Search found 116 matches

by Wild Bill
Tue Apr 30, 2019 8:46 am
Forum: Boilers
Topic: TIG vs Silver Solder for Stainless to Stainless
Replies: 26
Views: 5360

Re: TIG vs Silver Solder for Stainless to Stainless

If it is turning black you are getting it too hot. Do not heat the joint directly, stay an inch or two away and let the metal conduct the heat towards the joint just like soldering with old 50/50 but with a bit more heat.
by Wild Bill
Mon Apr 29, 2019 11:55 am
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: How much are you shootin in your thumper?
Replies: 50
Views: 10260

Re: How much are you shootin in your thumper?

No welds I used staybrite 8 solder on all triclover ferrule attachments 4” top center of kegs 1 1/2” drains and a 3” on top off center for downpipe into thumper. I am really sensitive to tails and have no problem id’ing them so maybe I am oversensitive to them? I do find some of those tails have som...
by Wild Bill
Mon Apr 29, 2019 10:30 am
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: How much are you shootin in your thumper?
Replies: 50
Views: 10260

Re: How much are you shootin in your thumper?

The main reasons I used a 15.5g keg is because I had it already and the possibility of running large stripping runs. I most noticed smearing/early tails while doing stripping runs with 12 gallons in boiler and 12 gallons in thumper. Even running the results of these strips through a second time on a...
by Wild Bill
Mon Apr 29, 2019 9:44 am
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: How much are you shootin in your thumper?
Replies: 50
Views: 10260

Re: How much are you shootin in your thumper?

I believe there are many people on this forum that run similar rigs to mine so I think the 15.5 gallon boiler/thumper can be made to work. I just think I have to hone in on my driving a bit. I think my design is good but not beyond scrutiny of course. I welcome all input and I will keep an open mind.
by Wild Bill
Mon Apr 29, 2019 9:34 am
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: How much are you shootin in your thumper?
Replies: 50
Views: 10260

Re: How much are you shootin in your thumper?

It happens when it contacts the cooler liquid. The cool pipe just would condense the vapor and not cause an implosion within the piping unless it pooled a bunch somehow. I have some insight into the properties of steam as I have operated many large steam boilers in the course of my career and find a...
by Wild Bill
Mon Apr 29, 2019 9:16 am
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: How much are you shootin in your thumper?
Replies: 50
Views: 10260

Re: How much are you shootin in your thumper?

My inclination would be to have any reflux run back to the boiler but I am still learning for sure. I get a bit of sound but no sharp cracks until that hot vapor hits the liquid in the thump. Yes I have an open 2” pipe all the way down to within 1/4” or so from the bottom of the keg. I do however ha...
by Wild Bill
Mon Apr 29, 2019 8:48 am
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: How much are you shootin in your thumper?
Replies: 50
Views: 10260

Re: How much are you shootin in your thumper?

I am guessing the output of your run would be the same as your slow approach if you laid the heat to the boiler until you hear that first crack in the thump and then lay off the heat and run as before. Might save you a bit of time anyway. I am going to try this approach with my rig anyway. As always...
by Wild Bill
Mon Apr 29, 2019 8:37 am
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: How much are you shootin in your thumper?
Replies: 50
Views: 10260

Re: How much are you shootin in your thumper?

In my opinion the reason for the noise disparity is strictly due to the variance in alcohol vapor volume from slow boil to full tilt boil. Less volume of vapor less violent implosion hence less noise. I am still struggling to equate slow warm up to less smearing though but I am going to give her a go!
by Wild Bill
Mon Apr 29, 2019 8:20 am
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: How much are you shootin in your thumper?
Replies: 50
Views: 10260

Re: How much are you shootin in your thumper?

I will have to ponder this awhile and I also have a 2 gen run of ujssm I need to do so maybe I will experiment a bit. My setup I am sure has no pooling issues and my piping has a pretty decent uphill slope from my boiler to the thump. I also insulate my thump and have tried insulating my pipe betwee...
by Wild Bill
Mon Apr 29, 2019 5:54 am
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: How much are you shootin in your thumper?
Replies: 50
Views: 10260

Re: How much are you shootin in your thumper?

Yes Runamuckr I have read some on your exploits and appreciate your contributions. I do enjoy some product white and find that if I run ujssm or booners very slow single foot I get a product I enjoy greatly white. It is like a glass of boozy liquid corn. I also enjoy the clear apple pie with ujssm a...
by Wild Bill
Sun Apr 28, 2019 7:47 pm
Forum: Boilers
Topic: TIG vs Silver Solder for Stainless to Stainless
Replies: 26
Views: 5360

Re: TIG vs Silver Solder for Stainless to Stainless

Stay Brite 8 is all that is required to make stainless to stainless connections that are leak free and strong enough for most of our applications. It is also not hard to learn to use and is budget friendly. Higher content silver solder will be stronger but is more costly and takes a bit more finesse...
by Wild Bill
Sun Apr 28, 2019 7:03 am
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: How much are you shootin in your thumper?
Replies: 50
Views: 10260

Re: How much are you shootin in your thumper?

I have tried clear apple pie several ways with my thumper now and what I can say is don’t waste your money on too much apple juice concentrate. On three separate six gallon runs, I tried 4,6 and then 8 12oz cans of the concentrate and the flavor remained very subtle on all runs. I also tried running...
by Wild Bill
Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:53 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Tastes like Tequila.
Replies: 19
Views: 3204

Re: Tastes like Tequila.

Prolly want to ditch that silicon gasket I am guessing is under that lid also. Use flour paste to seal instead or maybe wrap it in teflon tape. I know it is tempting to just get running with what you have but why risk your health and have inferior spirits. Edit: Just read Irishgnome’s post above and...
by Wild Bill
Tue Apr 23, 2019 5:55 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: First Run - what I did wrong and what y'all will add!
Replies: 11
Views: 1669

Re: First Run - what I did wrong and what y'all will add!

Don’t overcomplicate things to start. I suggest starting with UJSSM in tried and true recipes. It will give you enough product to learn how to run your still and how to make good cuts. It will also teach you about the sour mash protocol and makes a pretty decent drop when cuts are right. Once you ha...
by Wild Bill
Mon Apr 22, 2019 8:24 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: Long time homebrewer, totally new to distilling!
Replies: 15
Views: 1430

Re: Long time homebrewer, totally new to distilling!

I was in your shoes about a year and a half ago. I have years and years of home brew experience and distilling was calling out to me. I will tell you much of what you know about making beer will be very helpful, but many things will be counter intuitive so keep an open mind. I would absolutely not b...
by Wild Bill
Tue Apr 16, 2019 12:51 pm
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: The liar's bench
Replies: 6675
Views: 487429

Re: The liar's bench

Howdy folks, good to hear some of the regulars are still here. Haven’t been around in awhile but have been reading up a bit lately and makin some runs. I kind of am a binge brewer and stiller as life just does not allow time to do this hobby year round. I doesn’t really affect the brewing much as I ...
by Wild Bill
Sun Sep 30, 2018 6:54 am
Forum: Beer, and Wine
Topic: All mash hopped IPA aka Monster Mash
Replies: 7
Views: 1881

Re: All mash hopped IPA aka Monster Mash

I have never really done a true fwh beer, so I can’t really give a comparison with the hop profile. My hop forward beers have the bittering hops added after the hot break or later in the boil. Fw hopping may indeed give a similar result as mash hopping. My first attempt at an all mash hopped beer wa...
by Wild Bill
Fri Sep 28, 2018 9:19 am
Forum: Beer, and Wine
Topic: All mash hopped IPA aka Monster Mash
Replies: 7
Views: 1881

Re: All mash hopped IPA aka Monster Mash

I buy hops once a year from the source in Yakima so I try an predict what I will brew for the upcoming year. Inevitably I end up with a glut of various older hops after several years. Many which are not suitable to dry hop with. This is a good way to utilize these hops. I also think this method prov...
by Wild Bill
Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:16 am
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: Shrimping and fishing
Replies: 139
Views: 18255

Re: Shrimping and fishing

Just got back from an epic adventure into BC waters. Started with a bang when we decided to stop and try for Sockeye on the way to our destination. An hour later we had our limits and it was a hoot with as many as 5 on at once! Ended up hooking many Springs and some nice size Silvers to round out th...
by Wild Bill
Fri Jul 06, 2018 5:43 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Thumper design n rules
Replies: 15
Views: 2489

Re: Thumper design n rules

You can only learn so much by reading from others experiences. There are enough variables in the whole process that what works for some does not for others. The best advice on system design I can give is learn how to solder well as you will be redesigning and modifying your system to suit your needs...
by Wild Bill
Thu Jun 14, 2018 7:51 am
Forum: Beer, and Wine
Topic: Accidental aging
Replies: 5
Views: 1260

Re: Accidental aging

The stillin and brewing are on the back burner for a bit now as it is fishing season. Getting ready to pour pipe jigs and tying salmon leaders for a Neah Bay trip next week! :P
by Wild Bill
Thu Jun 14, 2018 7:01 am
Forum: Beer, and Wine
Topic: Accidental aging
Replies: 5
Views: 1260

Re: Accidental aging

All my distilled products are kept in the same area purposely selected for big temp swings but beer is a different animal and steady temps and no light is the name of the game so it gets stashed here and there where those parameters are met. I am just getting to the point with the higher spirits whe...
by Wild Bill
Thu Jun 14, 2018 6:15 am
Forum: Beer, and Wine
Topic: Accidental aging
Replies: 5
Views: 1260

Accidental aging

I was digging around in the garage last night looking for some wire I knew I had stashed and came across a box with bottled beer (amber ale) and bottled sparkling apfelwein I had made. Looking at the dates, they were both bottled back in 2014. Now I purposely age high alcohol content Russian imperia...
by Wild Bill
Sat Jun 02, 2018 8:56 am
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Peated Whiskey
Replies: 85
Views: 12309

Re: Peated Whiskey

I did a ag scotch with 85% peated malt and the result was quite subtle. I even went a bit further into tails looking for that smoky goodness. While the flavor is there it is in the background. I put a couple of teaspoons of the peated malt directly into 500ml of of oaking strength spirit to see if I...
by Wild Bill
Thu May 24, 2018 9:07 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: beer in the corn mash
Replies: 8
Views: 1190

Re: beer in the corn mash

No but 3+ oz of hops/10 gal put in after high krausen will. And if you are after a little maltiness a bit of carmel crystal malt in the mash bill will carry over.
by Wild Bill
Thu May 24, 2018 6:49 am
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: The liar's bench
Replies: 6675
Views: 487429

Re: The liar's bench

Mmmm love me some custom cured bacon. My stillin partner has a butcher shop and makes out of this world bacon. Very meaty compared to commercial bacon and done in fairly small batches in a vacuum tumbler. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
by Wild Bill
Thu May 24, 2018 6:34 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: beer in the corn mash
Replies: 8
Views: 1190

Re: beer in the corn mash

If you want to have a hop presence in your distillate just make a beer recipe which includes hops in the boil and possibly a hop stand or flame out hops and then distill as usual. I'm sure you could also experiment with adding hops or hop oils to an active ferment as well. I would start with about 2...
by Wild Bill
Wed May 23, 2018 8:27 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: How much are you shootin in your thumper?
Replies: 50
Views: 10260

Re: How much are you shootin in your thumper?

Everybody’s taste is a bit different but yes 4 cans seems about right along with apple pie spice and a gallon of water heated up before shooting.
by Wild Bill
Tue May 22, 2018 4:10 am
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: How much are you shootin in your thumper?
Replies: 50
Views: 10260

Re: How much are you shootin in your thumper?

Yes it probably was you Pfshine. My apologies for the wrong acknowledgement. I may still build something similar if I get into more flavored concoctions.
by Wild Bill
Mon May 21, 2018 11:47 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Same wash multiple times to practice?
Replies: 32
Views: 2396

Re: Same wash multiple times to practice?

I am very much a novice with only 3 or 4 months under my belt and I have done at least 8 different recipes and all live fire. My only batch that was not drinkable off the still was my first thumper build which smeared a run badly and brought out the flavor of the lees I ran in the thump. One more ti...