My first corn whiskey

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My first corn whiskey

Postby Swagin along. » Thu Aug 04, 2022 9:21 pm

This is what i have done
8lbs corn grits
20 lts water
Cooked to 165 degrees f for 2 hours removed from heat
Added 1.5 lbs of malted wheat, and left over night.
Added 2.9 kg of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon citric acid and topped up to 22 litres with tank water. SG1072 PH 5.72. Aerated pouring from boiler to boiler several times.
Pitched 1 packet pure distilling premium spirit yeast @ 26 degrees. Put lid and airlock on, started working after 1 hour, ferment stopped after6 days. Let sit with airlock on for 7 days. Removed lid and tested SG 1008. I was expecting lower, and the wash looks like skim milk ? Stilling in the morning. Any thoughts on this.
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Re: My first corn whiskey

Postby howard » Fri Aug 05, 2022 12:38 am

i'm still learning, but i'd be interested to see what the more experienced guys reckon.
is the mixture of lbs & kgs correct?
i get 1.103 (13.5%ABV) from that combo of corn/wheat/sugar in my app.
and 1.065 (without the corn), from just the sugar and wheat alone for 9.8%ABV
what temp did you add the malted wheat?
i'm wondering if the corn was converted :think:
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Re: My first corn whiskey

Postby Wellsy » Fri Aug 05, 2022 6:12 am

I suspect swaggin means finishing gravity, not starting gravity.
I have started doing all grain beer with us05 yeast and it often finishes at 1.05 or higher.
Bread yeast and sugar washes always finished .990. I suspect I am not getting full conversion, or that there will always be a little up fermentable sugar in all grain washes.
Like I said I have only just started all grain. Much like the great red Simonds I am often wrong but never I doubt :laughing-rolling:
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Re: My first corn whiskey

Postby gap » Fri Aug 05, 2022 9:33 am

Wellsy
Surely you mean your FG is 1005 NOT 1050?
Depending on the malted grain used it is usual for a beer mash to finish fermenting between 1008 and 1012
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Re: My first corn whiskey

Postby Swagin along. » Fri Aug 05, 2022 10:17 am

Tank you for you prompt replies.
The starting SG after adding sugar and adjusting Ph was 1072 put into fermenter and then pitched 7 grams of yeast.
After ferment was complete the final SG is 1008.
Looks like that may be in the ball park.
Swagin.
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Re: My first corn whiskey

Postby Swagin along. » Fri Aug 05, 2022 10:25 am

Howard, i added the malted wheat @ 154 degrees after stirring the corn mash for a couple of hours. Fired up the stove and am about to start stillin. Running pot still with 17 litres of wash and thumper with 3 litres of the wash in it.
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Re: My first corn whiskey

Postby bluc » Fri Aug 05, 2022 11:12 am

1008 fg is good i regulary got 1.010 fg. Corn mash always looks like muddy clay water to me..
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Re: My first corn whiskey

Postby Swagin along. » Fri Aug 05, 2022 11:57 am

Thanks Bluc, i feel more confident now,
The recipies said the corn mash should look like porridge , but it was far from a gelatinus consistency.
Yes,i would also describe it as muddy clay water.
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Re: My first corn whiskey

Postby howard » Fri Aug 05, 2022 2:39 pm

bluc wrote:1008 fg is good i regulary got 1.010 fg. Corn mash always looks like muddy clay water to me..

i'm either doing my sums or learning wrong :smile:
swagins OG of 1.072/ FG 1.008 = 8.4%abv
without the corn, 2.9kgs sugar & 0.7kgs wheat malt in 20litres would get me 9.5%abv according to my brewfather app.
differences for me
i cook my corn at 190f-194f (plus i add high temp enzymes)
wheat malt has a relatively low DP
with all that sugar, i would expect my OG to be about 1.099 (well my app would)



swagin - did you do any iodine tests at any time?
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Re: My first corn whiskey

Postby bluc » Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:28 pm

That comes down to effeciency. Finishing low is one challenge starting high is another..
The fact you also do (high temp enzymes?) Most likely boosts sg..
Last edited by bluc on Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: My first corn whiskey

Postby bluc » Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:40 pm

Effeciency is improved with experience..
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Re: My first corn whiskey

Postby Swagin along. » Fri Aug 05, 2022 10:59 pm

I have finnished the run and ended up with 1.8 litres, thats heads hearts and tails + 200 ml foreshots.41/2 jars @ 400 ml per jar.
1st jar finished at 74 percent, and gradually dropped to 54 percent on the last half jar. I chose jars number 2 and 3, i dont have any sense of smell so the good wife thought those two smelt pretty good.
Diluted to 45 percent with tank water and we both had a night cap.
Tasted pretty good sitting on french oak chips for a couple of hours.
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Re: My first corn whiskey

Postby bluc » Sat Aug 06, 2022 1:46 am

Next time try 100ml cuts instead you may squeeze out more hearts :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: My first corn whiskey

Postby Swagin along. » Sat Aug 06, 2022 9:10 am

Bluc, i have a pear brandy that will be finished next week, and have plenty of jars, very good suggestion.
Swagin.
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Re: My first corn whiskey

Postby bluc » Sat Aug 06, 2022 9:32 am

Pear brandy sounds good. Be interested in results :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: My first corn whiskey

Postby Swagin along. » Sat Aug 06, 2022 1:52 pm

Bluc,the minister for the interior was cleaning out the pantry and asked what are we going to do with all these pears we bottled last year, well that to me was a no brainer so they are being converted to brandy, will post the method next week as fermentation is allmost finished.
Swagin.
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Re: My first corn whiskey

Postby bluc » Sat Aug 06, 2022 2:21 pm

:handgestures-thumbupleft:
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