New from SC

[WillytheScotchman]

Hello everyone!
I am very new to distilling, in fact I haven't even made my first run. I am gearing up and learning all I can. I am going to mash in within the next week or so. I am just going to do a cracked corn and sugar wash my first time. I think if I can get my corn cooked down to a nice and gooey, starchy goodness - I should be able to add a bit of quality raw cane sugar and let it cool down to the proper temperature so I can pitch my yeast and a little bit of amylase to convert those starches and if the alcohol gods are willing I may make a decent first batch of likker. I do believe I have everything I need and I am hoping to get some positive feedback and learn as much as I can from everyone here. The best thing I have going for me is my willingness to admit that I don't know a whole lot about what I'm doing here and I am looking to become a seasoned distiller with your help. I love to learn and I realize that making liquor is a lot of Hands-On trial and error stuff. Once I get good at a pretty basic sugar wash I plan on malting all my grains and learning how to do things the best way I possibly can and with the best ingredients.

Cheers!!!

[BlackStrap]

Welcome to the forum WillytheScotchman

You are able to find a lot of information in the parent site http://homedistiller.org/ the novice (even though you seem to have some understanding with this one, http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=46 it is still good to read... and some general rules we as a forum follow http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =35&t=5090

Some advice is to read up, and then read some more... You'll find this to be a great wealth of informative people here, and they are willing to help if you are willing to read to be able to ask the right questions... Sounds like you are off to a great start.

Glad to have you aboard

[WillytheScotchman]

Thank you so much!!! I am going to be reading everything I can and hopefully with some time I will make some good likker. I am happy to be aboard and will do my best.

[Still Life]

Welcome.
I've been thinking of a sugar head/wheat/corn amylase hybrid myself.
Something different from the best of 2 worlds.

Have fun, be safe. Good drinkin'.

[WillytheScotchman]

Still Life,
Let me know how it turns out!!!
Cheers!

[Still Life]

Just finished an all-grain Honey Bear Bourbon (see signature below) and it came out great.
Distilling more of it right now as I type.

Had thought about limited work days where I could come up with something quick for a ferment and keep a grain taste.
Hence, the hybrid. 1/5th grain bill, rest sugar head. I'm not the first, and some find it ridiculous.

But you mentioning it pushed me. Worked on it, and it's bubbling away right now, too.

So thanks for the nudge, & Welcome again!

[bilgriss]

It's a good compromise. You get flavor and body from the grain and simplicity from sugar. Not ridiculous.

But... there's something magical in an all grain ferment, and after some aging, also something I think can't be quite matched from a hybrid whiskey.

Take your time Willy; you'll figure out what you like, and it's a fun path to get there. Welcome to the forum.

[WillytheScotchman]

Still life,
That is awesome! Glad I could be a little help. I am just waiting for things to slow down a bit here at home and then I'm going to mash in. I am so excited, lol a bit nervous as well to be completely honest but I feel pretty good about it.

Cheers!

[WillytheScotchman]

Bilgriss,
I have just purchased some six row and some two row to go along with my rye. I also have some whole grain wheat. So I am already planning my first AG recipe. I figured I would do 5 gallons using the 6 row and five gallons using the two row and just kind of see what works best for me. I have done quite a bit of reading and basically understand the pros and cons to using both. I am not going to get into the wheat quite yet, I'm going to save that for a while and then work on my flavors before trying to add that into the mix. Hopefully this will work for me.

Cheers!

[WillytheScotchman]

Also, I do plan on Aging in the future but for right now I have to make sure my flavors are all on point before I move ahead with the aging process. I know that aging will just make my product much better but I want to have a good quality product that can stand alone first. Hope that makes sense.

[Oldvine Zin]

Willy,
I hope that your first runs are your sac cleaning ones - don't waste your all grains ferment for that

OVZ

[WillytheScotchman]

OVZ,
Yes, I have ran steam through the whole system and a 50/50 vinegar run. I am going run a white rum through it next.

[WillytheScotchman]

So I had to deal with a family emergency, which put me behind schedule. Luckily, everything turned out okay and I had some more time to think about my first run. I have decided to start off with the tried and true UJSSM! I realized that I was making things way too complicated thinking about doing an AG run. I realized that this was not the way to go for my first run and I need to just slow down and focus more on learning to run my still properly rather than making the best likker around right out of the gate. lol. I'm going to follow Uncle Jesse's recipe word for word, except I'm going to use equal parts dark brown sugar and raw cane sugar - just because I have it. I will be using a 5-gallon All Copper "Popcorn Sutton" style pot still. The water, I am going to be getting from a natural spring up the canyon. I have already run a pH test on it but, will also test the water I actually collect. I will let Y'all know how she turns out!
Cheers!

[Still Life]

glad your emergency came out OK.
First things first.

...and UJSSM is an excellent choice.

[WillytheScotchman]

Still Life,
Thank you! I appreciate that.
I am gonna do my best.

[Still Life]

By the way, Willy, I made the hybrid after the seed you planted in my head.
It was good ---certainly not bad--- but seemed a waste of grain compared to a straight sugar head,
as the enhanced wheat/corn flavor was nothing outstanding.

Stick with the UJSSM to start like you said. You'll love it

[WillytheScotchman]

Still Life,
Well damn, I was hoping that the hybrid was going to turn out amazing. I am still going to try it, if for no other reason than I talked you into it. LOL That way if you wasted a few grains, I can waste a few grains all in the Spirit of trying to make a great spirit! I mashed in last night, and my yeast started working almost immediately! I pitched my yeast at exactly 70 degrees and it went right to work. My ferm. Temp is also 70 degrees. I just used cheap red star active baker's yeast because I figured it would work good in this wash. I started making wine when I was about 13 and that was a yeast I used back then so I am kind of a fan. As my distilling becomes better I will venture out into a couple different types of yeast perhaps... anyway I will let you know more as this works off. Also, I aerated the crap out of that stuff for quite a long time and I think that really made the difference. Thanks for keeping me posted, and I wish your hybrid would have turned out better. It sounded like a good plan.
Cheers!

[WillytheScotchman]

Just a wee update,
My wash is still workin off. This is day 8 and everything seems to be going well. I made another batch last night and it seems to be off to a great start! OG is 1.080 on this new batch. I'm going to assume that my first batch was roughly the same but could not take her reading because Amazon was slow getting my hydrometer to me... Temperatures are ranging from 68 to 70 degrees. Everything smells good and the wash tasted good when I made it. LOL I can't wait to run this stuff, but I am being patient and and just letting it do its thing.
Cheers!

[WillytheScotchman]

So I ran my first 4 runs not including my alcohol sac run. The whole process took me 24 hours and 13 min. I ran real slow and love my first product!!! I was actually surprised at how easily I was able to make my cuts. Just using smell, taste, and feel. Running a copper pot still is so much fun and at this point in time I don't think I'll ever want to change to a reflex or any other type of still for that matter. I am strictly looking to make the most flavorful and highest quality product I can possibly make.
I'm not exactly sure yet what my proof was right out of the worm, unfortunately I was too tired to proof it last night but I am going to git er done tonight and I will let you guys know how hot it is before proofing. I'm going to proof down to 90 so I have a nice sippable product. Honestly for a first run I don't think it could have went much better. I am off to a great start!!! Also we celebrated a bit and got pretty drunk and I woke up feeling great

[Still Life]

Excellent.
It may be time to move this discussion over to 'Novice Distillers' or 'My First' or other appropriate thread before The Man shuts it down.
Tell us more outside The Welcome Center.