Hello from Belgium

[Taxy]

A newbie here in the distiller's trade.

I have been reading this forum for the last two weeks and I already learned a ton about this new and exciting hobby.

I started my first brews about ten days ago (three 25l birdwatcher's sugerwashes) and they are almost done. As I am a whisky lover, I will probably take the all grain path at some point but I preferred to start with something with less variables.

I did a vinegar run on a T500 this afternoon. Already got a bit wiser: acetic acid apparently has a higher boiling point than water so I was essentially distilling water and leaving a vinegar concentrate behind. It sure cleaned out old scale stains in a toilet bowl very well.

I am really looking forward to my very first run in the coming week. Should I do a sacrificial run or do the vinegar run and the subsequent cleaning suffice?

Challenges with the hobby identified so far: (i) patience 'when will the brew get dry?', (ii) time 'when do I get to spend a couple of hours distilling?', (iii) keeping the misses happy 'with all that mess'.

[nuntius01]

welcome

[Dantuss]

Welcome to the forums!

[Still Life]

Hello, Taxy.
Yes, do a sacrificial alcohol run after your vinegar/water cleaning. This ensures a clean still.
Don't sample that sacrificial though!

Check out our Tried & True Recipes.

A great whiskey after 6 months (or more) in a barrel is Odin's Cornflake (in my signature below).
Wowed everyone with it on a recent camping trip. Folks couldn't believe there was no grain in it.

Have fun!
Welcome.

[Taxy]

Thanks SL for Odin's Cornflake tip. It sounds like a good stepping stone to an AG.

It's gonna be real hard not to sample any of the sacrificial run distillate. Will need to follow it up quickly with a real first run.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

It's gonna be real hard not to sample any of the sacrificial run distillate. Will need to follow it up quickly with a real first run.

No rules against smelling it, putting your eye ball near the opening of the glass it's in, and most importantly, rubbing it between your fingers and listening to it. . These three things will teach you how to cut liquor before you ever taste it. Honestly, I already know what's in a glass before it hits my tounge. You'll see what I mean.