In this guide well teach you how to make stronger Moonshine, which will allow you to attract more patrons to your bar, as well as earn more money off your product. So, I would say stirring during fermentation is a good thing to do. The only way to be sure that fermentation has completed is by measuring the specific gravity. As stated I used to go by the bubbles per minute to decide when to distill. many thanks. So, you may not have noticed it in the product you pulled, but chances are its there. If your reading is above 1.020 but has not changed in the last three days, your fermentation is complete. Distillers, bakers, ale yeast all create a foamy 'krausen' on top when they get rollin. Refractometer how to use specific gravity in mash when making moonshine. Some moonshiners will simply add their mash to their fermentation bucket and wait for the activity to stop in the airlock. by Jimbo Fri Jan 23, 2015 3:54 pm, Post by MitchyBourbon Thu Jan 22, 2015 4:45 pm, Post How to Make Strawberry Moonshine - American Home Distillers Yes, its so easy. Please read our complete legal summary for more information on the legalities of distillation .. Mikeinkaty wrote: Update. Shoot for a constant fermentation temperature of 70 degrees for the shortest fermentation time and highest alcohol yield. Though we would suggest that the best way to determine a "real" moonshine mash recipe is to look at historical precedent. Leave it sit for a week to ferment and another week to settle. A second trick for advanced distillers is using tincture of iodine to determine if all starches have been completely converted into sugar. You can also predict the potential alcohol of your mash from the original gravity. thank YOU FOR THIS EXCELLENT SITE ! The first step in making apple moonshine mash is to gather the ingredients. At this range you get a great tasting, smooth shine. You think its good, but late in the ferment will cause your beer to oxidize. Temperature: Your temperature needs will depend on the manufacturers instructions on the yeast you have used. I put another mash in the tub too just to see what happens. Your hydrometer should indicate the temperature it is calibrated to (a standard reading temperature is 70F or 20C). Check out everything you need to know about how to ferment your moonshine mash. Making moonshine requires many different elements. by Washashore Fri Sep 07, 2012 4:54 am, Post For the purists, a corn whiskey mash is the route to a true-to-history, smooth, full-flavor moonshine. When you first start making moonshine, you are often preoccupied with getting the basic skills down. If you want to check if your mash is ready for distillation you can do so with a simple iodine test. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 175,201 times. Any posts asking distilling questions will be deleted. The higher the ABV the yeast has to live in, the more stressed they get, and eventually will die off. the temperature levels out around 170-172. Have you ever had moonshine horseradish? by tom sawyer Tue Sep 11, 2012 4:09 am, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited. Used for taking density measurements for the mash during fermentation. In this ebook, we go step by step on exactly how to make your first mash, ferment, and do your first run. Once fermentation stops, its time to transfer your beer or wine into bottles or a keg, or if you are dry hopping, you may want to rack it into a secondary fermenter for a few days. Although the first step called making a mash or making a wash, often happens in the kitchen, it is more complicated than following the average recipe. by MitchyBourbon Thu Jan 22, 2015 3:04 pm, Post This works because alcohol is thinner than water so the higher the volume of alcohol, the lower the float will sink. Less sugar = harsher taste, More starches are converted saving the cost of sugar in larger batches. From what I have gathered and if I understand correctly you want your mash to start at 1.06 and when it drops below 1.0 that indicates that the fermentation process is done? So for example: A 10 gallon still filled with your wash that is 10% ABV will yield you about 1 gallon of shine. This hydrometer measures the specific gravity (SG) and potential alcohol (PA). The airlock will show activity so you can essentially check in on your mash without lifting the lid. Gently add your hydrometer and roll the hydrometer slowly in your hands to remove any bubbles. Of course, using a hydrometer is not strictly necessary in making moonshine. After 14 days, check your airlock. You can also use a PH reader that will read the entire scale and give you a precise reading. by tom sawyer Fri Sep 07, 2012 4:36 am, Post Step 1 - Shake up a Mason Jar bottle of Moonshine Step 2 - Watch how fast bubbles dissipate at this point your checking the "bead" (see picture) The faster the bubbles disappear the higher the content of alcohol. Our parent blog and channel have the how-to, recipes, and more. by wfw52 Fri Sep 07, 2012 6:33 am, Post Alcohol has a SG of 1.000 on the hydrometer scale. Wild yeast contamination can contribute to the presence of phenolic compounds. This is a basic corn whiskey mash that is widely used by a lot of shiners as an easy go-to simple mash recipe. Products such as whisky, Bourbon, gin, vodka, and more are all defined in chapter 4 of the Beverage Alcohol Manual. It usually requires at least a week. A general rule of thumb is to watch for a cease in activity in your airlock. Rye and wheat are also sometimes added to either create a spicy finish or a smooth moonshine. Need help with the next step? This makes complete sense when you consider that fermentation is the transformation of sugar into alcohol. by whistlewetter Thu Jan 22, 2015 4:06 pm, Post To lower the PH of your mash add lemon juice. by Prairiepiss Mon Sep 10, 2012 5:49 am, Post If your, Different Techniques to Clear your Mash/Shine. Your temperature needs will depend on the manufacturers instructions on the yeast you have used. by T-Pee Fri Jan 23, 2015 4:08 pm, Return to Mashing, fermenting, flavoring and aging related hardware, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited. However, you'll notice that "moonshine" is conspicuously absent. If you want to use this method simply check your airlock between 18 hours and 48 hours after you add your yeast. I have to believe some of them were sugar washes. by whistlewetter Fri Jan 23, 2015 2:24 pm, Post A standard measuring temperature is 20C or 70 F. Making moonshine is a serious hobby that requires the proper equipment. After the mash or wash has finished fermenting which can take up to 2 weeks; take a final reading with a specific gravity hydrometer and write down the final gravity or (FG) as stated in the steps above. The Specific Gravity scale which is useful for brewing Original Gravity Determination Determining original gravity is carried out so that the amount of sugar in the mash is known. Your yeast depends on it. Make sure you have enough liquid in the test jar at least up to the top reading on the jar. Today, we will only be discussing and demonstrating the specific gravity hydrometer and how to use it. Everything you need to know to upgrade your still and make stronger moonshine in Red Dead Online. Making moonshine is not the same as following a simple recipe in the kitchen. You will need this to compare notes to the SG-(OG) to get your percentage of PA. Understanding the use of the specific gravity hydrometer and its important role in making spirits is key. It will measure the amount of sugar in the liquid. You can also use a PH reader that will read the entire scale and give you a precise reading. Check where the surface of the liquid hits on the hydrometer and get your reading. This will tell you that the fermentation is working properly. Location: Pacific Northwest. Insert the hydrometer slowly. Heat 5 gallons of mash water up to 165F. Fermentation requires a whole lot of time and not much else from you-other than patience that is. Temperature is important if it gets too cold the fermentation can stop because the yeast goes dormant. Then, siphon into a still, being careful to not overfill (the vapor cone should not contain any liquid). Once it reaches 165 F, turn off your heat source. Pour in 5 gallons of water and boil it to 165 F. This, in turn, can be converted into gallons and gallons of apple moonshine mash, and then be distilled into a lot of apple moonshine. I have only done a few sugar washes, I treated them the same way. Anyone who has ever allowed a sauce to burn on the stove knows that not only does it result in a big mess to scrape off, but also a burn taste in your entire batch. We recommend shooting for an ABV of 10% to 15%. Could you use corn maze malt instead of Barley malt to make it gluten free? A Hydrometer is used to determine the density or specific gravity (SG) of a liquid in comparison to water. Typically, this happens before fermentation takes place and before you add yeast to your mash. . This is because as fun as the final product is-making moonshine is really nothing more than a three step science experiment. by bearriver Thu Jan 22, 2015 1:01 pm, Post In some cases. Copperhead All-in-One Moonshine Still Kit, Everything you Need to Know About Distillation. There are a few different ways to do this, all using different additives and with different time frames. Heat 2 gallons of water (to no more than 120 degrees) and add sugar a few pounds at a time. by whistlewetter Thu Jan 22, 2015 1:22 pm, Post Discounts and delicious recipes sent to your inbox Enter Your Email Below. by Jimbo Fri Jan 23, 2015 4:07 pm, Post Latent fermentation is anaerobic (in the absence of oxygen). The amount of alcohol produced by a stilldepends on starting alcohol and final proof. I heat my mash water to 165 and mash the grains for 60 minutes. Read our complete summary for more info. After 14 days, it should be about done. The airlock IMO gives you quick feedback as to how the ferment is progressing and also allows you to just leave it for awhile if you can't get to running it. Also, the chart assumes a starting point of zero sugar in the solution. Final Gravity Potential Alcohol Using the chart above and some math, you can calculate the alcohol content of your mash after fermentation is complete. A sugarhead most shoot for around 10% to 12%; Or more product from a single still charge; But the added sugar will dilute the flavors; When first starting AG it can be tough hitting the numbers you want; And sugar makes a good little supplement if needed; DME or LME would be better if AG is really what your after; Anything collected under 80% ABV on this run is considered a Sour Mash whiskey; Congratulations! So it will ferment out to 1.000 at 8%. Read the hydrometer scale at the lowest point of the surface of the liquid. A Hydrometer is used to determine the density or specific gravity (SG) of a liquid in comparison to water. If the pH needs adjusted upward, add calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Re: Banana Moonshine. Depending on the maker some shine leaned more toward corn malt flavored sugar shine. During the moonshine process, fermentation requires a few key elements in order to happen. Bananas are 15 % sugar so without other sugar and nutrients it would probably take about a ton of bananas to yield around 14 + gallons of alcohol I'm guessing as I have never made it! So its easy to assume that more sugar = more alcohol. How to read a refractometer is important to get the most accurate reading of the spe. Pure water has a specific gravity of 1. Siphon into still. Add them to a fruit press and squeeze as much juice out as possible. As a mash or a wash should contain sugar, it will be denser than water and will have a different SG. Table spoon of yeast per gallon. While certainly not a step that beginners need to worry themselves with, adjusting the PH of your mash is a helpful additional step to improve the health of your yeast as well as enhance what you can expect to extract from grain. Depending on how vigorously you stirred will make a difference in how much you get in the product. In simple terms, moonshine is an unaged spirit distilled in a copper pot still from a mash made primarily of barley and corn. This still is the perfect option for those who are looking for a good quallity still at an affordable price. So opening your airtight lid to check on the contents is never a good idea-unless you are pretty sure you are done. After all, it really only requires some simple equipment and a whole lot of patience. In this article were going to give you our all time favorite moonshine mash recipe plus six additional mash recipes that we love. Unfortunately for speed and yield bakers yeast and sugar were added to the mash. Weigh and measure out all your ingredients. (2 pre-measured 5 gallon mash packets) High Spirits Turbo 48 . These two chemicals are positive and negatively charged. Since there no standard recipe for moonshine (like there is for Bourbon), it can be made from any combination of grains in any type of still. Lower the hydrometer into the liquid and stir it around gently, but make sure it doesnt touch the sides of the container. by Prairiepiss Mon Sep 10, 2012 7:32 am, Post This recipe will be a "corn whiskey" or "white lightning" if aged for at least 2 years in white oak barrels that can be new or charred which is not necessary for the aging process. (Apartment Still), Concentric Pot/Reflux Still (Experimental), A little spoon feeding for New & Novice Distillers. The Double IPA we brewed a while ago, for example, called for a 12 ounce dextrose addition. Your yeast depends on it. The hydrometer indicates the density, or specific gravity SG of a liquid, compared to water. It will ferment to 14% in as little as 2 days, or up to 18% in 5-7 days at a temperature between 86-100F. When the hydrometer falls take the reading. This usually takes about two to three weeks depending on the size of your mash and the ingredients used. If the reading is 1.020 or above, you still need to ferment for a day or two. To use your hydrometer is not a difficult task. I love how you can get recipes and know whats in Moonshine. While these numbers are not a 100% guarantee, it gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect after distillation. If you want to use this method simply, If you still do not see any activity after 12 hours. This blog provides information for educational purposes only. However, instead of dumping the contents of the still (backset) down the drain it will be added to the next batch of mash. yeah, after reading I figured the airlock watching wasnt the best practice. The scientific method isnt actually that complicated either, and it will let you know that the mash has completely finished fermentation and determine its potential alcohol. Thus, mashing corn and turning it into alcohol became the standard method of alcohol production on the early American frontier, and corn whiskey was born. Fill your hydrometer tube about 2/3 of an inch from the top with the wash/mash you wish to test. How do you increase the alcohol content of moonshine? . Final Gravity FG Measure the specific gravity of the mash after the airlock slows down and youre not getting much activity. While most home distillers will use the method of fermentation that includes an airtight seal and an airlock to let gas out while keeping air in. .. WFW. Fermentation is the most critical step in the brewing process when yeast turns the sugar in the wort into alcohol and carbon dioxide. I've got a bourbon mash (12lb cracked corn, 4lb 2-row, 1lb rye, final vol 6gal) that started at 1.080 and it looks like it's going to finish fermenting around 1.014 (8.7% abv). by DAD300 Thu Jan 22, 2015 2:00 pm, Post Heres a simple way they would use to make a corn whiskey mash with some additional options for the advanced distiller: Heat 5 gallons of mash water up to 165F. Original Gravity - OG Measure the gravity of your mash before fermentation - and before adding the yeast. Thank you for sharing this! With this type of set it and forget it system is not exactly scientific, but pretty simple and effective. by wfw52 Mon Sep 10, 2012 5:34 am, Post In ethanol fermentation, one glucose molecule is broken down to two ethanol molecules and three carbon dioxide molecules. Small Scale 1.25" Two Reducer LM Head For Stripping Plus Reflux Column Extension. Esters help add flavor and aroma to beer. by Washashore Fri Sep 07, 2012 4:43 pm, Post Learn everything you need to know about moonshining with simple step-by-step instructions. This type of open air fermentation leaves your mash vulnerable to the elements. Once the target temp is met, stir in the malted barley.