Search found 1693 matches

by bilgriss
Tue Mar 26, 2024 8:14 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: New to the hobby
Replies: 2
Views: 42

Re: New to the hobby

You will find some in the Tried and True section of the forum. These are recipes that people here are familiar with, and following them exactly will make it easier for others to answer your questions, knowing what to expect from that recipe.

Welcome!
by bilgriss
Tue Mar 26, 2024 8:13 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: Happy to be here
Replies: 4
Views: 86

Re: Happy to be here

Welcome Titan! Sounds like you are on your way. Stick to the recipes in the Tried and True section until you start to gain some confidence and see patterns across runs. Immerse yourself in the Required Reading links below this post and in a little bit, you'll find that it's easy to become part of al...
by bilgriss
Thu Mar 21, 2024 3:46 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: White Rum flavour too strong
Replies: 20
Views: 375

Re: White Rum flavour too strong

A single run will not generally give you much control over cuts and flavors. Combining multiple runs and then finishing with a spirit run, taking careful cuts, will let you choose which portions of the product to combine to get the flavor profile you want. I'd put it all back together, including wha...
by bilgriss
Sun Mar 17, 2024 4:29 pm
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: New member
Replies: 3
Views: 131

Re: New member

Your described approach is EXACTLY how to do it. Many folks jump in and figure they can learn from their mistakes. They will. But there are things you don't need to learn the hard way, and it's better to proceed the safe way. Read till your eyes bleed!

Glad you are here.
by bilgriss
Sun Mar 17, 2024 3:59 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: And so it begins... from maguey to mescal
Replies: 20
Views: 807

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

https://www.therecipehunters.com/maguey

Who do we have to know to get ourselves one or two?
by bilgriss
Sat Mar 16, 2024 5:04 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Need a little help
Replies: 12
Views: 379

Re: Need a little help

This is a common mistake, and you shouldn't feel bad about it. You are trying to "follow the instructions". But in reality, every wash or mash will behave differently to an extent, each still will behave differently, and trying to run by a fixed set of criteria will just confine you (and s...
by bilgriss
Fri Mar 15, 2024 3:15 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Need a little help
Replies: 12
Views: 379

Re: Need a little help

By what criteria did you stop the still? I don't think we have enough information to give an answer with any certainty, but IF your ferment was complete and starches fully converted, then you left most of the alcohol in the still.
by bilgriss
Tue Mar 12, 2024 3:13 pm
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: New here again.
Replies: 2
Views: 116

Re: New here again.

Glad you are here.
by bilgriss
Sat Mar 09, 2024 6:12 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Liquid Malt Extract Experiment
Replies: 52
Views: 2229

Re: Liquid Malt Extract Experiment

Glad it worked out. Your approach is similar to mine with respect to running a barley mash. I have found you can skip the butter or anti-foam even if you are patient enough. Whereas a dry sugar wash can be heated up wide open, I'll heat a barley mash at about 30% of that power. Takes a good while to...
by bilgriss
Fri Mar 08, 2024 4:55 am
Forum: Grains
Topic: Confused about Diastatic Power
Replies: 10
Views: 366

Re: Confused about Diastatic Power

That would be my guess. 4 degrees Lovibond is a plausible number for a base malt, although it would be kilned more than your typical one. Most 2-row malts are somewhere around 130-140 degrees lintner, and 6-row more like 160. Either should convert more than four times their weight total in grains.
by bilgriss
Fri Mar 08, 2024 4:50 am
Forum: Novice Forum Graveyard
Topic: How long wil low wines keep?
Replies: 16
Views: 1954

Re: How long wil low wines keep?

I usually store low wines in 5 gallon carboys, and put foil on top. I think they would wait for me just about forever, but I've not gone that long.... If left in an open container, you would no doubt find them changed over time.
by bilgriss
Mon Mar 04, 2024 4:04 am
Forum: My First .....
Topic: My First Alcohol Run - What a disaster
Replies: 19
Views: 974

Re: My First Alcohol Run - What a disaster

but it is rank If you are describing the aroma or flavor of the distillate, it's worth mentioning that a common complaint of turbo yeast results is the potential for off flavors. They have a ton of nutrients and can lead to stressed yeast. Use the google search above to search for something like 't...
by bilgriss
Mon Mar 04, 2024 3:57 am
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: An easy little trick with hot oak
Replies: 17
Views: 740

Re: An easy little trick with hot oak

That makes far more sense. I don't currently have anything waiting for some oak, but perhaps I will give it a try when the time comes!
by bilgriss
Sun Mar 03, 2024 8:18 am
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: An easy little trick with hot oak
Replies: 17
Views: 740

Re: An easy little trick with hot oak

Interesting. This wouldn't work with my approach to cuts, since I let the jars air out for a day or more before tasting, and I wouldn't want the oak to change the flavor of the previously untasted jar. And for color, I know I'm not going to bottle anything that hasn't aged for the next year to two o...
by bilgriss
Fri Mar 01, 2024 4:24 am
Forum: Fruits & Vegetables
Topic: Possible sulphur issues in an apple brandy
Replies: 12
Views: 562

Re: Possible sulphur issues in an apple brandy

I had a really similar experience a couple of years ago with my cider. I too decided to ferment with the natural yeasts. The fresh cider itself was a pleasure, nice balance of sweet and acid, flavorful. When it was done fermenting, it was chemical, band-aid, funk - and none in a good way. I took car...
by bilgriss
Sat Feb 24, 2024 10:34 am
Forum: Pot Distillation/Thumper and Design
Topic: Pre-prohibition whiskey still
Replies: 6
Views: 398

Re: Pre-prohibition whiskey still

Steam distilling certainly can have some advantages.

Also, the stop valves (J) scare me. I'm sure it's intended for choosing path, one side or the other, but it also had the potential to just fully block the vapor path. Boom.
by bilgriss
Fri Feb 23, 2024 9:27 am
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: Chasing Easy, Simple “Good Moonshine”
Replies: 17
Views: 835

Re: Chasing Easy, Simple “Good Moonshine”

I like to experiment. An admirable quality. I mean that - no snark. Generally a good experiment isolates a single variable and uses a standardized procedure that can be replicated to understand what that variable introduces to something or what it results in. Based on the feedback you are getting, ...
by bilgriss
Mon Feb 19, 2024 8:40 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: Hello from Maine
Replies: 5
Views: 141

Re: Hello from Maine

Welcome!
Have fun, and be safe as you learn.
by bilgriss
Mon Feb 19, 2024 5:40 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: A grand entrance
Replies: 11
Views: 341

Re: A grand entrance

Good intro, shows lots of self awareness and that you've already found some of the things that first timers can run into. If you find this process interesting, you will almost certainly want to upgrade your still shortly; you are limited to tiny batches and faced with difficult cuts with a 3 gallon ...
by bilgriss
Sat Feb 17, 2024 6:48 am
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: %&*($#%$ SNOW!!!!
Replies: 891
Views: 74309

Re: %&*($#%$ SNOW!!!!

Yeah, once you hit a certain low, a few more degrees doesn't make any difference. But when the wind picks up it does!

100% chance of 4-6 inches here last night. Woke up to nothing. Weather forecasters are pretty good these days, but still often wrong.
by bilgriss
Sat Feb 17, 2024 6:46 am
Forum: My First .....
Topic: getting ready for my first spirit run with new still...any advice..
Replies: 78
Views: 2096

Re: getting ready for my first spirit run with new still...any advice..

I'm very impressed at the detailed level of notes some of you take during the spirit run. I usually end up just checking on generalities and make sure things seem to be behaving normally, then focus on the details when I'm later going through the jars collected, after a rest period. Having said that...
by bilgriss
Fri Feb 16, 2024 2:27 pm
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: Knee replacement
Replies: 49
Views: 3281

Re: Knee replacement

Great news. My own repair was about three weeks ago, and going well. It'll be a while before I hit normal, but headed in the right direction. I'll race you....soon!
by bilgriss
Wed Feb 14, 2024 4:21 am
Forum: Whiskey
Topic: Saltine cracker whiskey?
Replies: 14
Views: 498

Re: Saltine cracker whiskey?

The reason people use wheat bran for flavor is that's mostly where the flavor is. Saltines are made from the cheapest, bleached wheat flour with all that removed, so to say the resulting flavor will be 'subtle' is probably an overstatement of the flavor. But as long as your salt levels are low enoug...
by bilgriss
Mon Feb 12, 2024 9:29 am
Forum: Rum
Topic: Adjusting pH of a Rum wash (All Molasses)
Replies: 11
Views: 795

Re: Adjusting pH of a Rum wash (All Molasses)

I'll add the obligatory disclaimer that if working with sodium hydroxide, you need to exercise the proper degree of care. It is very caustic and can have very violent reactions if used improperly.
by bilgriss
Sat Feb 10, 2024 9:35 am
Forum: Mashing, fermenting, flavoring and aging related hardware
Topic: Need some yeast advice
Replies: 15
Views: 566

Re: Need some yeast advice

The "tolerance" measure of a yeast is what they are capable of fermenting. It's not a measure of whether it will produce a good flavor at that max threshold. That difference is where you want to focus your understanding. There's a reason none of the tried and true recipes for distillation ...
by bilgriss
Fri Feb 09, 2024 3:45 am
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: Single malt barley whiskry horrible taste
Replies: 23
Views: 951

Re: Single malt barley whiskry horrible taste

When I do all malts, a fifty pound sack will get me three right-sized ferments for my 8 gallon pot. The spirit run will leave me with somewhat more than a gallon to age. I'd be interested in the recipe used in this case to see why it might set such unrealistic expectations. As for taste, that's goin...
by bilgriss
Thu Feb 08, 2024 3:45 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: Beer, Wine, and Now Distilling
Replies: 5
Views: 144

Re: Beer, Wine, and Now Distilling

Glad you are here. I also approached this hobby from a homebrewing perspective. There's a lot of knowledge that is helpful, and also a number of things to unlearn or adjust.
You are in the right place to figure it out.
by bilgriss
Wed Feb 07, 2024 4:37 am
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: More Alcohol Produced Than Calculated
Replies: 10
Views: 577

Re: More Alcohol Produced Than Calculated

Glad you got it squared away, although it's a little disappointing that we can't magically increase yield during distillation!
by bilgriss
Mon Feb 05, 2024 6:05 pm
Forum: Mashing, fermenting, flavoring and aging related hardware
Topic: Need some yeast advice
Replies: 15
Views: 566

Re: Need some yeast advice

For corn and sugar, I'd head over here: viewtopic.php?t=725

You'll find answers to your yeast questions as well as a proven recipe that will produce a fine product.