Rum's go at all grain

[EziTasting]

How did you get on did the malt work its magic?

Is that aimed at me?

Btw good to hear you got something drinkable even with an infected mash will have to remember that :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Haha, how embarrassing... Like waving at someone who's waiving at the person behind me.. :?

Yes, turns out it was a bacterial infection which turned it into a sour-mash. We had to strip it quickly because the bacteria would have drunk all the alcohol and pissed out vinegar! :))

Next batch, we're not going to open it every y day! :violence-smack: AND we're gonna my to boil the corn and hold its temp for a bit... Even if we do it in the kitchen on the stove!

[rumdidlydum]

Well it was a failure.
Woke up this morning and checked it and its consistancy thinned out a small bit but was no where near what I thought it should be. Just for shits and gigles I did a starch test and by the results its safe to say that my conversion was about 0% :laughing-rolling:
Went down to the supermarket and bought some sugar and have made sugar heads instead of tipping it.
To conclude I'm sure the feed barley I bought is low quality and maybe didn't have much of an enzyme to do the job?

[bluc]

Bugger :crying-blue: learning all grain bugs me all the time but not looking forward to trying again :laughing-rolling:Anyway you could heat it up and add enzyme to it? What sort of thermometer did you use?

[EziTasting]

There's one piece of 'evidence' I neglected to add - in my reading I found that, despite the conversion power of Barley, a lot of others add amylase enzyme to assist the process. I looked for it locally and found some at the chemist (see pic). I added it because I malted my own Barley and I didn't trust myself! :laughing-rolling:
So I added the enzyme as well... Cheating, may be?!? Just trying to make sure I get something!!!

image.jpeg

[rumdidlydum]

I would heat it back up but I have no enzymes. Plus the longer if left more chance of infection so had to do something with it.
Next time I will be using enzymes, for all the effort and time that goes into it.
Bluc I used a temp gun and a digital temp probe. Only when I was stirring it I could get an accurate temp read, due to the top temperature difference to the bottom.

[Sam.]

Ah, did you use the barley that you malted yourself?

Might be worth buying some malt if you try it again :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[EziTasting]

Ah, did you use the barley that you malted yourself?

Might be worth buying some malt if you try it again :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I did, followed your post with good success. I think, tho, that the quality of the Barley (as with Rummy) may not have been sufficient (or I goofed somewhere else, also very likely).
We have sufficient for 2 more large attempts (200L batches) and we'll try again!
Once these ingredients run out, however, should we repeat this particular brew in the future, it will be with premalted barley from a HBS... just to make sure... AND I will buy enzymes to have on hand, just in case!

It's definitely enjoyable doing it from scratch, but you want some modicum off success for the work put in!

[WTDist]

Havent done any all grain, or grain, but what if you heated it up to boil to kill off any nasties and let it cool off to the appropriate conversion temp while you grab some enzymes? unless a home brew shop is too far?

[EziTasting]

Havent done any all grain, or grain, but what if you heated it up to boil to kill off any nasties and let it cool off to the appropriate conversion temp while you grab some enzymes? unless a home brew shop is too far?

That's a more succinct way of putting my next plan of action

[wynnum1]

May be worth asking the brew shop if they can order in Bintani Lo Carb Enzyme - 0.5L (Amyloglucosidase450G) and could be used at mash temperatures looks to be just over $30 for 500g screw top plastic container .

[rumdidlydum]

Ah, did you use the barley that you malted yourself?

Might be worth buying some malt if you try it again :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Yeah the stuff I malted myself. But yes next time I will just buy the barley malted.

[rumdidlydum]

May be worth asking the brew shop if they can order in Bintani Lo Carb Enzyme - 0.5L (Amyloglucosidase450G) and could be used at mash temperatures looks to be just over $30 for 500g screw top plastic container .

Cheers wynnum, have you used it before?

[wynnum1]

No but seems to be what would work and sold in Australia they do not put good instructions on web sites . There is a pdf on one web site.
Do a web search "amyloglucosidase 450g " if you use at high temperature will work quicker then if put in with yeast the enzymes seem to work at higher temperatures then malt enzyme also using some alpha amylase first may help.
Looks to be renamed to sell as a Lo-Carb Enzyme for beer.

[EziTasting]

May be worth asking the brew shop if they can order in Bintani Lo Carb Enzyme - 0.5L (Amyloglucosidase450G) and could be used at mash temperatures looks to be just over $30 for 500g screw top plastic container .

:laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: yep learned that, too.

[bluc]

Hey rum what was your grain bill? I see you wanted a makers mark style did you use the grain bill from the grain bill thread?

[rumdidlydum]

Hey rum what was your grain bill? I see you wanted a makers mark style did you use the grain bill from the grain bill thread?

I used the excel doc thats here.

[bluc]

Ok just rembered i read you need at a minimum 10% malt for the conversion to work but if you used the spreadsheet then i doubt that would be the issue..

[rumdidlydum]

Successful all grain mash :music-deathmetal:
I bought some malted barley and rye a few weeks ago and had the opportunity to have another go at all grain.
My plan was a single malt whisky with a grain bill of 85% malted barley and 15% malted rye.
Sat morning I boiled up the water ground and measured out the grains. I started adding the barley at about 80c which it droped to 65c once it was all in. I sealed up the tunn and let it sit for 2 hours then added the rye at 60c.
Adding the rye it droped to 50c so I tryed my recirc system, thae setup is a waste of time and I wont be using it again in this configuration....
I left the mash overnight and this morning woke up to a very fragrent sweet smell in the garage that made my morning. :dance: with a starch conversion test I was surprised how the colour cleared.
I tryed to sparge the liquid out but soon relised I must have un knowingly unscrewed it with the mixer on the drill. In the end I just used a laundry bag and filtered and squeezed the grains out.
I have used the American saf whisky yeast hydrated and pitched at late 30s, I have never seen a wash buble so much not even my rums :wtf: The smell of the mash as I was straining it was like silage. Not sure if its supposed to smell like that but thats a smell I have gotten used to :music-deathmetal: .
Anyway here is some pic's :D

[bluc]

Sweet glad to see you got it sorted. So you reakon it was the home malted barley that was the problem last time?

[rumdidlydum]

Maybe, I think it conrtibuted to it but my last thoughts are was expecting to much of the enzyme to convert the other un malted grains and itself?