First mash

Arphaxad · Post by **Arphaxad** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:14 pm

Ok so I have been reading for a couple months and I got all the stuff I ordered to make my first wash.

I have:
55 gallon fermenter
100 lbs of sugar
Yeast 10x packs of EC-1118
Starter nutrients geothermal
Regular nutrients fermaid O
Ph strips
Hydrometer
Stirrer and syphon

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:16 pm

what'd you end up using for a column?

Arphaxad · Post by **Arphaxad** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:25 pm

I still don't have a boiler or column or heating unit or heating controller or coolant pump.

I have some friends with a cm from brewhaus if I don't get one in time, I have a couple quotes out to get someone to make me vm with a boka top. I live up north where it's cold and I figured get my. Ash going them when it's done put it on the deck and pull off the ice for a few days. While I am working out the rest of the details.

forrestgump · Post by **forrestgump** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:43 pm

Arphaxad wrote:Ok so I have been reading for a couple months and I got all the stuff I ordered to make my first wash.

I have:
55 gallon fermenter
100 lbs of sugar
Yeast 10x packs of EC-1118
Starter nutrients geothermal
Regular nutrients fermaid O
Ph strips
Hydrometer
Stirrer and syphon

Wow! You don't believe in doing things in a small way, do you?

Btw, if I have it right then those ingredients make a wash, rather than a mash.

Arphaxad · Post by **Arphaxad** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 5:01 pm

Lol I can't seem to figure out the difference between a mash a wash or I my case a mess. Or a must... Are all these terms specific.

So far I have got 80 grams of fermaid o and about 20 lbs of sugar dissolved in boiling water.

I am trying to get the yeast started in another container with geotherm.

I also have citric acid powder but I havn't used ay yet. Currently wash is 4.6 ph. Not deep enough yet to check the hydrometer.

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 5:15 pm

grains are mashed... and make mash.

sugars make wash. sugars can be molasses or cane juice or agave nectar... whatever, its a wash...

must is from fruit. Crushed grapes are called must.

Don't forget to invert your sugar! Add citric acid to the boiling sugar water to invert sugar. Look up how much to add real fast... This helps the yeast better utilize the sugars.

Arphaxad · Post by **Arphaxad** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 5:46 pm

I found mt citric acid powder ...

Post by **Prairiepiss** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 5:54 pm

I would suggest something other than just those nutrients. Maybe some tomato paste like Birdwatchers recipe. Which is what you should have set out to do to begin with.

But good luck. Hope it works for you.

Arphaxad · Post by **Arphaxad** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 6:05 pm

I am shooting for 1.080 specific gravity, ph of 4.5 50 gallons , temp 90 f ish. ..

You think I should add tomato paste I have 3 cans in the cupboard

Washashore · Post by **Washashore** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 6:23 pm

Do it

Post by **Prairiepiss** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 6:54 pm

Arphaxad wrote:I am shooting for 1.080 specific gravity, ph of 4.5 50 gallons , temp 90 f ish. ..

You think I should add tomato paste I have 3 cans in the cupboard

I would. That's a lot of sugar to waste. If it doesn't work out. I hope for your sake it does work.

Arphaxad · Post by **Arphaxad** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:18 pm

Well I got 1.080 I got 4.8 ph I got 50 gallons fluid ... I got 100 f and I pitched 25 grams of ec-1118 and 80 grams of fermaid o and. 25ish grams of geotherm.

Golly I didnt measur e the citric acid.. But I used it and some baking soda to balance the ph

Arphaxad · Post by **Arphaxad** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 6:14 am

My wash has cooled down to 82F and the hydrometer is reading 1.090 oops I was shooting for 1.080

Arphaxad · Post by **Arphaxad** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 6:42 am

My temp has dropped to 70.1 F and my specific gravity is still 1.090 it's still bubbling like ginger ale but I expected it to start dropping already.

Is it ok that the hydrometer hasn't moved yet, 36 hours into it?

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 7:46 am

as long as you are bubbling you are ok.

Arphaxad · Post by **Arphaxad** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 9:13 am

Lol now lets not go speaking common sense lol

Arphaxad · Post by **Arphaxad** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 4:22 am

Ok it has been 4.5 days or 108 hours my temp is holding steady at 67F and my hydrometer is reading 1.079.

It's going a lot slower than I expected.

Should I throw in more yeast? It's still bubbling like ginger ale.

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 4:35 am

no more yeast, but a little warmer would go much faster...

Post by **rad14701** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 11:10 am

Get that wash about 10 degrees warmer...

Arphaxad · Post by **Arphaxad** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 3:01 pm

I can if you think I should it's ec-1118 and the specs looked like it did best at 70F if I was interpreting them correctly.

mtdew_mn · Post by **mtdew_mn** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 3:16 pm

From here the optimal range is between 15C and 25C, so it will be fastest to be close to 25C (77 degrees F).

wendellbaker · Post by **wendellbaker** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 3:25 pm

I have a logistical question for you. You mentioned storing this finished wash outside. How are you planning on moving a 55 gallon drum mostly full of wash? I don't remember who said it here, but some of the best advice was to enthusiastically avoid picking anything up over 4 gallons. Your back will appreciate any attempt to heed it.

Arphaxad · Post by **Arphaxad** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 5:05 pm

Yeah I should have bought the wheeled dolly first.

It weights about 400lbs. I can slide it myself and I have a 4' wide slidding glass door right off the kitchen. To the deck. A little ramp and I should be ok.

Not the brightest idea I ever had.

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 5:28 pm

I built a three wheel stainless steel cart for my 40 gallon fermenter. Good casters are essential when your volumes get much over 10 gallons...

Arphaxad · Post by **Arphaxad** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 5:35 am

Specific gravity of 1.070 temp 67.6F. Still bubbling away.

I read that the lower the temp you ferment at the less off flavors, is this true?

And can someone tell me what a troll is in reference to posting in forums? I have seen the term and I am not quite sure I get it.

Washashore · Post by **Washashore** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:13 am

Arphaxad- every yeast has a high and low temperature tolerance. At the higher temp regimes, the yeast are working faster and are not as efficient at doing their job and may produce off flavors. At the lower end of the spectrum, they are able to work slower and are therefor more efficient.

A "troll" is someone who joins a forum posing as a novice and asks questions that they know will get a rise out of forum members--just to mess with them.

Arphaxad · Post by **Arphaxad** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 2:51 pm

Lol that's kind of funny about trolls. Rofl what a waste of time.

Arphaxad · Post by **Arphaxad** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 1:35 pm

Well I ended up buying a wheeled dolly to make moving it easier. It was kind of stuck around 1.030 so I wheeled it over next to the stove and bout the temp from 67F to 74.8F.

After it hit temp I wheeled it back into the kitchen after a couple days it hit 1.000

Last night I had some friends help me get it out on the deck.

My 26 gallon boiler should be arriving Monday I think. I ordered it jan 27th.

As soon as I get the boiler I am taking the top to a master plumber who is going to build the still part.

I am planning on doing a 3" boka over a VM.

I am tempted to get the 6 plate flute from hillbilly stills.

I still need to get coolant pump and build the phase controller for the heater.

I will keep ya all posted.

bigwheel · Post by **bigwheel** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 3:47 pm

Wow thats complicated. Really like your optimism on having four hundred pounds of wash and the plumber aint built the still yet. You got me so tickled I nearly spit ethyl acetate all over the compooter screen.

Arphaxad · Post by **Arphaxad** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 4:49 am

Lol.

My boiler came and boy is it a beauty.

So here is a question ... I put this out on my porch and my wash is now 10.8 F and it's still liquid.

I thought it would freeze and I would be able to pull out a few chuncks of ice bringing the ethanol content upwards of 20%.

When I look at ethanol freezing points it would appear that I may be closer to 18ish %. Unless the left over sugar and fertilizer is having a large impact. It's got a pretty good kick compared to wine in my opinion.

Any thoughts on how to get this to freeze.

Not a whole lot left of winter here.

Home Distiller

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