Home Distiller

shadylane wrote:Just my opinion. Elevate your thumper above the pot and add downcomer to return part of the reflux to the bottom of the pot. That will turn your thumper into a big single plate column. Works for me.

Post a pic for me to give me an idea what this looks like

Yeah currently my setup runs great, just inquired with you guys of what adding my condensor in the thump keg might do and if it's worth it if it'll get higher proof on a run that it'd be worth the trouble

I think your thumper would fill up. You have a pretty good looking setup there, reflux and pot still. The soda machine is being used as a water chiller? Thanks, Yep soda machine is just a water chiller and works great with my immersion chiller for beer and cooling wort down quick. Keeps reflux runs...

I use a full 50 ft 1/2" in my 55 gallon barrel

Would this idea work as to get alittle higher % off a single run (dunno if it'd be enough that it's worth the trouble, or if the condenser being its around the vapor in tube might condense and therefore my thumper would just fill up with liquid..dunno? I use a soda machine with a pump i've attached ...

Thanks man, this is how I used to use my immersion wort chiller...it didnt have the cooling power that the soda machine has of course. but i didnt waste any water this way. http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/atjones44/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_8200.jpg But now that I have this soda machine it works ...

This is my reflux column, I use a soda machine that I use for beer or anything I want to force carbonate for refluxing or with my immersion wort chiller. Attached a pump for circulating the water. This sends ice cold water through the lines. http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/atjones44/Mobile%2...

Nope this time of year the top 1/3 of the barrel will get warm but it stays ice cold at the bottom. Distillate comes out cold.

Made this thing a few years ago. Works great. Wanted to share, it's been a while since I've logged in. http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/atjones44/image-2.jpg http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/atjones44/image-1.jpg http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/atjones44/image.jpg http://i240.p...

I used a teaspoon of alpha, and a teaspoon of gluco

seemed to work fine

No i didnt test OG, i had to get to work this morning so all i had time to do was toss it in my fermenter and pitch some yeast. i did stir alot last night and tested for starch but it was still present, it was gettin late so i just let it sit overnight to convert. seemd to work this is using just en...

Well did some mashing last night and instead of using the double boiler i used my 10 gallon cooler. boiled the corn for an hour and let cool to 150's put into cooler and threw in enzymes Pic before conversion: http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/atjones44/mashing1.jpg Pic after conversion, teste...

Here is some pics of my dehydrator and my malt hopefully the pictures arnt to big: http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/atjones44/dehydrator2.jpg http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/atjones44/dehydrator.jpg http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/atjones44/cornmalt4.jpg http://i240.photobucke...

does anyone know how long i should have the corn malt in the dehydrator? Or does it matter? just put it at 120 and let it run for 24 hours? can it get too dry?

Thanks Again Dnder, i was wanting to dry it because i read on here that the roots make it taste grassy?

Well my cellphone doesnt take good pictures at all...but the acrospire on almost all the kernals is as long as the kernal itself now, with some being longer, the root is pretty long @ about 1" almost, prolly see what it looks like tomorrow and if it looks done, i'll get out the dehydrator and s...

yea i know the mashing part, but i've read like when the grain is fully malted either the acrospire or somthing when squeezed tastes sweet....at least i thought i read this somwhere a while back

So when the corn is malted is it sweet?

Ok, so maybe use 75% malted 25% unmalted for starting out Dnder said 1/2" to 1" on the acrospire not the roots. I'll post pics later tnite to show how they are coming along. i think i know what im looking for. just dont know if the acrospire comes out of the kernal. since barley you have t...

You are the man!

lol thnx for the info.

I see, i've heard you can use about 5 lbs malted for 5 lbs of unmalted. but will this even work?

How long should i let the roots grow? i've read 2 inches. On corn does the acrospire come out of the kernal or do you have to cut the kernal open to see it? how long should i let the acrospire get?

Had real good success malting corn this weekend Started with about 10 lbs of deer corn and soaked for 8 hours, drained & let rest 8 hours spread out, soaked again for 8 hours / repeat for 36 hours until it started to chit. once it chits i put the whole mess into a big plastic flower pot without ...

oopz what i meant to say was im going to use barley malt for converting my corn starches.
but maybe if i ever get some barley malt its just expensive compared to corn, and seems like it costs just as much to ship as it does for the damn malt

Thanks man but i may still switch to useing just malted barley. since i'd be after a more flavourful whiskey. shipping malted barley is just as expensive as buying it. seems like local is the only way to go

When do you add your 5.2 ph stabilizer in? while your waters boiling? after you add your grain? or right after you boiled your corn for an hour and before u pitch your enzymes/malt

I like your answer, i figured enzymes alone wernt enough. Plus with barley malt i can have a true whiskey, with more flavour
I will order some barley malt pronto and ditch these enzymes.

Thanks Again, and hopefully success with this will be proven with a even better tastin' likker. I hear once you go all grain you wont go back ?

Thank you much, you see anything wrong with my brewin' method? seems to work just i didnt know how fast it should bubble compared to a sugar wash, also does the mash not taste as sweet as say a sugar wash? i'll pick up some iodine an that should tell me. is it pure iodine or like a 10% solution, jus...

Thanks Dnder, no wonder i couldnt find it. So its ok to buy over the counter just ask them?

Ok, thanks tryin to find iodine but walmart doesnt seem to carry it. also i hardly ever check ph of the water...i thought adding the grains made it about right but i have no way of doin this, but neither did the old folks way back when. 2 of my mashes i made saturday are still slowly bubblin but the...