Home Distiller

I went through all the motions to order except putting my cc info in. It allowed me to calculate my shipping. I'll probably buy some today and I'll let yall know if the deal goes through as advertised. If you went through all the steps, is there some reason you can't tell us what they're charging f...

I went through all the motions to order except putting my cc info in. It allowed me to calculate my shipping. I'll probably buy some today and I'll let yall know if the deal goes through as advertised.

just sayin wrote:I checked out your link, how do I get a deal like you are getting? I have been paying $10.00 a gallon for Golden Barrel locally. It is very good molasses!

Is the shipping higher or something? heck if I know. I do have it "checked" to deliver to "business".

Says sulpher free

I searched on the forum but nothing seemed to come up. Anyone have any experience with the Golden Barrel Molasses? It's a decent price - I can get 50 gallons delivered for a little under $90 http://www.webstaurantstore.com/golden-barrel-5-gallon-sulfur-free-blackstrap-molasses/125BLKSTPP.html" ...

Incorrect measuring, improper crush, using the wrong malt, not cereal mashing the corn, wrong mash Ph, short mash, improper mash temp, improper gravity measurement, low yeast pitching rate, unhealthy yeast, improper fermentation temperatures, yeast-inhibiting chemicals, short fermentation time, and...

I personally don't think cell counts (via a hemocytometer) are important in home distilling. That said, you certainly should pitch enough viable and active yeast. Check out the pitching calculator at http://www.mrmalty.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofo...

I am a commercial brewer and I can't really see any reason why you would want or need a microscope for distilling unless you are growing up your own yeast strain from slants, and even then it really isn't necessary. The one thing microscopes are good for it checking for cell mutations but that its i...

Speaking from a brewer's perspective there are lots of things it could be. Your crush may not be fine enough, pH may be off, your scale may be off. It's hard to say. One thing about the iodine test it that it doesn't really work well if there are any grain husks present. So make sure it is pure liqu...

Be sure to realize that most kegs available on craigslist and classified are stolen kegs. And understand that if you get a keg and drink the beer the deposit does not pay for the keg, and that keg is then considered stolen.

yakattack wrote:Sounds like a puke. Just goes to show this hobby can't be rushed.

Maybe so but once I resettled everything the low wines came out crystal clear, so a fixable mistake!

I am running a clean still and on occasion I have gotten impatient on the low wines (bringing 12 gallons of wash to a "boil" takes so long and I sometimes get a little impatient) and I have had the still start spurting out dirty, greyish distillate and all I do is turn the still off, let e...

Powdered baker's mollasses http://www.bulkfoods.com/wholesale-sweeteners/5530-Molasses-Powder-5-pounds.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow http://www.bulkfoods.com/sweeteners/5358-sucanat-organic-sugar.html" onclick="window.open(this.href...

Thanks for all the advice. I will definitely try the cheap vodka trick to learn the heads smell. I never thought of that. And, yes, I was not letting them air out, I talked to a guy last night who makes a good drop and he gave me that advice as well. So I'm going to open all that I have made for a f...

There's no sugar. I work at a brewery and use some of the best malted barley available (Thomas Fawcett maris Otter and Best Pils). With the 30 minute toast it was on an already medium toast spire, which is why the low amount of time. I was making my cuts from taste and smell for the first several ru...

Yes. diluting down to about 40-45% for drinking. I appreciate the advice. Sounds like I am being the typical impatient new guy. One thing I should say is that the oak spirals I am using were already medium toast which is why I only let them toast for 30 minutes. Perhaps I'll add a some cubes or chip...

Maybe it hasn't sat long enough. Been sitting on oak since beginning of November. I also am wondering if I over charred it.. I toasted it at 400 for about 30 minutes or so and then lightly charred it with a butane torch. The inside of barrels are charred so I figured my oak should be too. But the fl...

I don't even worry about ABV until after cuts are made by taste and smell as well as an airing out period. Cutting by ABV won't help you much, especially when running higher proof than the original mash run. Heads certainly don't smell "really clean" to me, ever When I run the low wines I...

15 gallon still. 200 ml jelly jars. Recipe as mentioned. OG as mentioned. Running slow, not exactly sure because I haven't timed it but I can't really run any slower. I pay very special attention to make sure it doesn't heat up too fast, and then let the distillate drip drip drip. A little more deta...

BTW: Recipe is pretty simple. Either all malt or malt with corn. US-05 or other clean ale yeast fermented cool and not with a starting OG over 1.065.

I'm still trying to learn to make my cuts. All the whiskey I have made (pot still) has had a burn to it that I do not find enjoyable. yesterday I took 2 gallons of spirits that I had been aging on oak and ran them for a third distillation to see if I could get anything a bit more drinkable. The stil...

The recipe I have been working with primarily is based on bourbon parameters, basically 51% 2 row and 49% flaked maize @ 1.065 OG. To be more specific its about 16 lbs flaked maize and 15 lbs 2 row for a 10-12 gallon batch I've got 20 gallons of wash ready now so as soon as the weather clears up a b...

I haven't timed my runs but it seems pretty efficient. A 10 gallon low wines run takes about 3 hours to collect a gallon to a gallon and half after I reach my temps. Spirit runs I have been running a lot slower. I'm still playing around with it but I'm doing this to relax so not in a real hurry. So ...

May I ask what size is that liebig what size is the water jacket on that? Not to be nit pickin but what size is the inner tubing in the liebig? No problem. I kinda made this with stuff I had laying around at the time which is why I'm already planning a new build. The length of the leibig is about 2...

Tokoroa_Shiner wrote:Packing it doesn't make it any more then a packed pot still.

Thanks. Got it. I understand and have read about the different types of stills and have thoroughly researched and read Making Pure corn whiskey. This is just a pot still. I mis-typed. But I appreciate your clarification.

Tokoroa_Shiner wrote:Mostly pot still? That can only be run as a pot still.

Meant I don't always pack it. I'm just making whiskey.

here's the build, it ain't much to look at I guess but it works. 2" column that connects to a keg (acquired legally, I'm a brewer ;) ) It narrows down to 1/2 and runs through a liebig condensor. Sorry, I didn't document the build but I will on my next one. Mostly have just run it as a pot still...

bumped in here a few months back with some advice on buying a still and was wisely directed to build my own, which I am happy to say I did. In fact I had a lot of fun building and already am starting to think about building another one. Been using the still since Novemnber and starting to get a good...

I guess I thought I could maintain my temperature with a PID and a low density element. But, I'm assuming I'm wrong about that.

So, say I went propane burner instead. What about thermometer placement. Can I go in the boiler itself? Or does it have to be in the column?

I am planning on building an electric boiler with PID control. I have a converted keg that has a very convenient port in the top of the keg (tri-clamp - I also have a tri clamp thermowell that would fit perfectly.) Is there any problem with putting the probe/thermometer in the boiler itself? Or shou...