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Nat-X wrote:My first run was a cracked corn/malted barley run that became my cleaning run

My second run was a sweet feed/sugar run. Good results.

The wash I'm getting ready to run is a thin wash, first recipe above plus more water and sugar.

After I decide which way I want to go, I'll start preserving my yeast and using 25% backset.

Here are my questions:

How important is it to keep the wash clear when collecting it for the still?
I've been completely draining my grain, filtering through a fine sieve, then running. I'm sure the
cloudy stuff is mostly yeast?
If you are going to be straining it. Do it into a secondary fermenter. That way the yeasties can settle to the bottom and clear even further. Then you can rack it straight to the boiler. Yeasties in the boiler can cause off tastes.

Should I be siphoning off the clear layer and leaving the cloudy liquid/spent grain for my backset?
I think your cornfused. The stuff left in your fermenter is trub not backset. Backset is the stuff left in your boiler after a run.
If I start the next fermentation immediately, I assume the yeast will grow again?
Yes if treated right.

If I can't get to the next batch for a week, can I keep the yeast alive by periodically adding
in some sugar and water.

I obviously dont want to boil the backset because it would kill the yeast, so when do I add the backset,
when I would have otherwise added yeast?
Again you have backset cornfused with trub or yeast cake. The backset will already be boiled. Now you want the backset and the rest of your next wash to be as close to the trub temp as you can before you add it back in the fermenter.

Just soliciting an opinion here, but what's better, cracked corn (chicken feed) or freshly ground
deer corn?
There's a difference? Not around here there isn't. Cracked corn is cracked corn. It's pretty much coming from the same place. Just packaged different.
Tried to malt some deer corn. Smelled like vomit after two days. Fail!

I read up on thumpers. My still is 5 gallons. Does a 1 gallon thumper with a 32 oz charge of
tails sound about right?
2 gallon would be better.


So far, no headaches or other ill feelings.

Thanks!

Prairiepiss wrote:

Nat-X wrote:My first run was a cracked corn/malted barley run that became my cleaning run

My second run was a sweet feed/sugar run. Good results.

The wash I'm getting ready to run is a thin wash, first recipe above plus more water and sugar.

After I decide which way I want to go, I'll start preserving my yeast and using 25% backset.

Here are my questions:

How important is it to keep the wash clear when collecting it for the still?
I've been completely draining my grain, filtering through a fine sieve, then running. I'm sure the
cloudy stuff is mostly yeast?
If you are going to be straining it. Do it into a secondary fermenter. That way the yeasties can settle to the bottom and clear even further. Then you can rack it straight to the boiler. Yeasties in the boiler can cause off tastes.

Should I be siphoning off the clear layer and leaving the cloudy liquid/spent grain for my backset?
I think your cornfused. The stuff left in your fermenter is trub not backset. Backset is the stuff left in your boiler after a run.. Ahhhhh
If I start the next fermentation immediately, I assume the yeast will grow again?
Yes if treated right. so the trub has the yeast I want to keep alive by what I said below? Aerate, water, and some sugar?

If I can't get to the next batch for a week, can I keep the yeast alive by periodically adding
in some sugar and water.

I obviously dont want to boil the backset because it would kill the yeast, so when do I add the backset,
when I would have otherwise added yeast?
Again you have backset cornfused with trub or yeast cake. The backset will already be boiled. Now you want the backset and the rest of your next wash to be as close to the trub temp as you can before you add it back in the fermenter.

Just soliciting an opinion here, but what's better, cracked corn (chicken feed) or freshly ground
deer corn?
There's a difference? Not around here there isn't. Cracked corn is cracked corn. It's pretty much coming from the same place. Just packaged different. Freshly ground coffee is better, so it follows...
Tried to malt some deer corn. Smelled like vomit after two days. Fail!

I read up on thumpers. My still is 5 gallons. Does a 1 gallon thumper with a 32 oz charge of
tails sound about right?
2 gallon would be better.


So far, no headaches or other ill feelings.

Thanks!

If I can't get to the next batch for a week, can I keep the yeast alive by periodically adding in some sugar and water.