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I am going to miss that guy. He always had a good word to say and would tell it like it was. I loved listening to all his stories , they always made me smile. I do wish I would have been able to meet him face to face and give him a big hug. I am sure he is working on a new bench right now waiting fo...

So sad to hear of Butch's passing. I so wish that I would have had the chance to meet him face to face. I believe he was a person that would always have your back and help any way that he could. I know he always had mine here on the forum. His sense of humor and wonderful tales would always bring a ...

Just another thought on your process. You are using a beer calculator for you starting and final gravities. In beer brewing you will mash at around 155 degrees getting some un fermentable sugars in your finished mash resulting in a higher final gravity and less ABV to distill. In distilling the typi...

Just curious, what size fermenter will you be using? You will definitely need one that has adequate head space. Or will you be splitting the mash up between smaller fermenters. Yes 34 pounds of grain will take up a bunch of room in the 15 gallon pot, with 11 gallons of water it will be very close to...

With a 15.5 gallon keg at your disposal I would think about your long term goals. Are you going to just use it as a pot still or will you at some time want to have some type of reflux column to go with it. If so I would install a 4 inch tri clover flange on the top for future use with a column. You ...

I must agree with SassyFrass. When I came here a few years ago I did not expect to be shown and told what to do I was expected to read and learn. I think quite a few newcomers are buying expensive stills with no knowledge of how to work it and when someone tells them to read and to learn and not jus...

I have run a plated column a few times and have experimented a bit with adding or subtracting plates. For flavored whiskies and rums for one and done method I will only use1 or 2 plates and adjust my column condenser to keep the vapor temperatures above the column condenser at around 185 to 190 degr...

Just my thoughts here. I have used 3 types of corn for my whiskies. Cracked corn at probably 4 to 5 pieces per kernel, steam rolled corn and flaked corn from the brewers shop. From what I have found the brewers flaked corn at about 2 dollars a pound now, is quite easy to use especially for a persons...

The good thing is sugar is pretty dependable wit specific gravity readings. Typically you will get 1.046 points per pound of sugar in 1 gallon of water. You had 2 pounds per gallon so I would bet starting gravity was about1.092 so figure about a 12% ABV wash .

Welcome to the forum. You might mention what you would like to learn about as well as your previous experiences in brewing or distilling.

Hey Jimbo, don't know what you have to work with but if you have a hydraulic log splitter you could put quick connects on the ram connections and use it to power a ram so you wouldn't have to do it manually. If you knew someone that knew how to weld you could design and build a stainless steel grind...

From what I can se the tabs looked soldered. Check to see if the material is hard or soft. Take a sharp knife or a file and see if you can peel the surface . Aluminum will peel quite easily and stainless will barely scratch. Check the soldered area as well to see what material was used in th ejoint....

Some ideas from a still I have built. Getting things off the ground makes it a whole lot easier.

From what I see there is a stainless steel cap with a stainless steel thermometer screwed into it. Many times when these pieces are built they are run very fast in the machine which sometimes leaves a tiny sharp burr on the thread. This can cause problems in many ways. It can start a gall between th...

Here is a thought. Maybe after my next stripping run I will let the backset cool and taste it to see what flavors come across.

Happy birthday Bushman hoping you have had a great day and will end it with a toast. OR Maybe some cake and ice cream!

I have been thinking about backset and its use in a spirit run today at work. So here is a thought. Many folks use backset in a new ferment to bring more flavor to the ferment and to the finished whisky. Why is it that it wouldn't do the same thing for a spirit run? I have seen a few statements that...

Using only a pot still I have had good results cutting the low wines with fresh mash. I try to start right at 20% ABV for the boiler charge. I have tried something different with my rum. I do the stripping run and quit collecting as the tails start to show and will add what is collected after that t...

Thanks for all the warm welcomes, it certainly has been awhile. We are fortunate here that the fires have not come close to us but the smoke and ash has been very bad. Weather is finally back in the mid eighties so fermenting will not be a big problem as it was when we were constantly in the 100 + r...

Just wanted to drop in and say hello. I have been absent on the forums for awhile but I am getting things ready to get back into the distilling game. Not much on the scientific end but I am a pretty good fabricator. I have simplified my equipment for all of it to be interchangeable. I have a 25,15 a...

Just carry a purse and you can tote around a Desert Eagle 50AE comfortably.

Most everything has been said and you have your plan down as to what you want to do. Just remember the more times you run a wash the more flavor dissipates. For whiskies you want the flavor to come through . Most quality whiskies are only twice distilled . A strip run then a spirit run. Irish whiski...

The second link Twisted Brick posted is definitely worth a read. It explains the reasons for not cooking all your grains at the same temperature. Off flavors can occur when some grains are cooked too hot. Just a little add on. When I do an all grain COB I like to use steam rolled corn cook it then a...

I just buy a bag of steam rolled corn , a bag of rolled oats and a bag of rolled barley and make my own. If I want a sweet feed I add molasses. Pretty simple really.

Tom Kat wrote: ↑Sat Feb 06, 2021 7:40 pm I am not sure. They have been Iin business for over 50 years. They seem to be pretty knowledgeable.

Just look at the inside of the weld. If it has rough and grainy spots that raise up a bit from the smooth surface just polish it smooth and passivate afterwards.

I prolly shouldn't have said that . Ha! But you just couldn't help it could you! :D I heard a story from a friend of mine about men poking at women to see what happens. Well it turns out she was military and he poked a bit too hard. From what I heard he wound up with a black eye. When I asked my fr...

I wasn't able to see inside the connections but the one showing the ferrule looks like there is a bit of sugaring on the inside. If so you will want to sand it smooth and then passivate as stiller boy described. Just curious , did the welder purge the vessel while doing the welding?

Welcome to the forum. If variety is what you want, there are plenty of different spirits and techniques right here on this forum. I would start with a basic keg still with a 4 inch sanitary fitting on top . That way you can attach any style column you want. I would start with a basic pot still colum...

You know Jimbo gave me that ostrich on loan out. I give it back after the fight ring was over, it was just too much for me to handle. Strange how we don't hear much from him anymore since I gave it back. Probably a handful to manage. Last I heard Flatwoods has the monkey and the ostrich melted the h...

Start at TBs first post and work your way to now. Take your time, sip a little as you go along. Watch out for the damn monkey. SF And that goddamned cat. I want a cage match between that monkey and that God Damned Cat . I'm bettin on the cat . She's a mean bitch and she cheats . Oh Boy! You gonna s...