How Many Gallons Of Water To Pound Of Corn For Moonshine?

What is the ratio of grain to water for moonshine?

What You Need to Know About Water – We’ve talked about starch and the enzymes to break it down into fermentable extract, but we’ve only danced around the factors that make those enzymes active. Clearly, we need water, as it is required to penetrate the starch granules.

Heat added to the water aids in gelatinizing the starch and as we mentioned a moment ago, our amylases have preferred temperature ranges. So, what’s the correct mash temperature for grain spirits production? The answer (sort of) depends. First off, what we’re talking about here is “saccharification” temperature, which is where our amylases do their jobs.

In that case we want to think about what each amylase is doing. Generally, for distilling purposes, we’re interested in obtaining the most fermentable wort possible. For that, β -amylase is our guy and has an optimum activity at 64°C (147°F). Notice that this falls just shy of our preferred temperature range for α -amylase activity, but that’s okay here.

• Alpha-amylase still works suitably well at 64°C, breaking apart starch chains and making them more easily attackable by β -amylase.
• Next to the temperature of the water, we have to talk about the amount of water.
• This is essentially a question of mash thickness.
• There are pros and cons for thin mashes (lots of water) to thick mashes (less water).

Thin mashes are much easier to work with than thicker mashes, as they have more water to aid in the movement of grain solids from place to place. The drawback is that with thin mashes you have to be much more careful with monitoring your mash temperature.

Thin mashes don’t provide much in the way of insulation for enzymes, and small changes in mash temperature can have dramatic effects on enzyme performance. These concepts work the opposite way for thick mashes: more enzyme heat insulation but harder to work with. So, what’s the sweet spot? It depends on who you talk to since every system, distiller and recipe is a little bit different.

However, 1.5 quarts of water per pound of grain works well for most folks. (In metric, you’re looking at roughly 3 liters of water per kilogram of grain.) The other key parameter at play that we haven’t discussed is mash pH. The pH of a system is simply a way to measure how acidic or basic the system is.

Mash pH is incredibly important for enzyme activity. Without getting into the chemistry too much, pH affects the shape of the enzymes that we care about. If the pH isn’t within a suitable range, our amylases and secondary enzymes won’t function well and, in some cases, not at all. The accepted pH range for mashing is 5.2–5.8, with 5.4 considered the optimum.

Above this range and starch conversion will still occur but at a significantly slower pace. Below 5.0, the amylase enzymes stop working altogether. Finally, we need to discuss how long the mash should take. Once again, this depends on what you’re talking about when it comes to “mashing,” which for the moment is simply the saccharification step.

The amount of time needed for conversion is affected by several factors that get too complicated to discuss in detail here. Things like mash thickness, temperature, pH, recipe composition and malt modification all play a role. However, let’s keep things simple. In general, a saccharification rest should last anywhere from 30 minutes for high amounts of malted grains in the recipe to 60 minutes for low amounts of malted grains.

See Table 1, page 126 for a handy summary of all these factors. Table 1: Summary of factors affecting amylase enzyme performance. From Whisky: Technology, Production, and Marketing, ed. Inge Russell, 2003

What is the ratio of corn to water for mash?

The typical home brewer will be using a range of 1-1.5 quarts of water per pound of grain. Don’t stress mash thickness at this time, find a ratio that will work for your equipment. The average ratio is 1.25qts/pound.

How much grain per gallon of water for moonshine?

Re: How Many Pounds of Grain per Gallon? The general guideline for AGs is 2lb total grain/gallon. The ratio of unmalted to malted is going to depend on the grain type and the diastatic power (DP) of each malted grain. A DP of 30 is generally needed to convert a mash successfully.

How much moonshine from 5 gallons?

How Much Alcohol Can you Get From 5 gallons of Mash? – via GIPHY When asking questions like this it is important to keep in mind that your final result will vary depending on your starting alcohol and final proof. However, there are general guidelines that can be followed:

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 1.5-3 gallons of alcohol A 10 gallon run will yield 2-4 gallons of alcohol

How much grain do I need for a 5 gallon mash?

Basic Brewing Instructions Using The Brew Bag – 1. Water Volume The Brew In A Bag method calls for the total volume of water to be added to the kettle all at once. To achieve a consistent result, it is necessary to understand and calculate that volume as close as possible.

1. If your calculations are off the gravity reading will be off as well.
2. There are two remedies; add water to the fermenter or boil kettle to lower the gravity, or boil off excess water to increase gravity.
3. Here’s a general rule of thumb for water volume using The Brew Bag®.
4. An average five gallon batch grain bill (total amount of grain to be used) with pre-boil gravity of 1.035 will call for ten pounds of grain.

Each pound of grain will absorb approximately 15 ounces of water. You’ll squeeze the bag of grain to regain about 8 ounces, so you’ll toss about 7 ounces with with the spent grain, so it’s a loss of volume. A five gallon batch calls for 5.25 gallons into the fermenter which equals 672 ounces Over a sixty-minute boil, based on a number of factors, evaporation will be ten to twenty percent, but you’ll also lose water volume to evaporation heating up and cooling down, so it’s a bit more than that.

Water absorbed by 10 lbs grain = approx-10 oz per lb	Evaporation 7-15%	Trub – both in the kettle and the fermenter	5.25 gal into the fermenter	Total water needed for 5 gal batch
100 ounces	100 ounces	100 ounces	672 ounces	972 oz = 7.59 gals

If you’re making an above average alcohol content beer, (above 1.050 OG) and use more than ten pounds of grain, add eight oz of water for every pound of grain over ten. That doesn’t sound like much, but eight pounds more (or eighteen pounds total) is sixty-four additional ounces, which is half of a gallon. You can always add water to reach volume and you can always boil longer to reduce volume.

Total Grain Bill Average 5 gal batch	Average Total Gal Water	Total Ounces	Total Quarts
8-12 lbs	8.25	1056	33
15 lbs	8.725	1118	34.9
20	9.125	1168	36.5

Water Temperature Now heat the water to your intended strike temperature (that means the temperature at which you stop heating and add the grain). The temperature of the mash (water with grain added) after adding the grain will fluctuate from batch to batch based on the temperature and volume of the grain. Rule of thumb # 2 – Mash Temperature Calculations The optimal strike temperature of the water for an average (post-boil gravity of 1.050) beer is approximately 157°. For a ten pound grain bill with a grain temperature of 70° F that is added to 8.25 gallons of water at 157°F (strike temperature) the water/mash temperature will drop 5° to 7° F after adding the grain.

Temp °C	Temp °F	Enzyme	Breaks Down
40-45 °C	104.0-113.0 °F	β-Glucanase	β-Glucan
50-54 °C	122.0-129.2 °F	Protease	Protein
62-67 °C	143.6-152.6 °F	β-Amylase	Starch
71-72 °C	159.8-161.6 °F	α-Amylase	Starch

This range is crucial to the enzymatic conversion potential of starches to fermentable sugars. After the grain has been added to the water and stirred thoroughly, record the temperature on your brew sheet instructions. You’ll reference this when recording the temperature loss over the forty-five to sixty minute mash period.2.

Maintaining Temperature No matter what the ambient temperature, insulating the kettle after adding the grain is important. This is done to maintain the mash temperature in the proper range and keep the enzymes working on the starch to convert it to sugar. A good material to insulate the kettle is HVAC duct wrap that has been laid flat, cut to length and then taped with aluminum duct tape.

Form a pillow out of the excess to place on the top of the kettle and then drape a blanket over the entire kettle with the insulation in place. Use a bungee cord, or velcro to secure the material to the kettle before putting the blanket on. If you don’t have access to that material, drape a couple of blankets over the kettle – MAKE CERTAIN THE FLAME HAS BEEN TURNED OFF! If you are brewing on your stove in a three gallon pot or similar, try placing the pot in the oven compartment during the mash to serve as the insulator – do not turn the oven on.3. Mash Time and Lifting The Brew Bag® The grain has been added to the kettle, the lid put on, and insulating material applied to the exterior all around.

• Set a timer for forty-five to sixty minutes (depending of the grain bill size) and have a beer, or mow the lawn, or wash the car, or whatever.
• This is the prize for using The Brew Bag®, you can brew and complete other tasks at the same time.
• The timer alerts you that conversion of starches to sweet wort is likely complete.

Unwrap the kettle, lift the lid, and stir the mash thoroughly. Now record the temperature and write it next to the starting temperature reading. You’ll likely record 2° to 4° lower than when you started, and that’s OK as long as the temperature is in the range of 143° to 152°.

1. Now lift the bag and let it drain back into the kettle.
2. You can use your hands to lift The Brew Bag® by the loops, but it will get heavy after a few minutes.
3. There is more than one way to lift the bag, so utilize the resources in your brewing space.
4. It’s very simple and cheap to use a 1″ x 2″ x 24″ or so piece of wood placed through the loops to lift The Brew Bag®.

Place the wood through the loops, then lay the wood on the edge of the pot and turn it so the bag wraps around the wood and pulls The Brew Bag® out of the pot. This will also squeeze the bag at the same time. Don’t let go of the wood, and make sure to not put undue pressure on one side of the kettle or it may tip over. Let the bag drain until it trickles, or don’t wait, and squeeze the bag (this requires four hands or a pulley system) all around three to four times which will release the wort back into the kettle. Wear brewers gloves, this stuff is hot! Squeezing saves time. To understand this next concept, let’s think about diluting food coloring in a glass of water. The food coloring equates to the sugars derived from the grain during the mash, which, when mixed with water becomes wort. If we add five drops of food coloring to six ounces of water and compare that to five drops in twelve ounces of water, the coloring agent in the twelve ounces is now diluted by twice as much water and the color of the water is half as bold.

A gravity reading (OG = Original Gravity) measures the amount of sugar in the wort. If we add or subtract water we change the concentration of those sugars and thus we change the gravity reading. With that in mind, and after lifting The Brew Bag®, check the pre-boil gravity using a hydrometer or a refractometer and refer to the brew sheet for the target.

If you’re within 2-4 points either side, begin the boil. If the OG is more than 5 points on the high side, you may need to add some water, or don’t and settle for a stronger alcohol beer. More sugar = more alcohol. If it’s lower than the target by 5 points you may want to boil off the excess.

1. In some cases the cause of the gravity reading being off is a result of the conversion percentage of the starches to sugars – that is generally a result of the mash temperature being too low or too high, so pay attention to those numbers and mash as close to 152° as you can.
2. By the way, the myth about releasing tannins from the grain by squeezing the grain bag is just that – a myth.

Tannins are extracted at mash temps and are a normal result, however, pH above 5.8 combined with temperature above 170º may cause excess tannins to be extracted and that could produce a bitter tasting beer. So, use insulated rubber gloves and squeeze that bag! 4.

Emptying The Brew Bag After the wort has drained, use insulated rubber gloves to empty The Brew Bag® by grasping the bottom of the bag by the strapping and giving it a quick shake. The grain will simply fall out. Shake it a few more times and then turn it inside out and shake again. Then thoroughly rinse in warm water and hang to dry.

If you are going to use The Brew Bag® for the hop additions, just rinse and set aside until the boil begins. A helpful tip. Ignore the lautering requirement (and this is in BeerSmith software as well) to raise the mash temperature by rinsing the grain with 170° water, or to raise the mash temp to 168° for a “mash-out”.

1. In conventional lautering, this is done to help the wort flow, deactivate the enzymes and stop conversion – listen – you are lifting the grain out of the wort and you have already calculated your water volume and it is in the kettle – mash-out temperature and sparging is not necessary.
2. In addition, you’re going to begin the boil in less than fifteen minutes after lifting The Brew Bag®, so you’ll exceed the 170° mark anyway.

In addition, the wort sugars between the bag and the kettle bottom are super-heated and may burn as you stir the grain in the bag while heating.5. Boil away – we’re getting closer to the beer! Boiling the wort does two things – it allows the hops to isomerize (literally change molecularly) which, depending on the length of time in the boil, will impart degrees of bitterness, flavor, or aroma to the beer, so this is a critical step in the process.

1. If you’re going to use The Brew Bag® for your hop additions, (and we recommend that you do) you must not allow the bag to come into contact with the bottom of the kettle while the flame is on as it may scorch or melt the bag.
2. Find a way to suspend the bag into the kettle about halfway into the wort.
3. That’s additional incentive for using an overhead lift.

To keep the The Brew Bag® from billowing during the boil, add some weight to the bag by dropping in something stainless,or copper, maybe a few washers or whatever. The Brew Bag® with the hops inside needs to stay in the wort and not billow. The second result that occurs from boiling is the reduction of the volume of wort through evaporation. You calculated this loss of volume when you were creating the total volume. At the end of the boil time if the OG result is too low, it is likely because your water volume is too high, so you need to reduce volume by boiling to evaporate and concentrate the wort and hit the OG numbers.

You must consider that the longer the hops are boiling the more bitter the beer will be – so if you need to boil off some water, and you catch the pre-boil OG number as too low, wait until the proper volume is reached through evaporation to add the hops, and then start the timer as required by the recipe.6.

When the boil time is up, lift the bag with the hops, allow it to drain, and proceed as normal to chill your wort into the fermenter. The first time or two you brew using The Brew Bag®, you’ll discover how to control some of the variables and you’ll change things to be consistently in range of what you’re after.

How many pounds of corn for 5 gallon mash?

For a 5 gallon mash: (201) –

5 gallons soft, filtered water. 7 lbs (3.2kg) cracked corn.6-8 pieces/kernel is the proper crack. If using bird feed, make sure it is perishable, or in other words is free of preservatives. 7 lbs (3.2kg) of granulated sugar. 1 tbsp yeast (distillers yeast if available.)

How much liquor from 5 gallons of mash?

How Much Alcohol Will a Still Produce? – Before we get started, a reminder: Distilling alcohol is illegal without a federal fuel alcohol or distilled spirit plant permit as well as relevant state permits. Our distillation equipment is designed for legal uses only and the information in this article is for educational purposes only.

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 1.5-3 gallons of alcohol A 10 gallon run will yield 2-4 gallons of alcohol

For the researchers, science nerds, alchemists, and truth seekers, here’s why:

How many gallons of water are in a pound of grain?

Water Absorption By Grain. There are several different, ‘average loss’ numbers used to calculate grain absorption. One of the most prevalent is.125 gallons of water per pound of grain.

How much yeast do I need for 5 gallons of mash?

Types of Yeast to Use in Moonshine – This type of yeast is usually packaged so that one packet is used for 5 gallons of mash. Unless otherwise written on the directions, use one package for 5 gallons of mash. If you are using distillers yeast it is important to first refer to the directions on the package.

How many pounds of grain for 1 gallon batch?

What’s Different? – Brewing is basically the same at any scale, but the details of small batch homebrewing differ from “full-scale” homebrewing in a few key ways. A sensitive scale is needed to measure the quantities of ingredients, since the amounts are smaller and small differences in weighed amounts can have a big impact on the beer.

This is especially true when it comes to weighing hops. A scale that can measure to the nearest gram is very useful to a small-scale homebrewer. If you are a partial mash brewer, brewing small batches, it’s easy to formulate your recipes such that most of your extract weight — the fermentable and non-fermentable “stuff” that contributes to your original gravity — comes from mashed grains rather than malt extract.

This gives you the flexibility to use a wide variety of base malts as well as fairly large amounts of some starchy adjuncts (such as corn or rice). Small-scale mashing can easily be done in small pots or beverage coolers. For every 1 gallon (3.8 L) of space you have in your mashing vessel, you can mash 2.0 lbs.

(0.91 kg) of grain and collect about 1 gallon (3.8 L) of wort at around 12 °Plato (SG 1.048). The exact volume and wort density you achieve will depend on the grains you mash, how well they are crushed, how much sparge water you use and other variables. Batch sparging or no-sparge procedures work well for smaller batches.

The time to take a small batch of wort up to boiling temperature is shorter than a full-sized batch, obviously. Even on a standard kitchen stove, there is relatively little down time waiting for the mercury to rise. However, this raises the point that since you are boiling a small amount of wort, you may need to watch the boil more carefully to see that the wort isn’t scorched or the evaporation rate is too high.

• One big benefit for stovetop brewers is that, with batch sizes of 3 gallons (11 L) or less, they can likely perform a vigorous full-wort boil on their stovetop, instead of boiling a thick wort and diluting it later with water.
• With a full-wort boil, you don’t need to worry about your hop utilization limiting the bitterness of your beer or the wort picking up too much color during the boil.

In small batches, wort chilling can be done quickly and simply, without a wort chiller. In a recent brew session, I timed how long it took to chill my wort in an ice bath in my kitchen sink, using around 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of ice. The three quarts (~ 3 L) went from boiling to pitching temperature in around ten minutes.

Batches up to 3 gallons (11 L) can be cooled in a sink without too many problems (although it may take an hour or so and require more ice). Tubes of White Labs liquid yeast and packs of Wyeast liquid yeast contain around 100 billion cells per package. Likewise, an 11 g sachet of dried yeast contains around 110 billions cells.

(Note: These numbers are approximate. Cell counts in yeast packages vary and poor handling can significantly decrease the number of healthy cells present.) For 5 gallons (19 L) of moderate-strength (12 °Plato/SG 1.048) ale, the optimal number of yeast cells to pitch is around 260 billion.

Thus, for smaller batches, you may be able to pitch straight from the package and get close to the optimal pitching rate. Using a yeast pitching calculator can help in determining the proper amount of yeast to pitch. For example, Jamil Zainasheff’s “Mr. Malty’s Pitching Rate Calculator” (at www.mrmalty.com) indicates that two grams of dried yeast is recommended for 3 quarts (2.8 L) of wort at 1.055 specific gravity and the “Six-Pack Late-Hopped Simcoe Ale” accompanying this story fermented very well with two grams of dried yeast.

Again, an good scale is a necessity. As with a 5-gallon (19-L) batch of homebrew, you can bottle your beer in 12 oz. (355 mL), 16 oz. (473 mL) or 22 oz. (651 mL) bottles. You can also bottle condition in 1 L swing-top “torpedoes” or 2 L “growlers.” However, more convenient options are available.

• Most homebrew shops sell mini-keg systems, including those based on 5-L (1.3-gallon) aluminum kegs or 6-L (1.6-gallon) plastic (PET) bottles.
• These mini-kegs are primed with sugar and bottle conditioned like regular homebrew, but dispensed with small CO2 cartridges (like those used in paintball guns).

If you have a standard homebrew kegging system, a 2.5-gallon (9.5-L) or 3-gallon (11-L) Corny keg could be used — if you can find one; they are not as common as the standard 5-gallon (19-L) size. In priming the beer at bottling time, we choose to prime each bottle instead of adding sugar to the whole batch.

How much grain do I need for 10 gallons of mash?

Topic: what do you think is a reasonable upper grain bill for a 10 gal mash tun? (Read 5292 times) – I have a new 10 gallon SS Brewtech insulated mash tun (thanks to my wife for christmas), and since i have some neighbors and in-laws that like my beer I am thinking about expanding my batch size up from my current 5 gallon., I typically fly sparge, sometimes batch, but I feel like I get better results on a slow fly sparge so thats what i plan for. And also I will of course need to split the batch to two fermentors so I assume having a little extra headspace (4 gallons instead of 5) in the fermentor is not a problem assuming the co2 will push the air out anyway. Thank you! Tom Logged I have a new 10 gallon SS Brewtech insulated mash tun (thanks to my wife for christmas), and since i have some neighbors and in-laws that like my beer I am thinking about expanding my batch size up from my current 5 gallon. Any ideas on what a reasonable upper limit would be for my mash tun? I thought perhaps I could try an 8 gallon recipe and see how it goes. I typically fly sparge, sometimes batch, but I feel like I get better results on a slow fly sparge so thats what i plan for. And also I will of course need to split the batch to two fermentors so I assume having a little extra headspace (4 gallons instead of 5) in the fermentor is not a problem assuming the co2 will push the air out anyway.

1. Thank you! Tom As an upper limit for water to grain ratio you could use 3 qts/lb and at that value you could mash-in 12 lbs.
2. Of grain into a 10 gallon mash tun.
3. As a lower limit for water to grain ratio you could use 1.25 qts/lb and at that value you could mash-in 25 lbs of grain into a 10 gallon mash tun.

Anywhere in between those 2 limits seems workable. Logged You should be able to mash 24 lbs. of grain with a water to grain ratio if 1.25:1 with a little space left over. The “Can I Mash It” Calculator here is a great tool: https://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml Logged Beer is my bucket list, Bob357 Fallon, NV Thanks for the input ( and the calc link !). Will I also increase the chances of a “Stuck sparge” with the higher grain bill? I have never experienced one wth my 5 gallon batches and I am not sure how difficult it is to fix. Logged The thicker your mash, the slower it will drain, but not necessarily make it any more likely to get stuck. At least in the ranges provided by BigMonk Logged Frank L. Fermenting: Nothing (ugh!) Conditioning: Nothing (UGH!) In keg: Nothing (Double UGH!) In the works: House IPA, Dark Mild, Ballantine Ale clone(still trying to work this one into the schedule) Thanks for the input ( and the calc link !). Logged Life begins at 60.1.060, that is! www.dennybrew.com The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. – Alewyfe “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.” – Bertrand Russell Thanks guys! I will play around with recipe scaling in Brewsmith and see what kind of grain bills I get for different volumes and beer types. Logged You should be able to mash 24 lbs. of grain with a water to grain ratio if 1.25:1 with a little space left over. The “Can I Mash It” Calculator here is a great tool: https://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml Great resource for quick checks. Logged Thanks guys! I will play around with recipe scaling in Brewsmith and see what kind of grain bills I get for different volumes and beer types. It is quite a hobby. one year ago I brewed my first batch from an extract starter kit. and now I find myself thinking about a 20 gallon kettle for larger batches.

• I would need at least a 15 gal to do an 8 gallon batch I think, so it prob makes sense to spend a little more and get the 20 gal.
• Getting a fresh 16-18″ of snow here today so I won’t be brewing for a little while.
• Tom, just another note, since you are using Beersmith, there is a section on the mash page that tells you your mash volume and will highlight it in red if the mash tun listed in your equipment is not big enough to handle the given mash parameters.

The other calculator is also accurate, but if you are already in beersmith, it will save you a step Logged Frank L. Fermenting: Nothing (ugh!) Conditioning: Nothing (UGH!) In keg: Nothing (Double UGH!) In the works: House IPA, Dark Mild, Ballantine Ale clone(still trying to work this one into the schedule) Thank you Frank! I was just messing around with Brewsmith and scaling a chinook IPA to 8.5 gallons.

1. I will check out the mash tool as well.
2. So many options.
3. Using the brewsmith tool it looks like I may not have the mash tun space for an 8.5 gallon batch using a fly sparge (slightly over the 10 gal mark.) but batch sparge would work.
4. I think I need to learn some more before going to the larger batch.

« Last Edit: January 04, 2018, 02:36:39 pm by tominboston » Logged The thicker your mash, the slower it will drain, but not necessarily make it any more likely to get stuck. At least in the ranges provided by BigMonk Thanks for the input ( and the calc link !). Will I also increase the chances of a “Stuck sparge” with the higher grain bill? I have never experienced one wth my 5 gallon batches and I am not sure how difficult it is to fix. Logged As a lower limit for water to grain ratio you could use 1.25 qts/lb and at that value you could mash-in 25 lbs of grain into a 10 gallon mash tun. If it’s a true 10 gallon capacity, then yeah, 25 lbs will be the max at a ratio of 1.25 qts/lb. The mash will go right up to the rim, so stir carefully. Happy mashing! Logged I mash in kettle and transfer to 10 gal. lauter tun, zero-dead space. I use 1.25-1.3qt/lb and 10lb gives just over 5gal in in lauter tun. So youd think the 10gal limit would be <20lb. But it might not scale in a linear fashion, absorption is tricky. Hopefully the calculators have good input on this. Logged Rob Stein Akron, Ohio I'd rather have questions I can't answer than answers I can't question. I mash in kettle and transfer to 10 gal. lauter tun, zero-dead space. I use 1.25-1.3qt/lb and 10lb gives just over 5gal in in lauter tun. So youd think the 10gal limit would be <20lb. But it might not scale in a linear fashion, absorption is tricky. Hopefully the calculators have good input on this. I think the question was more about capacity rather than extract yield. I agree that for a more detailed assessment of the gravity produced you'd have to account for absorption, but for a capacity calculation you just want to know the strike volume and grain displacement volume. Logged If I was at home I could tell you exactly - I got a 13g batch at 1.082 og after boil with around 30lbs (I think 32) of grain in my 10g home depot drink cooler. it was batch sparged and I don't believe I got quite to 1.25 q/lb ratio due to literally being at the brim. Logged

What is the ratio of mash to moonshine?

How Much of Moonshine Will 5 Gallons of Mash Make? – For a 5-gallon mash recipe, the yield will be about 3 quarts on average of 130 proof. Once you proof it down for consumption, the yield will be around 1 to 2 gallons of moonshine depending on how high you want your proof for drinking.

How much water do I need for a 5 gallon all grain?

Please read me: If you’re unfamiliar with All-Grain brewing we’d highly suggest that you take a look at John Palmer’s How to Brew before continuing. All-Grain isn’t difficult to do (lots of people do it!) but it does require a little more planning and equipment than extract brewing does.

1. We’d also recommend taking a class, specifically our Brewshop 501: All-Grain Brewing Class,
2. We brew a beer in the class so you get to see each step in action, learn about what each step means, and why it matters.
3. If you feel you’re ready to dive in – here’s a quick primer on what you’ll need to do.
4. Scroll down for 2.5 & 1 Gallon versions).

Items you’ll need for All-Grain Brewing (5 Gallons):

Mash Tun with a false bottom and valve/spigot Minimum 5 Gallon Kettle for Sparge Water 7.5 Gallon Boil Kettle (preferably 10 Gallon)

Our 5 Gallon All-Grain recipes call for a pre-boil volume of 6.5 gallons and we arrive at that number for a very specific reason. Water tends to boil off at an average rate of 1 gallon/hour. Most beers require a 60 minute boil, so if you start with 6.5 gallons at the beginning of your boil you should end up with 5.5 gallons at the end of it.

• It helps to think of brewing in reverse, start with the volume of liquid you want to end up with and go back from there.
• Let’s use our 5 Gallon Resistor Pale Ale recipe as an example of how we’d get to a pre-boil volume of 6.5 gallons.
• Most of our All-Grain recipes are going to be around 10 lbs in size (total grain weight) for an average strength beer (i.e.

~5%). Resistor Pale Ale weighs in at 10 lbs:

9 lbs.2-Row Malt 8 oz. Caramel Malt 20L 8 oz. Cara-Pils

How much water will we need to ensure we get a pre-boil volume of ~6.5 gallons for a 10 lb batch? The quick answer is 8.67 gallons. How did we come up with that number? We used a calculator. We’re partial to the mash calculator run by the fine folks at Brew365.com.

Grain Weight (Pounds)	Mash Water (Gallons)	Sparge Water (Gallons)	Total Water (Gallons)
10	3.75	4.92	8.67
11	4.13	4.67	8.80
12	4.50	4.43	8.93
13	4.88	4.18	9.06
14	5.25	3.94	9.19

The Brew365 mash calculator also helpfully computes a strike temperature for you. Our recipes will range from a suggested mash temperature of 148 to 156 degree Fahrenheit, depending on the style. Just enter the Target Mash Temperature and the calculator will tell you what temperature to bring your strike water to.

• In the case of Resistor Pale Ale we’re looking for a target mash temperature of 152, which means our strike temperature should be 164.
• We would suggest inputting the numbers for your recipe and adjusting the variables so that they work for your system.
• Every brewing setup is different and you’ll need to learn how your system works and adjust your process from there,

If you run into any problems, just call us at (917) 596-7261 or email us, We want to help you make good beer and feel comfortable with the process. Items you’ll need for All-Grain Brewing (2.5 Gallons) or BIAB (Brew in a Bag):

Minimum 5 Gallon Kettle for Hot Water 5 Gallon Boil Kettle (preferably 7.5 gallon or larger) A nylon grain bag

Our 2.5 Gallon All-Grain recipes call for a pre-boil volume of 3.5 gallons and we arrive at that number for a very specific reason. Water tends to boil off at an average rate of 1 gallon/hour. Most beers require a 60 minute boil, so if you start with 3.5 gallons at the beginning of your boil you should end up with 2.5 gallons at the end of it.

1. It helps to think of brewing in reverse, start with the volume of liquid you want to end up with and go back from there.
2. Let’s use our 2.5 Gallon Resistor Pale Ale recipe (2.5 gallon version is on the second page) as an example of how we’d get to a pre-boil volume of 3.5 gallons.
3. Most of our 2.5 Gallon All-Grain recipes are going to be around 5 lbs in size (total grain weight) for an average strength beer (i.e.

~5%). Resistor Pale Ale weighs in at 5 lbs.

4.5 lbs.2-Row Malt 4 oz. Caramel Malt 20L 4 oz. Cara-Pils

How much water will we need to ensure we get a pre-boil volume of ~3.5 gallons for a 5 lb batch? The quick answer is 4.32 gallons. How did we come up with that number? We used a calculator. We’d highly recommend that you use the Brew-in-a-bag method (more info here) where the grains are mashed in with the total volume of water and there is no sparging.

1. We’re partial to this Simple BIAB Calculator that takes a minimal amount of variables (Grain, Hops, Boil Duration, Boil-off rate, Finished Beer Volume, Fermentation trub, Kettle Diameter, Mash Temp, Grain Temp) and gives you a total volume of water and a strike temperature.
2. Here’s a table showing the total water required based on grain weight and a 2 oz.

hop addition:

Grain Weight (Pounds)	Total Water (Gallons)
5	4.32
5.5	4.39
6	4.45
6.5	4.51
7	4.57

It isn’t required that you use BIAB for a 2.5 gallon recipe, and you can definitely batch or fly sparge (just like you would a 5 gallon recipe) but BIAB requires less equipment (no mash tun needed) and makes for a slightly shorter brewday. We would suggest inputting the numbers for your recipe and adjusting the variables so that they work for your system.

Minimum 3 Gallon Kettle for mashing/boiling A nylon grain bag

Our 1 Gallon All-Grain recipes call for a pre-boil volume of 2 gallons and we arrive at that number for a very specific reason. Water tends to boil off at an average rate of 1 gallon/hour. Most beers require a 60 minute boil, so if you start with 2 gallons at the beginning of your boil you should end up with 1 gallon at the end of it.

It helps to think of brewing in reverse, start with the volume of liquid you want to end up with and go back from there. Let’s use our 1 Gallon Resistor Pale Ale recipe (1 gallon version is on the second page) as an example of how we’d get to a pre-boil volume of 2 gallons. Most of our 1 Gallon All-Grain recipes are going to be around 2 to to 2.5 lbs in size (total grain weight) for an average strength beer (i.e.

~5%). Resistor Pale Ale weighs in at 2.25 lbs:

2 lbs.2-Row Malt 2 oz. Caramel Malt 20L 2 oz. Cara-Pils

How much water will we need to ensure we get a pre-boil volume of ~2 gallons for a 2.25 lb batch? The quick answer is 2.44 gallons. How did we come up with that number? We used a calculator. We’d highly recommend that you use the Brew-in-a-bag method where the grains are mashed in with the total volume of water and there is no sparging.

We’re partial to this Simple BIAB Calculator that takes a minimal amount of variables (Grain, Hops, Boil Duration, Boil-off rate, Finished Beer Volume, Fermentation trub, Kettle Diameter, Mash Temp, Grain Temp) and gives you a total volume of water and a strike temperature. Here’s a table showing the total water required based on grain weight and a 1 oz.

hop addition:

Grain Weight (Pounds)	Total Water (Gallons)
2	2.41
2.25	2.44
2.5	2.47
2.75	2.51
3	2.53

We would suggest inputting the numbers for your recipe and adjusting the variables so that they work for your system. Every brewing setup is different and you’ll need to learn how your system works and adjust your process from there, If you run into any problems, just call us at (917) 596-7261 or email us, We want to help you make good beer and feel comfortable with the process.

What is the ratio of liquor to grain?

Mechanics – Professional brewers tend to communicate with each other on the subject of mash thickness by using a value called “liquor-to-grist ratio.” This is merely the volume of strike water (liters) divided by the mass of grist (kilograms). Its practical range is 2 to 4 and most often is around 2.5 to 3.2.

Most homebrewers know this as a ration of quarts per pound, often 1.25 quarts of water per pound of grain (1.2 liters). Typically, infusion mashes run a little thicker, while temperature program (step) and decoction mashes usually are thinner to make it easier for mash mixing and mash transfer. The liquor-to-grist ratio determines what strike temperature you need for hitting a target mash temperature.

To accurately predict the mash temperature, you must consider several variables in what engineers refer to as a “mass and energy balance.” This is an equation that relates the temperatures and masses of everything coming into the mash to the temperature and mass of the mash itself.

The target mash temperature (°C)Volume of strike water (liters)Temperature of strike water (°C)Heat capacity of water (kiloJoules/kilogram/°C)Mass of grist (kilograms)Temperature of grist (°C)”Heat capacity” of grist (kiloJoules/kilogram/°C)

These parameters seem straightforward, except the last one. In a laboratory setting this would actually be the real heat capacity of the grist, but in a practical setting this becomes a fudge factor. It combines the heat capacity of the grist and the mashing vessel, as well as the effect of slight evaporative cooling as the strike water enters the vessel.

Because every system is different, this parameter needs to be determined experimentally. This means that if you have detailed records of past brews, you can actually estimate what your system would typically have as a heat capacity. Once you know this value, you can accurately hit a desired mash temperature for a given thickness by calculating what your strike water temperature ought to be.

If you are just starting out in all-grain brewing, you need to trust the recipe you are using and make careful notes on how your system behaves differently than what the recipe describes. Over time you will be able to adjust your mashing with a great deal of control.

A very important point to consider is the inherent imprecision in your measurement of strike water volume and temperature, as well as the grist weight. When making calculations as described here, do not bother to take your values to the 20th decimal place, because your calculated quantities can be no more precise than your methods of measurement.

(See Calculations at end of article)