I thought my corn mash was lost but it has been fermintating for 4 days I just got my oeschlemeter today so I checked it and it is reading dead on 0. I looked on the convertion chart and this should be 1.000 SG. I dont know what it started at as I did not have it when I started the mash. how do you know if its ready to run. (7 gal water, 13 lbs suger, 2 lbs corn meal. 4 packets of bakers yeast.) does it matter if the yeast is dead before you run it or not? how do you know? It does have a strong alcohal smell and it not sweet any more. Also the suger wash is at 40 that should be 1.040 SG . it still has a real sweet tast and dosent smell like alcohal but it is working on the bananas so I think it still in good shape.

Bill, you will know when the wash or mash is done when the gravity is stable by checking a few days in a row. It is possible that it is done now but usually it wll go down to around .996 on the Oeschlemeter. SuperKleer is a great clearing agent that works fast and no boiling required unlike the Sparkloid.

SuperKleer will work almost overnight but its still good to give it a a week for the lees to compact so you get more wine, wash or what ever you are clearing out of the carboy and less chance that it will stir up as it will settle harder given more time. I make a lot of wine and typically dont use fining agents when I dont have to but there are those stubborn batches and will probably use the SuperKleer for washes as its cheap and I want to get a decent supply going to let some age. Ive already got most of my product in all sorts of different macerations but leaving 2 quarts straight up!

"

AH, Bill. Well you make a mash (pun intended), and then to rack it, you just kick it where it hurts.... Just Kidding!!!

When your fermentation has ceased, and the trub (yeast, grains and such) has somewhat settled to the bottom, you take a racking tube, a siphon (Brewhause has an excellent ss one, that I use) and rack, siphon off the more clear liquid into another carboy, for further settling and clearing. Then when clear again rack into the boiler. Some as I almost do, except with fruit brandies, just wait till its all clear and rack the one time. That racking tube is a must have, though there are other ways some do it. Ball valve near the bottom etc.

When you make your spirit run. Cuts...

First the foreshots- methanol and other really low temp. products.

Heads. These are mostly lower boiling point alchahols that would taste and smell like fingernail polish, and is what will give you that wonderful headache and hangover with a lot of the store bought hooch. Upset stomache included. It contains a lot of good ethanol so save it to the feints jar. Now you will collect the hearts, hopefully proper cuts it will be 95% ethanol. Then the temp will start to rise a bit, which indicates you are getting tails. These are oils and higher boiling point alchohals that have smell and tast like wet newspaper. Collect all these and add to the faints jug.

When doing the spirit run, collect into small jars and number them. cover say a pint each with a coffee filter and ring to hold it there or other jars you choice. Let breathe and cool for at least 24 hours. Then by taste and smell, combine the good ones. The rest to the tails. Nothing wasted as you will distill these later.

That was for neutral. For a flavored grain, do exactly the same in pot still or way weakened reflux mode and combine for taste. For whiskeys you will want enough of the latter heads to give flavor. The airing and rest really helps there. For rums, certain tails are important.

As I think Wade suggested check out home distillers . org. Kinda an encylopedia of the art.

Have fun and rack those mashes.

Bill, order or go to the library ang get Ian Smiley's book ""MAKEING PURE CORN WHISKEY""."

I dont think anyone here would say that but Ive been to other places where they will say read for 1 year and then come back here.

"

Boy, I hope mine dosent turn out to bad, Your 100% right wineo & MW have been whats keeping me form going nuts, I would hate to have to tell them that my first run of ,as wineo would say ""Hoooch"" turned out more like ""Poooop"" after all there help they may make me drink it any way as to teach me a lession, ya know ""if you dont do it wright, that what you get"" make ya kinda not wanna do that again."

"Well, I just racked my first wash the one with corn in it, the SG idown to.995 it smells like old beer, hope thats write. well we will see.
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Bill. Just a caution. My house is all of a sudden full of fruit flies from some fresh fruit. Can't remember your OG and hence what your ABV is, but watch out if you don't distill soon that it might turn to vinegar. You could sulfite it or such to protect it, or later when you have some high octane add that of the same flavor. Wade can advise you on how to protect it better than I.

Add some water and sugar to that trub ( the dregs at the bottom to keep it alive till you get some new percentage grains and backset added if interested in the sour mash. Keep the yeast alive.

Old beer is exactly what you have. Past its time to bottle and corn at that. But this is for whiskey."

To protect 5-6 gallons for a awhile add 1/4 tsp of m-meta( also known as potassium metabisulfite, sodium metabisulfite) Campden tablets are made from both of these and are just in tablet form so you could add 1 of these tablets per gallon to dter bacteria from forming. You should always add this after fermentation is done if you are not immediatley going to distill.