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Hey Guys,
Awhile back I got some terrific advice on my sugar washes and equipment to use. While waiting for buckets to arrive I got bored and decided to make some UJSM. Got my cracked corn, used EC-1118, and spring water, and off I went. Everything worked out swell. That was Monday and it is now very early Sunday morning and the airlocks are still going strong. I read somewhere here that this is an oft asked newbie question - and so here it is again. Do I wait until the airlocks have quieted or is seven days enough to the wash rack into my boiler?
Second question: I built myself an all copper, valved reflux still. For the sour mash, should I run the set up as is, or should I take out the packing ,in my case copper mesh, and run the still more like a pot still? And yes, in either case I'm ready to do four or more distillation runs.
I also just pitched my first two 25L buckets of sugar wash with Turbo 48. Can't wait until that starts working!
And great. Now I also can't wait until September 22 ,see previous post - very cool,.
I hope this finds everyone well.
Yours,
PJ Lily
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Congradulations PJ,
For simplicity, better quality, as well as significant time and energy saveings, I always do a stripping-pot run, saveing up those until I collect enough for a full spirit run. You can do this with or without the packing, but would definately have some packing for the spirit run and adjust reflux to still catch some flavor from the corn.
9/22 does sound like quite an event. From the book I read about it there were pictures of a big old fashioned moonshine still, fermenter and all in full production. Also some retired revenoors were invited and attended. I'm sure they had some tales of the 'ones that got away'.
Oh yea, ferments this time of year are going to take a bit longer, plus with the UJSM the yeast will contiously be breaking down and consumeing some of the sugars out of the corn. Some add beano or amyloglucadase to facilitate this. I found they would consume between a quarter to a third of the corn each run.
I always catch a sample from the middle of the first run, just to sample later and see how the taste and quality is.
You've a lot of fun ahead of you!
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John,
I so enjoy this forum!
Um, so I read what you wrote about the fermentation taking longer this time of year - got it. Same with the beano or amylogucadase to break down the corn. My signal question is, do I wait for the arilocks to stop bubbling to know the wash is finished? Or do I assume that after a week I should rack off and save the yeast for the upcoming fermentations?
And about the Jamboree - how much of your own product would you consider bringing?!
Thanks for the quick return.
As always, thank you for your patience with me.
PJ Lily
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PJ,
Unless it is still very vigorous, I would go ahead and distill it, but check the TG. How very well I know that impatient feeling! If your TG is fine, rock and roll.
And the forum does enhance it all. Its fun to share, discuss, and learn something new all the time. I'm going to make some of that apple pie recipe.
I will be bringing an adequate supply to the jamboree- I will be embarressed by some of the masters here, but that will be ok also, as I can learn and be taught. With 7 fermentaters, I have made more in the last 3 months than I could drink in 10 years, but they will all get better with age. The jamboree will give me a chance to ger rid of some and make room for next winter's runs. Local homebrew store has great deals on glass carboys. 6.5 gal. down to gallon jugs. The rate I'm going my kids are going to have a very unusual inheritance!
Have fun and let us know how it turns out.
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PJ:
John gave you the perfect answer. The finishing gravity. That should always be the answer when it comes to determining if it's time to end a fermentation.
John:
You say you save up your first runnings until you have enough to do a spirit run. How much do you save up. Do you do a finishing run with 6 gallons or wait until you have 10? Do you mix them with water or just run them as is. If you don't add water is there enough residue to cover heating coils at the end? Just curious to see how others do theirs.
Cheers
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Hey Elricko,
Was beginning to wonder if you had lost power or something with all the ice ans snow.
When its warm and calm, I use my keg outside, and use 13 to 14 gal. of the stripped wort. When I run it inside, I use a 6.5 gal. run in a smaller pot. I very carefully use propane. This house was total propane run and with a propane electric generater, batteries, and inverter for 10 years, so have 2 500 gal. tanks. Just doubly carefull.
There is always enough liquid left to not be a problem, but you could dilute with a little water the first time to make sure, and measure the leftovers to see. Stripping runs are so fast relatively, I save a lot of time and energy, and also end up with a much improved final product. It also allows me to use bakeing soda, or sodium carbonate which I find really helps and improves neutral spirit runs, and I find I can run that at a faster rate, than with the low ABV wort.
PJ, let us know how it goes.
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Hey Guys,
THANK YOU so much for all the advice. Ok, so I did a newbie booboo. It was late at night when I did the UJSM and I forgot to take an initial gravity. I would think that the UJSM would have a standard gravity that everyone would begin with. If that is true, do you guys know it? I used spring water, 7# pounds of cracked corn, 7# of dextrose, and a tablespoon of EC-1118. Is there a probable initial gravity from that?
The gravity in the two of buckets ,each of the above recipe, right now is 1.15. Do I rack off now or let it keep going? I've an airlock bubble once every 20 seconds - if that can be sign of rate. Is there an optimum finishing gravity for the UJSM?
John, SEVEN fermentators going at once? Wow.
So ya know. I'm going to be meeting up with some guys I met through the forum here, that live in my neck of the woods. I'm sure we'll practice sharing hooch and telling porch lies, so while we may not give you a run for your money, perhaps we won't bore ya! Can't wait til Georgia...
As always, in great appreciation,
PJ Lily
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PJ,
Hopefully Elricko will chime in here. I am not the greatest expert at gravities. But hopefully, you meant 1.015, which would mean you are getting close, and probably close enough. 1.15 is probably about where you began or higher. OG.
Another test is to taste, if sweet, not done, dry, sour should be ready. Shouldn't have any sugar left to taste.
I'm too busy at the farm, spring, summer, and fall, so have to make up for it all in the winter. And I'm going to get a large one for certain ferments like the oats. Also, want to get enough ahead to allow for long term ageing.
I envy you, your opportunity to get together with your close fellows. Here, I think there is still too much worry about revenoors, as this was prime area for their activities, and all know several to a dozen, who got a free meal ticket in years past. I know 11.
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PJ:
1.015 would be good however 1.15 is way too high. Mine usually finished around .98 or so, sometimes it drops completely off the scale. I would say if you are close to 1.00 or under you are in good shape. At 1.015 I would leave for a couple of days and see if it goes down some more. if it stays there for two days it's done.
Cheers
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John,
I certainly look forward to meeting you in Georgia, fortunes prevailing. I live in the Bay Area and so if anyone asks me what I'm up to I merely tell them I'm making my own fuel... I probably wouldn' know a revenoor if one dropped on my head. Besides, with the easy attitudes here, if I admitted making my own hooch the first question would be, 'is it safe?' There'd be no question of legality, amongst the common man that is. The downside though, is that YOU don't live down the street from me.
Oops. So did I read my hydrometer wrong as well? Ah well, the joys of learning. As soon as I post this I will go outside and give it your taste test. I've got the day off t'moro, so if it's sour I'm distillin'!
How many acres you have?
As always, a great admirer,
PJ Lily
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PJ, I'm outside of Chico. Where in the Bay area are you?
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Hey Whitewater,
I'm in Berkeley and have been talking to a guy between you and I, plus some lads about town. You got any hooch in the works? It sounds like we may have the beginnings of a west coast mini-jmaboree oursevelves - or at least a good porch party.
Have Rick the moderator pass on to you my email address and we'll get in touch.
Yours,
PJ Lily
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[Rick, Can you send me an email address for PJ Lily?
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