Search found 1122 matches

by Corsaire
Tue Oct 12, 2021 9:22 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Flavouring Neutral Spirit
Replies: 10
Views: 1711

Re: Flavouring Neutral Spirit

Gin, if that's your thing. As others suggested, lots of uses for neutral but I'm laughing at the vodka essence. Is it just bottled water?
by Corsaire
Tue Oct 12, 2021 8:57 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: Hi from the Netherlands
Replies: 5
Views: 484

Re: Hi from the Netherlands

Well I don't know if you tried cycling around Vaals lately ;-)

Welcome, I'm looking forward to reading about your whisky adventures.
by Corsaire
Fri Oct 08, 2021 10:05 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Lowballing temperatures: good idea, bad idea or just not worth worrying about?
Replies: 18
Views: 801

Re: Lowballing temperatures: good idea, bad idea or just not worth worrying about?

Well as with a lot of things, it depends. You state you want quality. That depends on what you want to make. If you want a clean base for vodka or gin you want a clean fermenting yeast and keep it happy. If you're after a funky rum you can give the yeasties a horrible time. And obviously a lot of gr...
by Corsaire
Fri Oct 08, 2021 1:40 am
Forum: Other Hobbies and Projects
Topic: Motorcycles
Replies: 103
Views: 15759

Re: Motorcycles

Anybody track their toys? Did two trackdays this year. I bought the full leather get up because I know I want to do a lot of it. Where I live there's too much traffic and not enough nice roads to fulfill my need for speed safely, so I mainly just ride the old bikes at a leisurely pace, at least for ...
by Corsaire
Tue Sep 28, 2021 10:49 pm
Forum: Fruits & Vegetables
Topic: Alcoholic essence from green oranges (non-mature)
Replies: 3
Views: 460

Re: Alcoholic essence from green oranges (non-mature)

My favorite use for citrus peels is making oleo saccharum, a sugar syrup. It's pretty similar to a strawberry panty dropper. You add sugar to the peels, the sugar extracts juice and oils and becomes a syrup. Below is a good way to get started imo. https://www.diffordsguide.com/encyclopedia/234/cockt...
by Corsaire
Mon Sep 27, 2021 9:31 pm
Forum: Fruit and grain season is here
Topic: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness
Replies: 2586
Views: 229101

Re: Lets get carried away with fruity goodness

I'm a freight train driver. I pass by a lot of those trees near the tracks were someone must have tossed out an apple core years ago. Most don't produce tasty apples, some do. I often pass by three trees near an old car factory but I don't trust them because the soil is very contaminated there. They...
by Corsaire
Sun Sep 26, 2021 8:14 pm
Forum: Gin
Topic: Small reflux on pot-still gin ?
Replies: 23
Views: 1438

Re: Small reflux on pot-still gin ?

I looked at old still designs again. Your water cooled lid reminded me of the Pistorius design from 1817 https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pistoriusscher_Brennapparat Today you can still buy alembics with a cooling lentil. They continuously ran a trickle of water over the big plates, and I've read acc...
by Corsaire
Sat Sep 25, 2021 10:14 am
Forum: Gin
Topic: Small reflux on pot-still gin ?
Replies: 23
Views: 1438

Re: Small reflux on pot-still gin ?

I'd definitely go with a simpler cm dephleg.

Both that Dutch one and the French combier distillery that use the rectifying balls claim it changes taste, but I don't see anything like it in more modern setups.

Since you like to build stuff maybe give it a go and report back your findings?
by Corsaire
Fri Sep 24, 2021 3:37 am
Forum: Gin
Topic: Small reflux on pot-still gin ?
Replies: 23
Views: 1438

Re: Small reflux on pot-still gin ?

There are a few old genever and absinthe stills that have a small dephlegmator on top, so your idea is being used commercially. The size of the ball and the absence of packing or plates has me wondering how effective it really is. Here's a YouTube clip from an Amsterdam genever distillery https://yo...
by Corsaire
Tue Sep 21, 2021 5:21 am
Forum: Sugar
Topic: Northern Rum
Replies: 60
Views: 5967

Re: Northern Rum

It might be why there isn't a bottle of Sorghum rum in every bar. But rhum agricole is pretty easy to find in Europe, and especially in France. I like the funky grassiness of rhum agricole and cachaca. Although the aged ones age very well they lose that fresh cut grass smell. Jonny, I don't know if...
by Corsaire
Fri Sep 17, 2021 4:19 am
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: What'd ya'll make today?
Replies: 6949
Views: 734601

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Toxxyc wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 10:06 pm I just learned that people put chicken in their booze. WHAT THE HELL
The result's quite tasty. People have been fatwashing bourbon with bacon for a couple of years as well.
Question is Chris, did you eat the chicken after the run?
It's a hell of a way to make chicken soup ;-)
by Corsaire
Thu Sep 16, 2021 3:44 am
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: What'd ya'll make today?
Replies: 6949
Views: 734601

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

What went in it? Chicken or turkey, any other botanicals? I might get some mezcal to redistill.
by Corsaire
Wed Sep 15, 2021 4:42 am
Forum: Sugar
Topic: Northern Rum
Replies: 60
Views: 5967

Re: Northern Rum

What I make out of this Charles Allan text it's added to the fermenter: Capacity of fermenting cistern 2,000 gallons. Skimmings (fresh) 620 gallons at 12 brix Dunder 760 gallons at 24 brix Acid 220 gallons at 8 brix Molasses 200 gallons Flavour 160 gallons at 8 brix Where flavour is aged dunder or m...
by Corsaire
Mon Sep 13, 2021 8:39 am
Forum: Column Builds
Topic: Swapping from plates to pot head mid run?
Replies: 14
Views: 1081

Re: Swapping from plates to pot head mid run?

How much reflux do bubble caps make when you don't use your dephleg? Have you tried just not running water to the reflux condenser? I run a pot but am curious, in my mind it's 4 mini thumpers stacked on top of each other. I know it can't be as simple as that. Has anyone done the experiment? A quick ...
by Corsaire
Mon Sep 13, 2021 3:49 am
Forum: Tried and True Recipes
Topic: Ted's Fast Fermenting Vodka
Replies: 619
Views: 226459

Re: Ted's Fast Fermenting Vodka

Same pack of yeast in all instances?
by Corsaire
Sat Sep 11, 2021 7:22 am
Forum: Sugar
Topic: Northern Rum
Replies: 60
Views: 5967

Re: Northern Rum

Does the commercial stuff taste like rum?
I'm hoping the fresh juice turns out great for you
by Corsaire
Sat Sep 04, 2021 10:08 am
Forum: Rum
Topic: Rum molasses
Replies: 47
Views: 3656

Re: Rum molasses

by Corsaire
Sat Sep 04, 2021 10:03 am
Forum: Gin
Topic: Boiling or Vaporizing Botanicals?
Replies: 26
Views: 3301

Re: Boiling or Vaporizing Botanicals?

It's London dry... Until they add the parsnips.
Interestingly the label doesn't state london dry as far as I can tell. Sounds like the tv guys took some liberties with it.
by Corsaire
Fri Sep 03, 2021 8:29 pm
Forum: Tried and True Recipes
Topic: Buccaneer Bob's Silver, Gold, and Black Rum Recipe
Replies: 511
Views: 179201

Re: Buccaneer Bob's Silver, Gold, and Black Rum Recipe

It's also aged in barrels for 2 years or something before it gets filtered.
by Corsaire
Thu Sep 02, 2021 11:30 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Hypotheorical Warsh
Replies: 24
Views: 1273

Re: Hypotheorical Warsh

Jeez. Relax. You fully expected those comments. Grow some thicker skin. Back on topic, you've just discovered that airlocks, lids and grommets can leak so they're not a reliable indicator. Funny thing is you did everything SBB usually recommends. A low abv wash may be a good thing. Less yeast stress...
by Corsaire
Thu Sep 02, 2021 4:43 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Hypotheorical Warsh
Replies: 24
Views: 1273

Re: Hypotheorical Warsh

If you're comparing this to a t&t I reckon it's closer to a sweetfeed. There the grains are for flavor, but they're heated. Sugar is the main fermentable there as well. But that's just semantics. So what size is your ferment? I can respect someone who just goes for it. I think lots of newbies ge...
by Corsaire
Thu Sep 02, 2021 4:29 am
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Hypotheorical Warsh
Replies: 24
Views: 1273

Re: Hypotheorical Warsh

It's pretty hard to blow yourself up with a ferment. You also didn't specify what volume your ferment is. I'm guessing around 10 gal? The rest of this is me going off that assumption. You didn't cook the corn, so the barley didn't convert those starches. I'm guessing that you'll end up with somethin...
by Corsaire
Wed Sep 01, 2021 4:20 am
Forum: Rum
Topic: Not the greatest first rum run.
Replies: 36
Views: 1985

Re: Not the greatest first rum run.

If you want to smear tails through your rum, put them in the thumper. If you don't, put them in the pot. If you want to smear heads through your rum, put them in the pot. If you don't, put them in the thumper. Interesting tidbit, this. But makes sense. Perhaps why it's reported the Jamaicans run ta...
by Corsaire
Tue Aug 31, 2021 2:30 pm
Forum: Gin
Topic: Creating gin using flavourings vs Botanicals
Replies: 11
Views: 1379

Re: Creating gin using flavourings vs Botanicals

You're proposing to make a compound gin.

Look it up, it's a very old way of doing it, although it's regarded as inferior to distilled and London dry gin.

I've never tried making gin this way, but perhaps with the proper term you can find more leads?
by Corsaire
Tue Aug 31, 2021 1:12 am
Forum: Sugar
Topic: Northern Rum
Replies: 60
Views: 5967

Re: Northern Rum

Already found some locally that looks promising!
If a variety is called honey drip it should be good, right?

How many plants did you need for that 7 gallons?
by Corsaire
Tue Aug 31, 2021 1:06 am
Forum: Sugar
Topic: Northern Rum
Replies: 60
Views: 5967

Re: Northern Rum

Very interesting. I'll have to see if that would grow in my area.
According to Wikipedia ferments up to 9%abv are achieveable from just the juice.
by Corsaire
Mon Aug 30, 2021 4:14 am
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: apple wood barrels small
Replies: 4
Views: 1107

Re: apple wood barrels small

Do you have a link to those applewood barrels?
by Corsaire
Mon Aug 30, 2021 1:05 am
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: Chestnuts
Replies: 4
Views: 460

Re: Chestnuts

I like to get free fermentables and something new to try. We usually have a family day where we walk in the forest and gather loads of chestnuts to roast. I find the children like to gather as much as they possibly can, but we always end up roasting way more than we eat. See, I'm just reducing waste...