt feel like they were sealing evenly, though honestly i cant say ive had alot of practice. rubber mallet definitely did the job though looking forward to trying out your all bran after we do a bunch of sour mashes.

[Stilly]

Walmart has some white 5 gal #2 buckets with good lids for about the same price as the lowes buckets. They open and close pretty easy and seal up well. When its cold, like after I let a bucket sit out in the cool air for a few days after ferment I bring it inside and warm the rim up with a blow dryer and they open up much easier. You can also get a bucket lid opener at some Brew shops and probably elsewhere.

cheers
stilly

[emptyglass]

Another option is to sit the lid on loosly. You won't see any bubling (unless it seals pretty good). This will help not stirring up whats settled.

Most of my buckets are "rheem". These are pretty good and the lids work as they should, but I got some from a catering place that are made in china, and you have to hammer them on. I hurt my hand trying to whack them on. They are a bitch to open.

I don't think its right that we import "muffin mix" and "cake mix" from china. I'm sure its cheaper, but thats another rant.

[short bus]

Just a heads up most of those 5gal buckets actually hold more like four gallons. They might barely hold five gallons filled all the way to top. I have measured four gallons and found it is almost always about and inch and a half (40 mm) from the top. Which is needed for head space anyway.

321 congrats on the success

SB