What'd ya'll make today?

[NZChris]

Look up Isle of Harris Sugar Kelp Water for a clue as to how to use the kelp.

[ckdistills]

Started malting rye for the first time yesterday and just now pulled it out of its second soak to breathe following Buccaneer Bob's protocol. Chits were already starting after the first soak this morning!

[NormandieStill]

Steam stripped a random side project. I don't make a lot of beer (compared to some), but I did feel sorry for all those spent grains just going straight to the compost (chickens got eaten by a fox last autumn!). So I decided that every batch of beer I make, I'll make a sugarhead on the grains. Same amount of water as I took off in wort and sugar to get the same pre-boil SG. I think I pitched baker's yeast, should really try and get into the habit of making a starter of the specific ale yeast I'm using and splitting it between the two ferments. Steam-stripped on the grain. I'll just keep collecting the low wines until I've got enough to justify a run. Based on today's yield, this might be a long project! I should probably also keep better notes so I can measure the abv in the wash and check I'm not leaving too much behind.

[higgins]

I stripped my YLAY bourbon yesterday (first time using Angel yellow label). I reserved 2 gallons (7.6 L), then stripped 10 gal (38 L) normally, then stripped 9 gal (34 L) using steam.

The fermentation had gone on for a month - the first 3 days around 90F (32 C), stirring twice a day, then letting the insulated fermenter gradually cool down to 75F (24 C) over 3 weeks. Cap had dropped, tasted and smelled boozy, so it seemed to be done, but my low wines yield tells me it wasn't. This grain bill was identical to the last bourbon I made using the corn cooking/HTL AA process, but my yield was 10-15% less, so I guess in hindsight I should have kept the ferment in the 90s F for a few weeks.

I'm going to run it anyway the same as the last bourbon so I can compare them to see if I can pick out any differences using YL yeast.

[subbrew]

Will do a spirit run on 10 gal of HBB low wines tonight. Then I will pack up the gear for the season. Assuming normal yield this last run will make right at 12 gal aging stock for the season, split between bourbon, rum and apple brandy.

[NormandieStill]

I stripped my YLAY bourbon yesterday (first time using Angel yellow label). I reserved 2 gallons (7.6 L), then stripped 10 gal (38 L) normally, then stripped 9 gal (34 L) using steam.

Did the same today for a YLAY HBB. Three batches combined. I siphoned off the clear (about 50% of the total volume) and put it to one side, then combined the slurry into two steam stripping runs. Got about 11,5 litres in total at 25%. Tomorrow I'll run the clear and see what my total volume is.

[Deplorable]

Finally made time to strip a ferment of 75/13/12 bourbon for a Badmo fill. I'm just about through the first boiler charge.
The weather is getting warmer, and I have a lot to do outside this spring. Hopefully I can get in at least one more fermentation of HBB to age for a year on sticks on its way to my 5 gallon solera barrel of HBB.
I got 4 Badmo barrels filled this season and made 2.5 gallons of neutral 95% to cut down for AG vodka. Not my best season, but in a couple years I'll have another 6.5 gallons of barrel proof, well-aged spirits for the bar.
I took a quick inventory of drinking stock and I think I'm sitting okay for a while. I've got about 11 gallons of barrel proof whiskey stocked up that's between 18 months to 3+ years old.

[Dancing4dan]

Filled a 20L barrel today after a spirit run. Golden graham, pale ale and 272 chocolate malts. Rolled oats for mouth feel.

The white was very tasty.

Critic says it was OK…

[venkman]

I threw together a bourbon mash today - same as the last one I made at 69% corn, 22% rye, 9% malted barley - but using Angel Yellow label no-cook method instead of cooking/htl/mashing/ga.

I put all the grain (milled to cornmeal consistency) in the fermenter (36 lb), added 9 gal 130F water, and mixed it up with a power mixer. I mixed in the remaining 9 gal water at ~55F and hit 93F. Added 75 grams YLAY, mixed it up, wrapped in a blanket. It took me about an hour total (grain was already measured and milled).

I'll run it using the same processes as for the previous bourbon so the only difference should be the mashing process. I plan to reserve 3.5 gal beer, strip 11 gallons, steam strip 10 gallons with grain, then run the mix thru my flute (three 4" sieve plates).

Interested in how this comes out, higgins! I just got my first package of Yellow Label to do some experimenting with. I have a 30gal mash of 75% corn and 25% wheat malt working off right now with US-05 that I plan to strain this weekend. I've held back on the YLAY until I felt like I could consistently get a good conversion with traditional mashing.

Side note, really looking forward to the SE Meet!

[Reefer1]

You lot have been busy lol
I havent made any thing today, i had few hours tasting some scotch i made 12 months back sat on oak, tasting some buccaneer bobs white rum and some vodka i made 5 weeks back, scotch is tasting pretty good plus the 6 month old i have maturing, rum is lovely and flavour is banging, i used tate and lyle black treacle in that mash i guess technically its not bobs rum.
and the vodka is good enough to drink neat.
So i am sat here smug as hell getting pretty anebriated

Thats my day

[Beefer]

just waiting for my second badmo clone to swell up and seal so I can barrel the last big batch SBB. Planning on a centre of hearts fill for the first barrel and then an "outer edges" hearts blending to go in the second barrel. Looking forward to see any differences in aging and flavour.

[Tōtōchtin]

I got to work on a Raicilla project using this still last weekend. The wood has soaked up the same mash bill for decades.
Tōtō

[jellybellyma]

My husband wanted some panty dropper for work but wasn't a fan when it was done... so I used ya'll as inspiration tonight and made a whopper of a strawberry sipping cream! Only thing I would change is to use a higher proof SPD to start, but I ran out of sweetened condensed milk.

I used:
3 farm egg whites beaten til foamy (beaten to about 3 times the volume)
Mixer still going as I slowly added 1 at a time:
2 cups 70 proof SPD
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Filled the empty can with whipping cream
1 tsp clear vanilla
2 Tbsp strawberry syrup

It is phenomenal!

[FuzzNFroth]

Did the spirit run for apple brandy from the '23 apple season. We have a mix of trees, Gala, Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, and a couple of unknown varieties that were already here. Beside the 30 qts of apple sauce my wife made, there was enough leftover for 15 gallons of cider.

[Bradster68]

Almost 9 gallon of HBB low wines.

Let the spirit begin

[rubberduck71]

Helped a buddy do a 4-plater rum run. 13 gal transformed into ~8L of hearts + another couple L of feints.

[JustinNZ]

A good old SBB Rum. Really easy cuts today. Promising flavours at both ends of the hearts. Gonna age on French Med Toasted Oak dominoes this time just to experience the sweetness for myself. Happy days.

[Bradster68]

A good old SBB Rum. Really easy cuts today. Promising flavours at both ends of the hearts. Gonna age on French Med Toasted Oak dominoes this time just to experience the sweetness for myself. Happy days.

I just put down 40 gallon of SBB ,can't wait to get it on some oak. Maybe I should give the French toast a try on some

[EricTheRed]

Decided it was time for another whiskey.
25 kgs maize meal
10 kgs rolled and steamed oats ground to flour

[Bradster68]

Decided it was time for another whiskey.
25 kgs maize meal
10 kgs rolled and steamed oats ground to flour

That's a tasty sip right there. Gotta bag of oats, just trying to find the time

[MooseMan]

Daughters boyfriend scored 6kg of free Rye&Pumpkin seed bread from Amazon. It's yuk.
So I got a cheap sack of flaked maize from the feed store to go with it and put 20 gallons down on YLAY today to use the hot condenser water while I was stripping a light rum.

No idea what it will produce, but I had to use it!

[Bradster68]

Stripping my 40 gallons of Bill's Rum.
Not all at once

[Yummyrum]

Well
It was yesterday , but did spirit run on SBB Rum .
180litres worth , stripped in three stripping sessions over the last week.

Using Thumper . Have been putting heads in Thumper ( with water down to 40ish ) and tails in pot with strip . This time I thought I’d try something different .

Had 50litres of Stripped wash @29%abv plus another 15 odd litres of strip from a previous batch .All up around 65 litres in Pot .

This time , I figured as the Tails from last Thumper run was close to 80%ABV , I’d call it high wines and add it to the Thumper .

Diluted with Dunder but wish I had used water in hindsight .
Hoping to build a second retort ( Thumper ) adaptor and pipes soon.

So this run , I took a fores cut which was about 450mls .
The heads were coming off really nice . Collected 15 litres of keeper stuff at around 85%ABV .
When the tails seemed objectionable , I started collecting all the Tails as High wines until the ABV off the still was 60% abv . Then collected all the rest as Low wines . ( below 60%abv )

So Heads Cut was smallest I’ve ever done , but there was litte to no burn after about tje third jar . So about 1 litre of heads . For a Pot Thumper run you’ll might think this too small compared to 15 litres of keeper , but it works ….. and no burn .

Ended up with about 12 litres of High Wines ( tails with ABV higher than 60%ABV ) and around 7 litres of Low wines. ( ABV below 60%ABV )

Diluted the Keeper down to 75% ABV and added to Barrel .

Not perfect High/Low wines but gotta start somewhere .

[MooseMan]

That sounds like a busy, but very productive day!

[Bradster68]

IMG_0019.jpegWell
It was yesterday , but did spirit run on SBB Rum .
180litres worth , stripped in three stripping sessions over the last week.

Using Thumper . Have been putting heads in Thumper ( with water down to 40ish ) and tails in pot with strip . This time I thought I’d try something different .

Had 50litres of Stripped wash @29%abv plus another 15 odd litres of strip from a previous batch .All up around 65 litres in Pot .

This time , I figured as the Tails from last Thumper run was close to 80%ABV , I’d call it high wines and add it to the Thumper .

Diluted with Dunder but wish I had used water in hindsight .
Hoping to build a second retort ( Thumper ) adaptor and pipes soon.

So this run , I took a fores cut which was about 450mls .
The heads were coming off really nice . Collected 15 litres of keeper stuff at around 85%ABV .
When the tails seemed objectionable , I started collecting all the Tails as High wines until the ABV off the still was 60% abv . Then collected all the rest as Low wines . ( below 60%abv )

So Heads Cut was smallest I’ve ever done , but there was litte to no burn after about tje third jar . So about 1 litre of heads . For a Pot Thumper run you’ll might think this too small compared to 15 litres of keeper , but it works ….. and no burn .

Ended up with about 12 litres of High Wines ( tails with ABV higher than 60%ABV ) and around 7 litres of Low wines. ( ABV below 60%ABV )

Diluted the Keeper down to 75% ABV and added to Barrel .

Not perfect High/Low wines but gotta start somewhere .

Wow. My rum run seems so much more blah after seeing your process. Iv got a long way to go

[sadie33]

Racked one ferment of HBB into a carboy and started another. Two more left to go.

[Deplorable]

I installed a 2nd AC on my 5th wheel, and when SWMBO finishes cooking this wonderful bacon I'm smelling I'm going to make a 5th of bacon washed bourbon. Today is day 4 of no alcohol for me.

[Twisted Brick]

I installed a 2nd AC on my 5th wheel, and when SWMBO finishes cooking this wonderful bacon I'm smelling I'm going to make a 5th of bacon washed bourbon. Today is day 4 of no alcohol for me.

Your homemade bacon?

[Deplorable]

I installed a 2nd AC on my 5th wheel, and when SWMBO finishes cooking this wonderful bacon I'm smelling I'm going to make a 5th of bacon washed bourbon. Today is day 4 of no alcohol for me.

Your homemade bacon?

[SaltyStaves]

Stripping run on what will be a triple distilled Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey.
60/40 Malted to unmalted barley.