Search found 463 matches

by MartinCash
Thu Aug 19, 2021 4:05 pm
Forum: Rum
Topic: Rum molasses
Replies: 47
Views: 3656

Re: Rum molasses

Have you thought of trying to source some panela? It might be cheaper and easier to find (certainly easier to ship), and by most accounts it makes a good light rum.

I haven't tried myself, so I can't confirm. Can anyone who has?
by MartinCash
Sun Aug 08, 2021 10:30 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Is it true: Wider column = faster run?
Replies: 58
Views: 5349

Re: Is it true: Wider column = faster run?

From the Wiki, starter only, I just used the search field above: https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.php/Reflux
by MartinCash
Thu Aug 05, 2021 12:21 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: Hello from Paraguay!
Replies: 8
Views: 507

Re: Hello from Paraguay!

Bienvenido!

Thanks for introducing yourself. I look forward to visit my Paraguayan cousings some time.

Un saludo!
by MartinCash
Thu Aug 05, 2021 12:19 am
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Steamed feed corn and angel yeast
Replies: 25
Views: 1426

Re: Steamed feed corn and angel yeast

I have found that washes with Angel yeast rarely puke.
by MartinCash
Fri Jul 30, 2021 2:01 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Steamed feed corn and angel yeast
Replies: 25
Views: 1426

Re: Steamed feed corn and angel yeast

Yes I used Mitavite and I used a ~1:3 ratio (15 kg in 50L). I also added barley and rye (70% corn, 20% barley, 10% rye).

The corn flavour is very strong. The jury is out until I finish the spirit run.
by MartinCash
Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:04 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Steamed feed corn and angel yeast
Replies: 25
Views: 1426

Re: Steamed feed corn and angel yeast

I have an experiment running with micronized corn (steamed and rolled, so partially gelatinized).

I have so far run four strips and am waiting to do the spirit run when the gods of spare time allow me. Yield was great, flavour is intense. I'll know more when the spirit run is done.
by MartinCash
Fri Jul 23, 2021 8:50 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: No Mash No sugar
Replies: 819
Views: 107739

Re: No Mash No sugar

+1 SBB.

Also wheat or rice make vodka that I like better than barley vodka, as barley, in my opinion, has a strong flavour that needs more work to strip from the wash.
by MartinCash
Tue May 11, 2021 1:16 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: How do the big producers make their cuts?
Replies: 57
Views: 5495

Re: How do the big producers make their cuts?

Certainly the whisky distilleries I've been to use separate stills for low wines and spirit.
by MartinCash
Mon May 10, 2021 5:40 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: How do the big producers make their cuts?
Replies: 57
Views: 5495

Re: How do the big producers make their cuts?

I have a good friend who used to make shine. He loves Jack Daniels. We were having this discussion last week. He thinks that Green label Jack is actually the tails. Any input on the difference between Black Jack and Green label? If, as ss says, JD use a continuous still, then there are no tails pro...
by MartinCash
Thu May 06, 2021 5:29 pm
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: Giday all from South Aus.
Replies: 4
Views: 322

Re: Giday all from South Aus.

Hi Claypot, welcome!
by MartinCash
Thu May 06, 2021 5:22 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: How do the big producers make their cuts?
Replies: 57
Views: 5495

Re: How do the big producers make their cuts?

Ok, but I'm still trying to answer the OP's question. Let's say I think the important point is that the industrial process is geared to repeatability and so it's hard to compare to our home-scale hobby. Alcohol distillation at that scale is a manufacturing process, not an art. For those large-scale ...
by MartinCash
Thu May 06, 2021 4:15 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: How do the big producers make their cuts?
Replies: 57
Views: 5495

Re: How do the big producers make their cuts?

...They use a continuous still... Continuous stills that are geared to produce a specific product and proof. Continuous stills are not comparable to what we do in any way. The original question is not about Jack Daniels, it is about Johnnie Walker, which is a blend of NGS and single malts, and subj...
by MartinCash
Thu May 06, 2021 2:50 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: How do the big producers make their cuts?
Replies: 57
Views: 5495

Re: How do the big producers make their cuts?

Big producers do absolutely make cuts, and suggesting otherwise suggests a bit of ignorance of the process. They have an imperative to produce a consistent product of a consistent quality and with consistent flavour that people identify with their brand. Where that cut is differs between producers. ...
by MartinCash
Wed May 05, 2021 10:24 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Reasons for slow fermentation?
Replies: 25
Views: 2611

Re: Reasons for slow fermentation?

Just to stress what SBB said: sugar works just as well as dextrose for a small fraction of the price, and turbo yeast is less good than bread yeast and costs much more. Sounds to me like the homebrew shop owner has done a fantastic sales job to convince you to use what you're using.
by MartinCash
Wed May 05, 2021 2:56 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Ok i can honestly say ive stombled upon gold
Replies: 2
Views: 1593

Re: Ok i can honestly say ive stombled upon gold

Can you please elaborate a little more?

This is not a recipe.
by MartinCash
Wed May 05, 2021 2:51 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Which Grain for neutral, or is sugar just fine?
Replies: 12
Views: 1675

Re: Which Grain for neutral, or is sugar just fine?

Don't want to be a pedantic a$$ but I'm sure teds fast fermenting vodka is and will never be tried and true. [emoji15][emoji21] I've only made it once but It seems to me like many already consider tffv tried and true. Don't mean to sh!t stir [emoji106] It's essentially a variation of Deathwish Whea...
by MartinCash
Wed May 05, 2021 2:48 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Reasons for slow fermentation?
Replies: 25
Views: 2611

Re: Reasons for slow fermentation?

I'd go one further than Mars and say: please try one of the simple sugar wash recipes from Tried&True and try using bread yeast (or whatever yeast it recommends). It's hard to know how your product compares, or how much better it could be, without having tried other ways of doing things.
by MartinCash
Sun May 02, 2021 5:44 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: fermenting grain
Replies: 18
Views: 1567

Re: fermenting grain

Cracked corn is not the best, you're better off milling it to the consistency of polenta. Corn also gelatinises at a fairly high temperature, it would pay to read some of the Tried&True recipes that use corn, such as Booner's Casual All-Corn.
by MartinCash
Thu Apr 29, 2021 3:23 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: No Mash No sugar
Replies: 819
Views: 107739

Re: No Mash No sugar

I've never bothered and they've worked fine. I use rainwater (which has pretty much no dissolved minerals).
by MartinCash
Thu Apr 29, 2021 3:21 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Is it true: Wider column = faster run?
Replies: 58
Views: 5349

Re: Is it true: Wider column = faster run?

Hey @closetdistiller, please don't post wrong information.

Before adding anything, please learn about reflux ratio and its effect on ethanol concentration. Then meditate on the effect of changing the boil or collection rates on reflux rate and proof.
by MartinCash
Wed Apr 28, 2021 9:03 pm
Forum: Gin
Topic: Macerating or Vapour Infusing
Replies: 14
Views: 2249

Re: Macerating or Vapour Infusing

Saltbush Bill wrote: Wed Apr 28, 2021 5:01 pm
Or is it that the other flavours don't come through so well with vapour infusion?
Very possible. Anyway I think the take-home message is the result is different but not necessarily better.

I do like having a much easier cleanup with vapour infusion, though.
by MartinCash
Wed Apr 28, 2021 3:21 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Enzyme Shelf Life
Replies: 20
Views: 2749

Re: Enzyme Shelf Life

Oak Pollen wrote: Tue Apr 27, 2021 4:24 pm When I said my protocol had worked for a while, it has except I had been using grits. They are such a PITA I switched to cracked corn.
I agree, this is what I would put my bet on. Cracked corn does not convert well.
by MartinCash
Wed Apr 28, 2021 3:18 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: KOH for boosting pH?
Replies: 19
Views: 1623

Re: KOH for boosting pH?

You may get a better result if you water down a high-sugar wash so that you end up reducing the potential alcohol. Less off flavours and les bite. I know this is not about KOH, sorry for the OT.
by MartinCash
Wed Apr 28, 2021 3:17 pm
Forum: Gin
Topic: Macerating or Vapour Infusing
Replies: 14
Views: 2249

Re: Macerating or Vapour Infusing

I've done some of both, and I've used a classic dry gin recipe both macerated (2 weeks) and vapour-infused. For disclosure, I don't use a Carter head, I just have a stainles steel mesh cylinder in the vertical column that accommodates my botanicals. This means that the some of the infused volatiles ...
by MartinCash
Tue Apr 27, 2021 9:30 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Off color in distillate
Replies: 4
Views: 492

Re: Off color in distillate

My rum washes also have the yellowish tint on the foreshots only. Not sure what causes it, no other raw materials give me a coloured distillate.
by MartinCash
Tue Apr 27, 2021 9:29 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: No Mash No sugar
Replies: 819
Views: 107739

Re: No Mash No sugar

I've noticed that for the first 24h or so I hardly need to supplement heat to my 60L ferments... it generates enough heat to get to 34-35 degrees by itself.
by MartinCash
Mon Apr 26, 2021 2:43 pm
Forum: Still Related Hardware
Topic: CCVM RC coil lift mechanism
Replies: 26
Views: 2193

Re: CCVM RC coil lift mechanism

Thank you SS for pointing the CCVM major weakness.. As the temp stability of a RC (which is affected by water temp and flow management)is of the utmost importance in maintaining a stable reflux action in the column of a reflux unit.. Yes they are easy to build, and are good as starter, but not the ...
by MartinCash
Tue Apr 20, 2021 6:20 pm
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: Your thoughts: Blending & Solera Concept
Replies: 4
Views: 820

Re: Your thoughts: Blending & Solara Concept

A solera (not solara) system is where you have a succession of barrels. Traditionally 3 are used, and as aged product is removed from the third, it is replaced from the second. The space now made available on the second is replace with product from the first, and newmake goes into the first to repla...
by MartinCash
Tue Apr 20, 2021 6:15 pm
Forum: Tried and True Recipes
Topic: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
Replies: 698
Views: 192179

Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe

Hi @Not sure, if you could please edit your post when adding just another sentence, it would be easier to read. Otherwise readers can get bombarded with a bunch of single-sentence posts that make little sense on their own.
by MartinCash
Mon Apr 12, 2021 2:52 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Bad smell
Replies: 28
Views: 1428

Re: Bad smell

It dropped off quickly and has a awful smell to it chemically. I got about 5 quarts . They all smell . It sounds to me like you did no cuts, and that alone would explain the chemical smell. If you will be using that for consumption (as a base or finished product) and not re-distilling it, you must ...