Search found 75 matches

by erbachem
Mon Nov 09, 2009 12:10 pm
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: Off taste coming through
Replies: 1
Views: 694

Off taste coming through

I seem to have picked up a strange off taste in one of my last batches. There is a distinct astringency to it. I ran it through again along with some lefovers from previous runs and it appears to be much improved but still present. It's currently sitting on carbon. I'm hoping that a month of aging w...
by erbachem
Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:38 pm
Forum: Column Builds
Topic: Dangerous Still
Replies: 15
Views: 2641

Re: Dangerous Still

Just a bit of background on the still in question. It was sold as a "water" distiller just prior to home distilling becoming legal in New Zealand. I purchased one just like it off trademe as my first ever still for about 60NZD. It's still sitting in the back of my shed gathering dust. They...
by erbachem
Sun Aug 17, 2008 3:50 pm
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: Everything you need to know about oak alternatives.
Replies: 146
Views: 112699

Re: Everything you need to know about oak alternatives.

Any recommendations on which style of oak is best suited to bourbon from the Stavin range?
by erbachem
Fri Jul 04, 2008 5:54 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Tamarillo's and mandarins
Replies: 0
Views: 1182

Tamarillo's and mandarins

Has anyone done any maceration experiments with tamarillo's in the past? What was the outcome? Any favourite recipe's out there? I was looking for something different to try recently and decided to see what effect macerating mandarin skins would have. Turned out much better than I expected. The resu...
by erbachem
Sun May 25, 2008 4:40 pm
Forum: Column Builds
Topic: First run on new bokakob inline - added pics
Replies: 5
Views: 1578

Re: First run on new bokakob inline

So I just did a quick calculation using the reflux still calculations page and it tells me that I should be getting 94.4% out at 4.6 litres per hour. The 4.6 litres per hour I think is pretty easy to explain. I knocked 1kw off for heat loss and it came down to ~3 litres per hour. Insulation is now h...
by erbachem
Sun May 25, 2008 4:04 pm
Forum: Column Builds
Topic: First run on new bokakob inline - added pics
Replies: 5
Views: 1578

First run on new bokakob inline - added pics

Hi All, Well, after months of threatening to get a bokakob inline still up and running I have finally done it. I'll post pictures shortly but thought I'd do a once over of the first run to see what people think. Here goes. The still. bokakob inline Column = 75mm diameter, 1m length. Currently only 8...
by erbachem
Tue Apr 01, 2008 6:34 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Sugar Wash R+D
Replies: 15
Views: 6117

Hi Wineo,

Any reason why you don't just mash the potato and add it to the wash as well?
by erbachem
Tue Apr 01, 2008 6:24 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Does the tomato paste taste come through?
Replies: 14
Views: 4190

handfull of wheatgerm will do it..
Do you have to boil the wheatgerm first? the DWWG recipe calls for it. What happens if you don't?
by erbachem
Tue Apr 01, 2008 6:20 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Best base feedstock for a standard sugar wash
Replies: 6
Views: 2186

Hey Old_blue

So do you use UJSM as a vodka base? My original thoughts on this thread was to find out what people use as feedstock for reflux stills as opposed to creating a flavour profile.
by erbachem
Tue Apr 01, 2008 4:13 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Sour Corn UJSM
Replies: 82
Views: 24907

There is a delicacy (read acquired taste and smell) in NZ Kanga Pirau. Literally translated as rotten corn. The traditional method was to fill flour sacks with corn kernels and then place them in a river for two to three months to ensure a constant flow of fresh water. Alternatively, people place th...
by erbachem
Tue Apr 01, 2008 3:26 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Best base feedstock for a standard sugar wash
Replies: 6
Views: 2186

Best base feedstock for a standard sugar wash

After doing my first couple of sugar washes using tomato paste as a base I thought I'd try starting a thread to discuss the pro's and con's of different feedstocks available. Here is my impression of options to date Tomato paste Deficiencies - No major deficiencies. DAP and Vitamin B supplements are...
by erbachem
Mon Mar 24, 2008 8:44 pm
Forum: Column Builds
Topic: VM design question
Replies: 3
Views: 1465

Hi Hookline. Thanks for the quick response. I have been reading a few conflicting opinions about the consequences of having a smaller diameter takeoff compared to the vertical path. How important is it for both paths to be of equal diameter? Is my end product likely to suffer if I go for 1 inch on t...
by erbachem
Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:09 pm
Forum: Column Builds
Topic: VM design question
Replies: 3
Views: 1465

VM design question

I am about to begin work on a VM still and would like to get some advice on design. I have two valves available to me. The first is a 1 inch stainless ball valve while the second is a 2 inch brass gate valve. These will be attached to a 2 inch packed copper column. As far as I can see I have three o...
by erbachem
Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:16 pm
Forum: Column Builds
Topic: VM, CM, and LM confusion
Replies: 118
Views: 102211

First time I've truly understood VM. Thanks a lot. Gives me an idea of what I am going to do with the bit of 2 inch pipe I have lying aroung at the moment.
by erbachem
Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:01 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: Backset slows down fermentation
Replies: 4
Views: 1409

Hi Coops,

So does that mean that adding lemon juice / citric acid should provide a jump start?
by erbachem
Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:50 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: Backset slows down fermentation
Replies: 4
Views: 1409

Backset slows down fermentation

I have seen a few mentions on the forums saying that adding too much backset to subsequent generations can slow down your ferment. My experiences to date tends to confirm this. So the question is why should backset slow down fermentation. On the face of it, the idea of adding sterilised liquid with ...
by erbachem
Wed Feb 27, 2008 4:11 pm
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: Newbie's first rum wash
Replies: 30
Views: 3093

big worm wrote: at least he did not use animal feed suplament like others have.. :oops: Nothing wrong with using feed molasses. I have done a few runs with feed molasses and managed to produce a reasonable rum out of them. Has anyone out there done a comparison between feed molasses and fancy molas...
by erbachem
Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:34 pm
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: Help with yeast farming
Replies: 2
Views: 710

Help with yeast farming

Well, I decided to have a go at yeast farming to see how difficult it was. Is there anyone out there who can offer suggestions for improvement on the following? Take 4 litres of backset. I took mine from a recent rum wash (molasses) but I assume that a grain wash would be okay as well. Add about a c...
by erbachem
Tue Jan 29, 2008 8:52 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Good Heavy Rum
Replies: 51
Views: 15466

Hi All, Have to agree with Absinthe on two points. First, if you want to reproduce bundy you are aiming far too low. Second, get your molasses from a feed store rather than the supermarket. The molasses I get from the R.D.1 store in NZ is roughly 50% sugar so keep this in mind when adding the sugar....
by erbachem
Fri Jan 25, 2008 12:43 am
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: Preventing leaks - Wiki how-to
Replies: 5
Views: 1742

Great to read the feedback. Just a few thoughts on what has been said so far. BW Redneck I have to politely disagree upon your use of brass category I knew that there was additional information about brass fittings but did not really know enough to expand this any more. As Uncle Jesse says, the grea...
by erbachem
Thu Jan 24, 2008 3:16 pm
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: Preventing leaks - Wiki how-to
Replies: 5
Views: 1742

Preventing leaks - Wiki how-to

Hi All, I have started a new page on the wiki about preventing leaks in stills. Link as follows. http://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.php/Preventing_leaks The idea here is to build up the knowledge around preventing leaks in the wiki and then firing newbs off to the right place when the question gets...
by erbachem
Wed Jan 23, 2008 2:19 pm
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: proposed wiki changes
Replies: 5
Views: 1446

Thanks for the good feedback. I'm pretty sure we haven't lost any recipes because they should still have shown up in the main category if I'd missed any. That isn't to say that there aren't a few strays that weren't properly categorised in the first place. If you look under wine recipes you will see...
by erbachem
Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:17 pm
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: proposed wiki changes
Replies: 5
Views: 1446

Well, I have finished the cleanup of the recipes area. You can see for yourself at

http://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.php/Category:Recipes

While you are there, add your favourite recipes to the appropriate area. One day we might be able to answer the newb questions with a couple of wiki links.
by erbachem
Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:50 pm
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: proposed wiki changes
Replies: 5
Views: 1446

proposed wiki changes

Hi all, If you have been avoiding the wiki due to speed issues the good news is that it now seems to be behaving itself. Tater, if you had anything to do with this, thanks a lot. I'd like to suggest a cleanup of the recipes area. At the moment, all recipes are straight off of the recipes sub-categor...
by erbachem
Mon Jan 07, 2008 3:41 pm
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: get together
Replies: 6
Views: 1494

get together

Hi All, Two things to get out of the way before I go on to my topic. First, apologies if this is the wrong forum. I wasn't certain where a topic like this fits. Second, I have been in this hobby for just over a year now and would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who runs and contribu...
by erbachem
Sat Nov 17, 2007 7:42 pm
Forum: Still Related Hardware
Topic: My Still, with pictures.
Replies: 5
Views: 3329

Hi Hookline, Do you have any recommendations on what to substitute the plastic connectors for? I have a similar need to attach two bits of pipe together and have been wondering about the best, leak free, way to do this. The catch is that I need it to be removable. I was thinking of having two or thr...
by erbachem
Fri Nov 09, 2007 3:16 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Limoncello liqueur and limoncello ricotta muffins.
Replies: 7
Views: 3283

Limoncello liqueur and limoncello ricotta muffins.

I came across a recipe called Rosolio on the guntheranderson liqueurs website. Link is http://www.guntheranderson.com/liqueurs/rosolio.htm I thought that the combination of lemon and milk looked pretty interesting so I thought I'd give it a go. You end up with a clear, creamy, lemony liqueur which i...
by erbachem
Wed Oct 31, 2007 7:02 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Whiskey using chocolate (toasted) malt barley
Replies: 1
Views: 1802

Whiskey using chocolate (toasted) malt barley

I'm thinking of doing a variation of UJSSM using toasted malt barley. This is the kind normally used to make stout beers or similar. Has anyone tried this before? Any suggestions on the likelihood of getting a good tasting product at the other end?
by erbachem
Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:16 pm
Forum: Column Builds
Topic: New reflux still: performance and possible improvements
Replies: 15
Views: 5395

Two things I can think of. As already mentioned, get a boiler that takes your entire wash. One big wash is much better then many small washes. Two popular options are to attach to a sanke keg or to a hot water cylinder. Make a pot still and strip wash first. I run my sugar washes through a 180L pot ...
by erbachem
Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:02 pm
Forum: Still Related Hardware
Topic: smart still
Replies: 10
Views: 7239

One option would be to look around for a small (40 - 60 litre) under bench hot water cylinder. They make very good boilers for pot or reflux stills. Make sure you get one where the internal cylinder is made of copper. Any plumber would be able to make up a liebig condenser to attach to the top of it...