Stonecutters Rye

[Stonecutter]

This Rye recipe should be simple enough for those that want to dip into all grain mashing or for anyone interested in a Rye Whiskey grain bill. There is no need to step mash with this recipe simply heat the water to strike temp and add the grist. I ferment off the grain. I do not add any extra yeast nutrients or enzymes. With this recipe I’ve decided to delve into a bit of detail in order to help out the people that are new to this. However, the info is rather glazed over and everything mentioned in the execution of this recipe can be found within the HD forums. I apologize in advance to those of you that have heard this kind of info a billion times.
~ Stonecutters Rye~
6-gallons water (23 liters)
8.5lbs.- Malted Rye (4 kg)
3lbs.- Flaked Corn (1.4 kg)
2lbs.- Malted Barley (1 kg)

-Take 6 gallons of water and heat it to 160F (71C). I measure out the grains and dump them all into in a bucket while I wait for the water to heat up.
-Take a ph reading. I look for a reading of about 6ish. If needed use citric acid (about 1/8 tsp) to bring the ph level of the water down. Don’t worry about exacts at this point. This lower ph level simply helps with the conversion process.
-Add your grist stirring continually for about 5-10 minutes. This will help to avoid clumping and help start the conversion process.
-Maintain a mash temperature of really anywhere between the 150F-155F range for at least 60 minutes stirring about every 5 minutes.
-Now check your conversion with an iodine test.
-Once you’ve got full conversion lauter the mash bringing the contents back up to 6 gallons. I usually obtain an OG reading of roughly 1.056.
-Separate the grains from the liquid.
-Chill the mash liquid down to below 90F. I shoot for anywhere between 75-80F (24C-26C).
-Transfer the liquid to your fermenter and pitch your yeast according to manufacture recommendations.
-With an ambient room temperature of 69F-73F (20C-23C) this mash will finish dry in 8-10 days.
-Rack and clear the liquid and run it slowly making tight cuts. I only run once using a reflux jacket on my pot still riser. On the bottom of my reflux chamber there is a screen where I add about 2-3 inches of rashing rings. I use very little water flow through the jacket in order to create a mild reflux action to clean up my spirit. Or multiply your ingredients to make a larger batch to do stripping and spirit runs. The ratios are roughly 60%Rye, 25%Corn, 15% Malted Barley.

Notes on ingredients:
Safale US-05 is a great yeast choice for this recipe.
I use a base malt barley from Ireland with a lovibond rating of 1.7-2.3.
“Rimrock MECCA Grade Vienna Style Spring Rye” has great diastatic power and extraction percentages.

I hope this recipe brings many into the realm of all grain mashing. Cheers

[Expat]

Looks interesting, I may give it a try as i've got 55# of rye malt waiting for a project.

How are the results tasting?

-Separate the grains from the liquid.

From what I've read this is the one of the most challenging aspects of Rye dominant mashing; Did you lauter or sqeeze?

[Stonecutter]

I’ve done both Brother. With the low percentage of unmalted adjuncts squeezing really wasn’t too bad. I do prefer to lauter though, I use a “mash and boil” which has a separate removable basket with a strainer attached to the bottom and sits inside the boiler. I pull the basket out and set it above the pot. As it drains I keep about an inch of liquid above the grain bed and slowly add water, stirring until I reach my desired liquid quantity. A process (as you may already know) that is laid out in detail in the “How To Brew” book. The final white dog is real biscuity at first. After a few months the pepper comes through and the bread flavor mellows into an almost custard type flavor.

[Stonecutter]

A BIAB system worked for me as well. Sparging and squeezing will get you the same results.

[METALHEAD81]

In my search for a good rye recipe I found a George Washington rye recipe that I started with and has evolved into something very close to this.
8 lbs rye, 5 Lbs corn and 2 barley and same technique. I did 3 batches, stripped and then did a spirt run with a little backset from the last run to adjust to below 40abv. Very tasty results and very easy.
I’m going to try a ferment on the grain just to see if it’s easier than squeezing the hot bag of grains.

[Bushman]

Stonecutter, other than your grain bill your procedure is very close to Jimbo’s AG Barley. I use almost the same steps with my AG Rye. Should work out nicely for you!

[Stonecutter]

Thanks Bushman. Definitely gets the job done
I have seen Jimbo’s recipe in the forum but have never read through it. Obviously this recipe and it’s execution have been heavily influenced by the HD. It’s time to check out Jimbo’s AG Barley. Tinkering with the Corn and Barley ratios will lead to easy experimentation as nothing really changes regarding the execution except for maybe longer conversion times.

[BourbonBoi]

Recently I did a run similar to this mash bill, excited to see how it turns out. I added roasted barley and malted rye. Will run it and throw it on oak quick, I'm really curious how this will taste.

[Stonecutter]

Recently I did a run similar to this mash bill, excited to see how it turns out. I added roasted barley and malted rye. Will run it and throw it on oak quick, I'm really curious how this will taste.

That roasted barley is a great idea! So you’re doing a double Rye?

:Edit: did you end up using any extra amylase enzymes?

[6 Row Joe]

Subscribed. I love a good rye. Thanks for posting.

[BourbonBoi]

[/quote]

That roasted barley is a great idea! So you’re doing a double Rye?

:Edit: did you end up using any extra amylase enzymes?
[/quote]

I've elevated from smooth Bourbon to spicy Rye. I did not use any enzymes because I didn't use any Corn, unless I'm missing something. For the first time I strained the liquid from the grain, was nervous how it would turn out. Filled the fermenter about half full. At about 16 hours in to ferment, the air lock was going crazy so I took the top off and it had very large bubbles to the top, little scary. Roasted Barley is nasty business so I hope the taste is worth the clean.

[BourbonBoi]

Do you have a final gravity for this?

[VLAGAVULVIN]

Sub'd

[Stonecutter]

Do you have a final gravity for this?

1.0 or 0.999

[BourbonBoi]

What is your set up for this? Flame or electric?

[Stonecutter]

I use a 2000W electric heating element for an 8 gallon boiler. Sorry for the late response.

[VLAGAVULVIN]

It’s hard to believe that it was +37dC only 2 weeks ago, and only +6dC yesterday. Plus a hell of a wind. Plus rain. No cycling, no running, no garden working. Innit a good reason for starting my tribute to the Stonecutter's Rye?

So, I did f**k a lot with:

• Malted Rye = 3 kg

• Flaked Corn = 1.1 kg

• Malted Barley = 1 kg

• Water after adding ~ 18-ish ltrs

• Off-grained :: yes (better I'd ride my bike, really)

• Yeast :: US-05

• OG :: 1.065 / 16oP (should I trust that "float in the jelly" at all, hehe?)

• Total time killed :: 8 hrs (the full workday on Sunday, eh?)

Having a mania for toasting any unmalted stuff, I made this trick for the cornflakes in my oven:

.
I boiled my wort after squeezing it and added a double dose of defoaming agent.

One more trick, folks. Must have a blue bucket of sanitization down there / don't believe in all those antifoamers if you have to do with Ms.Rye, yeah:

.
Damn, wish me luck with it
And, by the way. Shall I run it for a good whitedawg drop or mostly for aging?
It's sorta Canadian style, eh?..

[Stonecutter]

Good Luck!
Those toasted flakes look great Vlagavulvin. I’m digging the blue bucket “catch all”. Keep your head space up and you should be ok though. As for aging…hmm, white dog has been calling my name lately. I got into some older Rye and it has a pleasant raisin taste to it. Cheers Brother

[VLAGAVULVIN]

Thankee, Mr. Stonecutter

And all of a sudden, after 3 nights only we have gotten 5oPlato or SG about 1.02, that's quick and easy.

The taste? Kinda pancake dough with 6% AbV in it I guess it was no picnic for the Sumerian brewers to become true alcoholics with such drinks, lol. In fact, they had much worse, betcha... mine has not gone sour, at least.

Well, my current task for this Saturday is having no hint of scorch with it. I have no thumper to pour the dough in and steam it up. Gonna be using 1kW inner heater + 1.5kW induction. And lotta defoamers.

[VLAGAVULVIN]

My vanity is rewarded. The A-grade fermented "beer" will go down the sink. Burnt.
.

.
The bottom (induction) was totally OK.
Built-in heater (even at 1 kW of 3) sucks.
I'm the f**kin optimizer, lol.

[Stonecutter]

Noooo! That’s frustrating. I’ve been there.

[VLAGAVULVIN]

Noooo! That’s frustrating. I’ve been there.

Had my patience yesterday not to pour the crappy low wines to the "for neutrals" tagged swamp. And calmly ponder here and there. And keep my hands and feet busy with my bike. In short, had put the brains in place before [further rash] actions.

I think I can fix some things up. Got me a faint hope. So far, won't post it here any howtos. In 2 or 3 months it will become clear if we sink or swim with it. But today in the morning I got the smell of the original mash components behind the ugly cigarette butts.