StillSmart

Since reading AM's recipe for the Lentil wash I've wanted to have a go, I've always done the sugar wash as per Still Spirits. As there was no chance before chrimbo I knew it would be the start of 2014, so here I am.

I followed the recipe by weighing out 400grams of lentils....



Then into a bowl with 2 liters of boiling water, got the 5kgs of sugar ready and the 50grams of yeast...(that's half a bloody tin)



Took a SG reading and hit 1078...



Now the recipe called for 5.5 kgs of suger, I have 2x5kg bags and I didn't want to nick 500grams out of the 2nd bag, as I want to start another wash in a day or so. So what's that 500grams cost me in SG??? I'd like to think not a lot??
"C'est la vie"

Icefever.

5kg - Luvley Jubley! I've since amended my recipe for the same reason and I reckon I'm probably saving as much as I'm losing

The 50g of yeast is to ensure a healthy colony that will be able to do the job easily and quickly. With the cost of a tin of Allinsons I reckon it's very little in the big scheme of things viz. the value of the spirits you'll end up with from just one wash

Anyway, if you want to make your dried yeast go further you can by making a yeast starter and growing the yeast culture 24 hrs before you intend to pitch the wash. That way you can use just 25g and get the same effect in the wash.

Plus, you can use this one for a number of generations if you want to

Aerate it well with a stick blender and make sure the pH starts off in the low 5s and you're away.

BTW, that wash will come up really quickly, I leave the lid loose for the first 12 hrs cause it's blown off a couple of times by the Krausen

AM

Cheers Aidan...

I thought 5 kg would be ok, just not too sure. As for the yeast it's cheap enough,
I would have made a starter as I've all the kit to do it from my brewing gear. I just didn't want to wait this morning to get the wash on the go.

I'm being very watchful at the moment over the bucket..if all goes well tonight then tomorrow it'll go into the brew fridge in the brew house.

Don't know what happened there with a 2nd post..

Icefever wrote:Don't know what happened there with a 2nd post..

Trigger happy on the reply button ?

Phantom wrote:

Icefever wrote:Don't know what happened there with a 2nd post..

Trigger happy on the reply button ?

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Must be the excitement of getting back home so that I can get stuck in Phantom...

I'm sat here wide awake (freaking jetlag, what's that all about ) just made a cuppa and checked the barrel...wow...you ain't wrong AM..it started off easy, working after an hour or so.

Now look at it...



Sorry shots a little fuzzy, don't know if it's the camera or me..

Looks like it needs some ham hocks, onion, and carrots!

chill wrote:Looks like it needs some ham hocks, onion, and carrots!

Arrhh now I'm not only suffering jetlag, I'm smegging hungry too boot..

chill wrote:Looks like it needs some ham hocks, onion, and carrots!

Or maybe some garlic some fresh coriander, cumin seed and turmeric. ......

03.05 your last post Phantom ??...I take it your back pounding the blacktop ??

Icefever wrote:03.05 your last post Phantom ??...I take it your back pounding the blacktop ??

Yesterday load marden 06buffalo, tip melton mowbray back to marden tip and kip, just up for a fix of Alex Lester before heading for Brandon - not fussed as long as north of Dartford before 6.......

I'm still off this week, suffering from 24 hours sat in a smegging plane..not done my back any good.
I've just put out a shout in the chat room.

I'm watching this closely and am very glad for the pictorial tutorial. I may have to search out a translation guide for some of the Brit slang, though.

Just wondering - when did you take your SG reading; when there was nothing but sugar and water in the wash? Is that the right time, or are you supposed to get everything incorporated, then pour a sample for the hydrometer?

Also, did you adjust your SG after aidanmac's comment? I've been trying to hit 1.052 SG and 5.5 ph on my fermentations since reading his guides/comments. Wondering if being outside that range affects this recipe, or if it's so robust it shrugs off niggling variations like that.

Anyway, good luck and thanks for the helpful thread!

The lentils will likely throw off the SG. You are better off calculating it from the amount of water and sugar.

As chill said or you can take a reading when you've dissolved the sugar in the water and before adding the lentils. The SG is determined by the amount of sugar and water only but the pH is different. I've found that between 5.2 and 5.5 is the ideal start point. As the ferment progresses the pH will drop and when finished mine is between 3.8 and 4.2 - healthy. I don't toy with it

These days I don't bother with the SG, it's always the same. FG is more important as this is how you'll know your wash has actually finished and not just stalled A stalled wash still has unfermented sugar but it will still clear

AM