StillSmart

http://m.countrywidefarmers.co.uk/h5/pr ... tID%3D5279

Is this stuff any good for a basic brew?

What kind of brew are you thinking of Devon? All grain or sugarhead?

All grain mate. Going to have a go with something like this and then use my beer brewing skills to make something a bit better quality later

It says "mixed corn" made from organic wheat and maize....so do you want mixed?? or just corn (maize)?? or are you tinking about a mixed cereal wash ??

This is what I use...Here and it's a better price...£6 for 20kgs.

I was trying to see if I could find something local that would do the job as its a lot easier to just pick up a sack than wait for it to be delivered. But I think I will stick with your suggestion

Research your local horse supplies places, they always have big sacks of stuff at a good price.

Yeah. Keep searching often there just hard to find.

What's it for Devon? (Excuse my ignorance). Are you going to effectively make a beer with the grain and then distill it?

Hi, yeah that was the plan, make a beer without the hops and distill it. Wanted to experiment in every possible area to see what I can make and if it tastes good.
I would however like to make something that comes from easily obtainable ingredients to boost my supplies of neutral spirit as I've got a friend who I help him make absinthe and will take as much neutral as I can make

You're using grain to make neutral? Have you considered the kale wash that Mash is mastering?
Using grain to make neutral is one hell of a messy & long winded approach to make something that's as "without flavour" as possible to turn to absynthe. Especially when sugar & kale both come from the supermarket for less than £3!
I'm not going to discourage anyone who wants to make an all grain wash I find it very therapeutic, it just seems a bit pointless to do all the hard work & then strip all the flavour out of it

EDIT: I just read that properly, you want to make flavoured wash for your own enjoyment & neutral for the friend. I'm voting kale for the neutral!

I'm all for trying a kale wash, I've heard it smells a bit funky but I will just put the fermentor in the shed

Seems to be doing the business for everyone here & there will be plenty of people to advise if you get stuck. Have you had any joy finding a local feed supplies place?

Devon wrote: I will just put the fermentor in the shed

Heated?

Boiled and squeezed not to funky.
5kg sugar / 25l / 100g yeast
Fermentation at 25-30c

I've got electric in it but i have a 100l fermentor in there which is perfect for my 100l brewery and now a 100l still

I would say that if you want to create a high quality vodka to drink yourself then yes, go down the grain route, probably with wheat or oats.

However, for neutral as a feedstock, you will not be able to compete with GNS, which is so widely used by gin and vodka manufacturers, because it is made on an industrial scale. Just because most of them use a grain based neutral, don't think you have to make one.

Use anything you can that is cheap. Previously because I didn't need much neutral, I just charged the packed column with whatever feints I had available from the pot still. I very rarely fermented anything to specifically make neutral.

Sugar (from cheapest source)
Magnesium (Epsom salt)
Acid ( lemon juice or brewers acid)
Vitamin B (one a day multivitamin)
Protein (dry or fresh yeast)
Nitrogen (from any source)

The above is the basic requirement for a fermentation for neutral, and it is satisfied by the previously recommended Kale wash.

You can provide all the acid, magnesium, vitamin b and nitrogen from other sources but with the possible exception of acid, they are all found in kale.

I haven't needed to try a kale wash yet so can't comment on wheter it acidifies naturally or not. It may be the only aspect of the kale wash that I would check, and possibly add.