Does LME make for a good Whiskey?

[@Ansis99]

Nice! Thanks' for StillBehindTheBench channel introduction to me! Many good videos! P.S. I made a some changes in my understanding of "how to make methanol free" wine. I think professional stills can distillate everything, but copper column pot stills cant. And we - simple still guys must make grain wines. All my experiments with fruit wines (without buffers) go wrong. Idea about "buffers" is great! I must understand it better, because it is something "new" for me. We all still in "learning process" forever! 🥂

[@BEAVERDIY]

Ansis, Always look forward to your comment, I learn so much from it, yes fruit is a tricky one, that is why I keep the level of sugar from fruit to a max of 30% this reduces that influence and still gives great flavor.

[@Ansis99]

@@BEAVERDIY Yes, we share our knowledge and it makes us wiser! I think it`s great! 👍

[@BEAVERDIY]

@@Ansis99 absolutely, keeps the comments coming

[@Ansis99]

@@BEAVERDIY :)

[@theironduke9214]

Hi Beaver. I've tried this experiment with LME 3 or 4 times and came to the same conclusion. The LME that I used on each occasion also left a difficult to describe 'chemical' taste in the finished product. It did the same when I used it to boost the SG of an all grain whisky. This could be just down to me or the LME product, but just watch out for it. Enjoying the channel, keep up the good work. All the best from the UK.

[@BEAVERDIY]

Yeah, won't try it again, super interesting to think the flavor changes so much

[@stillworksandbrewing]

thanks for video Beaver as always enjoyable and a lot of great info Cheers!!

[@stephencadwallader5401]

Do you think that adding enzymes would be helpful to the fermentation?

[@BEAVERDIY]

Stephen, that is a super question did not even think of that, maybe do a slight remash.

[@KB-uv7xo]

Great video and comments. How about trying a comparison with DME.

[@BeardedBored]

Solid results. I thought maybe the residual sugars would add some complexity to it, but it came out flat. Great test, broer!

[@BEAVERDIY]

Yeah Brother, Crazy to think, I thought because it is like a reduction of a wort the flavors will be super concentrated, but it was like watered down whiskey almost like a poorly made UJSSM

[@BeardedBored]

@@BEAVERDIY Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Glad you tested it side by side!

[@BEAVERDIY]

@@BeardedBored Thank you brother, hoping for a better result or atleast a higher yield but let down on both..

[@BeardedBored]

@@BEAVERDIY But now this one can be put to bed. We know now that if you want to use LME you have to use some specialty grains for steeping to boost the flavor profile like a partial grain beer kit. I consider that valuable info for sure!

[@mysterytechknowledge3664]

@@BEAVERDIY I am wondering about a Hybrid of the 2, BUT adding the LME to the Mashing process! It seems that (maybe) they may not have completed the conversion of the mash, when making the LME. (Just a thought to try if you still have extra of both.)

[@mauistevebear]

Thank you! You saved me the time and money I was thinking about doing. Tempted by the easy road of not mashing

[@BEAVERDIY]

Hi Steve, UJSSM has more flavor after gen2 than the LME,

[@cameronshine3465]

i think you have some good taste buds. That was a good description of how every thing turned out. nice .

[@BEAVERDIY]

Thank you Cameron.

[@silly6004]

I like your shirt. Where do I get one?

[@BEAVERDIY]

Hi Brian, Busy with a few designs will post link as soon as I can.

[@thealembicdiary1814]

Love the honesty and your still house!!

[@BEAVERDIY]

Thank you David

[@JohnFerrerAkaEric]

Do you think using a variety of types of LMEs may add greater flavor/nose complexity? I know it wouldn't be a single malt but it may be easier than mashing.

[@marcelcrous1141]

Thanks for taking the plunge to see if it works 💪

[@danthemann]

Timely video for me. Thanks. I was about to start an LME mash (based on other peoples success reports) but now I am a bit concerned! Wasn't your starting gravity about 70-72? But after diluting it was 40? Sorry but I can't quite figure your numbers. What was the final gravity/aby of the mash? What was your yield? I wonder how you even got a liter of hearts! Might your tasting results be heavily influenced by the lack of ABV in the mash (I'm thinking you basically distilled light beer!)

[@BEAVERDIY]

Hi Dan, Original gravity of the 20l wash was 1.090 went down to 1.060, after double volume, gravity dropped to 1.040, fermentation started again and only dropped to 1.030. So yes if think you are correct the extremely low ABV was the cause of the lack of flavor, if I am to do LME again I will use it as 50% of the sugar source, so do a partial mash with mainly steeping grains for flavor and some base malt for some conversion. But in all the price of LME and the flavor I got from it even with a Lacto layer was pretty disappointing.

[@danthemann]

@@BEAVERDIYI figured the LME to be about 32GP/pound / gallon (but I messed up metric conversion..) so we are good there. I would have expected double the volume to halve the SG which what confuses with your follow on numbers. It would be useful to have the 'volume adjusted' (constant scale) numbers. I'm guessing you got about 35-40 points of conversion but in my limited experience slightly sweet mashes can contribute nicely to flavors too. This hobby has way too many variables leading to way to many mysteries!

[@BEAVERDIY]

@@danthemann From the research I did I also had the same number 32GP, and yes my thought was if I double the volume my gravity should drop by half, it might have been a false reading becuase of CO2 in original wash or that because the wash left for close to 3 weeks while gravity slowly dropped, and some separation occurred with "lighter" liquid sitting ontop, and when I increased the volume and got all mixed up well and degassed the gravity climbed. Bot 100% sure what happend pH was stable, OG was within yeast range, nutrient was more than enough as I have used the same packet of premix before in a straight sugar wash with only that as nutrient and if fermented to dry twice. My only conclusion is that some unfermentable things are in LME, if you look to the beer industry few to no beers ferment to dry they all end on between 1.020 to 1.010, so with full blown LME that effect was co pounded and thus we were left with a gravity of 1.030. Will have to do a few more test batches to see if I can find the path to full ferment. What I want to try is use a all grain backset and spent grain LME run, what do you think.

[@danthemann]

@@BEAVERDIY You plan to use the 'leftovers' from one run to flavor the next but with LME as the sugar? That sounds like the type of thing I like to do! I've done similar with sugar and had good results, not as good as the source batch but less cost (I'm cheap) and less waste than starting from scratch/backset. . Go for it!

[@garrymcgaw4745]

G'day Beaver, I was wondering what was the yield of hearts cut in both test batches?. Great vid mate always look forward to your input to the hobby. Cheers from Aussie.

[@BEAVERDIY]

Hi Garry, On the LME I got 1.3l @ 75% on the All grain I got 2.4l @ 75%. The LME was a difficult run had to adjust the reflux alot, and the vapor speed was fast to get eth out.

[@mvdv6121]

Thank you, one to strike off my bucket list.

[@BEAVERDIY]

Awesome glad I could help.

[@fourdeadinohio8303]

the same thing happened to me when i did LME. i bought it off amazon along with the yeast they recommended. it stopped after a couple of days. i used DADY to save it. i threw in a bunch of sugar and re pitched it. a $60 sugar wash.

[@BEAVERDIY]

Glad the LME was sponsored as the 5l of LME would have been crazy expensive

[@AgeWhiskey]

Is this a new studio in the making?!

[@BEAVERDIY]

How did you guess, busy trying to level up on production and vid quality, so big things coming soon,

[@AgeWhiskey]

@@BEAVERDIY love it. Can't wait to see more. Good luck!

[@BeardedBored]

@@BEAVERDIY Nice!

[@spikelove9533]

I've never tried the liquid malts I'm not a beer fan. I like mashing my grains. If I add anything I'd add corn to bump up the gravity as thats the most available starch grain. If I'm adding the processed malt it's not really a sing malt anymore anyway right? This is a interesting vid. Thanks Beaver. I guess my philosophy on whiskey is home brew is better because we can afford to use better ingredients distill it as slow as we like and it's made with love so uts better than most off the shelf. So to me adding liquid malt is like making cake from a box I guess. Lol I could be look at it completely wrong though.

Please do DME.

[@ailkenllib]

Great test dude, good to know and appreciate the honest opinion. I always figured that LME and DME were best suited for beers so the residuals would flavor the beer, didn't think it made sense to use it for distillation. By the way, you seem to have a wild dog running about your property, better get that guard cat trained better, LOL

[@ammerudgrenda]

Amylase (beta, in particular) is normally required to make LME fermentable.

[@Justin-le4ip]

I had very similar results when using LME for a Whisky. Imo for the price you pay, I am sticking to All grain!

[@BEAVERDIY]

True that

[@nicktaylor2853]

I’m looking to get started making moonshine ethanol for fuel. Does anyone know of a KZbin channel that gives start up advice?

[@sadday101]

Did you check the ph?

[@vtcrafter6626]

This is like using corn syrup or corn sugar to make corn whiskey. Still get the sugar shine bite to me but maybe because I knew what went into it

[@bobgreen4531]

maybe use lme and dme. could help a bit.

[@liamsh2654]

Hi I am a friend of Zindane on discord

[@JasonBelliveau]

Anyone try LME for a vodka?

[@BEAVERDIY]

Will work the flavor on the LME was very lack luster.