If I use 2 1/2 pounds of corn meal, for a 5gal. mash how much sugar should I add? I'm useing Brewhaus 48hr. tbo. yeast or should I use a differ. yeast?

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Are you actually mashing? ... or just adding the corn meal as a flavoring adjunct? If the corn meal is for flavoring then it doesn't really enter in to the % abv equation (unless the meal itself has sugar in it). That is, you'd be making a sugar wash with some grain flavoring.

I usually use 10 lbs (~4.5 kg) of sugar in a simple 25L sugar wash ... which is basically the same as Bigwheel. This gets me to 10% give or take. My baker's yeast handles this without any fuss or bother.

--JB"

I agree Bigwheel, just reading some old posts. You can have all those fancy instruments you want and they are helpful, but people forget the best tool they got and that is their taste and feel and your smell. Taste you mash and it will tell you how much sugar you got left. Feel it and it will tell you what temperature it is and smell it to see if it's sour.

"Bigwheel, I broke two of the measuring things and finall made one that I've been using a long time. Take a piece of 1"" copper about 1-ft long and solder a copper cap on one end. Put your checker thing in the pipe and measure the top to about 190 proof and cut the copper pipe at this point. This makes it easier to read. You can solder a 1/4"" overflow to the very top of the side of the pipe if you want to, that could be placed in a jar next to the copper pipe so you get a constant level and don't lose none. Fill till it overflows and that will always be the correct level. I drilled a 1-1/8' hole in a piece of 2' x 4"" to set the cap into to hold it steady. The biggest advantage is you only need 1/2 pint to measure.
The only time I have trouble is when I'm measuring 190 proof and above, the pipe is not long enough, but if you make it longer it's hard to read. You can make one of these for a couple bucks."

Man, I check every store and every sale for sugar and it always seem to cost about .60 to .65 a lb. You might get one for .50 but usually you can only buy one. I never seen no good deal on buying in quantity. You know $10.00 in sugar, about $10.00 in propane, cheap yeast and maybe a little corn or fruit, it ain't real cheap, but it sure is good! I went to a couple of outside fruit/vegetable stands and wanted to buy some of their over ripe stuff and I can't find one that speaks english. Damn Cubans.

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Ummmm...two two quart mason jars?

Just buy one of those cheap clyinders for checking at your local brew store. They take about 6oz to fill. Mix booze with water in jar, pour into cylinder and test. Pour back into jar and repeat until desired proof. Easy peasy."

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1"" copper pipe and cheap? If you happen to have some laying around. I would pay more for the copper cap then the ""test tube deal"".

How much likker are you guys proofing? I only proof it if im going to oak it. Otherwise why bother."

Hey I'm with you bigwheel. It's got to be fun and EASY. I don't understand why people go to so many extremes to experiment. Once you got the process down, have fun watching and drinking, not scewing it up. Everyone likes to alter the flavor a little bit, but not if it might change the basics. I do like to brag about a good run. Yesterday I got 3- good Qts. from a 6-gallon mash. 180, 160 and 120, in about six hours. I don;t think you can do much better than that on a regular basis. I have found that you just leave it alone, as much as you want to mess with it, leave it alone. You got the temp right, you got the water right, you got the drip right, just keep changing jugs and be happy. I might get into a little flavor after the fact. I dont believe in those essences but I sometimes will do the NATURAL oak or mint or cherry or key lime. I usually give this stuff away to the sissys that are always around. I stick to the white liqour.

I've heard of good results with cornmeal, but never tried it. I ususlly use cracked corn. Let me know. Like "Bobby Dillon" says " You ain't got nothin if you ain't got nothin to lose"

Is that dry malt spray malt? If so think the brewmiester steered you wrong cause that stuff has next to no active enzymes in it. You will have to mix it with luke warm water before mixing it in or it will carmelize(hard chunks).
Cornmeal? Just picked up 50lb bag of corn for 12 bucks at the feed store.

They say pitch your malt at 150 cause it usually will bring the mash temp down to 140 were it needs to stay for 90 minutes approx. One way to do this is if your mash pot fits in the oven once you have it at 140 put in the oven at its lowest setting. Then every 15 minutes come back and stir it and shut the heat off. Then 15 minutes later come back and stir it and turn the heat on. Repeat until completed.

I actually agree badbill that once a system is ideal then its just repeat and rince. If you are happy doing sugar shine thats great. Some of us want something different and the search takes a little longer. The first all grain experiment was great tasting but beginner mistakes were made and production suffered, aka run too soon. Can't just go by taste like sugarshine as it is never sweet. A malt was experimented with next with tasters commenting it was similar to quality irish. I don't like quality irish so back to corn. This time 85% corn and 15% malted barley. I know this will make quality the question is quantity so if it isnt up to snuff maybe a corn mash with sugar added for improved abv.

Yet to make anything undrinkable so maybe thats why havent been discouraged from continuing to experiment.

As far as the still its like any other hobby. Start out low end to see if it takes. You don't need a Les Paul to learn to play guitar. But once you are hooked in you are going to want to upgrade from the beginner crap.