Search found 13018 matches

by NZChris
Wed Mar 27, 2024 11:25 pm
Forum: Drinks and Drinking
Topic: Affirmation
Replies: 1
Views: 25

Re: Affirmation

I often take a hip flask to my local pub for my drinking mates to sample, not always the same product. The smoothness and so little burn are often commented on.

Today, I took freshly caught and smoked fish. A lot of people tried it and loved it.
by NZChris
Wed Mar 27, 2024 6:26 pm
Forum: What Not To Use/Do
Topic: Aquarium Heater Danger
Replies: 52
Views: 8417

Re: Aquarium Heater Danger

venkman wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2024 6:04 amBut it's 1200w so I can only regulate one with my controller which is rated 1920w.
My 20 gallon can currently has 90W under it and that isn't always on because the can is insulated and the yeast is still putting out heat.
by NZChris
Tue Mar 26, 2024 3:31 pm
Forum: General Stilling questions
Topic: ? on tails
Replies: 23
Views: 379

Re: ? on tails

I have no idea what the ABV at the spout is when I shut down. If I've measured it lately, I haven't recorded it. I'm sure I would have been watching it when I was a noob.
by NZChris
Mon Mar 25, 2024 11:50 pm
Forum: Fruits & Vegetables
Topic: Old wine - brandy or spirit?
Replies: 9
Views: 133

Re: Old wine - brandy or spirit?

Oxidized and vinegar are not the same thing.
I have aged product in my drinks cabinet that is oxidized but is not vinegar.
I have aged vinegar in my pantry that is oxidized.
by NZChris
Mon Mar 25, 2024 10:32 pm
Forum: Fruits & Vegetables
Topic: Old wine - brandy or spirit?
Replies: 9
Views: 133

Re: Old wine - brandy or spirit?

Oxidized wine does have it's uses, so check that it doesn't have an interesting use before you distill all of it.
by NZChris
Mon Mar 25, 2024 3:44 pm
Forum: Fruits & Vegetables
Topic: Old wine - brandy or spirit?
Replies: 9
Views: 133

Re: Old wine - brandy or spirit?

I've never distilled oxidized wine, but If I did, I would double distil it in the pot and if that didn't work out, then put it through the Boka.

The middle of the strips might tell you if it isn't worth a spirit run in the pot.
by NZChris
Sat Mar 23, 2024 11:26 pm
Forum: Rum
Topic: Questions about a YouTube rum video
Replies: 5
Views: 195

Re: Questions about a YouTube rum video

I just remembered that Absinthe uses both distillation and infusion, so I've successfully combined both methods every year for quite a few years.
by NZChris
Sat Mar 23, 2024 10:53 pm
Forum: Rum
Topic: Questions about a YouTube rum video
Replies: 5
Views: 195

Re: Questions about a YouTube rum video

Steve Broady wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 8:56 pm I’d be very interested to hear your thoughts (or even taste the results of) infusion vs. redistillation.
Try both. I've had success with both methods, sometimes when creating one product.
by NZChris
Sat Mar 23, 2024 10:14 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Wash or dunder
Replies: 10
Views: 182

Re: Wash or dunder

I double distill everything but I don't want to loose any flavor. What loses flavor is not keeping enough Low Wines from the stripping runs and being too aggressive with heads and tails cuts on the spirit run. Choose your cuts by tasting prospective blends rather than trying to guess what effect in...
by NZChris
Sat Mar 23, 2024 9:48 pm
Forum: Rum
Topic: Questions about a YouTube rum video
Replies: 5
Views: 195

Re: Questions about a YouTube rum video

Those cuts were done by newbies doing OEG style experiments so don't take much notice of them. I quite often return the foreshot to the collection jug when doing this type of experiment. Taste it. Heads and foreshots are arbitrary cuts made by distillers for whatever reasons they feel are necessary....
by NZChris
Sat Mar 23, 2024 2:12 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: Chemical smell
Replies: 21
Views: 331

Re: Chemical smell

A problem with expanded PTFE is that it has poor memory. It will seal well the first time you use it but may fail to seal for subsequent uses, especially if there are slight flaws in the mating surfaces and you don't manage to match them up perfectly each time.
by NZChris
Sat Mar 23, 2024 12:55 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Wash or dunder
Replies: 10
Views: 182

Re: Wash or dunder

There is no correct answer as you can use both wash and dunder to lower the proof. 100 proof, (50% abv), for low wines is very high unless you are making a light flavored rum. You can strip until you have the proof you want rather than adding wash, dunder or water. Keep good records to refer to for ...
by NZChris
Fri Mar 22, 2024 9:26 pm
Forum: General Stilling questions
Topic: ? on tails
Replies: 23
Views: 379

Re: ? on tails

Thats about as low as I can be bothered going . Never seen any improvement stripping down lower . One of the advantages of running a preheater is that much of the time and energy expended running deep strips is recovered by the preheater, so the incentive to stop stripping while there is minimal et...
by NZChris
Fri Mar 22, 2024 3:16 pm
Forum: General Stilling questions
Topic: ? on tails
Replies: 23
Views: 379

Re: ? on tails

Depends what I'm making. 24% for aged with lots of flavor, 35% for light, or white rums. If emulating a rum from a particular distillery, whatever they run to. I don't really have go-to recipes and methods and like to spend time researching to get a pretty good idea of what I intend to do before put...
by NZChris
Fri Mar 22, 2024 2:00 pm
Forum: General Stilling questions
Topic: ? on tails
Replies: 23
Views: 379

Re: ? on tails

My rum strips are always cloudy.

Watch the abv of the collection jar, shut down when you reach your target.
by NZChris
Fri Mar 22, 2024 1:12 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: White Rum flavour too strong
Replies: 20
Views: 372

Re: White Rum flavour too strong

Most of the commercial rums you have ever tasted will have been blends, I doubt I've ever tasted a single batch rum from a commercial distiller. Commercials don't blend in the fermenter, they blend later, usually after aging. If you search the websites of distillers who make products that you really...
by NZChris
Thu Mar 21, 2024 3:23 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: White Rum flavour too strong
Replies: 20
Views: 372

Re: White Rum flavour too strong

After doing my research, I understood that doing singles would be a mugs game, so I've never bothered trying it. My first fermenter was three times the volume of my still and is still my most used fermenter over thirty years later.
by NZChris
Thu Mar 21, 2024 12:49 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: White Rum flavour too strong
Replies: 20
Views: 372

Re: White Rum flavour too strong

just add neutral. Ever tried making decent Neutral with an air still Chris ? could easily make it worse than it already is. No, because I've always had a larger still, but I do have a lot of experience with smaller pot stills than an air still. The main quality problem with air stills is the greed ...
by NZChris
Wed Mar 20, 2024 11:22 pm
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Has your thumper ever completely filled up?
Replies: 18
Views: 6215

Re: Has your thumper ever completely filled up?

DjRick wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 10:55 pm Is the final consensus that your boiler is running too hot (temp?) and that is why your thumper is filling up?
I doubt it. The consensus/science is that you can't control the temperature in your boiler.
by NZChris
Wed Mar 20, 2024 9:13 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: And so it begins... from maguey to mescal
Replies: 20
Views: 801

Re: And so it begins... from maguey to mescal

If you have a Brix refractometer, a reading from a squeezed drop would be interesting.
by NZChris
Wed Mar 20, 2024 5:42 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: White Rum flavour too strong
Replies: 20
Views: 372

Re: White Rum flavour too strong

You're asking for trouble by trying to make rum in a single pass with a simple pot still.

That said, you don't have to re-run it to tame it, just add neutral.
by NZChris
Wed Mar 20, 2024 1:12 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Sacrificial alcohol run
Replies: 4
Views: 120

Re: Sacrificial alcohol run

I don't even keep it for fire starter. It looks and smells like perfectly good alcohol and some idiot might find it and drink it or add it to perfectly good product. I store mine in a can in the garden with a burning rag in it.
by NZChris
Wed Mar 20, 2024 1:04 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: first stripping run down
Replies: 3
Views: 109

Re: first stripping run down

Using a thumper, you should be able to make barrel proof spirit in one run, no need to strip. I added the hearts from the vodka (sac run) in the thumper hoping it would cool it down.... Bad move. It's called a sacrificial run because it is contaminated and possibly toxic and should be thrown away im...
by NZChris
Wed Mar 20, 2024 12:29 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: how long can wash sit out before it goes bad
Replies: 1
Views: 83

Re: how long can wash sit out before it goes bad

Not much info to go on. SS or copper?

To avoid burn on, agitate before restarting if there are any solids in the wash.

Thumper too small, over filled, running too slow with no insulation???
by NZChris
Mon Mar 18, 2024 10:49 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Caution Plastics envolved making Raicilla
Replies: 14
Views: 421

Re: Caution Plastics envolved making Raicilla

If it's only in plastic for a few days and I don't want to use it for my daily tipple I wouldn't worry about it.

If the distiller next door ran into glass or SS, I would buy his.
by NZChris
Mon Mar 18, 2024 10:14 pm
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: New member from New Zealand
Replies: 12
Views: 273

Re: New member from New Zealand

Firstly, the **Welcome Center** rapidly gets unfriendly if you start asking for advice on it, so I advise you to start another thread elsewhere. NZ Scrap metal dealers copper bins often look they contain at least one kitset still to me. Have a good idea of what you are shopping for before you tour t...
by NZChris
Mon Mar 18, 2024 11:39 am
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: different box type cereals
Replies: 2
Views: 105

Re: different box type cereals

I’ve only done it with a random selection of breakfast cereals left behind by visitors. With 8 years on oak it’s very nice but there’s not much left.

They are unlikely to have preservatives in them. If you like the flavor try it.
by NZChris
Sun Mar 17, 2024 8:53 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: And so it begins... from maguey to mescal
Replies: 20
Views: 801

Re: And so it begins... from maguey to mescal

I wouldn't take his word on the saran wrap without checking. I suspect 350F is way over its useful maximum.
by NZChris
Sat Mar 16, 2024 10:59 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: And so it begins... from maguey to mescal
Replies: 20
Views: 801

Re: And so it begins... from maguey to mescal

Nice score.

Temperatures, times, numbers from conversion etc. will all be appreciated if you collect them.
by NZChris
Sat Mar 16, 2024 3:04 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Blue berry Rye Whisky
Replies: 4
Views: 256

Re: Blue berry Rye Whisky

I would make the whisky first, then run some of the finished heart cut through the berries to make a geist to blend with some of the whisky to get an intensity I like.