What to name an entry

Discussions pertaining to the homedistiller wiki.

Moderator: Site Moderator

Post Reply
Uncle Jesse
Site Admin
Posts: 3924
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 3:00 pm

What to name an entry

Post by Uncle Jesse »

I want to put this into the wiki. What should I name the page? "Determining proof without alcoholometer" sems a tad long. Maybe not... what do you folks think?
"just go by what's coming out.
you smell it.
you put it in a spoon and burn it.
you drip it on a plate and burn it.
you taste it.
you rub it on your hands and smell it.
you rub it on your hands and feel it.
you put it in a little vial or bottle and shake it and look at the bubbles."

"as long as it lights easily in a spoon it's over 100 proof.
When it won't light in a spoon but will light on a plate it's under 100 proof but over 75 or so.
If it burns clear and blue and steady with a flame you can't see in sunlight it's very pure.
If it burns with a yellow "beard" it's got some fusils and impurities... the bigger the beard the more off it is."
"See how much liquid is left in the spoon after the burning stops."
(taste what is left in the spoon after the burning stops)

"Taste your output, compare it to the taste of the liquid left in the spoon after burning.
Tasting isn't very accurate for strength (and it gets less and less accurate the more you do it) but it is the most accurate test of how your stuff actually tastes (imagine that)."

"Catch some of the output and rub it between and all over your hands.
Move your hands from arms length toward your face, see how close you have to get to smell it.
Feel how fast it evaporates.
Feel when you rub it between your hands whether it feels oily or slippery (like soap) or scrunchy. "

"Learn to recognise how those feelings correspond to smell and taste and to how it burns."

"Put an half an ounce to an ounce of your output in a small glass bottle or vial with a tight fitting cap and give it a vigorous shake.
Look at the bubbles that form briefly along the edge of the liquid in a string like beads. (READING THE BEAD)
bigger more uniform bubbles happen at higher proof and it will stop "beading" alltogether as you start to drop below 100 proof. "

"Do all these things at regular intervals every time you run.
Pay attention to how these sensory tests corrispond to one another at different points in the run."

"Don't expect to understand exactly what you are seeing and smelling and tasting and feeling the first several times you do it.
Remember that you are training your senses as much as you are learning an intellectual set of tests... the senses learn through consistancy and repitition."

"Just keep doing it, consider it an integral part of your process even if at first you can't tell what good it's doing."

"It will all come together. There are people who can nail proof within two or three points by rubbing the liquor between their hands. The only thing they've got that you don't is experience... and if you don't do the tests whether you "get" them or not you'll never gain the experience. "

Once you senses are trained to tell proof, purity, etc... then buy yourself an alcoholmeter. :lol:
If only the best birds sang, the woods would be silent.
User avatar
Danespirit
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 2647
Joined: Tue Dec 25, 2012 8:09 am
Location: Denmark

Re: What to name an entry

Post by Danespirit »

A sensation for spirits. :?:
User avatar
Still Life
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1545
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2016 4:24 pm
Location: Great State Of Missouri

Re: What to name an entry

Post by Still Life »

Sensory Proofing
Opdog
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 151
Joined: Sat Aug 17, 2013 6:02 pm

Re: What to name an entry

Post by Opdog »

I’d put it under “determining proof”, then split it into two sections - Without an alcoholmeter and with an alcoholmeter.
I've stopped fighting my inner demons. We are on the same side now.
User avatar
Single Malt Yinzer
Trainee
Posts: 973
Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2016 3:20 pm

Re: What to name an entry

Post by Single Malt Yinzer »

Mixture of what OpDog and Still Life said.

Maybe keep the entry for [[Proof]] but add ==Sensory Proofing==, ==Alcometer Proofing== then create [[Determining proof without alcometer]] and redirect it to Proof? That would help people searching find it.

I've begun to like longer entries versus everything having a small entry. I think it give you a better understanding of where things fit vs everything being separated and then requiring people to put the pieces together.


PS: Hopefully this was inspired by one of the images I uploaded yesterday... :twisted:
User avatar
Saltbush Bill
Site Mod
Posts: 9675
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2011 2:13 am
Location: Northern NSW Australia

Re: What to name an entry

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Using your god given senses.
cob
Master of Distillation
Posts: 2691
Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2009 4:38 pm
Location: little puffs of dust where my feet used to be

Re: What to name an entry

Post by cob »

proof by dead reckoning.
be water my friend
Uncle Jesse
Site Admin
Posts: 3924
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 3:00 pm

Re: What to name an entry

Post by Uncle Jesse »

Opdog wrote:I’d put it under “determining proof”, then split it into two sections - Without an alcoholmeter and with an alcoholmeter.
I like this

Thought it's not just "without an alcoholometer" (well, of course it is) but it's more "traditional moonshiner methods"
If only the best birds sang, the woods would be silent.
User avatar
Bushman
Admin
Posts: 17988
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 5:29 am
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: What to name an entry

Post by Bushman »

At the bottom of this post I give another formula to use. Feel free to copy, split what ever you think is best!
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 61&t=42746
User avatar
thecroweater
retired
Posts: 6079
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:04 am
Location: Central Highlands Vic. Australia

Re: What to name an entry

Post by thecroweater »

If you are going to place those methods separate from proofing with tools like a hydrometer or refractometer then traditional proofing is probably the most self explanatory title. As some one once said to me many years ago, these new fancy names might sound cool but sometimes its best to just call the manually operated ground disturbance device a spade :thumbup:
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. Benjamin Franklin
User avatar
Mikey-moo
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1498
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2013 10:54 am

Re: What to name an entry

Post by Mikey-moo »

Proofing: Lore
Best place to start for newbies - click here - Courtesy of Cranky :-)

If you have used this site to save money by making your own top quality booze at home then please consider donating a couple of dollars to help keep this site running. Cheers!
Post Reply