Home Distiller

... just harvested my first batch of Tilapia about 180 of them. Use the water to fertilize my gardens (I raise peppers year round indoors). Figured I'd raise a couple of pigs this year to and while I was at it why not try moonshine. I can honestly say I have had more fun the last 4-5 years then the...

I don't post much - one of those dreaded "lurkers". I missed this thread when it originated, but thought I had something to add. I started this hobby after talking to a friend about the "lost art". It wasn't too long after that I started thinking about what a great skill it was i...

I've made peach, strawberry, blueberry, and blackberry, so far. One thing I couldn't bring myself to do is throw away the fruit. Being 108 degrees, today, I was pulling some ice for my sweet tea out of the freezer and saw the containers of frozen peaches left over from the last batch. Hmmmm....., I ...

I made the recipe in the first post, yesterday. Next time, I will heat the sugars much longer as it still has a slight grit. Like someone posted, caramelizing would probably add a bit of that mellow smoky flavor of the store bought. I also added rum flavor which had been in the spice cabinet for pro...

I contacted a nearby glass blower who makes "tubes", which look an awful lot like something you might find stashed in a VW van... Based on the photo above, she quoted me $150. I think I'll pass on the glass and try to make something from copper, myself.

I toured this distillery last weekend. The distiller was great, and the wife and I spent about 1-1/2 hours looking around and talking about their process. He opened a new bottle for us, and we had a few samples (luckily, it was only a block to the Honduran restaurant where we were having dinner). He...

I've been thinking of building an stainless essencier based on the design on this page: http://www.susanbelsinger.com/grecianbaylaurel.html But I do like the idea of being able to see the oils through the glass. I can't believe the prices of the ones on websites. One of the regular still builders on...

That guy's a friend of my wife - I've got to go check out his place. Maybe he'll offer me some tips. Apples are going for ~$2/bushel in Apple City (aka Taylorsville), near Lenoir. I'm wanting to try some apple brandy.

Well, it's done and breathing. Just from the smell, everything's great! Thanks.

Working on my third generation. Loving this. My friends like it, too. I used it in Apple Pie, and that was great, too. Nice fit between rum and whiskey. Thanks for the recipe and all the follow-up.

I've been reading and searching, and now I'm just going to ask... I have 1 gallons of sweetfeed mash ready to go. My distiller holds 8 gallons. I put the first 7 gallons in and started a stripping run. Then I got to wondering... Since it will easily fit - can I just add what I've stripped from the f...

I did my first run this weekend! Had a great time, really. I have a huge appreciation for those folks that have become very good at this, and stand as mentors for the rest of us. I did the sweetfeed mash I started last Friday. I'm not much of a whiskey drinker, but I honestly think some of this tast...

Welcome RB, I have a milehi rig (reflux) and like it pretty well I have a pot still too but I like the milehi rig. Glad to here this. Thank you. I'm sure with a little patience, and some tips from folks like you, I will be able to do everything I want with this for some time to come. Who knows, it ...

Thanks rtalbigr. Certainly no intention of selling anything - ever... I just like to hear their stories. I should have mentioned - rum is my drink of choice, so I was thinking I might be a fan of the sweetfeed recipe. I also like to be in touch with the old ways. My wife and I like to know how to do...

Hey all. Newb from the foothills of NC. I've been interested in small scale distilling for a long time, and I'm lucky enough to know a few folks that have been "in the business" at one time or another. Unfortunately, it seems I should have talked to them more before I went ahead and ordere...