Search found 190 matches

by Chucker
Wed Mar 20, 2024 6:26 am
Forum: My First .....
Topic: What proof is best?
Replies: 13
Views: 391

Re: What proof is best?

I cut whiskey to ~65% for aging. If I’m pulling a sample it makes for an easy 2:1 ratio to cut for around 43%. Most of these I find to be just a little more pleasant at around 40% and as the previous post has noted, it is quite dramatic how much of a difference a point or two in proof will affect fl...
by Chucker
Mon Mar 18, 2024 7:16 am
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: When is fermentation done ??
Replies: 6
Views: 279

Re: When is fermentation done ??

I usually don’t check final gravity. When it appears to be stopped, has settled, and tastes sour, it’s about as far as it’s gonna go. A quick stir to degas is all it needs while I contemplate my next opportunity. That’ll confirm cessation of activity, too. If I do check gravity I note that ag often ...
by Chucker
Mon Mar 18, 2024 7:05 am
Forum: Sugar
Topic: Adding an oat mash to the sugar wash
Replies: 15
Views: 1038

Re: Adding an oat mash to the sugar wash

How much water did you use? About a foot to 16" down from the top of a 55 gallon olive barrel It was reading an estimated 11% That seems like a lot of sugar for that volume of water. Most here seem to agree that 1#/gal is a good rule of thumb. That’s pretty much about how it works out for grai...
by Chucker
Wed Mar 13, 2024 10:18 am
Forum: Sugar
Topic: Adding an oat mash to the sugar wash
Replies: 15
Views: 1038

Re: Adding an oat mash to the sugar wash

How much water did you use?
by Chucker
Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:52 am
Forum: Tried and True Recipes
Topic: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead
Replies: 531
Views: 149275

Re: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead

I’ve been using this type of mash method for years without realizing it was really a thing, other than a workaround from the first time I tried cooking corn and vowing to not go through that again!! This past season, however, was the first that I’ve tried doing a Gumballhead method. With a more corn...
by Chucker
Tue Mar 05, 2024 4:08 pm
Forum: Grains
Topic: How do you properly adjust a Steel Burr Mill?
Replies: 12
Views: 403

Re: How do you properly adjust a Steel Burr Mill?

I’ve got a Victoria mill and have it connected to a motor that really runs a bit faster than I’d like, but can’t really slow it any further without stalling it. I adjust it so the plates no longer rub, turning by hand. The plates are not very parallel and I can’t help that. I always buy cracked corn...
by Chucker
Tue Mar 05, 2024 3:54 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: My First Alcohol Run - What a disaster
Replies: 19
Views: 974

Re: My First Alcohol Run - What a disaster

I’ve had a few strip runs that have produced a straw colored distillate. I have a sight glass at the base of my column and can easily tell when puking is imminent and such has not been a problem for these runs. But, it’s a strip run so I don’t care. It’ll be fine for the spirit run. For that matter ...
by Chucker
Tue Mar 05, 2024 3:31 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: My first sweetfeed wash
Replies: 7
Views: 576

Re: My first sweetfeed wash

Maybe try brown sugar instead of white?
by Chucker
Wed Feb 14, 2024 8:49 am
Forum: My First .....
Topic: first all grain update
Replies: 8
Views: 393

Re: first all grain update

Looks typical to me. Spirit run will be a completely different creature.
by Chucker
Wed Feb 14, 2024 8:46 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Feedback Request
Replies: 10
Views: 457

Re: Feedback Request

You say you added sugar to ensure a target yield point, but the OG of the mash pre-sparge was right in the expected range of 1.060. Sparging doesn’t change the qty of available sugars, only the overall volume. The sugars, by mass, will ferment to a qty of etoh, by mass. And, will still distill out t...
by Chucker
Thu Jan 25, 2024 2:19 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: First attempt
Replies: 11
Views: 685

Re: First attempt

I remember my first ferment and run was just awful. Like bread in a jar. I was so proud of myself! The next batch was another disaster and I learned that plastics were a no-go, before arriving here. Then it got better, and better, and better still. Better enough to make me look for help to make a lo...
by Chucker
Wed Jan 17, 2024 5:27 am
Forum: Whiskey
Topic: High rye wash in an electrical boiler?
Replies: 47
Views: 1790

Re: High rye wash in an electrical boiler?

I tried a 65% rye (corn, barley) last season and didn’t go into it with glucanase; taking a wait and see approach. Wrong; it needs glucanase. I ordered some of the LDCarlson stuff after the ferment (on grain) was done. Even added at that late point it made a huge difference to the viscosity, though ...
by Chucker
Fri Jan 12, 2024 11:06 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Moka pot distillation?
Replies: 3
Views: 290

Re: Moka pot distillation?

Sounds more like a way to overextract a lavender tea to me, rather than the oils or hydrosols aspect. I’ve tried to do similar with other herbal teas to get a little more out of them, mostly catnip. It just made it way too strong tasting. Maybe some lighter flavored ones would work better. Nettle? C...
by Chucker
Fri Dec 29, 2023 10:58 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: No Cuts for Bourbon. For Real?
Replies: 12
Views: 892

Re: No Cuts for Bourbon. For Real?

Another possibility to consider is that they may have been employing a little bit of business ‘shell game’ where what was being distilled might be partially something that’s already been distilled. Bourbon may have a certain definition, and they may have a bit of a constraint over what they call ‘th...
by Chucker
Sat Dec 23, 2023 8:28 pm
Forum: Boilers
Topic: Some problem here!?
Replies: 23
Views: 1222

Re: Some problem here!?

I like the suggestion to grind a flat spot on the two clamps, at least before making more permanent modifications. Although the light duty triclamps may do fine, too.
by Chucker
Mon Dec 18, 2023 6:30 am
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: How did you get into making alcohol
Replies: 33
Views: 5138

Re: How did you get into making alcohol

Years ago I did some project work with my company and became associated with one of our clients who had a small, commercial vineyard. I picked up a bit of side work with him to collaborate on some equipment and he got it in mind to distill some of his filtered waste with the intent to use back in hi...
by Chucker
Fri Dec 15, 2023 9:43 am
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Learning Grain Flavors
Replies: 23
Views: 3592

Re: Learning Grain Flavors

I had a similar notion a couple of seasons ago to help me in tweaking my recipe and sort of standardize my methods. I was following a reasoned out recipe, with satisfactory results, but wanted to gain a better understanding of how I could manipulate preferred flavors in a given batch over making ran...
by Chucker
Thu Dec 14, 2023 12:32 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Recipe versus malted grain question
Replies: 4
Views: 546

Re: Recipe versus malted grain question

Happy to share and the same to you!
by Chucker
Tue Dec 12, 2023 3:57 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Recipe versus malted grain question
Replies: 4
Views: 546

Re: Recipe versus malted grain question

Sounds like you’re mostly on base with your understanding, certainly as a working knowledge. Malting (allowing the germination of the grains, and then stopping growth and drying them) releases the natural enzymes of the seed package so that the developing sprout can utilize the starch of the endosp...
by Chucker
Mon Dec 11, 2023 9:09 am
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Recipe formulation - a general question
Replies: 7
Views: 641

Re: Recipe formulation - a general question

SS, that’s one of the most sensible and cogent set of reasons I could see to this question. I can add that in pursuit of what I was/wasn’t looking for, that I was becoming increasing dissatisfied with some flavor I was getting from hybrid sugarheads and since I was doing a partial mash already, the ...
by Chucker
Wed Nov 29, 2023 10:04 am
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: Aging through the winter months
Replies: 10
Views: 1169

Re: Aging through the winter months

Nothing factual, but just based on some reasoning and empirical data, I think the warmth does more to affect rapid change but the cold swings are definitely helpful. I keep everything in the garage. Unheated and uninsulated. We get fairly hot weather in the summer months but usually from Nov-March i...
by Chucker
Fri Nov 10, 2023 11:59 am
Forum: Mashing, fermenting, flavoring and aging related hardware
Topic: Barrels with the least amount of char and time used
Replies: 14
Views: 1002

Re: Barrels with the least amount of char and time used

If you were to chop a former Buffalo Trace barrel to use in jars or jugs would that amount to being aged on Buffalo chips?
by Chucker
Fri Nov 10, 2023 6:34 am
Forum: Rum
Topic: ? on rum recipe choice
Replies: 27
Views: 2143

Re: ? on rum recipe choice

I’ve made a couple batches now of the SBB; a couple because I liked the first so much. My metrics were pretty low for success; 1. It had to taste better than the common brand that starts with a B, as a light rum, and, 2. It needed to remind me of how a rum and Coke tasted back when I was first able ...
by Chucker
Thu Nov 09, 2023 11:42 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: Prospective Rum Distiller
Replies: 6
Views: 247

Re: Prospective Rum Distiller

Hi there! You’re in the right place if you want some good, practical, experience based comments and/or advice. And I’ll go +1 on the preceding comment about the SBB all molasses rum. Not necessarily a cheap one to make, but dead easy, reliable, and tasty.
by Chucker
Sat Oct 14, 2023 5:39 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: It's a one off,, depending...
Replies: 21
Views: 1426

Re: It's a one off,, depending...

Over the past 13 odd years I’ve been chasing this rabbit there have been several key quality improvement milestones as I look to improve upon what I’m making. There’s always little learning steps, but these were the game changer moments. 1. Switching from the oak that was available in the yard to pr...
by Chucker
Tue Oct 03, 2023 5:46 am
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: Lacto Infection
Replies: 6
Views: 606

Re: Lacto Infection

Now, oddly enough, I just chatted with a buddy yesterday about a run he’s working on. We’re using same methods, largely the same equipment setup, same recipe. It was pretty basic AG bourbon with some extra enzymes. Ferment on the grain. He had a good looking conversion and OG of about 1.070. But wit...
by Chucker
Tue Oct 03, 2023 5:22 am
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: Lacto Infection
Replies: 6
Views: 606

Re: Lacto Infection

You beer people worry to much , your stuck in beer making/ sanitary mode, Ive not cleaned a fermenter in years except for a squirt with a cold water garden hose occasionally, once or twice in the last ten years Ive got really carried away and used some fairly hot water and a scrubbing brush. That o...
by Chucker
Mon Oct 02, 2023 6:52 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: My Rum Wash any tips???
Replies: 7
Views: 398

Re: My Rum Wash any tips???

Success with a tried and true recipe is a great place to start before applying the learned logic and branching off or developing your own. It doesn’t get much easier than the SBB recipe already spoken of and would be a great jumping off point for adaptation after following the recipe. That one also ...
by Chucker
Tue Sep 26, 2023 4:45 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Failing Iodine test
Replies: 16
Views: 766

Re: Failing Iodine test

Personally, I’ve always adjusted the ph of the water a bit during heating. Mostly just because I want to keep the mineral scale at bay during heating but also because I will need to lower the ph for optimal enzyme activity. I’ve never thought about it in terms of starch production. Is there a direct...
by Chucker
Sun Sep 24, 2023 7:45 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Failing Iodine test
Replies: 16
Views: 766

Re: Failing Iodine test

I use the LD Carlson enzymes. Both alpha-amylase and gluco-amylase are necessary. Neither are hi temp so both are added after the temp drops below 150 deg. If I begin steeping corn in the afternoon, try to hold that temp as long as possible by wrapping the barrel in a blanket, it’s ready for enzyme/...