Home Distiller

Thanks for the info Bushman. I can understand the process of warm/expanding wood absorbs the liquid and when the temps drop, the wood contracts expelling the liquid with it's flavors. I'm assuming that's right. So, if there's no wood involved, will the warmer/cooler process still be beneficial to th...

How often do you move your finished product from warm to cool etc, and if you manage to keep some for several years, do you continue to rotate it from the different temps until it's consumed?

Thanks! That makes me feel better. I could have always figured out a way, but for now, cold is how it's gonna be. Many thanks for your input guys. Enjoy your holidays!!

Shiner

Hi all. I haven't been here in a while. Got caught up in another hobby, looking for that gold in the rivers around here. I've moved and don't have the shop that I did have for this hobby and I'm setting up my spirit run/cuts in some fairly cold temperatures. In the mid to high 30's. I was curious if...

Thank you for your response and believe me, I have spent countless hours here reading. My mistake was, first not seeing what the active ingredient was in spa ph balancer. Sorry, my bad. Another senior moment.

I've been using Calcium Carbonate when I have an issue with this, but I ran short of it and someone suggested using some spa ph balancer instead. A good or bad idea?

Thanks you guys. Looks like I'll continue with what I've been doing.

For those of you that are using one, how often do you find you need to calibrate it? I've been doing it every time I start a new mash. Just curious what is really necessary.

This problem is common with UJSSM around the third wash. I check the ph of my wash at the start of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc, and it's usually around 3.8. I add enough calcium carbonate to bring it up to 5.4 and it finishes up in about 7 days. I mix it with water in a quart jar, then add it to the wash...

So whether I oaked it or not, the mellowing effect will do better in warmer storage?

That makes good sense and sends me a good direction.

Many thanks guys!!

Yep. Oaking, as flavoring my UJSSM. I haven't a clue what the big boys do or where they keep it while it's doing time. I've had mine in the shop which can go from the 80's to below freezing over the course of a year. I have a basement that I was figuring on leaving it in, but really wasn't sure whic...

I've looked through here some and didn't find anything on this. What is the best temperature for aging and flavoring? Warmer....cooler????

Thanks!

Well, just for the record. I did rack it off and did my stripping run. As you said, it was on the short side for volume, but it tasted great. I started the next batch with a Ph of 5.1 and will keep a better eye on it this time. The SG was .060. I also added some tomato paste at the start, so hopeful...

OK. Back from work. Yes, I replace spent corn. I'm using 1 1/3 gallon backset to 2 2/3 fresh water on the lees. I'm in a 5 gallon demijohn with 6 lbs. sugar. I dropped the sugar 1 pound because I'm not putting back 5 full gallons for a new wash, if that makes sense. His original recipe replaces 5 ga...

I haven't been checking it after the first mash. I believe I read in the UJSSM thread that it's inaccurate with yeast already in it. Maybe I interpreted it wrong??? It doesn't have a sweet taste to it. :? I just didn't want to run it with sugar still there. All my mashes till now have always finishe...

I have an UJSSM on the 4th run that came to a complete stop at 1.010. I checked the pH with a digital tester and came up with 3.3. I then added some Calcium Carbonate which brought it up to 4.3. It worked for a short while (maybe 10 minutes) and stopped. I waited a while and added a pack of bakers y...

here is where i got mine since the nearest oak is a thousand miles away i use a mix of this guys stuff the toasted and charred. i have been happy as it goes a long ways for me, it tastes great, and i know it is the right stuff... and he is careful not to taint the wood with oil from chainsaws and s...

I have had good luck going to a local cabinet shop and buying white oak from their rem pile. Take em home cut em up and give them a toast on the BBQ. :D pretty cheap and their happy to get rid of the smaller pieces. Last bunch I got cost me only a six pack.. Somewhere I read that the sticks should ...

You got white oak on the property.... You have all the nessasary tools to make it... You're asking where to get white oak sticks.... Leave all the tools in the shed.... Go to HD and buy a hatchet(chainsaws too easy and produces too make use full saw dust particles) Trek out to the property, mark 10...

I have done many searches online for these critters, but have come up empty. I've also read here till my butt is sore about using the sticks, but never came across a source for buying them. I have all the tools to make my own if I could find some of correct oak. We've got white oak on the property, ...

also i fermented in my man cave which is probable a little cooler than normal cause its cold in these hills. would a heating pad help keep the temp up better and speed the process up a bit more. i also had to use bakers yeast cause for some odd reason distillers yeast is hard to find on line Someon...

We're on our third batch of UJSSM and my partner in this misunderstood the yeast issue and threw a third of a cup of yeast in the new batch instead of just using the existing yeast in the old wash. Will this create a problem for this wash, like an off taste or such? No harm done, you'll be fine. Th...

We're on our third batch of UJSSM and my partner in this misunderstood the yeast issue and threw a third of a cup of yeast in the new batch instead of just using the existing yeast in the old wash.

Will this create a problem for this wash, like an off taste or such?

Welcome to HD RedHead, This is the setup I use in the winter, I use aquarium heaters and insulate and do it in the shop, not because of smell, I just don't have a lot of room in the house. The aquarium heaters work great to maintain a steady temp in the cold winter weather here, I just have too man...

That's fair enough. I'll find out soon. Thanks for your help. Always appreciated.

Shiner

Thanks. I'm fortunate that I do have some great water that comes from a stream out of the wilderness that crosses my property. The same water the local moonshiners used here in the late 1800's and up through prohabtion. I'm very fortunate. What would you say that the volume of good cuts are from a f...

Thanks! I appreciate the heads up. What should I be using to delute it with, the same water I made it with, distilled water.....????? I'm running a potstill.

Thanks for the link Prairiepiss. A great read. I've done may searches for feints run, but never found that one.

When starting out here I read about saving feints for a feints run, which included heads. I later read that heads shouldn't be included. Well, to late for me, as I've already mixed them together over time. I'm wanting to do a run with it now and was wanting to hear what you all think about this. We'...

Thank you!!