Home Distiller

So lets say someone did something as retarded as leaving a paper towel in the column of a reflux still. Was a DWWG 2nd run and smells/tastes ok. Put the towel in the end when they chipped off the old gasket material (flour and corn flakes) so not to get it in the packing, then forgot to take it out....

Heres an even cheaper solution, I have a few lying around right now. :mrgreen: http://books.google.com/books?id=qCMmXAp237cC&pg=PA128&lpg=PA128&dq=condom+airlock&source=web&ots=vzGXn7E7r8&sig=Q4mB-OFwBqiA3afalspIu5IPD4k&hl=en&ei=Uh6RSc2QFI3BtgeZ1eTQCw&sa=X&oi=...

When making whiskey I look at the parrot beak for a ballpark and taste to decide when to make them. Small jars are the way to go for a novice. I always find myself distilling into the wee hours of the night and wait till morning to decide what is a keeper and what goes in the feints jug. I cover jar...

I am about to make some (Korean) pear hooch and would appreciate some advise. I have roughly 150lbs picked, washed, and in the deep freezer. My problem is that I don't want to ferment on the pulp, and I don't want to have to core and peel them all. (I spent an afternoon peeling and coring 25lbs for ...

Here are some recent labels i made and some damn good hooch also

The drink goes in the barrel at 140 proof, then replace what evaporated with water which dilutes it down. Higher % takes different flavors from wood than lower, and you get both this way and its already cut and ready to drink. This is first time ive done a barrel, ive made white dog and tried oak ch...

I just filled a med char 2 gal gibbs barrel with all grain, after a month its coming along nicely. Here is what I did. Go to the mill/feed store and get a #50 of crack corn from jimmy Go to the health food store and get a bag of rolled rye/Rye Flakes, you may have to call 10 stores before you find o...

Is there a difference between refrigerated raw wheat germ ($1.25/lb) at health food store and grocery store ($4 /12oz) Kretschmer® Wheat Germ?

Did a search on the subject and didn't find anything, when you guys filter with coffee filters do you use the white bleached ones or the brown ones that are not treated with chlorine? The bleached ones are safe for coffee i assume, but what about high proof alcohol? Think its leeching chlorine out o...

Thanks UJ, i was getting withdrawals also, glad you got it fixed.

Wineo is sure right about it going fast, ive got a gallon of strawberry sitting right now, but i havent ever added any sugar till i begin to extract the syrup, does it help the flavor to add some durring the flavoring process, or do you guys not do the syrup thing at the end when adding sugar at the...

What about backset? i know its essential for sour mash, will it improve cooked mash? also it is my understanding that the more backset you add to the next mash the LESS flavor will obtain from it, is this correct?

Ive been doing cooked mashes with flaked maize, but have thought about using cracked corn instead, flaked maize costs me $60/50lb (brew shop) while cracked corn is $8/50lb (farm services). Ive read that for cornmeal you add the corn at 152f w/ a handful of malt and bring to a boil, then let it cool ...

Well i distilled the wash today, came out nice without any off flavors just like Uncle Jesse said.

I was preparing a dextrose sugar wash to make me some more of pothead's delicious strawberry pantry dropper, and i siphoned it off to a secondary carboy to let it clear a little more outside, well the stopper blew out and i got a nice batch of dead nats and a spider or two floating on the top. I too...

Opened up the fermenter and it has a smell of vinegar, so im guessing its F@#$'d. Should i let it ferment out and see what it does, or am i wasting my time when i could be using the fermenter for a corn wash.

Well i got up this morning and its fermenting good sitting in my kitchen at 75 F air temp.

tater wrote:The distillers turbo yeast on that sight says use it with sugar,

I am using the pot distillers turbo, says to add the fruit at start of instructions.

I added my fruit then 5 lbs sugar.

I attempted my first fruit wash earlier this week and failed. heres what i did: took 50 lbs Korean pears, cored and pureed them with skins on. Ended up with 25 lbs of Pear muck. Placed in 32L plastic fermenter, in separate fermenter placed 3L hot water and 5Lbs sugar. once dissolved, placed in with ...

Condenser is 24" long, the core is 3/4" inside the 1" jacket.

Well i spent most of the afternoon cutting and fitting the pieces together. Ive gone back to the original plan of an 18" column. Heres how it looks so far: http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e397/scon_fu/pot1.jpg http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e397/scon_fu/pot3.jpg http://i43.photobucket.com/...

Both plans look ok to me,but ive built a few leibeg condencers,and I think that one will be a water hog.I made mine with 3/4in inside 1in,then reduced it to 1/2 on the collection end. also leave the 2in reducer unsoldered so you can clean it better,and put a scrubber or two in there,depending on wh...

Well you guys convinced me to build a pot still so i can make some good whiskey and brandy. I went to the scrap yard and got all the NEW copper i need. total came out to $14 for (1) 2"x28", (2) 1"X26", (2) 1/2"X30". Not bad at all. I am building mine as close as i can t...

Thanks for all the responses guys. Ive thought it over and i am going to go ahead and build a pot still column for my boiler. I realize that if i want to make really good whiskey and brandy in the future i will need a pot still. I went to home depot and priced 2" copper, wow, $90 for 10ft. For ...

Hello all, First off id like to say you guys have a real nice forum set up here. This is my first post but ive been here researching too many times to count. I am a small time farmer that enjoys sipping good whiskey out on the front porch after a long days work. An old moonshiner got me interested a...