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So ive been reading, trying to find some answers to the questions I have but I cant seem to get ahold of any material that can specifically answer what I am looking for. There are a few different things I am wondering about, but I have to tell my short history first. Before you read my recipe that I have been using, i just want to say that im gonna use the corn sugarhead recipe next and stop messing around with my own. But here is what I used and how much.

Whole Grain Corn - 4 inches high in my bucket
4.5 Gallons of water - First two times was Distilled, 3rd time was tap
6lbs of sugar

Heated the corn/3 gallons of water and tried to keep it in the 150 - 160 range for an hour. Strained it out into my bucket and added another gallon and half and stirred in the sugar. Cooled it to 90 degrees and added the yeast, stirred it really well and then sealed up the bucket right away and added the S Locker.

So, ive finished 2 batches and have started the 3rd one as of last night. Keep in mind, I didnt use a specific recipe on the site, and Im sure thats part of my problem after reading on the parent site last night. Going into this I just figured Corn, Sugar, Water, Yeast would be the easiest way for me to learn the basics. Which in a way is working because its a cheap simple way for me to make mistakes and bother you guys with questions. Now for the questions, my first batch I used a Turbo Yeast and the carbon dioxide was bubbling out of my S shaped airlocker like crazy. The bucket was sealed and I had the S locker filled with tap water. It went for about 1 day and then stopped. I distilled it at about 5-6 days later. I got alcohol for sure, I was able to smell all the different parts like I had read. I tossed it all because I never did a true cleaning run before distillation. At this point I felt pretty confident in starting a 2nd batch after a clean and coming out with something drinkable and starting the process of learning all the different cuts.

Well my 2nd batch didnt turn out so well, and I think my 3rd batch is heading in the same direction. With the 2nd and 3rd one I used Red Star champagne yeast good to make 20 - 25L. Im not getting any bubble from the S locker, just like the 2nd batch. So I opened up the lid to check out what was going on. This is where im not sure what I am looking for, and obviously im missing the required equipment at this point. I have no hydrometer and I dont have a stick on thermometer to test temps. So I checked the temp with my digital and its at 72 degrees. Looking at the liquid there is a good amount of bubbles at the top. Like its bubbling up and it has like a sparkle to it, like it has a carbonated type look to it from the liquid below the surface. So it looks like something is happening. Is that what I should be seeing?

So to rephrase and highlight my main questions...

What is the importance of keeping the water at a temp in the 150s when making mash? What happens if it gets to hot?

Is it okay that I open up the lid to check out what is going on in the bucket while it is fermenting?

What is it about the turbo yeast that made it have such a more intense effect then the champagne yeast?

What could I have done wrong besides not using an exact recipe? I thought I read about possibly working the yeast to hard? Does that sound right?

When opening my bucket and looking at the wash should it be bubbling like I explained, and if so, how intense should it be bubbling?

So am I right by saying that the yeast breaks down the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide? So if its not doing much like the turbo yeast was doing, could it be because I dont have enough sugar in the wash?

Sorry for the book, I just feel like I have been asking a ton of the same type of questions on the forum lately and this seemed like the best place to bunch it all together and get some answers from you guys. Im a pretty cautious person, so everything I make at this point is just all testers. I do have a triple scale hyrdometer, test tube, and some stick on thermometers coming, hopefully tommorow. Is there anything else you guys think I need?

first cooking the corn is not necessary as your making sugar head, but it will give more corn flavor.
the corn is usaly added to the fermenter,hot water pored over it then when its cooled pitch yeast.
the corn can be used several times until its spent.(this is not a mashing)

turboes have all kinds of chemicals to increase the ferment.
this can be good if making fuel,not so good if making a drink.
this is similar to the vegetables you buy, if grown in green house
then most likely it was grown on chemicals and lacks taste .
if it was garden grown then it develops much more flavor.

Dnderhead wrote:first cooking the corn is not necessary as your making sugar head, but it will give more corn flavor.
the corn is usaly added to the fermenter,hot water pored over it then when its cooled pitch yeast.
the corn can be used several times until its spent.(this is not a mashing)

turboes have all kinds of chemicals to increase the ferment.
this can be good if making fuel,not so good if making a drink.
this is similar to the vegetables you buy, if grown in green house
then most likely it was grown on chemicals and lacks taste .
if it was garden grown then it develops much more flavor.

Good clarification about the yeasts. I did read the sugarhead recipe last night and im glad you verified that you dont have to cook the corn, so im gonna skip that for now. I cant wait to try it out. Wish I would have came across it from the get go. I think that has my mind feeling better about most of them, the only thing left is..What are your thoughts on what I have going on now. From what im seeing inside the bucket..bubbling, fizzing time action going on. Normal? At what point does one realize its not working and there is nothing you can do but scrap it?

yes its normal. for what ever reason your air lock is not working,,leaky top?
as long as its "fizzing " it working.it becomes a problem when it don't "fizz"
or stops early before using all the sugar. in this case it has stopped "fizzing but will still be sweet,,
the SG will be higher than it should be.when it does this its a sign of something is wrong.
and can be caused by to much sugar,,lack of nutrients ,,bad yeast,,temperature to high or low.

Dnderhead wrote:yes its normal. for what ever reason your air lock is not working,,leaky top?
as long as its "fizzing " it working.it becomes a problem when it don't "fizz"
or stops early before using all the sugar. in this case it has stopped "fizzing but will still be sweet,,
the SG will be higher than it should be.when it does this its a sign of something is wrong.
and can be caused by to much sugar,,lack of nutrients ,,bad yeast,,temperature to high or low.

Sweet, alright I feel better now. Thanks for your help.

lovePitbulls wrote:So ive been reading, trying to find some answers to the questions I have but I cant seem to get ahold of any material that can specifically answer what I am looking for. There are a few different things I am wondering about, but I have to tell my short history first. Before you read my recipe that I have been using, i just want to say that im gonna use the corn sugarhead recipe next and stop messing around with my own. But here is what I used and how much.

Whole Grain Corn - 4 inches high in my bucket
4.5 Gallons of water - First two times was Distilled, 3rd time was tap
6lbs of sugar

Heated the corn/3 gallons of water and tried to keep it in the 150 - 160 range for an hour. Strained it out into my bucket and added another gallon and half and stirred in the sugar. Cooled it to 90 degrees and added the yeast, stirred it really well and then sealed up the bucket right away and added the S Locker.

So, ive finished 2 batches and have started the 3rd one as of last night. Keep in mind, I didnt use a specific recipe on the site, and Im sure thats part of my problem after reading on the parent site last night. Going into this I just figured Corn, Sugar, Water, Yeast would be the easiest way for me to learn the basics. Which in a way is working because its a cheap simple way for me to make mistakes and bother you guys with questions. Now for the questions, my first batch I used a Turbo Yeast and the carbon dioxide was bubbling out of my S shaped airlocker like crazy. The bucket was sealed and I had the S locker filled with tap water. It went for about 1 day and then stopped. I distilled it at about 5-6 days later. I got alcohol for sure, I was able to smell all the different parts like I had read. I tossed it all because I never did a true cleaning run before distillation. At this point I felt pretty confident in starting a 2nd batch after a clean and coming out with something drinkable and starting the process of learning all the different cuts.

Well my 2nd batch didnt turn out so well, and I think my 3rd batch is heading in the same direction. With the 2nd and 3rd one I used Red Star champagne yeast good to make 20 - 25L. Im not getting any bubble from the S locker, just like the 2nd batch. So I opened up the lid to check out what was going on. This is where im not sure what I am looking for, and obviously im missing the required equipment at this point. I have no hydrometer and I dont have a stick on thermometer to test temps. So I checked the temp with my digital and its at 72 degrees. Looking at the liquid there is a good amount of bubbles at the top. Like its bubbling up and it has like a sparkle to it, like it has a carbonated type look to it from the liquid below the surface. So it looks like something is happening. Is that what I should be seeing?

So to rephrase and highlight my main questions...

What is the importance of keeping the water at a temp in the 150s when making mash? What happens if it gets to hot?

Is it okay that I open up the lid to check out what is going on in the bucket while it is fermenting?

What is it about the turbo yeast that made it have such a more intense effect then the champagne yeast?

What could I have done wrong besides not using an exact recipe? I thought I read about possibly working the yeast to hard? Does that sound right?

When opening my bucket and looking at the wash should it be bubbling like I explained, and if so, how intense should it be bubbling?

So am I right by saying that the yeast breaks down the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide? So if its not doing much like the turbo yeast was doing, could it be because I dont have enough sugar in the wash?

Sorry for the book, I just feel like I have been asking a ton of the same type of questions on the forum lately and this seemed like the best place to bunch it all together and get some answers from you guys. Im a pretty cautious person, so everything I make at this point is just all testers. I do have a triple scale hyrdometer, test tube, and some stick on thermometers coming, hopefully tommorow. Is there anything else you guys think I need?

Grain needs to be cracked @ 6 pieces per kernel to give up nutrients, check out the tried and true recipes {ujssm}