cook off

[yetti]

by reading this forum I have learnt a lot but I was still wondering if someone could tell me step by step the right way to cook of a corn/rye/malt wash in a 2" pot still?

[r.c.barstud]

by reading this forum I have learnt a lot but I was still wondering if someone could tell me step by step the right way to cook of a corn/rye/malt wash in a 2" pot still?

Ok, so you will need to get the required amount of grain to get the proper ratios from starch to sugars so that they can be converted at the correct balances, this can be done by using various ways, as a rule of thumb its 1 kilo of grain per 4 liters of water. The percentages will vary from recipe to recipe.
Corn: is the main ingredient in whiskey/bourbon. The correct crack is 5-6 pieces, but in reality it don’t matter, as long as you expose the white centre of the kernel, it will work
Rye: is the second main ingredient for whiskey/bourbon, the crack is not real important, as long as the white centre is exposed
Barley: is the grain that converts the starches (white centre) into sugar. The barley will need to be malted and the variety of the barley will also need to be taken into consideration, 2 row or 6 row.
2 row has 2 rows of seeds on the seed head of the plant and 6 row has 6 rows of seed on the seed head, 6 row has a higher enzyme value and will have a better conversion factor, if 2 row barley is all you can get, add beano, (beano is a cultured bacteria to stop farts)
Once you have got the required amounts of grain, keep them separate and crack them and keep them separate from each other.
The reason for separation is that the saccharification (cooking) temperatures will be different from each other, especially barley, if the barley gets too hot it will be denatured (killed)
Lets say you want to make some Makers Mark, (this is the mash bill for Makers Mark).
You will need:
70% corn
16% wheat
14% barley malt (6row)
Crack corn first, I always use whole corn kernals, you can get all sorts of space junk in pre cracked corn, however, pre cracked corn works just fine.
Soak the cracked corn in a clean bucket and stir to remove and dry spots (clumps). Dry spots can lead to infections and stuff things up right from the start.
Do the same for the wheat and barley, remember to keep the grains separate from each other (each grain in its own bucket)
Corn has a saccharification temperature 62 deg C – 78 deg C about 68 deg C is optimum
Wheat has a saccharification temperature 52 deg c – 66 deg c 64 deg c is optimum
Barley has a saccharification temperature 64 deg c – 66 deg c 65 deg being optimum
I add the soaked cracked corn to about 2 litre of water in my cooker, I use a beer keg with the top cut out and bring up to 68 deg c and do an iodine test to see if I have the correct conversion.
Once I have the correct conversion, I bring the temps down to 65 deg c and add the wheat and stir that through the corn for about an hour and iodine test that, it will get very thick, like porridge. And keep the temp at a constant 65 deg C
I then add the barley and stir that through the corn and wheat mix for about ¾ to 1 hour.
Turn off heat, cover with blankets and leave it for about 8 hours (usually over night)
Add to fermenter, top up with water, pitch yeast at 29 deg c and walla

[markus]

Nice little write up there RC. I haven't used rye in any recipes yet.
I'll be copy and pasting that one.

Cheers Markus

[Bushy]

You just got a burner under that keg with the top cut out?

[r.c.barstud]

You just got a burner under that keg with the top cut out?

yeah cobber, you will need to stir the contents non stop or it will stick and burn, not cool. if you can get like a helper it makes things easier :handgestures-thumbupleft: , i am in the process of making a mounted stirrer/ paddle type gig, but its turned out to be a bit of a mission. :-D

[Moran]

Great write up RC. Thanks, mighty helpful :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[r.c.barstud]

oops my bad :violence-smack: :violence-smack: , i said barley converts starch into sugar, thats not right. its the cooking that converts, the barley is able to digest the sugars, kinda herd to type on a phone and get it correct, but i sure you get the idea :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Dominator]

Awesome write up mate. A great way for beginners to get their head around mashing.

[Rumdrinker]

Awesome write up mate. A great way for beginners to get their head around mashing.

:text-+1: :text-imwithstupid: :text-thankyoublue: :text-thankyoublue:

[millert85]

I add the soaked cracked corn to about 2 litre of water in my cooker, I use a beer keg with the top cut out and bring up to 68 deg c and do an iodine test to see if I have the correct conversion.

Is that 2l correct? Maybe being a noob I'm missing something, but for a 60l wash you would have approx 12l of grains correct? 2l of water doesnt sound anywhere near enough. :?

[r.c.barstud]

I add the soaked cracked corn to about 2 litre of water in my cooker, I use a beer keg with the top cut out and bring up to 68 deg c and do an iodine test to see if I have the correct conversion.

Is that 2l correct? Maybe being a noob I'm missing something, but for a 60l wash you would have approx 12l of grains correct? 2l of water doesnt sound anywhere near enough. :?

2 litres to soak the grain in :-D you will need to add water for cooking, and yes 12 kg of grain is on the money. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[yetti]

WOW, thanks heaps RC. Great detail. Even an empty head like myself can work that out. I have been told that you can get around 10 cooks with this type of wash over time, is this correct? What do you mean by correct conversion ?Never done it before and couldn't push my luck and get detail of the cooking and re-yeasting process if you have the time please? Once again thanks heaps mate. :handgestures-thumbupleft: Also what are your thoughts instead of whole corn you used polenta ( corn crushed to powder ).

[r.c.barstud]

WOW, thanks heaps RC. Great detail. Even an empty head like myself can work that out. I have been told that you can get around 10 cooks with this type of wash over time, is this correct? What do you mean by correct conversion ?Never done it before and couldn't push my luck and get detail of the cooking and re-yeasting process if you have the time please? Once again thanks heaps mate. :handgestures-thumbupleft: Also what are your thoughts instead of whole corn you used polenta ( corn crushed to powder ).

With all grain mashes, you only use them the once, with sugar heads like uncle jesse simple sour mash, you can use them over and over again. with an all grain mash its the backset (stillage) that gives replication from batch to batch.
You dont want to use a fine grind or a powder, it will be extremely difficult to mash and will be even harder to get a clear rack, thine fines will make it a real pain in the neck to work with.

[yetti]

Once again thanks RC. If I done a mash of 30L what volume and percentage do you think I would get?

[r.c.barstud]

Once again thanks RC. If I done a mash of 30L what volume and percentage do you think I would get?

i havent done a 30 litre mash, but i would reckon you would get 15-20 litres and it should be around the 9% mark. if you have a higher ABV you will start to lose flavour, so it takes a lot of practice to get a good balance of flavour and ABV :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bt1]

gee RC

Your ploughing in some great info on various threads bloke..well done!

I can almost see a book in future?

bt1