Two ingredients not including the sugar and yeast and you’ll have the smoothest whiskey run you’ve ever had. Hint: Sweet feed is the secret weapon.
Why is the mash recipe important?
The mash is the most important factor when talking about the flavor of the whiskey. For example, let’s say you make a whiskey run that turns out to be 110 proof. This means that it’s 55% alcohol. So the other 45% is the water that came from the mash. This means that what is in the mash affects the final product.
Ingredients
sweet feed (unpelletized)
Chopped corn
sugar
yeast
water
This recipe will make 30 gallons of mash by total volume including the grains.
See the chart below for different size recipes for mash batches in gallons. To alter the batch size just insert numbers from the chart into the instructions that follow.
Gallons of Grains (gallons) Yeast (Tablespoons) Sugar (pounds)
30 5 6 25
20 3.5 4 16
10 2 2 8
5 1 1 4
2.5 0.5 0.5 2
For some reason, I can't get this ingredient chart to format correctly. Here is a link to the chart On my website.
https://offgridmaker.com/2019/07/07/how-to-make-the-smoothest-mash-recipe-for-moonshine/
Instructions
Crack the grains
In a large pot add five gallons of water, an outdoor turkey fryer pot works great. Bring this water to 160f. I use an outdoor propane burner.
120 qt pot for heating up the water
While waiting for the water to come to temperature put one part sweet feed to 2 parts corn in a 5 gallon bucket until its full. I use a one-gallon scoop so it doesn’t take as long. Set aside until the water reaches 160f
1 part sweet feed to 2 parts chopped corn
Now you can add the grains and reduce heat to maintain 160f for 45 minutes. Continuously stir the mash to avoid letting the grains scorch on the bottom of the pot.
Mix the mash
Now dump the cracked grains into a 30 gallon container and stir in 25 lbs. of sugar. When the sugar is dissolved completely add 15 to 20 gallons of cold water until the mash mix reaches 30 gallons by total volume.
Add the yeast
When the temperature of the mash drops down to the temperature recommended by the manufacturer of the yeast you can go ahead and add the yeast. I have found that 1 tablespoon of yeast per 5 gallons of mash works well.
A distiller’s yeast will produce the best results. I’ve found that the Red Star brand works really well and is very affordable. The downside is it’s usually hard to find locally, but Amazon will ship it straight to your door. Click the Amazon link to check current prices.https://amzn.to/32UIrqK
Let it ferment
Now all you have to do is wait. Let the mash do its thing for about a week. You’ll know when the mash is done when you can no longer see the bubbling produced by the yeast as it releases carbon dioxide.
Summary
this is the simplest recipe I know and it produces an extremely smooth whiskey. Making mash is a very simple process. 1. Select your grains 2. cook your grains at 160f for 45 minutes 3. Add water to the desired volume. 4. let cool to correct temperature for the yeast. 4. add yeast 5. let ferment until done.
Check out this home use still kit. It’s ready to go. Make your mash and order the still. It’ll be on your doorstep by the time your mash is ready. https://amzn.to/37yYJ9M
