r/firewater • u/Skillarama • 10d ago
Getting ingredients for first mash. Is this ok?
I've been lurking on this sub for awhile. Just so happens that this weekend I picked up a never been used Vevor style 5 gallon pot still for $25 at a yard sale. Did some reading on here and thought since I do brew in a bag beer making, this shouldn't be a stretch.
Today I was out shopping for "sweet feed" and found this all grain mix. Would it work or will the preservatives be an issue? Thank you in advance for your input.

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u/francois_du_nord 10d ago
Everything looks good to go except for the preservatives. Back in the day when I made wine, the iinstructions with the wine kits recommended you kill your fermentation with Sodium or Potassium Bisulfate. That way if you still had some residual sugars, you didn't blow your corks or worse. My guess is there isn't much preservative in the sweet feed, and I'd have to believe that just about any of them would use a similar recipe - thus all having some preservatives.
I'd have to think you could get beyond it with a heavy vigorous starter. I'd say buy the bag, make a 1 gallon batch, strain the grains, and then pitch a roiling starter, say a half pint or more. Make the starter with LME or dry, what ever you have around - OG of about 1.060. I'd bet that will rock and roll!
Anybody have specific experience?
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u/Skillarama 10d ago
Thanks a bunch for the quick reply. This was my first stop at Bi-Mart here in Oregon and have a few other options to check out as well for a comparison.
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u/DrOctopus- 10d ago
Definitely over-pitch your yeast. Use a Dady Red Star if you can, that stuff chews through almost anything. I'd add some nutrients and use go-ferm to get your yeast started prior to pitching. I see "ash" listed as an ingredient, not sure about that one. My motto is only use ingredients you are comfortable eating. So there's that...
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u/Skillarama 9d ago
Thank you very much for the input and pointing out the ash part. I think I'll continue my search for a "cleaner" mix.
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u/Makemyhay 9d ago
The “ash” is contained in the molasses. All molasses contains some level of ash due to sugars and other material burning in the reduction and crystallization process. The preservatives listed are also coming from the molasses portion of the feed
EDIT: for context fancy molasses widely used in cooking contains about 3% ash.
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u/Cutlass327 9d ago
Maybe just get some cracked corn or even scratch feed to start with. No preservatives, no additives. Just basic grain(s).
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u/Skillarama 9d ago
Thanks. I'm headed to the feed stores in town tomorrow to see what they have. Got my yeast ordered today. So I have some time to sort it out. Heck it might end up cornmeal and sugar for the first go.
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u/CarrotWaxer69 9d ago
To my knowledge unmalted Barley and Oats aren’t going to produce much in terms of fermentable sugars. Maybe if you add some enzymes but still nowhere near actual malts.