With SS salad bowls as lids I also soldered large washers on the tops of the lids to add more rigidity.
I usually make 42 L wash and run twice, Its a
I put 17 L of wash into the pot 4L into the thumper.
I know the Liebig is a little long, it could be a foot shorter. And yes it sucks working from the floor.
Besides the first turbo wash that tasted like ass. I decided to call that my cleaning run.
Then I found this site. And did A LOT OF READING THEN READ IT AGAIN.
I realised very quickly that this craft wasn’t easy. So I decided in the beginning to use the bird watchers recipe, It was recommended by other users on this site. So I went with it. it’s easy and not complicated. My reasoning was I wanted a recipe that was consistent so that I could learn what my pot still could do and how it runs. With running a consistent recipe it’s easier to learn to make cuts. I learned in the beginning to make tight cuts. The quality of your product depends on this. You must learn touch smell and taste. (I still have a ways to go, but I’m getting better) Save your heads and tales (feints) and mistakes into a carboy and run them again later when you have enough for a run. They are worth keeping they make really good spirits for some reason.
I cant say that I didn’t try other recipes in the beginning, but for me that was a mistake that I made. Learn the craft first. (You have to learn to crawl before you can walk then run. You wouldn’t jump into a jet fighter if that is your first attempt to fly, would you!) The KISS principle is applicable here. I have learned a lot.
My last 9 runs have been rum and I have come up with my own version of rum which is a version predominantly Hooks rum with my version of Pugi’s yeast bomb and Buccaneer Bob's essences/flavouring's.
Right at the start I saved a few jars from each run to play with assorted ageing methods. The list is long but I’ll name a few, JD chips, Pieces of BBQ oak staves like rum, red wine, and port I then I ended up getting a bunch of white oak scrap from a cabinet maker. So I have been playing with toasted and assorted charred chunks in my jars. I have had a dunder pit that I have played with excellent results.
I have been stilling about 2 years now and about 15 washes and at least 40 assorted oaking & flavouring experiments.
My SOH is a little annoyed that I have so many little jars hanging around, until I finally got a neutral that she likes so I gave her a jar and we are good again.
This was written more for my records. It may help some of the new people coming to the site.
I think i have graduated. It's time for a bigger still. I just received my new parts for my new build. next episode to start shortly.
