 Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/10/2010(UTC)
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I have been reading Ian Smileys book on making Whiskey, in the section about Fermentation, he says that you should not ferment longer than 96 hours regarless wheather it is still bubbling or not. Anyone ever gone by this method, I really need some input on this, the first batch that I ran was around 180 to 170 proof. I haven't been able to duplicate since, coming out around 110 proof pretty steady. I am just wondering if I am letting the primary fermentation cross over to the secondary stage and hurting everything overall.
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 Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 7/25/2009(UTC)
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"are you sure he isnt sayng to leave it in the primary fermenting bucket no more than 96 hours before you transfer to a secondary under air lock.
It woud make sense to me that giving the yeast time to populate the wort and then transfering it to an anaerobic situation to make the alcohol is the system."
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/10/2010(UTC)
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I'm going to re-read that part again, maybe I misread what he was saying. I will get back to ya, thanks
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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"Scotty, I read the chapter again and I am still a bit confused. Here is the step I am going through for fermentation, fill in the blanks if I am missing something if you would.
I take my fermentor and put in about 4"" of cracked corn and 5 lbs. of sugar
I take about 1 1/2 gals of Ozarka Spring water and heat it to about 190 degs. and poor it in the fermenter to desolve the sugar.
After it is thoughly mixed I start adding cooler water to start bringing down the temp. to around 85 degs.
I add add a package of Prestige Whiskey Yeast w/ AG, sprinkle it over the top evenly and let it set for 15 minutes
after that I stir it in real good
Then I put on the lid to the fermenter with the air lock, in an hour or 2 it starts chugging a way
It usually chugs pretty steady for 3 or 4 days and start to slow down, at this point I will pop the lid and give it a good stir and put the lid back on for a day
The stirring seems to exite the mash a bit and the chugging picks up a little for about a day
After it slows down again I go ahead and strain it out and cook it
Now the first batch I cooked was on a felux still and it came out around 180 proof, but I switch over to a straight column/ pot still and I am only putting out 120 proof. What am I doing different that I am not seeing."
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
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"First of all, I have no experience with corn licker. I have read of that bucket method but You are referring to a method that seems out of date to me. Please remember i said out of date to [SIZE=""5""]ME[/SIZE].
All i was saying is that the time period you mentioned in your first post doesnt compute with my way of doing things.:)
I use a hydrometer and a refractometer to tell me when my fermentation is done.
Please get someone else with more corn whiskey experience to advise you.:)
The only comments i will make on your method are the following.
1--Adding hot or boiling water to something that you want to ferment with yeast means it needs to be properly aerated.
2-- I never sprinkle, but use a starter bottle that is made from diluted and aerated wort plus given hours for the yeast to get past lag time and also bud a few times..:)"
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
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"Hey Sparky... with that recipe it will work (obviously) but really its just a sugar wash with a little flavor from the corn. Not trying to be ugly or judgemental but today we know a lot more about making a good mash than they did in --the good ole days. Just pouring hot water on the corn wont MASH it so its still just a sugar wash. Now with the sweetfeed wash you will get flavor from the mollasses and grains but again its just a flavored sugar wash which is a pretty good likker. So if it works for you and is tastey to you go forit.
If you use the same quanties of sweetfeed or corn and add 10lbs of sugar you wil get even more likker - know what I mean.
And the stirring is releasing the trapped co2 in the goop which is not a bad thing so stir if you must, you will just have to wait longer for it too settle thats all."
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/10/2010(UTC)
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Thanks Heeler I appreciate it.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
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"heeler,
New to this part but have made all grain beer for 20 years. If I take the corn and sweet feed and run it through my grain mill (.040 gap is standard for my beer grain) and add the Amylase will I get any starch conversion or am I just picking up more flavor?
Thanks."
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
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"I'm just starting the beer thing and I wish had your knowledge of that.
As for more conversion in your grain wash????? If you dont MASH the corn (you know heat it to 155 degrees and hold it there for an hour or so) to gelenitize the inside of the corn -- other grains dont need that long -- but if not your not realy going to get conversion of the grain just flavor from whatever grain you use. You know when you use grains in beer you steep them so as to get flavor from them but in the whiskey mash -- for grain conversion you must heat and hold so the grain will convert the starch inside the grain to a liquid. Once this has happened and you add the amylase that will assist with alcohol production but most of your alcohol will come from the sugar you use. But the grain will add some input value to the alcohol. But mostly flavor. Depending on your still - corn carryover will be minimul unless you cook it hard."
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
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As for the corn and sweet feed recipe. You really dont need to grind it, that recipe is useing whatever flavor from the grain and mollasses it can get cause your not cooking it. The sugar is your hooch. Oh and cracked corn does seem to work better in that recipe--for me anyway.
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/9/2011(UTC)
Posts: 44
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Gotcha. I am also looking an an all grain mash with 50% flaked corn (already cooked & processed) from the local home brew house ($1.59 lb. used for making American Pilsners). I have started scratching at for my first pot still whiskey run, probably several days as I am planning on 2 6 gallon fermentations. I picked that since the Whiskey yeast does not like ABV past 8.5 and I want more than a pint or two. Guess I need to find a 30-40 lb. propane tank soon.... 
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/17/2009(UTC)
Posts: 27
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"I have a question for all. I started fermenting today at 4pm with water and 48hr. turbo yeast and i dont hear the bubbling yet? 15lbs sugar 6 gal water all dissolved and let cool to room temp placed 48hr turbo yeast and nothing I stirred till yest was dissolved. It is 930 pm eastern time and till hasnt taken off. Can I get a little help. Is the mash ruined or can I kick it in the ass with something else. Help. SOS!! I have to buckets going and it is the same with both buckets. It smells like it is fermenting but it is not actively bubbling
JB"
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