Search found 10275 matches
- Tue Feb 06, 2024 6:00 pm
- Forum: Novice Distillers
- Topic: Stuck fermentation
- Replies: 39
- Views: 971
Re: Stuck fermentation
Did you mix the hydroxide in a little water, to make a slurry before adding to the acidic ferment? I always do. But the pH scale is not linear, it’s logarithmic, meaning pH=3.0 is 10 times more acidic than pH=4.0. So, if you’re down below pH=3.0, you are VERY acidic and 3 teaspoons is probably not e...
- Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:01 pm
- Forum: Grains
- Topic: Vienna malt
- Replies: 10
- Views: 510
Re: Vienna malt
I was actually thinking about a Vienna single malt last night. Something inspired by Beethoven, just so I could bottle Beethoven’s fifth. Well played sir. Well played. :clap: +1. :clap: :clap: ss p.s. - I made an Oktoberfest with 100% Vienna malt and the Bavarian lager yeast. Delicious. It won me a...
- Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:00 pm
- Forum: Safety and Related Issues
- Topic: Running Heating Element Dry by mistake
- Replies: 11
- Views: 440
Re: Running Heating Element Dry by mistake
Nope. You just got lucky.
Next time, dry firing may burn the element out. Or, cause it to melt or break.
ss
- Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:59 am
- Forum: Safety and Related Issues
- Topic: Running Heating Element Dry by mistake
- Replies: 11
- Views: 440
Re: Running Heating Element Dry by mistake
It appears intact...First inspect the exterior for burns or holes. Then you could check it with a multimeter... I think it ran dry for a short time otherwise it would have been seriously damaged (melted) :thumbup: An ohmmeter should tell you if it’s fried or not. Remember, ohm’s law: V = I x R. So,...
- Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:47 am
- Forum: Novice Distillers
- Topic: Stuck fermentation
- Replies: 39
- Views: 971
Re: Stuck fermentation
… But can I throw in some sodium bicarbonate or something to buffer it instead if that’s the issue? I wouldn’t add baking soda. It would add too much sodium, which yeast don’t like either. If you HAVE to add a base, use calcium hydroxide (pickling lime). It is available in the canning section of yo...
- Fri Feb 02, 2024 9:05 pm
- Forum: Novice Distillers
- Topic: New flute questions
- Replies: 36
- Views: 1187
Re: New flute questions
Ok I bought a 60GPH 1/2 hp pump and it doesn’t seem much better. Guessing the needle valve sucks. Here is the RC vs PC output with it. 60 GPH = 1 GPM, ie - 1 gallon per minute. That is not much flow at all. And, if the pump is “rated” at that flow, chances are that the “deadhead” is quite low too, ...
- Fri Feb 02, 2024 8:49 pm
- Forum: Novice Distillers
- Topic: Stuck fermentation
- Replies: 39
- Views: 971
Re: Stuck fermentation
…pH of starting water is 7.5 <— slightly basic … pH of mash I just pitched yeast in this morning is 3.2. <— bzzzzzzt! very acidic. … pH of mash that is stuck at 1.025 SG is 3.9 <— The pH went UP? I’m confused here. You have one mash at pH=3.2 and another at pH=3.9? Or, is this the same mash at diff...
- Fri Feb 02, 2024 2:10 pm
- Forum: My First .....
- Topic: home made PTFE gasket
- Replies: 7
- Views: 581
Re: home made PTFE gasket
Clever Sadie. Very clever.
ss
ss
- Thu Feb 01, 2024 9:56 pm
- Forum: Flavoring and Aging
- Topic: Aging through the winter months
- Replies: 10
- Views: 1169
Re: Aging through the winter months
I put some jars to age inside a BLACK plastic box with a black (painted) lid. Its on the back deck where it gets sun most of the day. Jars reach 95F in the day and 20's and 30's F overnight. Is that temperature cycling good? Do the jars have a means to “breathe”? If not, I just hope that they don’t...
- Thu Feb 01, 2024 3:42 pm
- Forum: Sugar
- Topic: Best sugar-wash?
- Replies: 32
- Views: 1673
Re: Best sugar-wash?
I’m a fan of Rad’s “All Bran” recipe. Clean, consistent and economical. It makes a great neutral.
ss
ss
- Thu Feb 01, 2024 3:39 pm
- Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
- Topic: Pressure fermenter
- Replies: 10
- Views: 552
Re: Pressure fermenter
Well, it is questionable how well yeast will function at pressures above atmospheric. Without doubt, activity will be restrained. But, how far will the single cell organism continue to reduce sugar molecules? I don’t think there is much advantage for “pressurized fermentation” aside from reducing in...
- Thu Feb 01, 2024 7:20 am
- Forum: Novice Distillers
- Topic: Need Feedback on My All Grain Plans
- Replies: 7
- Views: 410
Re: Need Feedback on My All Grain Plans
… I find the words people use to describe tasting notes as very confusing.... maybe all those years in the oil industry destroyed my taste buds... “Experience” helps to differentiate the flavor contributions of different grains. For me (personally), being a beer homebrewer and certified beer judge ...
- Wed Jan 31, 2024 1:19 pm
- Forum: Novice Distillers
- Topic: Looking to build a CCVM
- Replies: 28
- Views: 1035
- Wed Jan 31, 2024 8:27 am
- Forum: Grains
- Topic: Unmalted rye question
- Replies: 4
- Views: 340
- Sun Jan 28, 2024 8:35 am
- Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
- Topic: Closing up the shed...
- Replies: 29
- Views: 1376
- Sun Jan 28, 2024 8:15 am
- Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
- Topic: Bourbon Stall
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1088
Re: Bourbon Stall
... I'm racking my brain. I'm a brewer by trade , but this is puzzling me. :) A swing and a miss, “Steeeee—-rrrriiiike”. What does your boss think happened? It sounds like the conditions for the yeast are off. Did you make a starter before pitching? If using dry yeast, did you properly rehydrate it...
- Sun Jan 28, 2024 7:53 am
- Forum: Tried and True Recipes
- Topic: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
- Replies: 698
- Views: 193424
Re: SBB's All Molasses Rum Recipe
I feel pretty good about my direction but any thoughts/comments at this point would be much appreciated: option 1: I'm thinking of making one more wash, then doing 2 stripping runs and a spirit run with the third wash and the low wines from 1&2. option 2: I guess I could also do one more wash, ...
- Sun Jan 28, 2024 7:36 am
- Forum: Stills and still building information
- Topic: Advice for my first still setup
- Replies: 42
- Views: 3549
Re: Advice for my first still setup
Too bad your neighbor with the lathe doesn’t have a TiG welder. That’d make short work of your dilema.
ss
ss
- Fri Jan 26, 2024 3:59 pm
- Forum: Safety and Related Issues
- Topic: How new hobbyists learn right from wrong if there are videos with wrong infromation
- Replies: 23
- Views: 1118
Re: How new hobbyists learn right from wrong if there are videos with wrong infromation
Youtube videos do not necessarily hold safety as a charter. In fact, most Youtubers make no claims to the risks or safety when promoting home distillation. The social media tool is instead focused on viewership and subscribers. “Tubers” can gain notoriety and compensation if the views are significan...
- Wed Jan 24, 2024 9:51 am
- Forum: Novice Distillers
- Topic: Fwd: Counterfeit Spirits (YOU WILL BE CAUGHT)
- Replies: 165
- Views: 153744
Re: Fwd: Counterfeit Spirits (YOU WILL BE CAUGHT)
I read where Ohio was trying to pass home distilling legislation where you could legally home distill 100 gal of spirits a year. Any other states like that out there? I don't know if it ever passed. States can pass laws, but federal law prevails. However, enforcement is moderated by financial and r...
- Tue Jan 23, 2024 9:51 am
- Forum: Condensers/Cooling Methods
- Topic: Rate my Liebig
- Replies: 23
- Views: 1200
Re: Rate my Liebig
This is my first attempt and building anything distilling related. 2x gate valves to control water flow in/out. They will accept standard garden hose fittings. <— They’re not “gate valves”, they’re “boiler drains”, like you’d have at the washer/dryer hookup. Gate valves have a rising gate that “ris...
- Mon Jan 22, 2024 12:17 pm
- Forum: Novice Distillers
- Topic: New flute questions
- Replies: 36
- Views: 1187
Re: New flute questions
What do you guys mean by running a ball valve in parallel? If I put both on wouldn't it still be restricted to the smallest valve (the needle). Put a Tee before and after the needle valve and plumb the ball valve along beside the needle valve. That way you can open the ball valve to flow much more ...
- Sun Jan 21, 2024 7:28 am
- Forum: Safety and Related Issues
- Topic: multiple foreshots
- Replies: 17
- Views: 1231
- Sun Jan 21, 2024 7:18 am
- Forum: Column Builds
- Topic: Do I need a power regulator for my VM still?
- Replies: 8
- Views: 400
Re: Do I need a power regulator for my VM still?
+1 Yummy. Otto, for a 30 liter keg/boiler, 4kW is overkill. 2kW will heat it to boiling quickly enough so you can get things stable before collecting off the spout. And a power regulating controller is highly recommended. Get one, or build one … you’ll be glad you did. Like Yummy suggested, I usuall...
- Sun Jan 21, 2024 6:45 am
- Forum: My First .....
- Topic: First attempt
- Replies: 11
- Views: 685
Re: First attempt
… Whelp, into the carbon filter… Put it all (what you’ve collected) back into the boiler, dilute to 30%ABV, and rerun it, collecting into more jars. Then, make better cuts from your collection. A single distillation (one & done) rarely produces a fine spirit, especially for a new distiller. Whe...
- Sun Jan 21, 2024 6:24 am
- Forum: Gin
- Topic: Gin questions
- Replies: 4
- Views: 421
Re: Gin questions
… I understand the recipe is tailored to each person's liking… Indeed. A gin tends to be a “personalized” spirit … “to each … their own”, customized to the distiller’s preference. There is no “right” or “wrong”. … When you are using say 12 spices is there more to the formula for amounts? Or, does o...
- Sun Jan 21, 2024 5:43 am
- Forum: Novice Distillers
- Topic: Mashes different colors?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 571
Re: Mashes different colors?
So after two weeks I noticed the the top few inches of the lighter ones are turning to match the darker ones. Is this likely the tops oxidizing? <— No. Or is it more likely that for some reason the two were lighter because they had lots of suspended particulates and are now beginning to clear and s...
- Sat Jan 20, 2024 9:27 pm
- Forum: Novice Distillers
- Topic: What is this ?
- Replies: 10
- Views: 492
Re: What is this ?
Yep. What HDNB said. It’s from the corn. I’ve tried to filter it through coffee filters, but it doesn’t work very well. But, if you age in a cask, it will stay in the cask. Otherwise, it just adds a little “corny-ness”.
ss
ss
- Wed Jan 17, 2024 1:28 pm
- Forum: My First .....
- Topic: getting ready for my first spirit run with new still...any advice..
- Replies: 78
- Views: 2096
Re: getting ready for my first spirit run with new still...any advice..
Sadie, that’s the “average” of the collected distillate. If it was a strip, it would be the low wines %ABV. But if it’s for a spirit run, where you’ve collected a series of jars, the value you’d enter (a guess based upon experience) would be a calculated average which could be estimated by multiplyi...
- Wed Jan 17, 2024 8:02 am
- Forum: The Construction Site
- Topic: yet another new build query
- Replies: 12
- Views: 562
Re: yet another new build query
This question gets asked frequently, but I think the engineering behind the answer is often misunderstood: I was (mistakenly?) assuming that having the shotgun condenser vertical would make the product travel through it quicker, so it would cool less as it has less time to make contact with the cool...