Search found 85 matches

by Justafarmer
Tue Mar 08, 2016 3:50 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: Propionic acid and Molasses...again...
Replies: 14
Views: 4435

Re: Propionic acid and Molasses...again...

I recently ran a spirit run of a simple rum that sounds a lot like this. I bought a 5 gallon bucket of molasses from a local feed store. It didn't have a proper grain bill, so I have no idea on the propionic acid. It did have some vegetable oil in it ( I found that out when I got ready to run it). I...
by Justafarmer
Tue Nov 24, 2015 9:13 pm
Forum: Beer, and Wine
Topic: Hard Cider
Replies: 126
Views: 23536

Re: Hard Cider

I bottled forty 12 oz bottles of a variation of Edwort's Apple Wine Saturday. I started with five gallons of various store brand Apple juices. Added dextrose to 1.065. Added one pack of Red Star Pastueryeast, a couple of crushed B complex vitamins, and a couple of packs of Flieshman's that I boiled....
by Justafarmer
Tue Nov 24, 2015 9:13 pm
Forum: Beer, and Wine
Topic: Hard Cider
Replies: 126
Views: 23536

Re: Hard Cider

I bottled forty 12 oz bottles of a variation of Edwort's Apple Wine Saturday. I started with five gallons of various store brand Apple juices. Added dextrose to 1.065. Added one pack of Red Star Pastueryeast, a couple of crushed B complex vitamins, and a couple of packs of Flieshman's that I boiled....
by Justafarmer
Fri Sep 18, 2015 6:24 pm
Forum: Grains
Topic: Sweet Corn is a Lie.
Replies: 36
Views: 8200

Re: Sweet Corn is a Lie.

There are really four different types is sweet corn. Open pollinated, nonhybrid types have the least amount of sugar, and that sugar starts to turn to starch as soon as the ear is pulled from the stalk. Basic hybrids have more sugar, but it also starts converting as soon as it's picked. This is prob...
by Justafarmer
Fri Aug 21, 2015 9:47 am
Forum: Sugar
Topic: Feed Molasses Cost Difference
Replies: 1
Views: 1134

Feed Molasses Cost Difference

Although I have a strong preference for whiskey type spirits, I have recently developed a taste for white rum with a touch of lime juice over ice. Given that, I've decided to try my hand at making some rum. The feed store that I usually use doesn't sell molasses, so I called the other two local feed...
by Justafarmer
Mon Aug 17, 2015 4:04 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: exploding bottle
Replies: 14
Views: 2358

Re: exploding bottle

I'm glad to read about this before something similar happens to me. When I'm oaking product in glass, I routinely put the container in the freezer and go straight from the freezer to a tub of hot water. Gonna have to stop that practice. I'd cry over a wasted fifth.
by Justafarmer
Sun Aug 16, 2015 4:02 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Tails @ 70abv?
Replies: 5
Views: 830

Re: Tails @ 70abv?

With my proof/traille hydrometer, calibrated at 60 degrees f, the temp correction for 72 degrees is about five proof points for a spirit reading 125. Corrected it's actually around 120. Small differences in temp can make a pretty big difference with hydrometers.
by Justafarmer
Sun Aug 16, 2015 3:56 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: spent UJSM corn as feed
Replies: 13
Views: 1492

Re: spent UJSM corn as feed

My chickens love it, too. They even eat the sludge left from all-bran and corn flakes washes.
by Justafarmer
Sun Aug 16, 2015 3:55 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: spent UJSM corn as feed
Replies: 13
Views: 1492

Re: spent UJSM corn as feed

My chickens love it, too. They even eat the sludge left from all-bran and corn flakes washes.
by Justafarmer
Sat Aug 15, 2015 6:42 am
Forum: Drinks and Drinking
Topic: When you buy, what do you buy, and is it as good as yours??
Replies: 154
Views: 22950

Re: When you buy, what do you buy, and is it as good as your

I've got some Bhut Jolokias (ghost peppers) that I bet would be good in that.
by Justafarmer
Wed Aug 12, 2015 6:28 pm
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: Try'n to quit the dip...
Replies: 33
Views: 2882

Re: Try'n to quit the dip...

I quit smoking in 01 after smoking pack a day for ten years or so. I had gotten a drillig job in the oil field and couldn't smoke on the rig, so I just quit. Wasn't too bad, but I was dipping too, and that helped keep me from smoking. I quit dipping in 04, and that sucked real bad. I took an empty p...
by Justafarmer
Wed Aug 12, 2015 3:59 pm
Forum: Drinks and Drinking
Topic: What is everyone drinking?
Replies: 2004
Views: 213588

Re: What is everyone drinking?

Does the smoke flavor come across very strong? My folks sometimes used corncobs mixed in with the hickory wood to smoke hams, bacon, and sausage.
by Justafarmer
Wed Aug 12, 2015 3:52 pm
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: Ahhhhh Country Livin'
Replies: 89
Views: 4127

Re: Ahhhhh Country Livin'

There was a Buddy Douglas that was a farrier from Sontag, and a feller named David White from Sontag lives right behind my brother's place in Jayess. My step dad knew Carol Douglas that worked at Perkins Hardware in Brookhaven for years. I believe he passed away fairly recently.
by Justafarmer
Wed Aug 12, 2015 11:39 am
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: Resting spirits
Replies: 11
Views: 4998

Resting spirits

I read an article the other day about the importance of 'resting' spirits in the quality of the final product. It raised some questions for me that it didn't answer. The author says that the stronger the spirit, the longer it needs to rest, and that even clear spirits need to rest after distillation...
by Justafarmer
Wed Aug 12, 2015 11:08 am
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: Ahhhhh Country Livin'
Replies: 89
Views: 4127

Re: Ahhhhh Country Livin'

I asked my family about the bridge, and my cousin said Homochitto, but I haven't been there.
by Justafarmer
Wed Aug 12, 2015 10:08 am
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: Ahhhhh Country Livin'
Replies: 89
Views: 4127

Re: Ahhhhh Country Livin'

I can't say that I do know where those are, Frodo, but I do know where Union Church is, and I used to know a few people in Sontag. I dove hunted close to Fair River there a few times, too. A buddy of mine had a camp on the Pearl River in Wanilla just east of Sontag, and we used to hang out there and...
by Justafarmer
Tue Aug 11, 2015 6:55 pm
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: Ahhhhh Country Livin'
Replies: 89
Views: 4127

Re: Ahhhhh Country Livin'

I grew up in south Mississippi, about 12 miles from the nearest town, Monticello. My dad raises cattle, as do most of the folks around there that have a little land. An old feller that owned the property that joined ours bought and sold cows all the time, until he got banned from the sale barns in T...
by Justafarmer
Tue Aug 11, 2015 6:01 pm
Forum: Drinks and Drinking
Topic: What is everyone drinking?
Replies: 2004
Views: 213588

Re: What is everyone drinking?

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA. I'm trying to let all of my homemade sit for at least 90 days before hitting it too hard, and I don't have much left older than that. I do have some 7th gen UJ that came out of a small barrel about a year ago, but I'm saving what's left for weekend drinking until I get so...
by Justafarmer
Sun Aug 09, 2015 8:05 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Process for multiple 5gal fermenters
Replies: 25
Views: 1187

Re: Process for multiple 5gal fermenters

I use four 5 gallon buckets as well, and I recently did a cornflakes wash in two of them. I used a large box of Kellog's brand plain cornflakes, 8 pounds of sugar, yeast, and some vitamins and nutrients in each bucket. I siphoned the usable finished wash from both into my still. I had crushed and bo...
by Justafarmer
Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:07 am
Forum: Tried and True Recipes
Topic: Cornflakes whiskey
Replies: 1031
Views: 261787

Re: Cornflakes whiskey

I recently stripped a cornflakes wash. I used two 5 gallon fermenters. For each I crushed and boiled to mush a large box of Kellogs plain corn flakes. I boiled 8 pounds of plain white sugar in a gallon and a half of water for 20-30 minutes until it was a golden color. I added a crushed B complex vit...
by Justafarmer
Mon Jul 27, 2015 6:33 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Cleaning Protocol for Idle Still
Replies: 9
Views: 1336

Re: Cleaning Protocol for Idle Still

It would be very dangerous with an open flame, I guess. I'm running on electric, though. I haven't ever scorched anything in it, so I doubt it's burnt black crap, but that is what it looked like. The boiler was and is shiny, like clean stainless should be.
by Justafarmer
Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:32 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Cleaning Protocol for Idle Still
Replies: 9
Views: 1336

Re: Cleaning Protocol for Idle Still

I ran some old fores and heads through it, diluted down to 30%. I let it steam for about ten minutes and the filled up my condenser bucket. I got a lot of tiny black flecks in the distillate for a while, but it ran clean after a few quarts . I just stripped 8 gallons of all-bran. I put a coffee filt...
by Justafarmer
Mon Jul 27, 2015 11:39 am
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: Oak and whiskey
Replies: 190
Views: 71682

Re: Oak and whiskey

I recently oaked a half gallon of all-bran at 55% . I've read that 62.5% is the "sweet spot" for vanillins and that more sugars would come out at around 55%. I used locally sourced (from my wood pile) white oak heart wood sticks (2) 3/4" x 3/4" x 6". I toasted both at 400 de...
by Justafarmer
Sat Jul 25, 2015 4:31 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Cleaning Protocol for Idle Still
Replies: 9
Views: 1336

Re: Cleaning Protocol for Idle Still

It's been about two months since I ran it. I can probably get in three runs this week if I don't need to go the vinegar route again, but I don't want any sacrifice in safety or quality, just to get in an extra run.
by Justafarmer
Sat Jul 25, 2015 3:50 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Cleaning Protocol for Idle Still
Replies: 9
Views: 1336

Cleaning Protocol for Idle Still

I have a +\- 10 gallon stainless boiler pot still with about 20 feet of 1/2" copper coil in a bucket. I haven't run it in a while, but I plan to make a couple of runs this week. What type of cleaning runs should I make before running my good wash? The vapor goes from the pot through a welded in...
by Justafarmer
Thu Jul 02, 2015 9:55 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: The old Brass Question
Replies: 29
Views: 3335

Re: The old Brass Question

When I built my rig a couple of years ago, I used brass fittings labeled as "lead free" for the smaller ones. I did a little legwork and found stainless for a couple of larger ones.
by Justafarmer
Fri Jun 26, 2015 7:04 am
Forum: Beer, and Wine
Topic: 12% Cyser
Replies: 6
Views: 1930

Re: 12% Cyser

Thanks for the help! I made room in the 72 degree closet. I'm guessing it'll have to sit there for at least a year, although I plan to start sampling one bottle a month at about 8 months.
by Justafarmer
Mon Jun 22, 2015 7:51 pm
Forum: Beer, and Wine
Topic: 12% Cyser
Replies: 6
Views: 1930

Re: 12% Cyser

Location certainly matters, and I forgot to add it. I'm in the NE corner of Florida, so my garage and shed both see 100 degrees in the summer. I doubt if it ever drops below freezing in either. Thanks for the help!
by Justafarmer
Mon Jun 22, 2015 7:46 pm
Forum: Drinks and Drinking
Topic: When you buy, what do you buy, and is it as good as yours??
Replies: 154
Views: 22950

Re: When you buy, what do you buy, and is it as good as your

My sister n law and her husband own a micro distillery in New Hampshire. Whenever she comes down to visit, she likes to try different things. Last visit we tried Basil Hayden's bourbon, which just reminded me why I like my own, or some other noncommercial spirit. I could barely find any grain flavor...
by Justafarmer
Mon Jun 22, 2015 5:21 pm
Forum: Legalization of Home Distilling
Topic: I'm a hobby distiller and proud of it.
Replies: 48
Views: 13577

Re: I'm a hobby distiller and proud of it.

Justafarmer here, and I am a hobby distiller. I grow vegetables, hunt and fish, make soap, raise chickens, cure my own bacon and sausage, make mead, cyser, and cider, blacksmith a little, make a lot of knives, do some woodwork, and do a little leatherwork. I am also college educated and work in the ...