Tell us about your mistakes.

This hobby is fun & enjoyable, but it is not tiddlywinks. Be safe!

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cranky
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by cranky »

Danespirit wrote: Flourpaste never let me down.
Until today, doesn't mean at can't happen again during any run

Danespirit wrote: Only problem is, my boilerlid is to big for a PTFE gasket...unless i make a "everlasting" one..
The lid on my little pot is bigger than that, I just wrap the edge of the lid with PTFE tape, 3-4 wraps and I don't have to worry about flour past getting on the element, mess or leaks and can use it several times before it needs another wrap or two.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Drunk-N-Smurf »

As most of you know I had finally attempted some all grain runs. My 3rd batch I Had 20 gallons of bourbon and 20gallons of spent grain sugar head fermenting away, and then life got a little hectic....wife and I decided that separation was the best option for us, and somewhere amongst the talks and the stress, I forgot about my batch....fast forward a month or so, I now have 40 gallons of vinegar and spent grain sitting in my basement literally covered in fruit flies..(the walls are alive!)..now I have to get the motivation to get it all out and clear the infestation out......might be easier to just move...


:(
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Danespirit
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Danespirit »

sltm1 wrote:Danespirit, I have to ask, what kind of flour paste are you using that would allow you to empty and refill your boiler without changing it?? Sounds like some "super" flour to me.... :?:
Nothing special..just flour and water. :)

Cranky i might give it a try with that PTFE tape..i would really like to get rid of messy paste..
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by pfshine »

Drunk-N-Smurf wrote:As most of you know I had finally attempted some all grain runs. My 3rd batch I Had 20 gallons of bourbon and 20gallons of spent grain sugar head fermenting away, and then life got a little hectic....wife and I decided that separation was the best option for us, and somewhere amongst the talks and the stress, I forgot about my batch....fast forward a month or so, I now have 40 gallons of vinegar and spent grain sitting in my basement literally covered in fruit flies..(the walls are alive!)..now I have to get the motivation to get it all out and clear the infestation out......might be easier to just move...


:(

Sorry to hear about that. The mash I mean. You should just move.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by T-Pee »

Wifey asks about a jug in the freezer for putting used grease into. I said there isn't a jug in the freezer that she can put grease into as that got tossed during the move. Ten minutes later she's got a gallon jug in her hand with a frozen brown liquid in it and she's topping it off with grease.

"Why the hell are you dumping grease into the rum backset that I've been saving??"
"Well, it wasn't marked."

Grrrr. :evil:

tp
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Brutal »

T-Pee wrote:Wifey asks about a jug in the freezer for putting used grease into. I said there isn't a jug in the freezer that she can put grease into as that got tossed during the move. Ten minutes later she's got a gallon jug in her hand with a frozen brown liquid in it and she's topping it off with grease.

"Why the hell are you dumping grease into the rum backset that I've been saving??"
"Well, it wasn't marked."

Grrrr. :evil:

tp
Ouch.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by pfshine »

I don't know who the sign should go to but here it is.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by skow69 »

Two words, my man: paint pen.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by jedneck »

Forgot to close the drain on the boiler, again. Luckily only lost a quart of mash.
welcome aboard some of us are ornery old coots but if you do a lot of
reading and don't ask stupid questions you'll be alright most are
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ranger_ric
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by ranger_ric »

DaaYYaaaMn JedNeck. That there is some AWFUL fast reflexes... I'm thinkin' it might be in the realm of GOLD medal material..
Matter of fact it seems that everyone that "has admitted" to this mistake has dumped gallons and gallons and not just "a quart of mash"....
So Please stand on the podium and smile while we play the star spangled banner.....
Nice job Jed

P.S. Sorry you lost that quart of mash. Let me know if there is anything I can help your family with in these troubled times...
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by greggn »

12 lbs of corn grits squeezed and strained and the wort racked into the fermenter. Normally my wheat batches go right down the garbage disposal but as little as a pound of the corn clogged the kitchen drain. I removed the trap, sucked out as much as possible with the shop vac, ran a plumbing snake as far as it would go, used drain cleaner, reversed the shop vac and tried blowing out the clog ... still clogged.

Plumber now scheduled to clear the drain.
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T-Pee
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by T-Pee »

greggn wrote:12 lbs of corn grits squeezed and strained and the wort racked into the fermenter...

Plumber now scheduled to clear the drain.
Welcome to the club.

tp
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bearriver
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by bearriver »

jedneck wrote:Forgot to close the drain on the boiler, again. Luckily only lost a quart of mash.
Lucky is right.

I won't even go there. :oops:
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by jedneck »

bearriver wrote:
jedneck wrote:Forgot to close the drain on the boiler, again. Luckily only lost a quart of mash.
Lucky is right.

I won't even go there. :oops:
Last time was 3 gallons. Had a hose on the drain stuck down the floor drain. This time it pour on my foot.
welcome aboard some of us are ornery old coots but if you do a lot of
reading and don't ask stupid questions you'll be alright most are
big help
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by pfshine »

greggn wrote:12 lbs of corn grits squeezed and strained and the wort racked into the fermenter. Normally my wheat batches go right down the garbage disposal but as little as a pound of the corn clogged the kitchen drain. I removed the trap, sucked out as much as possible with the shop vac, ran a plumbing snake as far as it would go, used drain cleaner, reversed the shop vac and tried blowing out the clog ... still clogged.

Plumber now scheduled to clear the drain.

Did you open the clean out on the side of your house? It gives you much more access to snake everything. Also if you get two shop vacs you can do a push pull to get the clog out.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Condensifier »

One of these has worked for me several times over the years. It's called a drain cleaning bladder.

http://www.harborfreight.com/medium-dra ... 99942.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
magnetic_tarantula
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by magnetic_tarantula »

Haha......guys......biggest mistake ever......trusting my ex wife wasn't the lowest of the low......thanks for calling the sheriff......

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/A ... 39791.html
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by HDNB »

magnetic_tarantula wrote:Haha......guys......biggest mistake ever......trusting my ex wife wasn't the lowest of the low......thanks for calling the sheriff......

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/A ... 39791.html

holy f*(k what a C^&T.

remember...revenge is a dish best served cold!! half a pound of blow under the drivers seat sounds like an appropriate investment.

* on edit to avoid another infraction today....not counseling to perform indictable acts, which would obviously be in contravention of of #6, this post is made in jest.

and i did learn we have a new rule #11, of which i violated today... :oops: .... and will apologize for as i did not know...
Last edited by HDNB on Sun Aug 30, 2015 6:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Truckinbutch »

Old Jewish guy came home every day and there was his grandson on the porch roof .The kid would jump into his arms and thank him for catching him because he was his 'best friend'.
>One day Grandpa came home , the kid jumped , and Grandpa stepped out of the way . The kid hit the ground and looked up , dazed, with a question in his eyes at Grandpa .
>The answer was simple ,"This is a lesson in life , grandson . Don't trust nobody , not even your best friend ."............................
>I'll help support the GoFundME if that happens for your defense .
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Truckinbutch »

This story is also a wake up call to all of us that have become too complacent in this hobby . THE MAN is just a phone call away :cry:
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by magnetic_tarantula »

Thanks truckin when the friend creates it i will post.....apparently it is bad for me to create one for myself(I am a DIY kinda guy but.....whatre you gonna do). Handcuffs behind your back for 5 hours isn't fun. Sucks cuz this is an awesome hobby, so absolutely perfect for my personality and skill set. maybe someday i will be able to do it again when it is legal(or i am working for a distiller)
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by W Pappy »

Yep damned near learnt that lesson not too long ago! The first ones ready to see you go down in a ball of fire are the ones that are closest to ya that is mad as hell at ya.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Truckinbutch »

magnetic_tarantula wrote:Thanks truckin when the friend creates it i will post.....apparently it is bad for me to create one for myself(I am a DIY kinda guy but.....whatre you gonna do). Handcuffs behind your back for 5 hours isn't fun. Sucks cuz this is an awesome hobby, so absolutely perfect for my personality and skill set. maybe someday i will be able to do it again when it is legal(or i am working for a distiller)
Evidently you didn't get 'screen tested' while cuffed or you would have mentioned it . That test left a lasting impression on me and explains one of the times my nose was broken .
>Not sure you ought to be posting here . Your info is valuable but it might come back to haunt you if a prosecutor decides to present it as evidence .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by magnetic_tarantula »

it is likely what will get me off the worse charge Truckin. I live in a white suburb, and am not a minority. They tend to not screen test uppity white people cuz they are worried they'll get sued, especially in California.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by ranger_ric »

M-T.
Absolutely nothing personal in this response.. Just a thought to linger on and justify in "Your" head.

I am on the other side of this scenario.. My "ex" daughter in law gets the grandkids for 45 days in the summer.... while this has no direct relationship with your issue "Our" side of the family is ALWAYS looking for an issue we can take any form of custody away from her...
That being said.. and only in relation to what the law allows and what it doesnt. UNTIL it is made legal perhaps in the best interest of your children and in keeping them AWAY from a mother who doesnt give a rats ass about them, you should pick the high road. This hobby will still be here when you no longer have to worry about her. I know in our situation it is just kind of a waiting game until the law catches her being a dumbass. and being in possesion (of something besides ethanol). Once that happens she goes away for a while. Just take a deep breathe and do what is right for those kids of yours.. Be a man's man BUT take care of those babies.. In the long run it will all work out all right. You could fight the HD fight BUT you might lose the kids and that is not worth it. Carry On Brother.. You are in my prayers and I am praying that those kids get the best chance at life and become your greatest blessing..
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Brutal
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Brutal »

You guys watch your back out there. Don't do anything dumb like putting a picture of your still on your facebook profile..
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by magnetic_tarantula »

Haha......thanks Brutal......That is exactly what I did......been up there for 5 years.....only takes two seconds of someone being pissed at you.

I should've made that decision a while ago Ric. I fooled myself into believe that no one would be that evil......a blessing and a curse that I always see the best in people and blind myself to their worst.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by ranger_ric »

I dont know how it happened...
I have 3- 5 gallon fermenters. I was on about my tenth gen of UJSSM. (god that is good stuff). The ferment stalled about the beginning of June... I opened the oldest and checked the SG. It was over 1.025. I stirred it well thinking aeration and added more DADY and oyster shell (yep over a cup of shells). The other two buckets I opened a week later. They were both stalled out. I added 3 handful each of the oyster shells. Stirred like crazy with a paint stirrer to aerate and added more rehydrated DADY. The bubblers in each of these went on for about 2 more days and then stalled. On top of this my stillin shed was staying over 90° during all this time.
Today I told myself that the temps at night are now falling and I can probably keep the shed in the 80°s so I am going to reopen these buckets.. They smelled like baby puke/vomit/diapers... All in one. The wash was a grey/green color.
I have read here many times to not judge a wash by its smell, so I was considering running it but decided to check the gravity. One was still over 1.025 and the other two were over 1.030 (SG= 1.062+/-)
I have looked at these ALL summer in the stillin shed and dont know which variable trashed them but today I dumped out the liquid and soaked the corn in fresh water so I could feed it to my birds....
Turn the page to starting a new batch of UJSSM Tonight... I hope it is every bit as good as the last batches I ran.. gonna take this entire first gen strippings and add them over the next few spirit runs.
Thank You Uncle Jesse for a great recipe....
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Bigbob »

From what I've read ,baby puke/vomit/diapers is not a good thing. You did the right move.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Jimbo »

But, if you've run it already, throw some oak in it and shove it in the back of some deep dark shelf for a few years. I have some Puke circa 2012 (corn whiskey gone horribly wrong), thats actually starting to come into its own. I may have had a few before the last tasting, so further research is warranted. I'll have Windy and Cornhusker taste it when I see them next for a couple more opinions.... or maybe misery just loves company hehehe
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