We Created a Video ALL About Making Mash
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You guys gotta check out this amazing video we created about how to make mash.
What is Mash?
Mash is the foundation of your distilling process. It’s a mixture of grains, water, and yeast that ferments to create alcohol. The better your mash, the better your final product. Understanding the right ingredients, the proper temperatures, and the correct fermentation process will set you up for success.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Before you get started, make sure you have the following:
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Corn (or other grains of choice) – This is the main fermentable ingredient.
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Water – Clean, chlorine-free water is crucial.
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Malted Barley (or Enzyme) – Helps convert starches to fermentable sugars.
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Sugar (optional) – Some recipes use sugar to boost alcohol content.
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Yeast – The magic ingredient that turns sugars into alcohol.
Step 1: Preparing the Ingredients
First things first, make sure your grains are ground up properly. If you're using corn, a good crush will allow the starches to be more accessible during cooking.
Step 2: Heating the Water
In a large pot, heat your water to about 165°F (74°C). Once the temperature is right, slowly add your ground-up grains while stirring continuously.
Step 3: Cooking the Mash
Once the grains are in, maintain a temperature between 150-160°F (65-71°C) for about 60-90 minutes. This allows enzymes in the malted barley (or added enzymes) to break down the starches into fermentable sugars.
Step 4: Cooling the Mash
After cooking, you need to bring the mash down to a yeast-friendly temperature—about 75-85°F (24-29°C). Use an immersion chiller or let it sit until it cools naturally.
Step 5: Adding the Yeast
Once cooled, add your yeast and stir gently. Cover the mash and let the fermentation process begin!
Step 6: Fermentation Process
Fermentation usually takes anywhere from 3-7 days, depending on the temperature and yeast used. You’ll see bubbles forming as the yeast consumes the sugars and produces alcohol.
Step 7: Checking for Completion
Use a hydrometer to measure the specific gravity of your mash. Once the reading stabilizes (around 1.000 or lower), fermentation is complete, and you’re ready to move on to distillation.
Watch Our Video for a Full Walkthrough!
We break down all these steps in our latest video, showing you exactly how to make a proper mash for distilling. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced moonshiner, our video will help you fine-tune your process and get the best results.
Give it a watch and let us know what you think! Got questions? Drop them in the comments or reach out—we’d love to hear about your experiences making mash. Happy distilling! 🍻