New guy from Maine

[Scrubby]

Hey guys,

So I'm from Maine in the USA. I have had a couple bumps in the road with my still. I'm using a keg with a pressure cooker welded on top. With a 4 foot 2" copper column. That was supposed to go to a 7 gallon thumper keg. (That I can't use because it's to cold here) then I have a 6 foot copper pipe with 5 feet of 1.25 inch PVC over it for a condenser.

I did a vinegar wash and sacrifice run. But I didn't get out all the carbon so I had to restart it over to vinegar wash.

I went to do my first run and it was water. I'm guessing I didn't ferment it enough. So I brought the rest of the wash I had set aside back to the basement and added yeast again. But my temp keeps dropping down to the low 60s. So my buckets stopped bubbling.

So I have done a lot of reading on here. I saw today a yeast that works in the 60s and bought it on amazon. I also boughy a hydrometer but barely getting below 1.000 on it. It easy to read. Has a several section color coded for easy reading and I'm no where near 10%.

So I'm still learning and making mistakes.

[GCB3]

Welcome to our world, Scubby. Everyone here probably has a “story” they aren’t all that proud of. Dig deep in the threads and you’ll find most of the answers you need.
Take care.

[acfixer69]

Welcome to HD. Slow down and lets start over. Do a bit reading cranky's spoonfeed thread is great start. There is to much missing or just wrong in the mash description to try to correct. Do some reading about the ferment process to understand then go to tried and true pick a goal then you can ask if some think goes wrong we will know how to help you.

AC

[nuntius01]

welcome, i have the same issue right now. built myself a fermentation fridge. works wonders. drop us a pic. love to see your work. link is below

[TDick]

Hey guys,

So I'm from Maine in the USA. I have had a couple bumps in the road with my still. So I have done a lot of reading on here.
So I'm still learning and making mistakes.

Welcome Fellow N B !
I love Maine. Maybe not Today or January so much, but I visited, driving up from Boston and around hitting Bar Harbor then on to Campobello.
It was in August and I traded 98 F Alabama weather for shorts and light sweatshirts, fresh blueberry pies and Lobster Rolls!

I'll never forget it.
As to your problems, I know folks are getting tired of me posting this in most newbies threads:
Once you have completed "Required Reading" go straight to "Tried & True Recipes"
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=14

Read down til you find a few you are interested in, then read them until you pick the one you like.
Then read it beginning to end and study it until you have it down.
Follow it TO THE LETTER. Then if you have questions, plenty of members have SUCCESSFULLY done it and can answer any questions, solve any issues immediately.
Good Luck!

[fizzix]

mmmmmm.... lobster rolls.. . .. ..

sorry. Zoned out for a second
Welcome to Home Distiller, Scrubby. I'd like you to know we can get you all fixed up. (If Home Distiller can fix me, they can fix anyone.)

A few things we can start with:
Don't dump carbon in your still no matter what you've been told. And you won't always get a hydrometer reading below 1.000 -sometimes a ferment may finish even a little higher.

Relax. As suggested, read Spoon Feeding. You can do this!

[bilgriss]

Hi Scrubby. Good advice given. The more you read, the more you'll figure things out, and it all comes together. Absolutely use a tried and true recipe until you get your techniques down. It helps you (and us) pinpoint where difficulties lie.