Search found 774 matches

by BW Redneck
Sat Feb 28, 2009 6:55 am
Forum: Distilling News
Topic: Moonshine Bust
Replies: 37
Views: 9084

Re: Moonshine Bust

possessing ingredients to manufacture nontax-paid liquor
Sorry, what now? So it's illegal to have a bunch of sugar around?

I guess that they'll have to arrest all of those bakery owners that buy all their sugar by the pallet, then.

[/sarcasm]
by BW Redneck
Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:12 pm
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: Pure Corn Whiskey - The Book
Replies: 4
Views: 1047

Re: Pure Corn Whiskey - The Book

I don't think that the 90 hour rule is totally necessary. I frequently leave mine go for a week after pitching.
by BW Redneck
Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:11 pm
Forum: Materials Safety
Topic: Ethyl Carbamate and copper reaction
Replies: 31
Views: 13753

Re: Ethyl Carbamate and copper reaction

I've had the black film before. It can easily be wiped off with a wet rag, and it doesn't harm the patina underneath.

I seriously don't worry about it. Flush the column with water after the run and that'll do all the cleaning it needs.
by BW Redneck
Sun Jan 25, 2009 3:32 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: What's the easiest all grain mash?
Replies: 33
Views: 8193

Re: What's the easiest all grain mash?

If you want to try your hand at converting unmalted grain, I find wheat to be one of the easier grains to both mash and malt. It seems to need less cooking time than corn, and it doesn't make a huge seethin' mass o' porridge like oats do, especially if you've added some malt before the boil. Wheat a...
by BW Redneck
Mon Dec 29, 2008 8:13 am
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: Wanting to move on from sugar washes
Replies: 16
Views: 1597

Re: Wanting to move on from sugar washes

If you plan on using the malt extract to convert the starch in your unmalted grains, then chances are, it won't work. Most malt extracts are boiled down to concentrate the sugar in wort (the liquid after mashing), much like the way that maple syrup is made. The boiling process that most syrup makers...
by BW Redneck
Sun Dec 28, 2008 4:29 pm
Forum: Mashing, fermenting, flavoring and aging related hardware
Topic: BOPs... Aluminum vs. SS
Replies: 2
Views: 1141

Re: BOPs... Aluminum vs. SS

Is this going to be used as a boiler, or as a mashing kettle? This board tends not to think too highly of aluminum boilers, since it will be in a hot, acidic environment with hot ethanol vapors. (Some time ago, it was said that ethanol itself is quite corrosive to aluminum.) Members have had problem...
by BW Redneck
Sun Dec 28, 2008 11:48 am
Forum: Condensers/Cooling Methods
Topic: Recirculation pump size
Replies: 3
Views: 1517

Recirculation pump size

Hey all. I'm looking into a recirculation pump for a liebig-style condenser. The inner pipe is 1/2 inch (5/8 inch OD) and the jacket is 3/4 inch. The whole setup is about 30 inches long. I'll be using a 50Kbtu propane burner. In this situation, about what size pump would I need? In other threads, I ...
by BW Redneck
Sun Dec 28, 2008 9:51 am
Forum: Still Related Hardware
Topic: Where do yall get your copper?
Replies: 12
Views: 2240

Re: Where do yall get your copper?

Local plumbing and heating supply shop. They cut to order and have the most diverse supply of sweat fittings that I've ever seen. I've known the guy there for several years, and he gave me a 33% discount on 2" M-type because "it was a little dirty." That said, my entire order (which w...
by BW Redneck
Sun Dec 28, 2008 9:34 am
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: What's the highest safe alcohol percentage to drink straight
Replies: 61
Views: 18598

Re: What's the highest safe alcohol percentage to drink straight

Back when I was young, we used to do what we called "human flamethrowers" as a party entertainment thing. You took a shot of 95% in your mouth, lit a match, then spat the liquor out to create a flamethrower effect. I couldn't get my match to light, and the everclear stayed in my mouth for ...
by BW Redneck
Fri Dec 26, 2008 7:50 am
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: tools for the new folks
Replies: 7
Views: 1178

Re: tools for the new folks

One of the most useful tools I've found for malting and general cleaning is a shower head that can be attached to a garden hose. It lets me cover a lot more area than I could with an ordinary hose tip at the pull of a trigger. Another big tool for malting is an ordinary pancake turner. Makes turning...
by BW Redneck
Fri Dec 26, 2008 7:22 am
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: Interesting use for an old beer keg
Replies: 7
Views: 1345

Re: Interesting use for an old beer keg

:lol: :lol:

Either somebody had a lot of spare time on their hands, or that photo's been doctored. I can't really tell, since it looks a little fuzzy.

If it's real, then where would you find enough tobacco (or other things) to fill it?
by BW Redneck
Wed Dec 24, 2008 8:30 am
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: noobs
Replies: 86
Views: 7277

Re: noobs

Oh dear. Whenever Fourway jumps into a discussion like this, nothing good ever happens. :shock: :roll: Just an observation, no offense intended. I believe that newbies should not be spoonfed. A newbie should have to learn the same way I did-by thoroughly researching every possible topic in distillin...
by BW Redneck
Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:57 am
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: Anybody here ever try Glenfiddich??
Replies: 36
Views: 5458

Re: Anybody here ever try Glenfiddich??

Dutchmancreek wrote:Most everybody I know drinks either Jack and Coke or Bud Lite. I won't have either at my house. People who drink Bud Lite dont really like beer, they just like to pee a lot.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Same here.
by BW Redneck
Tue Dec 23, 2008 3:06 pm
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: Using Snow
Replies: 12
Views: 1490

Re: Using Snow

Someone posted about using snow in their cooling supply earlier. They halfway filled their cooling reservoir with water, then added snow on top of it to make a slurry. I'm not sure, but I think that the coolant that actually ran through the still ran through a heat exchanger that was immersed within...
by BW Redneck
Sun Dec 14, 2008 6:57 am
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: What do you make most often?
Replies: 16
Views: 2274

Re: What do you make most often?

All grain wheat as per this., although I'm going to try to do Dunder's boil-steep-boil method (no sparge) to see if I can get better yields.
by BW Redneck
Thu Dec 11, 2008 2:30 pm
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: A new cure for Alcoholism
Replies: 11
Views: 1713

Re: A new cure for Alcoholism

I've checked Wikipedia for the drug cited in the article, and it works by stimulating the same set of neuroreceptors that ethanol does, the GABA receptors.

So it's literally substituting one drug for another.
by BW Redneck
Tue Dec 09, 2008 3:11 pm
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: the quest for cheap heat
Replies: 27
Views: 2919

Re: the quest for cheap heat

This site has a lot of information pertaining to wood heat in general, if you're interested. One thing is, they really don't like outdoor wood boilers. They're not regulated by the EPA, so the manufacturers can get away with a lot of stuff that they couldn't in a normal wood stove. Most of them use...
by BW Redneck
Mon Dec 08, 2008 7:10 pm
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: Toasted Oak
Replies: 12
Views: 2894

Re: Toasted Oak

That looks perfectly fine to me. I use oak with two different toast levels on it to get the kind of flavor I want. The majority is lighter than that, and I add some that is very dark to it as a small adjunct for flavoring.
by BW Redneck
Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:26 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: iodine test question
Replies: 14
Views: 3812

Re: iodine test question

To quote Making Pure Corn Whiskey : "You may observe tiny granular dots of blue in the sample when the iodine is added. This is not an indication of starch, but a result of cellulose from tiny particles of mash solid suspended in the sample. Iodine turns a dark blue, almost black, in the presen...
by BW Redneck
Wed Dec 03, 2008 5:07 pm
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: Packing...
Replies: 11
Views: 1391

Re: Packing...

I'm also saying scrap it. Scrubbers probably have a greater surface area/given volume than anything you'll make out of wire.
by BW Redneck
Wed Dec 03, 2008 5:03 pm
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: Heating the boiler
Replies: 5
Views: 846

Re: Heating the boiler

Depends on how important your time is. The forumites here like it to take an hour or less simply because they have some other things to do and want to get to cutting their liquor. A boiler with insufficient heat may take several hours to come to a boil.
by BW Redneck
Tue Dec 02, 2008 1:39 pm
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: Toasted Oak
Replies: 12
Views: 2894

Re: Toasted Oak

IMO, shavings and "chips" are not the best when it comes to in-bottle aging. They toast through too quickly and don't form temperature layers that add complexity to the finished product. The end result: you get something resembling whiskey very quickly, but it's rather bland. Relevant thre...
by BW Redneck
Tue Dec 02, 2008 1:26 pm
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: I'm a bit stuck
Replies: 10
Views: 1013

Re: I'm a bit stuck

If you need to take it apart, soak it for a while... It might take a while to loosen up.. otherwise, you can get a lot of runs out of a good seal... Flour paste is not only the safest gasket material, its also just plain the best... Albeit one of the messier ones. Still, nothing beats it in simplic...
by BW Redneck
Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:34 pm
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: What is your 9 to 5??
Replies: 152
Views: 19008

Re: What is your 9 to 5??

When I was young, I worked at a fertilizer plant. I was the guy that crawled inside the bin and broke up any blockages (often with explosives, but not on the ammonium nitrate! :shock: ) I've seen some of the fastest and worst corrosion you could imagine. I remember leaving an aluminum scoop shovel i...
by BW Redneck
Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:01 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: My Alembic and What I have found...
Replies: 7
Views: 4518

Re: My Alembic and What I have found...

If your distillate tastes metallic, its usually a problem of cleaning the insides too much. Only use hot water for the condenser. The other is that the still just hasn't been broken in enough to form a good patina on the inside. The patina is insoluble, but the clean copper can dissolve just slightl...
by BW Redneck
Mon Dec 01, 2008 3:11 pm
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: First batch
Replies: 11
Views: 1467

Re: First batch

The banana smell is the result of ester formation, and it usually occurs when the yeast is stressed. This may be from several factors. High initial sugar content, excess nutrient, high fermentation temperature, and using some turbos can sometimes cause this, and there may be other factors as well. I...
by BW Redneck
Mon Dec 01, 2008 3:02 pm
Forum: Safety and Related Issues
Topic: Tell us about your mistakes.
Replies: 1580
Views: 293931

Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

You really shouldn't be cleaning out the condenser with anything caustic or corrosive in any way (yes, vinegar counts). Corrosive stuff will remove the oxide layer (patina) from the inside and make your distillate taste metallic. The patina doesn't leach away in alcohol, but fresh copper will to som...
by BW Redneck
Sat Nov 29, 2008 10:03 am
Forum: Column Builds
Topic: Who wants to see my wonderful coil...
Replies: 28
Views: 5096

Re: Who wants to see my wonderful coil...

The blowtorch would also anneal it somewhat and make it easier to wind if you got it hot enough.
by BW Redneck
Sat Nov 29, 2008 9:50 am
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: Insulation
Replies: 8
Views: 1041

Re: Insulation

I might not want to insulate the condenser shell myself, since that would put a little more load on the condenser that would otherwise have been radiated off. If you're using city water, slightly warmer cooling water is not so much of an issue, but if you're recirculating coolant, the cooler the bet...
by BW Redneck
Sat Nov 29, 2008 9:46 am
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: Sour Mash- good stink /bad stink?
Replies: 10
Views: 8165

Re: Sour Mash- good stink /bad stink?

Has anyone ever thought of using something like yogurt to culture their lacto batches? I imagine that other than the cultures put in deliberately, yogurt is pretty sterile, and wouldn't infect a mash with the off-smelling stuff.