Breaking Bad

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Brewbacca
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Breaking Bad

Post by Brewbacca »

Good morning, friends!

I'm a long-time all-grain homebrewer - been neck deep in that craft for about 12 years now. I've built my own equipment, milled my own grains, created recipes, and brew (on average) about 200 gallons of beer for me and my friends every year. After moving to the South a year or so ago, I was introduced to Apple-Pie by a friend and I began reading everything I could on distillation.

I finally ordered my still yesterday, and I'm looking forward to delivery in a few weeks.

I recognize that there are probably ways to enter a hobby that are more "measured" - but my dad always told me not to do anything "half-assed" and I think that I might have been broken as a child... or something. When I began brewing beer, I skipped the malt-extract steps and dove headfirst into all-grain brewing. I also skipped the bottling step and went straight to kegging. I LOVED making mistakes along the way, and learned more and more from every mistake - even as I honed my equipment and experience down to essentials that now create some amazing beer... this is what I'm planning to do with my still...

In much the same way that I skipped over some usual "beginner" step with beer brewing, I've invested in a reflux column still with bubble plates that I can modify and play with until I hone my skills... in the meantime, I expect to make a LOT of mistakes, and I'll look forward to asking a lot of questions.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom and your love for this hobby. I can't wait to join in.
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acfixer69
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by acfixer69 »

Welcome to HD. You will do fine here with your experience. Read through the safety forums cause making mistakes in distilling can be much more costly then losing some brew. Happy distilling.
Brewbacca
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by Brewbacca »

acfixer69 wrote: Tue Dec 01, 2020 7:27 am Welcome to HD. You will do fine here with your experience. Read through the safety forums cause making mistakes in distilling can be much more costly then losing some brew. Happy distilling.
Will do. THANKS.
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Demy
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by Demy »

welcome to the forum !
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Deplorable
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by Deplorable »

Welcome in.
Post a picture of your ne still in the "My First..." section.
Fear and ridicule are the tactics of weak-minded cowards and tyrants who have no other leadership talent from which to draw in order to persuade.
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Welcome to HD and look forward to your distilling experiences!

Please post some pics of your still and setup in another thread when you get a sec. It's recommended to do the vinegar cleaning run and sacrificial alcohol run before running any keeper product and purchase a fermenter at least 3x the size of your boiler (with some headroom for grains and cap) for best strip/spirit run and fermentation efficiency. I've got a bunch of carboys that help for clearing off sediment that I also find useful as well as a couple brute cans for ferments. ie; if you've got a 15'ish gallon boiler (very good and common hobby size) a blue 50 gallon HDPE barrel or two is pretty useful for mash and ferment.

Cheers!
-jonny
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————
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Twisted Brick
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by Twisted Brick »

Welcome Brewbacca!

I too, dove straight into brewing with all-grain recipes, and that 'spirit' will serve you well in your distilling journey. Sometimes more gets learned from forging ahead in the face of uncertainty and recovering from a mistake others are too afraid to make.

Best of luck to you.

Twisted Brick
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GreenEnvy22
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by GreenEnvy22 »

Welcome!
I did similar with beer. my wife bought me a 1 gallon extract kit several years ago, that turned out well. Then I went to all grain 5 gallon batches. I did one or two batches with bottles, then went to kegging.
Got into drinking whisky with some friends and figured it would be fun to make, so built a keg based still. Now I'm on to my second still, using my beer kettle.
---
I have a 50L pot still with dual Liebig condenser.
I typically make Whisky, grappa, and brandy.
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Deplorable
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by Deplorable »

GreenEnvy22 wrote: Tue Dec 01, 2020 7:29 pm Welcome!
I did similar with beer. my wife bought me a 1 gallon extract kit several years ago, that turned out well. Then I went to all grain 5 gallon batches. I did one or two batches with bottles, then went to kegging.
Got into drinking whisky with some friends and figured it would be fun to make, so built a keg based still. Now I'm on to my second still, using my beer kettle.
I did the same with beer. Bottling sucks and it doesnt take long before all of your bottles are at someone eleses house or gone and you have to buy more. I found kegging kept more beer in my fridge, and I saved a huge amount of time and money. I got a pretty good cycle going with 3 corny kegs, where I would have one in the fridge, one priming in the closet, and one clean and waiting to be filled with the next thing out of the fermenter. I quite brewing when it became inconveinent to go out of my way to buy ingredients, and the local micro breweries were willing to exchange an empty keg, dirty taps, and $40 for a full one and clean taps. $40 soon became $75, and that was the end of buying draft beer for the beer fridge. Most of my brewing equipment sat unused in the shed for over a decade before I jumped into this hobby, but the one piece I kick myself for letting go of was my keggle. Today, my cornys are used for Fients and LW storage.
Fear and ridicule are the tactics of weak-minded cowards and tyrants who have no other leadership talent from which to draw in order to persuade.
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ParrotHead
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by ParrotHead »

Brewbacca wrote: Tue Dec 01, 2020 7:18 am
I've invested in a reflux column still with bubble plates that I can modify and play with until I hone my skills
:clap: Haha Yep I'm the same way. Once you go all-grain you never go back especially with a counter-flow chiller/pump. My only problem now is that when I'm mashing in for a beer it kills me because I could be making a bourbon or single malt, but then I think, hey I'm going to need something to drink while I'm stillin. :crazy:

So what brand / type of reflux bubble plate column did you go with? I am kinda researching them right now. I love my Alembic but I also love new gadgets so . . . there you go and so the saga continues . . . I think a lot of people here were or probably are all-grain beer brewers. It's the logical next step that is almost impossible to dismiss mentally. I am new to this too, and I am addicted. It truly is the apex of fermentation science. Just wait until you try your own bourbon/whiskey. I highly recommend charring your own oak staves with a propane torch, Brewhaus Oak Stix balanced toast are really nice charred on one side (Char level 3 or 4). It has changed my 'meh' experience with regular toasted spirals and more woody tannin products. I found that rum was a really good place to start experimenting because its cheap, less wash labor, and very nice flavors that are hard to find anywhere else. When I first tried real rum off my still, I thought something was wrong with it. Why does it taste like black licorice, anise seed, and butterscotch? Enjoy the journey.
“Alcohol does not solve problems, but then again, neither does milk.”
“Not to get technical, But according to chemistry Alcohol IS a solution.”
WithOrWithoutU2
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by WithOrWithoutU2 »

Welcome.

As others have said, just be sure to have a solid understanding of safety protocols as you don't want to learn those from your mistakes.

Your extensive background in home brewing will serve you well. Especially given you said you like to experiment and try new things. Relatively speaking of the history of distilling, specialty malts/adjuncts is new to mashing for distilling. Some on here are really doing some cool things in this area and then share their success. For example, there is a recipe called Chocolate Sundae Bourbon that a member here has developed and shared. It sounds like you still is built for diversity in methods so that should also serve you well with trying new things.
n_plains_drifter
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by n_plains_drifter »

Welcome. My story has more similarities than differences with what the OP and others here have posted. I'm new to the craft, but my first batch after the sacrificial was an all grain corn whisky.

Brewing provides a firm foundation, and will ease your transition.

Best, Drifter
Brewbacca
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by Brewbacca »

ParrotHead wrote: Wed Dec 02, 2020 11:35 am
Brewbacca wrote: Tue Dec 01, 2020 7:18 am
I've invested in a reflux column still with bubble plates that I can modify and play with until I hone my skills
:clap: Haha Yep I'm the same way. Once you go all-grain you never go back especially with a counter-flow chiller/pump. My only problem now is that when I'm mashing in for a beer it kills me because I could be making a bourbon or single malt, but then I think, hey I'm going to need something to drink while I'm stillin. :crazy:

So what brand / type of reflux bubble plate column did you go with? I am kinda researching them right now. I love my Alembic but I also love new gadgets so . . . there you go and so the saga continues . . . I think a lot of people here were or probably are all-grain beer brewers. It's the logical next step that is almost impossible to dismiss mentally. I am new to this too, and I am addicted. It truly is the apex of fermentation science. Just wait until you try your own bourbon/whiskey. I highly recommend charring your own oak staves with a propane torch, Brewhaus Oak Stix balanced toast are really nice charred on one side (Char level 3 or 4). It has changed my 'meh' experience with regular toasted spirals and more woody tannin products. I found that rum was a really good place to start experimenting because its cheap, less wash labor, and very nice flavors that are hard to find anywhere else. When I first tried real rum off my still, I thought something was wrong with it. Why does it taste like black licorice, anise seed, and butterscotch? Enjoy the journey.
I ordered a copper flute still from Mile Hi. I almost dropped a load of cash on a Chinese still from Ali Express - but I couldn’t wrap my head around some of issues of lead contamination and other things. Plus, if I can support an American business, especially during COVID, that’s what I’m going to do.

Also: you’re darn right about counter flow chillers. That changed the game for me. I had a plate chiller but could never get it clean... and I’m super fastidious in my brew house. Everything is cleanable. Maybe that’s why I went with a fluted column that I could disassemble and clean?

What’s a favorite mash recipe of yours?
Brewbacca
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by Brewbacca »

WithOrWithoutU2 wrote: Wed Dec 02, 2020 11:48 am Welcome.

As others have said, just be sure to have a solid understanding of safety protocols as you don't want to learn those from your mistakes.

Your extensive background in home brewing will serve you well. Especially given you said you like to experiment and try new things. Relatively speaking of the history of distilling, specialty malts/adjuncts is new to mashing for distilling. Some on here are really doing some cool things in this area and then share their success. For example, there is a recipe called Chocolate Sundae Bourbon that a member here has developed and shared. It sounds like you still is built for diversity in methods so that should also serve you well with trying new things.
Agreed. I have been pouring over the beginners posts and re-reading all of the safety posts. The posts on fire safety are especially eye-opening. I’m grateful for the years and years of experience gathered here. I’ll do my best to live up to the high bar that’s been set by reading the basics before I start asking questions... seems like there’s so much more to think about that with beer... but I’m getting the hang of it.

The topic that probably makes me the most nervous is corn mashing... I still haven’t fully taken a dive into that yet. ...but that’s for another time. For now, I’m learning all I can about the safety, running my still for the first time, and figuring out what I’m going to run through on my first effort (I’m looking seriously at the UJSSM recipe...)
Brewbacca
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by Brewbacca »

Deplorable wrote: Wed Dec 02, 2020 10:39 am
GreenEnvy22 wrote: Tue Dec 01, 2020 7:29 pm Welcome!
I did similar with beer. my wife bought me a 1 gallon extract kit several years ago, that turned out well. Then I went to all grain 5 gallon batches. I did one or two batches with bottles, then went to kegging.
Got into drinking whisky with some friends and figured it would be fun to make, so built a keg based still. Now I'm on to my second still, using my beer kettle.
I did the same with beer. Bottling sucks and it doesnt take long before all of your bottles are at someone eleses house or gone and you have to buy more. I found kegging kept more beer in my fridge, and I saved a huge amount of time and money. I got a pretty good cycle going with 3 corny kegs, where I would have one in the fridge, one priming in the closet, and one clean and waiting to be filled with the next thing out of the fermenter. I quite brewing when it became inconveinent to go out of my way to buy ingredients, and the local micro breweries were willing to exchange an empty keg, dirty taps, and $40 for a full one and clean taps. $40 soon became $75, and that was the end of buying draft beer for the beer fridge. Most of my brewing equipment sat unused in the shed for over a decade before I jumped into this hobby, but the one piece I kick myself for letting go of was my keggle. Today, my cornys are used for Fients and LW storage.
I have a couple of spare 1/6 size sanke kegs that aren’t compatible with my stuff. I’m contemplating how to use those for feints and LW. My still is 16 gallons, so there’s some opportunity to put them to good use.
WithOrWithoutU2
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by WithOrWithoutU2 »

Brewbacca wrote: Wed Dec 02, 2020 5:53 pm
The topic that probably makes me the most nervous is corn mashing... I still haven’t fully taken a dive into that yet. ...but that’s for another time. For now, I’m learning all I can about the safety, running my still for the first time, and figuring out what I’m going to run through on my first effort (I’m looking seriously at the UJSSM recipe...)
UJSSM is a great way to start if you like whiskey. It's an affordable and easy recipe to practice running your still and making cuts to start. There is a reason it is probable the most popular recipe in this hobby. Once you have repeatable results from running your still/cuts then it will be no problem with your beer experience to move into AG.
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ParrotHead
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by ParrotHead »

[/quote]

I ordered a copper flute still from Mile Hi. I almost dropped a load of cash on a Chinese still from Ali Express - but I couldn’t wrap my head around some of issues of lead contamination and other things. Plus, if I can support an American business, especially during COVID, that’s what I’m going to do.

[/quote]

Yeah that's a really nice one. In my research of bubble plates it seems they are more for neutral spirits high abv. I imagine that you could easily run rum on this set up and retain flavor, but what do you think about that still for bourbon and whiskey, and fruit brandy? Are your plans to experiment with different numbers of plates? I also saw that you can run bubble plates without a dephlegmator (reflux chamber) to get better cuts separation and retain more flavor while still utilizing the plates. Just curious what your take on this was during your research.
“Alcohol does not solve problems, but then again, neither does milk.”
“Not to get technical, But according to chemistry Alcohol IS a solution.”
Brewbacca
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by Brewbacca »

ParrotHead wrote: Thu Dec 03, 2020 1:36 pm
I ordered a copper flute still from Mile Hi. I almost dropped a load of cash on a Chinese still from Ali Express - but I couldn’t wrap my head around some of issues of lead contamination and other things. Plus, if I can support an American business, especially during COVID, that’s what I’m going to do.

[/quote]

Yeah that's a really nice one. In my research of bubble plates it seems they are more for neutral spirits high abv. I imagine that you could easily run rum on this set up and retain flavor, but what do you think about that still for bourbon and whiskey, and fruit brandy? Are your plans to experiment with different numbers of plates? I also saw that you can run bubble plates without a dephlegmator (reflux chamber) to get better cuts separation and retain more flavor while still utilizing the plates. Just curious what your take on this was during your research.
[/quote]

This was precisely my dilemma. There is no one-size-fits-all. But, my plan is to start with neutrals until I get the hang of it and then start removing plates and other elements to retain some flavor when I get around to mashing.
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by Saltbush Bill »

This has out grown a welcome thread.
Best move to an appropriate part of the forum to discuss
Beer brewing and modular flutes.
Brewbacca
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by Brewbacca »

Saltbush Bill wrote: Thu Dec 03, 2020 2:13 pm This has out grown a welcome thread.
Best move to an appropriate part of the forum to discuss
Beer brewing and modular flutes.
Nothing says “welcome” like being told you’ve outgrown your welcome thread. 🤣

Moving along now...
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: Breaking Bad

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Welcome to the rabbit hole and hope to see you in an adjoining tunnel as we search for the exit lol.

Cheers,
jonny
————
i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————
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