StillSmart

Re: New guy and AG

2016-02-17T22:53:23+00:00

Sounds delicious, echo. I'm keen to try one of the hybrid washes (sugar and something else). Might do the cornflake wash after my next tpw. I've got access to cheap corn too so maybe part corn and part sugar is worth a try. Still doing the enzymatic conversion but with added sugar for increased volume. Stay tuned.

Statistics: Posted by eiscaer — Wed Feb 17, 2016 10:53 pm

Re: New guy and AG

2016-02-17T22:44:35+00:00

Just read your entire thread. I'm glad to hear that your experiments are working out. I'm three runs into my airdtill and this weekend I'll be runnig my first non-sugar wash. It's a 5 gal. batch of Odin's Cornflake recipe. I used Liqour Quik Whiskey Pure yeast which will hopefully take me up to about 12%. We'll see how it goes.

Cheers!

Statistics: Posted by Echo4golf — Wed Feb 17, 2016 10:44 pm

Re: New guy and AG

2016-02-17T11:20:20+00:00

Well it has been a few months.

I'm happy to report that the experiment of conducting all grain distillation with what many would term an "inadequate still" was very successful. I've made some rather nice corn whisky, admittedly with a lot more 'hands on' than many would like I'm sure. I've also learned a lot:

1- don't be greedy with cuts. I think this is something everyone probably learns the hard way. The first run was undoubtedly a bit harsh but after a few months on oak it has mellowed to the point that out is no more harsh than a commercial whisky. My best cuts have been my most recent.

2- don't use too much oak. Did this with the second one. Very smoky and overly oaky. Drinkable though, but probably better blended which leads me to...

3- don't be afraid to blend different runs. I put some of run number one with the over smoky and oaky and it was really nice. I did a second bottle like this and added just a dash of maple syrup and it's terrific. My father has been visiting more often since he tasted this one...

4- oak char level changes everything. I've done some medium char and some light char and I've ended up finding that light char provides more caramel and less smokiness. Darker char seems to give a different flavor, but I'm still trying to balance it. Haven't tried no char yet but I've heard it can achieve very different results. Maybe not ideal for bourbon types of whisky though.

5- the air still is a decent pot still. In fact if you could gain a bigger boiler underneath it would probably be even better. I'm trying to find a wattage controller to slow it down though. Too much smearing for what I'm trying to achieve. I know that's a given for pot stills but I'm fairly certain by its design that the air still is worse for it. However it's still a good device. I'll definitely upgrade one day but this is fine for now.

6- this hobby is insanely addictive. I'm genuinely getting more enjoyment from making rather than consuming the final product.

So there is my report thus far. I've done a sugar wash also (tpw) and used the cuts guide on the forum here to guide me. Turned out well. Wife finished the triple sec in a week. Thank you to all the great advice I've received here. I hope that what I've written above will help other people who are new at this hobby.

Statistics: Posted by eiscaer — Wed Feb 17, 2016 11:20 am

Re: New guy and AG

2015-12-09T21:39:48+00:00

Thanks Chuck. I was considering buying some commercial white dog to make a comparison until I saw the price of it.

There isn't much sweetness to mine but I think that's just because the tartness overrides it. The ferments I'm doing have been pretty sour by the time they finish, which I'm putting down to the fact it's all grain. I guess the flavor carries over.

I'm about to try a sugar wash for a Cointreau type drink so that'll be an interesting change of pace.

Statistics: Posted by eiscaer — Wed Dec 09, 2015 9:39 pm

Re: New guy and AG

2015-12-09T15:12:48+00:00

Nice progress! I don't recall the distillate having a tart/sour taste but that might be your interpretation vs mine. Rye will give it a sharp/angular taste and bite beyond the ethanol. The taste of the unaged distillate is very mild. I perceive it as grainy and very slightly sweet. Most of the taste of a bourbon (or whiskey or whisky) comes from the oak. The grain is more to provide the alcohol base than a strong taste.

Chuck

Statistics: Posted by chill — Wed Dec 09, 2015 3:12 pm

Re: New guy and AG

2015-12-09T13:39:00+00:00

Well I've managed to get my process up to third gen sour mash. The quality of the ferment is improving, and so is the distillate. Still sour smelling but not unpleasant. I'm currently running a grain bill of 80 corn to 20 malted rye. The yield seems less and I suspect that the rye has less enzymatic power than the barley I've used previously but the output is still reasonable.

One thing I'm not sure of though. I actually have no idea what unaged corn based whisky is supposed to taste like. It seems a bit tart, almost sour, but with a lingering warmth on the tongue. Not much of a corn flavor per se, but it tastes like something. I just can't work out what that is yet

The stuff I have on oak is developing flavor nicely. Smells great too, although not like bourbon yet. I'm aging at 65% abv and will water down to 55% after a few months. I have two jars aging now, and the younger of the two seems to be improving quicker. This may be because there is more head room in the jar and therefore more oxygen. This is also the first sour mash with about 20% backset so that may have helped too.

The airstill has its limits which I can certainly see. But as a learning tool it has been thus far incredibly useful. I certainly don't get large output from it but for the 20kg of corn I've used I'll have around 3.5 litres at 65%, not including what I get from the feints when I run them again. Very pleased so far. I can see why some people don't want to do the all grain thing with such a small still. It is more work for sure. But I enjoy having such a big involvement in the production of my own bourbon. If I could grow the corn myself, I would.

Statistics: Posted by eiscaer — Wed Dec 09, 2015 1:39 pm

Re: New guy and AG

2015-11-04T09:47:07+00:00

I've run 4 litres of low wines now and made cuts. Collected about 50ml of foreshots, 280ml of heads, about 1 litre of hearts and about 700ml of tails. I kept the tails in 100ml jars as I ran it amd managed to add the first one to the hearts, but the rest were just too bitter even after airing for 24 hours.

I've still got some low wines to run but not quite enough to fill the still so I'm thinking about adding the feints to it for the volume.

The hearts are smooth and warming. I suspect the exercise has been quite successful. Toasting oak tomorrow and then leaving it for a few months.

Statistics: Posted by eiscaer — Wed Nov 04, 2015 9:47 am

Re: New guy and AG

2015-11-01T01:40:59+00:00

I've started distilling the second mash that I did. Pretty much an identical smelling ferment with a distinct sourness to it, but the distillate also smells sour. The first batch I did wasn't like that so I'm not sure why it has done it this time. I'm not worried about it though because I'm really only collecting volume for the second run anyway. At first I thought it might be the head of the air still having collected some traces of the last batch but I've cleaned it out as instructed and it has made no difference. I'll keep some backset from this one. Not sure how much I should use in the next batch but I'm thinking two litres in a total ferment of about 25 litres should be OK.

I'll do my second distillation this week and toast some oak for it.

My next project will be the same thing but with some rye added for extra spice.

Statistics: Posted by eiscaer — Sun Nov 01, 2015 1:40 am

Re: New guy and AG

2015-10-20T06:39:57+00:00

You may be right. I don't have any way to test ph levels so I'm going to acquire something this week to allow for that. Sour mashing was always the eventual aim but the smell of this backset was truly diabolical and made me doubt it's value.

Statistics: Posted by eiscaer — Tue Oct 20, 2015 6:39 am

Re: New guy and AG

2015-10-20T03:26:49+00:00

Yes.

Statistics: Posted by packapoo — Tue Oct 20, 2015 3:26 am

Re: New guy and AG

2015-10-19T21:33:22+00:00

Do you mean the backset?

Statistics: Posted by eiscaer — Mon Oct 19, 2015 9:33 pm

Re: New guy and AG

2015-10-19T18:53:19+00:00

Haven't been able to shake the feeling right from reading your first post that you had something pretty special there, then let it drain away....

Statistics: Posted by packapoo — Mon Oct 19, 2015 6:53 pm

Re: New guy and AG

2015-10-19T08:02:53+00:00

Cheers Robert. My method of using cracked corn comes down to cost and authenticity. Also the desire to do a sour mash at some point. Given the infection that hit the last one I discarded the backset. Not because of the risk of reinfection (I'm pretty sure boiling it would have taken care of that) but because of the smell. The backset from this wash smelled terrible and I'm not sure I could have kept it around.

I am trying another wash tonight. At this stage with the same recipe but I'm undecided about whether to ferment on the grain again or whether to sparge it and run a cleaner mash. Either way I am crash chilling to make sure the temp drops quicker as I'm sure this will help things. It'll also get the yeast into it quicker.

Statistics: Posted by eiscaer — Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:02 am

Re: New guy and AG

2015-10-18T01:23:50+00:00

eiscaer,
I am loving your tenacity.
May I just throw into the ring for your consideration a couple of points?
I was frightened away from cracked/flaked maize washes in my early stilling days by the talk of the gelatinous/gloupey washes that resulted.
The only Corn washes that I have done,I used frozen sweetcorn,super sweetcorn,that has converted most starch to sugar already(4 times the sugar compared to maize grown for animal fodder), before being picked, I had buckets of sunshine staring me in the face.
I did add a little Amylase enzyme to try and convert any remaining starch.
It gave a decent product, after a double distillation, and there I left it, deciding that corn washes were really for people going down the sour mash route.
You have awakened an interest, and so I am interested to hear of your results.

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Sun Oct 18, 2015 1:23 am

Re: New guy and AG

2015-10-17T22:10:07+00:00

Well I've completed the stripping run and had the stuff airing for a few days with a little sodium bicarbonate in it. Smells faintly of methylated spirit or denatured alcohol depending on where you're from. I'm going to run it again shortly and make the cuts.

In the meantime I've found a place selling cracked corn at half the price I paid. Now if I could find a cheaper source of malted barley I'll be set.

Statistics: Posted by eiscaer — Sat Oct 17, 2015 10:10 pm