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Slow AG ferment
Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 5:10 am
by Badlands86
Grain bill is 8.5 lb corn meal 2.75 barley 2,25 rye .5 wheat flake. Amylase. 7.5 gallon water to boil down to 5. Starch test suggested full conversion. 15 g distillers yeast. Starting gravity 1.065 bubbled like crazy the first 36 hrs or so and gradually slowed too around twice a minute. Looks like the cap has fallen but there is definitely still activity. 24 hr period from reading yesterday only dropped a half percent and now I'm only 1.022. Basically 5%. It's been six days and I know the 4 day rule is what some people follow on here but it did not seem ready. Firstly...leaving town so can I run it? Second.....possibilities for final gravity still being sort of high? Would another 10 g yeast help speed things along next time? Oh and ferment stays between 72 and 78 F.
Re: Slow AG ferment
Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 5:53 am
by kaziel
I think it's from "Making pure corn whiskey" author wrote there that after 4th day "dreaded ester" is created. If I were you I would check the PH of wash. In my opinion 5% is pretty good for a AG mash, taste it if you can't feel sweetness maybe it's done. SG readings on AG mash can be tricky due to other stuff (apart from sugar) is present in the wash.
Re: Slow AG ferment
Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 7:36 am
by Badlands86
Yea you are correct it's from making pure corn whiskey, I wanna say it's referenced on the parent site. Yea I've been tasting along the way and judging from that I think it's finished. Just never had anything slow down so much before the 1.00. I'm going to run it and see. And pick up ph strips for next run.
Re: Slow AG ferment
Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 8:59 am
by planethax
If its bubblin it ain't done
Re: Slow AG ferment
Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 9:11 am
by bellybuster
What was your mashing temp? Higher temps create more unfermentables
Re: Slow AG ferment
Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 9:28 am
by Badlands86
Corn between 180-190 for 1 &1/2 hr....barley rye wheat alpha amylase at 149 for an hour. I think some beta amylase might help with those unfermentables yea?
Re: Slow AG ferment
Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 12:51 pm
by Badlands86
Went about as expected. Everything ran fine and no off flavors or anything. But those few % definitely make a difference in total product. Being that it was a test run I started with 6 gallon on the grain ferment. After grain was strained 4 gallons left. Still workin on a good method for this. Started at 55% abv collected down to 40. Only collected 55 oz. 16 oz heart cut in the middle is pretty damn good. Rest I'll use in the next run. Cheers.