I think I messed up, can I fix it

Steve-Broady

Some of you have read and commented on the thread I started a while ago about having trouble getting starch converted to fermentable sugar in an AG bourbon recipe. I learned a lot, and I think you. This is a continuation of that saga.
I’m in the process of squeezing the grain with my fruit press, thinking I might distill the low wines today. However, the beer I have is the thickness and opacity of milk, though if course a lovely tan color. It smells good, and it definitely has alcohol in it. I’ve distilled stuff more or less identical in the past, and got decent alcohol out of it. However, I want to do better.
An iodine test shows that there’s still starch present. I’m wondering if it would be worth adding liquid enzymes (at room temperature) and letting it continue to ferment off the grain. I now have ViscoSEB L, SEBstar HTL, and SEBamyl GL, in addition to powdered alpha-amylase and pectinase (doubt that’s important, but I figured I’d mention it). Does anyone have any experience or advice? Should I just run this as it is and count it as a cheap education, or is it worth trying to get more? From (limited) experience, I suspect that there’s about 20% more to be gotten out of this if I could convert all the starch that’s present.

Deplorable

Finish squeezing it, then just let it sit in the corner, covered, for a week. The beer will clear and the flour and yeast forms a custard in the bottom of the bucket(s).Use all your senses, and its not that hard. You just have to pay attention.
Procrastinate, you'll make better whiskey.

Ben

I wouldn't let it sit... you have put a bunch of oxygen in the beer, that leads to acetobacter and oxidization. The milky tan color comes from a mix of yeast and fine grain particles, it isn't a big deal, you may need to slow your heat up to avoid scorching.
Sebamyl GL or an STA-1 positive yeast strain when you pitch your yeast on the next batch will help ensure full conversion; but you should have still had active enzymes from the mash if you didn't heat them to death. Chances are whatever starch is hanging out is a tiny fraction. Run it, enjoy, it will make fine whiskey.:)

Steve-Broady

Thank you, Deplorable. That certainly seems like the simplest option, and I do like simplicity! I was about to ask about trying to convert the floor and ferment again, but when I think about it like that, I’d be better off starting a new batch. I think I’ll chalk this one up to a learning experience, and be thankful that it’s not a total failure.

Deplorable

To be clear, this is already fermented out. Correct?Use all your senses, and its not that hard. You just have to pay attention.
Procrastinate, you'll make better whiskey.

Steve-Broady

Correct. It’s been going for a couple weeks, give or take. I’d have to look up the exact date. I’m certain that it’s done all the fermentation it’s going to do as it is. The beer taste mildly alcoholic, not at all sweet, and nicely of the grains that went into it. The pH is about 4.5

Deplorable

It'll be fine to sit a week or two to clear. Just keep the lids snapped down on the buckets. I've let finished ferments sit for three to four weeks before I ran them.
Depending on how fine your mesh bag was, your custard will reduce to about 20% of the volume of the bucket.
For example my ferments usually yeild about 21 to 23 gallons of beer after squeezing.  Once cleared, I get about 19 to 20 gallons of clear beer and 2 to 3 gallons of thick custard for the compost.Use all your senses, and its not that hard. You just have to pay attention.
Procrastinate, you'll make better whiskey.

higgins

If it was me I would add some sebamyl gl and let it set a few weeks to see if it converts/ferments any more. It will work at fermentation temperatures where sebstar won't.
But I'm a rookie at stilling so take that with a grain of salt.higgins
15 gal 5500w kettle pot still with 2" x 12" copper riser,
with a 3/4" over 1/2" by 24" liebig with a twist.
plus a 3 qt Gin pot still

Big-River

I manually stir my boiler till the liquid gets to 155-160 then i seal the top.  That reduces my chances of scorching any "custard". Plus burns off a lot of low temp baddies. I measure temp with an insta-read.
I'm using 15 gal copper pot and flame.
Big River

Twisted-Brick

+1
When I first started, running dirty, uncleared beer resulted in undesirable yeast notes in my aged bourbon 18mo's later.  Now I let my ferment clear for a week followed by a week in a conical after squeezing.  
Initially, during a ferment, in the presence of oxygen yeast undergo respiration, multiplying logarithmically.  When the available oxygen has naturally been used up, yeast conduct their business anaerobically, creating C02 and ethanol.  As long as you don't introduce copious amounts of oxygen into your beer during squeezing and racking, you'll be fine.
If you're worried about incorporating DO (dissolved oxygen) into your clearing beer, a C02 generator (fermenting sugar wash) can be made and hooked up to form a protective layer of C02 between your (covered) beer and any oxygen present.  Otis posted a nifty rig he made that does this.“Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore, always carry a small snake.”
- W.C. Fields
My EZ Solder Shotgun
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