Sugarhead whiskey with spent grain

[Ned]

Cutting my teeth on a GF all grain brewing beer which I still do. I have read about the following. "
"Tasty sugarhead whiskey with spent grain" Us brewers throw away plenty of tasty grain. I was talking to a fellow who saw a documentary in regard to a distillery in Tasmania Australia that use the spent grain from Cascade brewery in Tasmania. Can anybody help me on this subject as I am very keen to try this method and have no idea of what process should be used. I understand that there would be very little sugars to ferment in the grain. (just the taste) Possibly need to add sugar. Do you ferment on the grain and than strain the fermented wash. ~x(

[bluess57]

Yes I've done it, ferment on grain, 4kg of sugar in a 30l fermenter
Turned out nice.

[dans.brew]

I just had a crack at my first AG whiskey and used the spent grain in a sugarhead. Currently on my second gen with it.. my first gen was a combination of excess wort that didnt fit in my AG ferment and sugar fermented on the grain.
My second gen was 5ltrs of backset from first gen with 4.5kg of sugar topped up to 28ltrs which made a SG of 1.058

[coffe addict]

They way I do it is a 200L plastic drum mash tun after drawing off my wort I add sugar and hot water to the grain bed and ferment on the grain in the mash tun.

Pays to keep an eye on the cap though as I've had it rise about 8inches out of the top

I've not yet added back-set bit reckon I'll start doing that as there's not a lot of flavour left in the grain

[Ned]

Thank you everybody, very keen to try this. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[dans.brew]

Good luck with it ned..
I've actually got a 4ltr ice cream container full of the spent grain i didn't use originally in the freezer.
I'm going to replace some of my grain after gen 2 and do a further 2 gens.
I'm hoping it keeps a good strong flavour profile going without having it get a bit subtle.

[EziTasting]

Generational Whisky .... :think: ... interesting! Very Interesting, indeed.

Works for Bourbons, often wondered why it isn't done on Whisky!?!

[Sam.]

Because whisky isn’t sour mash

[dans.brew]

Generational Whisky .... :think: ... interesting! Very Interesting, indeed.

Works for Bourbons, often wondered why it isn't done on Whisky!?!

Nothing like an experiment... it will only taste of two things, good or crap!

[Ned]

Generational Whisky .... :think: ... interesting! Very Interesting, indeed.

Works for Bourbons, often wondered why it isn't done on Whisky!?!

Nothing like an experiment... it will only taste of two things, good or crap!

Yep 50/50 bet. Dans.Brew
I think next time I brew a stout (Bugger just dropped 6.5 kg of pale ale with amber, chocolate, black, and roasted malt into the compost bin)
I could dig that out and try it, but I think it would be 100% crap, although a few worms might add some body to it. :laughing-rolling:
Seriously I think I will do a sugar wash on the grain (spent) for a couple of days and rack to another fermenter and ferment out. Mainly to get some flavour into the wash.
In the meantime some more research.
Thanks everybody for the input.
I see Tasmania are having a whiskey week this month. !.

[EziTasting]

Because whisky isn’t sour mash

Not talking sour-mash, Sam. I’m talking using 5-10% backset in the next ferment. Using it to add flavour to the next generation...

Along the lines of how they develop more flavour & complexity in Rum.

I’m not claiming that this will work, but it appears that no-one here has done it or can reference an experiment giving the out comes... and I’m just curious!

As for sugarhead to follow your AG mash, that’s being done by a number of hobbyists here. I’ve only done it once (last ferment - haven’t done much of anything of late, which is why I haven’t done more!) and it’s currently maturing in my 3L barrel... come to think on it, I’d better check it! :obscene-drinkingdrunk:

[bluc]

Which is sour mash... :handgestures-thumbupleft: :D

[EziTasting]

Which is sour mash... :handgestures-thumbupleft: :D

Shaddap!

Really? I thought sour mashing is using part of the old grain, which has soured, hence the name... :think:

[bluc]

:laughing-rolling: :D backset use = sour mash..

Sour in this case means acidic :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[coffe addict]

My two pennies says have a crack. Will it be whisky no but no sugar head is any way... Make nice whisky for yourself and a passable sugarhead for the guest's!
The sugar heads I've done have been quite lacking in flavour and have been meaning to use back-set and a caramalt tin to boost it to acceptable levels.

[EziTasting]

My two pennies says have a crack. Will it be whisky no but no sugar head is any way... Make nice whisky for yourself and a passable sugarhead for the guest's!
The sugar heads I've done have been quite lacking in flavour and have been meaning to use back-set and a caramalt tin to boost it to acceptable levels.

As in use the backset on the sugar head!?!

[dans.brew]

Which is sour mash... :handgestures-thumbupleft: :D

Shaddap!

Really? I thought sour mashing is using part of the old grain, which has soured, hence the name... :think:

Ezi you weren't the only one confused! 8-}
Being that backset (dunder) is used with rum i was under the impression it was for flavour building too.
Anyhow my 2 gens of sugarhead whiskey with backset are going through the bubbler as we speak, so ill know whether it was worth it or not soon enough.

[Ned]

This is what it is all about experimentation and exploring the possibilities. Otherwise we would not have alcohol from ferment grains.
stirring the possum. 8-}

[coffe addict]

Yes ezi I've been wondering what the results would be. Perhaps the bland sugarhead would become more interesting. Again not scotch but it could be quite palatable :obscene-drinkingdrunk:

[bluc]

Dan it adds flavour also but the technique was used to lower ph to keep unwanted bacteria out.. :-B