Richard Coleman, Jr
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Keep us posted!
I would think it is finished if you are at 1.010- that is a pretty decent FG. for honey.
What was your recipe?
what was the original reading?
With five copper scrubbers in the column, and the cooling water varying in temp every hour or so, would that affect the equilibrium of the faux reflux causing it to slow down? Should I use less scrubbers possibly?
I use around 8 scrubbers in my column- I think you just need to turn the heat up – just run a bit quicker.
Also, I would try using the bucket in ice method–or just using a larger container- or just hook up a soaker hose to the end and water the veggie garden as that is what I do.
I also use Briess carapils malt (no color or flavor contribution) 6 row-lovibond 1.3. I pulverize it in my nutribullet blender to make sure it can come in contact easily with the corn meal.
You should not use carapils for making mash as carapils does not add any fermentable sugars “Carapils has a clear, glassy endosperm and contributes unfermentable sugars that add foam stability, and palate fullness to beer.” I would use a standard 2 row as you will get the benefit of enzymes which you need for conversion as well as fermentable sugars-This is what I normally use for my mashes: http://www.thegrape.net/browse.cfm/distillers-malt/4,12902.html
what was the starting gravity of the corn mash on it’s own?
8 pounds of sugar in a 5 gallon mash will give you around 1.074 without anything else.I use a condenser as well— I just hook mine up to the hose which is fed from city water—-Normally the water is in the 50’s for most of the year…I have never had any issues or noticed any difference when the water is a bit water during the summer months. How large is your current container for the cooling water?
I run 1500 watts on a 10 and it takes some time to heat up. I think you are running too slowly if it is taking 24 hours to run 15.5 gallons. I would suggest running a bit quicker.
When i run a 10 gallon run- It tends to take around 8-9 hours (after it is heated up- doing a spirit run)
I will get close to 2 gallon total product running my tails down to 10% 20 proof. You should get close to a gallon of good stuff from a 10 gallon run.What is your mash process and starting gravity?
No need to start over- it is still fine.
If you can take a hydrometer reading now- and let us know what it is.
If it is still high then pitch some more yeast- we have good results with this method-
http://www.clawhammersupply.com/blogs/moonshine-still-blog/11824025-bourbon-whiskey-vodka-and-moonshine-how-much-yeastYou want a steady fast drip- not a stream. That is probabbly the best way to say it.
The controller works really well- I like the fact I can just set the power to 100% at the beginning of the run and then once I start producing turn it down to 75-80%. I like to use the percentage or power, but you can also just set a temp and it will hold it– you just have to adjust it a few times during the run.
The thing I really like is the alarm- I’ll set the alarm for 130 and have the power on 100%- once it his 130 I apply my paste-
I then set the alarm for 150- I turn on my condenser water
I then set the alarm for 185 as I know I’ll be soon producing.It works well and I think it makes the day a bit easier.
While my still is warming up I monitor the boiler temperature. Once the boiler temp is around 130 I add my flour paste. Once I’m around 150 or so I turn on my cooling water to my inline condenser. I will get a few drips as it heats up but normally I start seeing product in the low 190s. (it will depend on your mash ABV and altitude) Just crank the heat until you see production and then turn it down to 5-8 drips a second. You will have to increase the temperature a few times during the run- just to this by flow- keep 5-8 drips a second.
I collect my tails until 20 proof or 10%.checkout this article as well
http://www.clawhammersupply.com/blogs/moonshine-still-blog/12243869-making-moonshine-still-temperatureI think your original reading may have been a bit off… 6 pounds of sugar and 6 gallons of water without the fruit or the molasses would have been 1.046
can you take a picture and circle the area on the hydrometer that the original reading was?
If the hydrometer is at 1.000 it should look like this
If it does look like that- she is pretty much done fermenting.
So the original reading was 1.022?
and now it is reading 1.000
is that correct?
How many gallon of mash is fermenting?
The hydrometer reading has not changed much in the past 4 days.
What was your starting gravity reading?
What is the current hydrometer reading?Did you end up adding more yeast?
copper packing removes sulfur compounds which I feel produces a cleaner final product.
Checkout this article-
A lot of it is personal preference- time- etc…. It sounds like you don’t plan on making more of this mash and doing multiple stripping runs to fill up a still for a spirit run- Just do spirit run as you will get a very good full flavored product- Pack the column with quite a few copper scrubbers and do a single slow run.
If you have time down the road I would suggest trying the stripping run/spirit run. I personally like to do stripping runs- If I have the time to make multiple batches of mash- do multiple stripping runs- etc..
Stripping runs don’t take much time- just run it hot and fast- as you want to keep as much flavor as possible. and once you have a few stripping runs saved do a spirit run. I like the clean flavor a stripping/sprit run gives… but it is also personal preference- that is the beauty of this hobby-
If I were you sitting on that wine- I’d pack my column full of copper and do a nice slow spirit run making good tight cuts.
What type of still are you using?
