John,I started the wheat germ recipe today.
I changed the recipe around some,tell me what you think. 12oz wheat germ,3lbs extra light D.M.E.,1lb light brown sugar,6lbs cane sugar.
I used i tsp of gypsum,and 2tsps of citric acid.
I boiled it for 45min,and the last 15min I put in a tsp of irish moss.I also did something i picked up from pint o shine, i put a pack of yeast in the boil.I know everyone is thinking dead yeast,and there right.It does the same thing as adding yeast hulls,I guess.I used 2 packs of 1118,and put the bucket in a busstub just in case it gets rabies.I'll let you know if I have to get out the mop!

Happy birthday John, I had some irish moss from my beer making stuff so I put some in the last 15min.of the boil.{it couagulates proteins,helps with clearing,and the trub seperates better} and besides,its irish! The gypsum adds some calcium ions,and lowers ph,so it doesnt hurt the citric acid.You could use some used yeast for hulls but I would worry about the other stuff thats in with it.Besides its cheep and easy.

John,is your wheat germ done yet?Mine is still going.I cant wait to see how this stuff turns out.I hope it taste like glenlivit.{my favorite scotch}If it does,I will be making large quantitys,and and puting away for aging.

John,I racked the wheat germ yesterday,and its fairly clear.It smells like beer,but mine is bright yellow!Im talking glow in the dark yellow.
Im going to run it in the next few days,and will be tasting it all the way to the tails,cause from what you said about the tails being early,and nasty,I dont want any of them.
wineo

OOPS, I meant the early tails, not heads. See what those sips will do?

Wineo,

When I first tasted the very middle of the run, I thought it was a bit mild also, but when combined, it really has a strong finished flavour. Also, as pint pointed out, the extended boil is neccessary to extract and convert the proteins for the full flavour. I put some on oak, and to my taste the flavour has degraded a bit, but hopefully that will change with time. The ferment useing 24 oz. wheat germ is a bit stronger flavoured than the 16 oz, but that is the one that crawled out of the bucket and went everwhere. I have 2 more perking away right now. They're in the bathtub. Exactly the same, except used K1v 1118 in the first, and ec 1116 in the second, just one pack each, as seems to be explosive enough. No external hydrophobia in the first, but the second is definately rabid.

I was thinking of a touch of peated malt in the next boil? After 6 days, mine has a strong, unique flavor, that I like a lot. It ain't a scotch though. I like it much better than a generic scotch, fair bourbon, and even the UJSM which I also like a lot. Kinda like homemade buttermilk. Nothing to compare it to really. For your set-back run, try the full quantity of germs, and the full length of boil, replace part of the sugar with the DME. Also, on my first runs, I misread, or forgot and added a half cup of lemon juice instead of the 2 tsp.s of citric aacid ,I didn't have any then anyhow,, but these 2 I followed the instructions. I hope. Also, with the heads and tails added from the first run, my second was much stronger tasteing.

I'm ordering some 18 grape vines, and a number of fruit trees tommorrow, quick shipped as PJ and his wife are visiting this weekend, and meybe I can get some free labor. Of course, our rows may not be very straight, after shareing our previous labors- blind tast test, blind staggers, crooked rows. But they were all selected for their wine and brandy makeing abilities anyhow, so hopefully they will understand and adopt. Going to test these for a few years, then plant heavely with regards to what I learn.

Wineo,

I'm actually still a newbe at grains, but i did a fantanstic first. My wife picked me up some flaked corn, flaked rye, and flaked wheat at a natural foods mkt. I can't remember the exact grain bill, and my notes are somewhere unknown. I just tossed it all in, and used 6 pounds of malted 6 row for the conversion fermented all on the grain, rather the mush. Racked what I could, but left a lot behind. ,have better tools now,, and an ounce more knowledge. anyhow, its been ageing about 4 months on oak and is really very good already. Much better than medium priced store bought. I distress aged for several weeks during the winter. Your recipie plans sounds great. You seem to have a great grasp of potential flavour profileing.

The black elderberries are fairly common here, though haven't seen any at the farm. will just go pick some wild. Ordering 5 types of Mullberries, some plums. a quince, couple of mayhaws, and 2 Ju Jube trees. Others, I will get locally. Just a taste of each to try, and also a Paw Paw, to satisfy a friend of mine.

Cooker,If your getting wild berrys{not your own plants}then just cut off the whole clusters of berrys,put them in a paper sack{large} and put them in the deep freeze for 3 days.After 3 days,take the bag out and beat it on the side of the freezer 10-15 times.The berrys will be off the stims like ball berings.Pick out the stims,and put back in the freezer.The trick is,dont let them thaw out.I do this till i have enough berrys to fill a gallon freezer bag,and store them this way.Once you have tried this,you will throw the fork method out for good!I collected 12 gallons of berrys this way last summer.
wineo

It takes 3 days for them to get to the point where they fall off the stems good.Dont know why,I guess they are not frozen enough,cause the berrys just dont come off those stims as good.
wineo

"Hi all.

there have been so many new distillers joining the group, wanting to make something good and easy, Thought I would post this old recipe for a wheat germ. It was one of the earliest I did, and I still enjoy makeing it. Good white or aged.

Basic recipe:

Put about 5 gal. of water into a 6 gal. or bigger pot. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and add 10# of sugar, 2 teaspoons of citric acid, and 16 oz. of toasted wheat germ. Stir till sugar is dissolved and relight heat. Bring to a slow boil stirring occasionally. At first the boil can be a bit foamy and aggressive, just lower heat and stir. After a few minutes as it becomes or is adjusted to just a nice simmer, it will settle down. Simmer as a low boil for 90 minutes. No need to stir, but good to do occasionally. The wheat germs should be in constant motion with the simmer. Otherwise stir it up and increase heat till it does.

Pour or rack into fermenter when cool enough. Some will filter the germs out now, and some ferment on the germs as I do. Doesn't seem to make any diff.

Top off to 6.5 gal. in the fermenter or perhaps only 6....Aereate well and add a champagne yeast like ec 1118. (starter prefered but not necessary).

Place the lid on but don't attach firmly. Place a paper towel over the airlock hole with a quarter on top to hold it down. Suggest keeping it in a bath tub or a place easy to clean as this brew is violant.

This makes a fantastic beer flavor when finished. If any is left then distill it.

One easy pot still run makes for a great drink white. I usually do a single run whith only about a 10% reflux.

Seperate the heads, but retain the tails as the early tails collected in small bottles and allowed to breathe with a coffee filter secured with a rubber band for a day or 3 will become a nice inclusion to the hearts and for flavor.

Combine to taste. This is a really good and easy and cheap nice mild whiskey, and also good aged on oak.

Its a great begginers brew like the UJSM. I like this one better for my whiskey preference. Its more like an Irish or Scotch if you were to add some peated flavor.

Just thought I would pass this along to you that are new to this hobby and want to make some grain flavored drink without a lot of hassle and enzymes and such.

As I said, I still enjoy it."