Home Distiller

Thanks MDH, I hope everyone had a great 4th. I definitely will not be adding sugar. Optimism is my nature but I'm trying to not have very high expectations just in case this one turns out to be a flop. I should wind up with a 20 gallon wash or so. Not sure what the SG will be but either way, even if...

Stinky, How does it smell? Some folks have good luck with wild yeast but every time this has happened to me it didn't turn out well at all. If its fermenting furiously with a good cap but smells like......well pretty much barf/shit then it a bacterial infection you got going on. When this happened t...

Hahaha close call there.... On the customs declaration form they give you it still says "Death For Drug Traffickers Under Singapore Law". That's how to make folks walk the line. I always keep that show "Locked Up Abroad" in mind when traveling. Even something that you think is in...

Hey MitchyBourbon thank ya, Yessir in '04 my username was, try not to laugh, Texbullrider. Talk about younger and dumber lol. Singapore is always good to visit. I usually make it over here a few times a year. Mostly for a day or two coming and/or going from a job. I've been laid up in the Hilton on ...

Howdy everyone, I don't know what possessed me to wait this long to indroduce myself. Maybe just felt like I should lay low but nevertheless, here I am.... I initially joined the forum in 2004, when I first began distilling, although under a different name. My best friend and I built a basic reflux ...

Yeah I here ya NZ, I dont plan on adding sugar. Even if I justr get a little bit of good tasting brandy that'll be worth it for me. I can always save up alot more strawberries. Red, Ddefinitely a good option. I could put some wash and freshly pulped berrries in my thumber. Has anyone made Brandy wit...

Howdy everyone, I Have a couple of questions for the seasoned brandy distillers, if they'll allow. I've searched and read but need to fill in some gaps before I start getting after some brandy making this year. First off, I have next to no experience making brandy. I did at one point make a Peaches ...

Yes. I tried and it was a no go for me. I was using a drill and had the mill sitting on top of a bucket, at one point the rollers caught a grain or two and binded up. Damn near torqued my wrist and flipped the mill over dumping the entire hopper out and covered my dog (who happened to be sleeping on...

If you've ever scratched your back with your racking cane....

Howdy everyone, Well I lost my last mash of this due to a nasty infection but ordering some more grain today to have another go. I was just wondering if anyone has run this recipie through a flute. I notice most XX with a pot still. I could go either way but am pretty curious how it would fare throu...

Finally! Glad to hear there is other folks from the Houston area on here. I live just on the edge and am distilling/fermenting every spare moment. Well I'll step out on a limb and say that I'd love to swap products/recipes/ideas with someone sometime. I dont have any buds who distill, they just like...

Jimbo, just wanted to say I've been reading and re-reading this thread for two months while floating around offshore and am about to go CRAZY. Can't wait to get home and give it a go. Been having good luck previously with AG but just to reiterate what others have said, it's not all smoke and mirrors...

Dammit! I was there for over a month last year on the island of Borneo and I've been to some crappy places but damn, that place is something else.....I dont know if I would have survived without being able to go to "town" and find a beer or two.

Nowhere near me carried it or any other sweet feed without pellets either. I just bought a bag each of cracked corn, rolled oats and crimped barley. Also got a jug of feed grade molasses and mixed it up myself. It worked just fine and that way you can adjust the mixture to your liking. After a coupl...

That all makes good sense. I wouldn't have added so much water but that is what the recipe called for so I went ahead with it. I chose 60 grams of yeast because the recipe didn't specify a type or amount so I referred to the parent site (which is what alot of the veterans of this site would avise me...

rtalbigr, Thats reassuring man I was hoping it didnt get infected. It sure seems a little quick to be almost done though right? Pitched yeast Sunday morning and quit bubbling hard by Monday evening..... I know the cap, Co2, acid etc. is normal but what about the funky lactic smell? Just slightly puk...

Top of the morninig (afternoon) to everyone, I'm looking for an explanation and possible solution to whats going on with my current fermentation. So, I Followed an AG recipe very closely that is outlined on the parent site by Tarvus. I used 25 lbs wround white corn, 5 lbs ground wheat and 17 lbs mal...

Pesty, Awesome reading right there, thanks a ton! That'll keep me busy reading later tonight. I'm waiting on UPS to show up today with my grain I ordered from http://honeyvillegrain.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow. I ordered 50# of white corn, 5...

Well I started up my first DWWG batch on Wed and pretty much followed the original recipe to a T except measuring out the germ. Just guestimated but probably close if not a little more than 16oz. When I checked on things Thursday morning it seemed that I had DW's original results as well. Germ splat...

Ok sounds like a stepped mash is the way I should go. If there's one thing I'm blessed with it's an abundance of spare time! I'll give it a go this week and see how it turns out. Thanks Dnder and MitchyB!

Howdy everybody, I gotta tip my hat to all of you on here for providing so much information. Y'alls expertise has added a whole new dimension to my learning. I've been moving into AG and its a challenge to say the least but I'm loving it and am having reasonable success. To date, all my AG mashes ha...

Howdy everyone, After several weeks of stripping runs I wound up with & gallons of low wines and readied myself for my first spirit run of sf whiskey. I used some leftover beer from the last fermentation to dilute low wined to 40% and charged the still. (I am running a 15.5 keg with a short nec...

Howdy everyone, After several weeks of stripping runs I wound up with & gallons of low wines and readied myself for my first spirit run of sf whiskey. I used some leftover beer from the last fermentation to dilute low wined to 40% and charged the still. (I am running a 15.5 keg with a short neck...

Dnderhead, ok I seem to remember reading that 2-row is usually in the low 100's. Mine came from the local homebrew shop so they should be able to tell me for sure. As far as adding the rye to the mashing corn, would you recommend combining the corn and ryeand bringing up to the temp that rye convert...

Thanks MitchyBourbon Thats good reading there. I know I have a long way to go but I gotta start at some point. IMO the best learning is done hands on and just giong for it. If nothing else I'll learn from whatever mistakes I'm sure to make. Tater, of course, I've read the parent site up one side and...

Howdy, I am looking to do my first mashing session tomorrow and need some guidance. I'd like to shoot for a bourbon grain bill and have quality cracked corn, some rye and malted 2 row barley all on hand. Most of the recipies I've read are for 5 gallon batches or so, how much of each grain would y'al...

Yup you are correct. After everything cooled down and I disconnected the tri-clamp I saw the puke up in the tubing and lyne arm. I'm actually relieved this finally happened to me so now I know what not to do. Thanks!

Howdy, I am finishing up stripping 10 gallons of 5th gen SF and have run into something new. Running a 15.5 pot still, I tossed 150ml of foreshots then began collecting in 400ml jars. The first two were crystal clear as usual and started at 67% abv, at the third jar the distillate was coming out not...

Good deal I'll just have to run easy and see how it does.

Just to clarify, this is 1/2" OD tubing. Am I still okay? If not I can go find some bigger stuff if I have to.