"Hi,

I am REALLY new at this and have learned tons from these forums...what a great community!

I'm getting ready to do my first grain run and am really excited. I've been reading everything I can and think I have a good grasp at what I am trying to do. I do have a question about sour mash. I'm trying to figure out where this fits in the process and how best to approach this task. Any help would be greatly valued.

Thanks!!!!"

"Welcome. You are in for some fun time here. You say you are new. Have you done some sugar brews? What still concept are you useing? Are you familiar and have done cuts etc on run. The reason I am asking, is if not the above, you may want to do some sugar wash ferment before the grains, or else a UJSM which is in the archives, or if you can't find it just ask.

The sour mash process is when you do a sweet grain run, addd back a certain amount of the leftover stillage from the keg, to the lees or left over yeast and such in the fermenter. As it works out, you will eventually get a lacto type ferment which is much more acid. It balances each ferment to be simular and gives addded acid to the ferment. Rum makers do the same thing with dunder.

If you said can't rember what kind of still you have. If a reflux, I would highly recommend makeins some neutral and use some of the essential extracts in the flavoring list on brewhaus or others. That simply for starts. Than perhaps geet into the pot still mode and make flavored drinks. I like this the best, but will take a bit of learning to make cuts and such.

Start easy and simple.

If you are already passed this stage please repost, and we will go from there.



"

Ned, Do a search here or google for UJSM. They will give you a step by step guide. Yes, you use 25% or more of what is left in the boiler or such after the distillation run poured back over the lees left in your fermenter and reuseing the yeasts and most of the grains if it wasn't a cooked mash. The UJSM posts will explain it all.