Our parent blog and channel have the how-to, recipes, and more. Advanced distillers should shoot for a specific gravity of about 1.08. When the hydrometer falls take the reading. by whistlewetter Thu Jan 22, 2015 12:57 pm, Post Just remember anything you add will change the flavor profile. Everything below seven is acidic and everything above 7 is alkaline (also called base). Taking a reading with a specific gravity hydrometer is easy. Traditionally many moonshiners would ferment in the open-air. It is one extra step that many experienced moonshiners understand can make the difference between a good batch and a great one. Check out Non-Toxic Cleaners on the blog. This store can be access by talking to Maggie from inside your Moonshine Shack. Also, the chart assumes a starting point of zero sugar in the solution. However, you are not alone in this endeavor. Do not simply pour it in. Remember that fermentation is turning the sugars into ethanol as well as carbon dioxide (which is producing those bubbles). Thank you Tom, Rad and Washashore for your response !!! Today we are here not just to tell you what a. Stir until dissolved and add more sugar. Add yeastonce final liquid temp is 70 degrees. In some cases. So its easy to assume that more sugar = more alcohol. The closest definition you'll find is for a "white whiskey," which is actually what moonshine is - clear (unaged) whiskey. All you need for this test is: The only scientific way to check for fermentation is to use a Hydrometer. . This is possible, but keep in mind that many beer yeasts finish around 1. I personally always ferment with an airlock. That has been debunked by many here who have been using the stuff for years and can go to 10% without any problem. At the end of fermenting most of the solids will fall to the bottom and the wash willwellclear. Most moonshiners keep running their stills long after they are finished with the spirit run, collecting down to about 20% ABV before stopping. Make sure you get the right strips for the type of distilling you are doing. Please note, the design of our website does not allow us to respond directly to blog comments. We will not sell, share, or use your contact information. by whistlewetter Fri Jan 23, 2015 4:06 pm, Post When the yeast in your mash/wash eats the sugar and turns it into alcohol, it also releases carbon dioxide. Add enough mash liquid or wash to the test jar. 125% 066 8. What Does a Specific Gravity Hydrometer Measure? These ingredients would have included cereal grain and perhaps a bit of granulated sugar. Once the mash temperature has dropped to 96 degrees, itis ready for aeration, yeast and fermentation, as described in the Corn Whiskey recipe above. Read our complete summary for more info. This spirit is a palatable moonshine when collected directly out of the still; Collect your run down to your stopping point; Together, the heads and tails are reused as feints; I do not normally go as low as 20%, youll have to find your comfort zone; If you start to get blue or green flecks in your spirit, youve gone too far or run things too hot; The chart below shows how many pounds of sugar are required to reach a particular potential alcohol percentage for a 1, 5, and 10 gallons of finished fermented beer, wine, etc; A couple of notes, this chart assumes that the fermentation will end at 1; Lets pretend that we make 5 gallon batch of what is supposed to be a Double IPA; The ABV for such a style is somewhere north of 7; Assuming you add enough grains to craft a 6; 3% ABV beer, according to the chart, youll need to add at least 1lb of sugar to hit a potential alcohol of 7; A 1 gallon run will yield 3-6 cups of alcohol, A 5 gallon run will yield 1-2 gallons of alcohol, A 8 gallon run will yield 1. The only way to be sure that fermentation has completed is by measuring the specific gravity. It will absorb water, expand and then slowly settle to the bottom grabbing the particles from your mixture as it falls. Distillers, bakers, ale yeast all create a foamy 'krausen' on top when they get rollin. It's made by starting with an actual mash, such as the one above, and then adding water and granular sugar to increase the quantity of wash. Yeast-Read this article to learn about yest pitching procedures. by T-Pee Fri Jan 23, 2015 3:47 pm, Post 5%, because adding 1lb of sugar will increase the potential alcohol by 1. As long as you add enugh to get activity in a reasonable amount of time (a day to two days) you are going to be OK. Heck they made beer and wine without adding yeast for hundreds of years. How much shine can I expect to produce when I run my still? Determing your original gravity is a simple process although it may sound complicated. To raise the PH of your mash add baking soda. (Apartment Still), Concentric Pot/Reflux Still (Experimental), A little spoon feeding for New & Novice Distillers. Add your liquid mash into your hydrometer to fill it about of the way to the top. The period can be extended if the wash is racked off into a clean airtight container. Gently place the hydrometer in the jar and lightly give it a spin. How to read a refractometer is important to get the most accurate reading of the spe. Temperature: Your temperature needs will depend on the manufacturers instructions on the yeast you have used. List of other available supplies might be helpful. Today, we will only be discussing and demonstrating the specific gravity hydrometer and how to use it. At How to Moonshine, Add your liquid mash into the hydrometer until it is of the way full, Remove air bubbles by slowly rolling the hydrometer in your hands. Do not use jello! If your fermentation bucket is too large for your fridge or you dont have the ability to chill your mash then choose another method. Leave it sit for a few hours or use an immersion chiller to cool the mash to 70 degrees. You can also use a PH reader that will read the entire scale and give you a precise reading. Check out the blog and video, Amazing Horseradish Mustard Recipe, you will be astonished how easy it is to make! by Washashore Fri Sep 07, 2012 4:54 am, Post I do use bakers yeast and they ferment at room temp. What Specific Gravity Do I Want My Mash To Be For Moonshine? . Fermentation is the most critical step in the brewing process when yeast turns the sugar in the wort into alcohol and carbon dioxide. If you want to use this method simply, If you still do not see any activity after 12 hours. When I was a kid in Western PA. my neighbor would make plum brandy. 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. We don't answer questions about recipes, procedures, etc. Gas: By allowing an open air environment gas can more easily. It's a comprehensive guide on making moonshine, from start to finish. The gravity would be approx 2.000 i.e. And still make a great drink. In this article were going to give you our all time favorite moonshine mash recipe plus six additional mash recipes that we love. 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. In beer acetaldehyde tastes like green apples and can happen when a mash does not finish fermentation, when a wash is oxygenated or when a mash sits too long without being distilled. Yes, it can be very confusing for all the names and labels. However, if your batches are not coming out properly or your alcohol volumes are low, this could be the reason why. 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. A second trick for advanced distillers is using tincture of iodine to determine if all starches have been completely converted into sugar. Ten days after pitching the yeast, you should take a sample of beer from the fermenter and measure the gravity. Enter your email address below and we'll send you a free eBook on how to Refractometer How to Use for Specific Gravity in Mash - YouTube Please see the footer for FBC Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, Terms, and Conditions. Add them to a fruit press and squeeze as much juice out as possible. Step 1: Make the moonshine mash. Copperhead All-in-One Moonshine Still Kit, Everything you Need to Know About Distillation. Apple moonshine is one of the more popular styles among all of the various fruit moonshine mash options. How does it work? Keep adding sugar until all sugar has been added / dissolved. Youll need a fair amount of equipment to process the fruit and make the apple moonshine mash. No matter how you choose to aerate, the most important thing is that you do it. Depending on how vigorously you stirred will make a difference in how much you get in the product. So, you may not have noticed it in the product you pulled, but chances are its there. In ethanol fermentation, For those of us without a science degree, or simply those who did not pay enough attention during their high school science classes, this is the act in which the benecial microbes (yeast), During the moonshine process, fermentation requires. What youll need is a beer or wine hydrometer. Once it reaches 165 F, turn off your heat source. A mash made with corn, barley, and rye is perhaps the most popular moonshine recipe of all time. by whistlewetter Fri Jan 23, 2015 4:02 pm, Post Step 14: The ideal starting alcohol for strawberry brandy is about 8%. Sugar content: The more sugar in your mash, the longer fermentation will take. Typically, this happens before fermentation takes place and before you add yeast to your mash. Our FREE e-book details how to make your first mash, ferment successfully and even includes three easy to make moonshine recipes! Mashing levels out at 152. After all, making moonshine requires most of us to brush up on the skills we learned in high school science-a skill many of us havent used for years. How do you know when moonshine fermentation is complete without hydrometer? Determining the right gravity after mash in all grain brewing Some people go higher and if that's what you like then you can do it. Your batch will clear in about 24-48 hours. If the reading is 1.020 or above, you still need to ferment for a day or two. It is always better to keep the production of fusel alcohols to a minimum. Discounts and delicious recipes sent to your inbox Enter Your Email Below, That is because the act of fermentation is one that. The Largest Online Resource for Distillers, Post A couple of notes, this chart assumes that the fermentation will end at 1.000 specific gravity. You can do this by adhering to the recommended temperature on your yeast and keeping it as consistent as possible. Dump this mixture into a fermenter and add 3 more gallons of water. If it still bubbles, let it sit for another few days, or until you see no bubbling for at least a minute or two. If your reading is 1.020 or higher, you should wait a few days. White sugar or raw sugar? Its a win-win. Table spoon of yeast per gallon. Save all of the spirit run as good sippin whiskey. Specific Gravity - Home Distiller However, it is not as simple as leaving the lid off of your bucket. Advanced distillers should consider adding 2tsp of gypsum (CaSO4) to the mash water and adjusting the pH of mash water to somewhere between 5.8 and 6.0 before adding any ingredients. Less sugar = harsher taste, More starches are converted saving the cost of sugar in larger batches. 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. 000 Kas All grain, wine, beer, other fermentations, might not even get down to 1. The alcohol content of the wash was low because you did not use a recipe that included nutrients for the yeast to live on. 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? Simply use the following formula to determine your ABV. Essentially, your airlock will show bubbles to let you know that the yeast is still working. This is the most cost effective method as it requires you to add nothing to your mash or shine. A PH scale runs from 1 to 14 with 7 as neutral. If you want to make the best Moonshine in the business, though, youre going to need to purchase the Polished Copper Upgrade. Up to a point. As a mash or a wash should contain sugar, it will be denser than water and will have a different SG. 875% 064 8. (2 pre-measured 5 gallon mash packets) High Spirits Turbo 48 . Siphon into still. If you havent signed up for our newsletter, please take a moment and do so. Add cool water and/or ice until you're at a volume of about 6.6 gallons, cooling the "sugar water" mixture so that it reaches 100 F. Take a hydrometer reading to find out your specific gravity (and write it down!). by rad14701 Fri Sep 07, 2012 4:51 am, Post Green malt whiskey was made by immediately grinding and using the sprouted corn. If the pH needs adjusted upward, add calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Have you ever had moonshine horseradish? However, instead of dumping the contents of the still (backset) down the drain it will be added to the next batch of mash. I have only done a few sugar washes, I treated them the same way. If the specific gravity reading is below 1.05 add more sugar and take another reading if you want more . Remember, while brewing is legal in almost all US states, distilling alcohol is illegal without a federal fuel alcohol or distilled spirit plant permit as well as relevant state permits. We have created a SHOP PAGE with products we like to use and we HIGHLY recommend using them for all phases of making moonshine. We offer quality craft stills, easy-to-understand manuals, how-to guides, and step-by-step recipes. PH: A good PH reading is essential to give your yeast a healthy environment to thrive. What should the specific gravity of a sugar wash be? During the moonshine process, fermentation requires a few key elements in order to happen. Click on the Bar of Dish Soap to Visit Our Amazon Storefront! There are several factors that can influence how long your mash will take to ferment. 5-3 gallons of alcohol, A 10 gallon run will yield 2-4 gallons of alcohol. 375% 068 8. The first, in order for this method to work your mash needs to be chilled. A gallon of home-brewed mead after fermentation has taken place. To find the equipment, head to the Upgrades area of the store. You think its good, but late in the ferment will cause your beer to oxidize. Completely dissolve sugar and hold heat for 10 minutes. by wfw52 Thu Sep 06, 2012 8:55 pm, Post How to Ferment your Moonshine Mash - HowtoMoonshine Once you have clarified your mash you can siphon out the liquid from the top of the fermentation bucket and get ready to do your first run. Fermentation requires a whole lot of time and not much else from you-other than patience that is. Refractometer how to use specific gravity in mash when making moonshine. 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. Insert the hydrometer slowly. 010. Get your FREE Ebook by clicking the link below. This is a tool that is used to determine the potential ABV of your mash. However, the warmer the temperature the faster fermentation will complete. The ideal PH reading for meads, ciders and wines are 3.4. Sour mash is a technique that has been used for hundreds of years, if not more, to make whiskey mash. I can't get the pic resized to attach. There are several ways to tell when fermentation is complete. iLL BE TRYING THE ALL CORN RECIPE SOON WHEN i FIND A WAY TO CRUSH IT. However, you'll notice that "moonshine" is conspicuously absent. That is not good protocol, but perhaps a little fun at first. Ok, from reading A LOT I stumbled upon a lot of posts where the topic of specific gravity was talked about. In ethanol fermentation, one glucose molecule is broken down to two ethanol molecules and three carbon dioxide molecules. If your reading is 1.000 or less it is definitely done. New to distillation, or simply new to the HD forums. If all of these steps seem a little too much for your right now, dont worry. How do you increase the alcohol content of moonshine? I find your article on Corn whiskey interesting, informative and helplful and wonder if you might have a book which flurther details the process which i could plurchase. 875% Take the guesswork out of making moonshine with our gravity calculator. The Largest Online Resource for Distillers, Post 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. I undestand that specific gravity is in relation to the sugars that are available to be converted to alcohol, hence dropping below 1.0 signifies the sugars have been converted to alcohol. If the reading is at 1. Read this article to learn about yest pitching procedures. This is perfectly acceptable, especially for those new to the craft. I put another mash in the tub too just to see what happens. Once the target temp is met, stir in the malted barley. 2% for a 5 gallon batch. Discounts and delicious recipes sent to your inbox Enter Your Email Below. Your hydrometer should also include a conversion chart if your mash is reading at a different temperature than what your hydrometer is calibrated to. This requires Moonshiner Rank 5, and will cost a total of $825 plus 2 Tokens. Everything you need to know to upgrade your still and make stronger moonshine in Red Dead Online. If your reading is 1.000 your mash is ready to distill. It depends on what type of wash you have but as a general rule of thumb, it is best to distil within 2-3 days after fermentation is complete. Fill your hydrometer tube about 2/3 of an inch from the top with the wash/mash you wish to test. Throw in some sugar, yeast, and pearl ash for flavor, then let the mixture ferment for about a week or two. The trade off for really high ABV (16% or higher) is, higher alcohol/shine that isnt worth drinking from a taste perspective. Is there anything more enticing than the option to make your own high-proof alcohol in the comforts of home? A Hydrometer is used to determine the density or specific gravity (SG) of a liquid in comparison to water. The one I am referring to has been going since the 11th. Store the mash to ferment for 1-2 weeks at room temperature. The second reading is when the fermentation has stopped in the mash, wort, or wort. For Lautering I heat the water to 175-180. The second is that you need to prepare the gelatin with water according to the instructions. Our distillation equipment is designed for legal uses only and the information in this article is for educational purposes only. A 6% to 8% ABV ferment range is a really good range for good flavors and less waste on the alcohol side. The last run I stopped after it wouldnt light on fire anymore and after 3 gallons of mash I only yielded about 20 ounces and that took about 3 hours per gallon to distill. Most shiners I knew used malted corn. Also check to make sure your mash is warm enough. However, feel free to leave a comment or respond to comments made by others! Then I drain into the kettle and being the boil. Anything below a 7 is good for beer. Distilling (or proofing) hydrometer A brewing hydrometer can be used to measure the specific gravity of high and medium gravity solutions. 00 It depends on the additional things in the liquid, suspended solids, unfermentable sugars, etc. It should make up roughly 25% of the next mash. Add entire package of turbo yeast while stirring vigorously to dissolve . Please read our complete legal summary for more information on the legalities of distillation .. Mikeinkaty wrote: Update. If the mixture turns blue there are still some starches in your mash and you need to continue to ferment. Now that you have removed the carbon dioxide from your mash/shine, it is time to clarify. by MitchyBourbon Thu Jan 22, 2015 4:45 pm, Post To lower the PH of your mash add lemon juice. It may reveal itself with time or, if youre lucky, the cask will pull out much of it when aging. The entity that manages and defines different spirit types in the United States is the U.S. Trade and Tax Bureau (TTB). perfect thank you !!!! Grab your Batch Record Labels! They measure the amount of sugar in the wort or mash. Healthy yeast is required for good fermentation. Insert the hydrometer slowly not allowing it to drop. If your reading is above 1.020 but has not changed in the last three days, your fermentation is complete. Wash and cut them, removing the pit. Overly Sweet: If your mash is overly sweet there are two possible reasons. However, if your reading has not changed after three days, your fermentation is complete. ABV = (OG FG) x 131 For instance, if the OG reading is 1. Thanks. And throw in the highly variable amount of dead cells in your jar/packet/vial of yeast, that is dependent on time since packaging, storage conditions, etc and you really can't say for sure how many cells is in a spoonful. If its 1. Latent fermentation is anaerobic (in the absence of oxygen). Using a gravity calculator is a great way to get this information easily. This usually takes about two to three weeks depending on the size of your mash and the ingredients used. Getting Started: Picking Your Type of Moonshine Mash There are several types of mash we can choose from when getting ready to produce a batch of moonshine. by hamshine Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:58 pm, Post I also always ferment in my basement so if I left an open ferment inside my wife would kill me. yeah, after reading I figured the airlock watching wasnt the best practice. 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. by whistlewetter Fri Jan 23, 2015 2:24 pm, Post As with all matters of life, there are two ways of monitoring the fermentation of your mash: the easy way and the complicated way. At this point all of the starches should be converted into sugar. Here's some additional information if you're unclear on how much yeast to use for moonshine mash. Our FREE e-book details how to make your first mash, ferment successfully and even includes three easy to make moonshine recipes! By stirring, youll reintroduce oxygen into the ferment. How long does it take to distill 3 gallons of mash? That is because the act of fermentation is one that does not require oxygen. This not only saves you money, but it is also much less to store. How to Make Moonshine: A Beginner's Guide for the alcoholic beverage With this type of set it and forget it system is not exactly scientific, but pretty simple and effective. by whistlewetter Fri Jan 23, 2015 3:40 pm, Post This is a non-scientific method but pretty reliable in judging when fermentation is completed. by whistlewetter Thu Jan 22, 2015 1:22 pm, Post How do you increase the alcohol content of mash? Thanks in advance for the education. Leave it sit for a week to ferment and another week to settle. Final Gravity Potential Alcohol Using the chart above and some math, you can calculate the alcohol content of your mash after fermentation is complete. If your, Different Techniques to Clear your Mash/Shine. While this is not a necessary step, failing to do this step can result in the particles in your wash/mash getting burned on the bottom of your still. Insert the hydrometer slowly not allowing it to drop. Shoot for a constant fermentation temperature of 70 degrees for the shortest fermentation time and highest alcohol yield. A specific gravity hydrometer measures the sugar content of the wash and the mash to determine the potential alcohol (PA). However, too much sugar in your mash can actually hinder your yeasts ability to make alcohol, and most people want to get as high an alcohol content as possible when making moonshine. Keep in mind that you want your mash to be cool when performing the test. Introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your interest in distilling. You put in part A and then about 20 minutes later you put in part B. Fill your hydrometer tube about 2/3 of an inch from the top with the wash/mash you wish to test. Bread yeast does best in temperatures of about 74-78F or 23 to 25C. More sugar = higher ABV, faster ferments, sweeter smoother taste. Transfer this to a kettle and heat to 170F. 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. Read where the surface of the liquid hits the hydrometer. Never drop or plunge the hydrometer in the test jar, especially in the glass test jar, or most likely you can break the hydrometer. : Is there anything worse than spending a bunch of time and money on making moonshine only to have it, This nasty compound is one of the reasons that, These nasty compounds can cause your mash to, If your mash is overly sweet there are two possible reasons. Pour in 5 gallons of water and boil it to 165 F. 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! Cover and leave it be for about90 minutes, uncovering only to stir every 15 minutes or so. Using a hydrometer before adding your yeast to get your Original Gravity Reading (OG) and your final gravity reading (FG) after fermentation can help to determine your ABV (alcohol by volume). Check out How to Make Moonshine Vanilla Bean Extract, it is amazing! TP, these are top fermenting yeast, the ones that settled aren't doing much anyway. Original Gravity Potential Alcohol. Remember to dispose of your test batch and do not add it back to your mash. 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.