Home Distiller

thank you all very kindly....i appreciate it much

the copper coil and the main pot are at the same level about table high. Below everything (about three feet below on the ground) is a large 30 gallon tub with a water pump in it that pumps the cooler water up into the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket. The second hose (the one on top) that drains out of...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tmybcnmgckcudhb/still01%20001.jpg?dl=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow as seen in the drawing in the above link, the water in the five gallon bucket which the coiled copper sits in is overflowing...in otherwords, the cold wa...

How does the ABV of the completed mash effect the cuts and the head temperature that cuts are made at. In other words, if the completed mash has 14% ABV the heads might have to be cut off at 198F for example but if the completed mash has 6% ABV the heads might have to be cut off at a higher temperat...

In a simple pot still (no thumper, no double distillation, etc), what does it do to the quality of the final product if the the yeast died not because it ran out of sugars to convert but rather because the alcohol percentage got too high during the fermentation? In other words, the Specific gravity ...

I'm very glad to see that y'all seem to be in agreement with the various texts I've been reading (that #2 is best). They don't spell it out the way I did above but they all seem to indicate that answer two above is the preferred cause that should end the fermentation. There is a third option which i...

Assuming all environmental variables remain favorable (e.g. PH, temperature, nutrient levels, etc), after the fermentation is bubbling fiercely and the yeast are thriving, the fermentation eventually stops (or dramatically slows) for one of two reasons right? 1) the ABV gets too high for the specifi...

jholmz wrote:$152 us on ebay

that's the problem. I was hoping to rent it for $30.00

Whisky: Technology, Production and Marketing by Inge Russell

Are you willing to rent me your book. I can't afford it but I might be able to afford rent on that. Seriously, if you have this book or know where I might find a deal on it let me know.

ptech

Washashore wrote: it's fair game for infection every time you open her up.

So is the solution as simple as just don't open the fermentation bucket until the very hour that it will go directly into the boiler and start distilling within one hour of opening it??
I can do that if that would prevent it.

ptech

I read here that the book I was about to buy (Pure Corn Whiskey by Ian Smiley) is not impressive. Well I would very much love to find a book that is impressive with regards to the following topics; 1) how to optimally convert the corn to sugar so the yeast can feast on the resulting sugar (for all g...

Tater wrote:I would run it then decide . .

I ran it and if I had to try to put numbers on the strenght of thethe odor I'd say this;

100 is pure actual vomit
30 was the fermentation as it went into the boiler
5 is the collected out take

maheel wrote:looks about right to me

Maheel, were you talking about bellybusters results or mine?

Jar.......amount............ABV.............temp under boiler lid 1...........100ml.........discarded..........202F 2...........100.................??..............202 3...........100.................46%............202 4...........100.................45.............202 5...........100.................

so what are the suggested ways to prevent these things? especially if the fermenting is complete and I can't run it for 3 to 5 days? also, I had my heart set on drinking my very first fermentation but should I divorce it and throw it away. the drink doesn't taste as good with this mild vomit smell b...

What does it indicate when a finished fermentation starts to smell a tiny bit like vomit? I racked it out of the fermenting bucket then left it covered in a 5 gal watter jug. Tasted & smelled fine but 3 days later it had a slight vomit odor. I distilled it & the product had a tiny hint of it...

1.030 was starting & the ending was ~0.990

i've been reading that some add salt to the vinegar when they soak their copper. What does the salt do? Does it increase the probability that the soaking session will give cleaner results? I really would love to increase the probability of a successful clean this time after failing with three runs. ...

I was given a few reasons as to why it's better to make your own than to buy from the store. But what reasons would you give (other than taste). What I would really like to know is the details of commercial distillers and how those details compare to the home hobbyist that makes in comparison a tiny...

When the mash is done fermenting, can I drink the mash straight without even distilling it? After seven days it tasted like dry wine and it was delicious. It smelled so good and tasted so good I just wanted to drink a full glass (or two) right there on the spot. this recipe is 6.3 Lbs corn (rolled t...

should the vinegar solution be 50/50...water/vinegar ? or what is the recommended ratio of water to vinegar?

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=15489 I read the link above which is in the New Distiller Reading Lounge "Cleaning A New Still"...the following is what I've done so far in attempting to clean it but it still puts out blue-green liquid; 1) one gallon of pure clear vi...

Today is the end of the seventh day of my very first fermentation ever...the bubbling rate of the airlock is now 100 Bubbles per hour (I just converted that from 5 bubbles per 3 minutes). I'm sure some day I won't need to count the bubbles with my stop watch but on my very first fermentation I'm jus...

Two bubbles per minute ... soon my cherry will pop

Ptech

Turn it down till you get the takeoff rate you want. Maybe that's my question, what is the takeoff rate that I should want? 1) what's the take off rate that most home stillers want from a pot still? 2) what's the take off rate that is considered very slow but not too slow? 3) how do I determine a t...

How to slow down take off rate of a pot still. Turn the heat down. If you can't with your electric stove. Then you will need to get a different heat source. I can definitely turn the heat down to the point where it won't boil. The cast iron plate gives me that ability and it will hold steady consis...

you need to buy a mash hydrometer I have one and it said 1.030 at the begining on the following recipe; 6.3 Lbs corn 1.25 Lbs malted barley 1.5 Lbs sugar 5 gal water The air lock was bubbling at a rate of; 1st day 59 bubbles per minute 2nd day 29 per minute 3rd day 12 per minute. I just have no clu...

So what do I need to do in order to slow down the rate of a 24 Qt pot still in such a way that it takes a lot longer to get from the very first drop of foreshots to the last collectable drop of tails. But not so long that it ruins the whole effort. I do want to push the limit of slow though. I want ...

What are some cheap methods of lowering the temperature of a 5 gal mash in a 7 gallon bucket with an airlock?

I mean like after 3 to 6 days when you're not supposed to open the lid. The starting temp was perfect and I knew it might heat up here in this very hot climate. Shorts & tshirt today.

the air lock was blowing a bubble on the second day at a rate of 59 bubbles per minute. On the third day the rate was half of that at 29 bubbles per minute. I know the bubbles are the CO2 waste of the yeast after they metabolize the sugars. So I suspect this is a good indicator of the metabolic acti...