Search found 45 matches

by esxman
Thu Sep 06, 2018 1:25 am
Forum: Rum
Topic: Rum smells
Replies: 20
Views: 3720

Re: Rum smells

Fiddleford , omg , you are worldly wise on drugs , yes I meant Molasses .Seen it abbreviated before like that , didnt give it a thought.... :D
by esxman
Wed Sep 05, 2018 10:46 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Birdwatchers sugar wash recipe
Replies: 12
Views: 1636

Re: Birdwatchers sugar wash recipe

Cnk , just a suggestion , when you do your next sugar wash , try inverting the sugar , with citric acid , I use the juice of one lemon in a 20 litre wash . I make a lot of gins now for friends I might add, sometimes from the local grapes when in season, otherwise from sugar .I just use a plain yeast...
by esxman
Wed Sep 05, 2018 10:09 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Burner too big or pot too small?
Replies: 14
Views: 1896

Re: Burner too big or pot too small?

You also should have a gas valve at the end of the burner , so you can turn the wick down , you may need to readjust the metal sleeve to get less air into the mix .Make sure you have good ventilation , leave a door and window open .My burner says should not be run indoors ,( produces a lot of CO2) ,...
by esxman
Wed Sep 05, 2018 10:02 pm
Forum: Rum
Topic: Rum smells
Replies: 20
Views: 3720

Re: Rum smells

You can easily tell if it is sulphur , if you are using a parrot , you will notice the very top rim, where the distillate trickles over, will be cleaned , like you dipped the very lip in an acid . I can only purchase molly here in Greece as a foodstuff , and it states it has SO2 as a preservative in...
by esxman
Thu May 10, 2018 11:57 am
Forum: Rum
Topic: I made the tastiest rum yet !
Replies: 2
Views: 1200

Re: I made the tastiest rum yet !

ShineOn I could tell you , in my youth rum and blackcurrant was the in drink ..... to get on the last bus home ..upstairs with the smokers ... and everyone on the rum and blackcurrant , was enough to turn me off for life.. but now in my dotage , rum is a more refined drink , its a sipper , not a gul...
by esxman
Wed May 09, 2018 4:35 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Going cloudy when diluting
Replies: 13
Views: 2012

Re: Going cloudy when diluting

Yes , until I ran away to Greece ! retired here in Crete , so many grapevines , mulberries,figs ,apricots .Really spoilt for choice on what to do next .Working on Rum and Whiskey now , did awesome Gins , all from a modest pot still.
by esxman
Wed May 09, 2018 2:52 am
Forum: Rum
Topic: I made the tastiest rum yet !
Replies: 2
Views: 1200

I made the tastiest rum yet !

Just my three pennyworth from an old timer :- My other hobbies are ice-cream making and cooking , this is where my interest in rum stems from . I use rum to make rum and raisin , the best tasting ice-cream there is , and rum babas , fresh double cream and a cherry on top!, just for friends and famil...
by esxman
Mon May 07, 2018 9:19 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Going cloudy when diluting
Replies: 13
Views: 2012

Re: Going cloudy when diluting

If your distillate is carrying any essential oils through the still , as you dilute down past 47%abv'ish , the oils precipitate out , (this effect is wanted with Perod, Pastis, Absinthe, ouzo ). These products are made by infusing the neutral alcohol with anise,cinnamon,orange,lemon and then re-dist...
by esxman
Sun Mar 18, 2018 3:42 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: spirit clouds at bottom
Replies: 9
Views: 1337

Re: spirit clouds at bottom

This is akin to the wanted louche that occurs with Absinthe ,ouzo, or any product containing a lot of essential oils .The magic figure for me seems to be 47% abv , if you dare go towards 40 , the louche is not obvious , a little cloudy in the channel , but manifests itself as a fine cloud on the bot...
by esxman
Sat Mar 03, 2018 12:32 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Newbie Help please, pugirum recipe substitution
Replies: 4
Views: 680

Re: Newbie Help please, pugirum recipe substitution

Just a few words on rum from an old timer with plenty of time on his hands ... When you make up the wash with molasses,black sugar,demerara , whatever , please include some good honey ... thyme or pine , something that has a nose to it . Run your wash thru a pot still , once or twice , its up to you...
by esxman
Fri Feb 16, 2018 10:38 pm
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: Home made bottle labels
Replies: 355
Views: 54506

Re: Home made bottle labels

Bushman , well done for merging the threads on this subject , I did not realise so many artists , and I dont mean p.artists ! have gone before . Some of these designs do knock the commercial ones into a cocked hat .Love the humor that people express in these labels , they truly finish the job off pr...
by esxman
Fri Feb 16, 2018 7:37 am
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: Home made bottle labels
Replies: 355
Views: 54506

Re: Home made bottle labels

VLAGAVULVIN , Well done , sometimes the label is more interesting than what is inside the bottle , will certainly try your pepper recipe , because I have good friends here Egor and Maia , they like a drop of Vodka , I am sure they would recognise your drink . Well done with the labels boys , I'm gla...
by esxman
Fri Feb 16, 2018 1:05 am
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: Home made bottle labels
Replies: 355
Views: 54506

Home made bottle labels

Hi Guys , so what do you do with your finished product? Do you gob a post-it on it , write on the bottle with a magic marker? If you want to gift someone with a bottle of your hooch, why not create a pretty label for it ? All you need is a free DTP , and a spray can of paper varnish . You can find i...
by esxman
Thu Feb 15, 2018 1:02 am
Forum: What Not To Use/Do
Topic: mason jar lids
Replies: 299
Views: 700748

Re: mason jar lids

I think you are all right to be concerned about plastics . Here the mason jars ( up to 2 litres) come from Italy , and I read the tag on them , it clearly says "not suitable for alcohol above 22% ABV " .In the same supermarket they have glass carboys 2 and 3 litres , with a cork stopper ! ...
by esxman
Thu Feb 15, 2018 12:40 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Adding failed experiments back into the FFV wash?
Replies: 2
Views: 861

Re: Adding failed experiments back into the FFV wash?

If it were me , I would just collect up the left over heads and tails and the experiments , and re-distil just them on their own .The reason I say this is I have found the essential oils like Orange , Juniper , Anise , especially star Anise can be detected in say a grappa or a white whisky, sometime...
by esxman
Thu Feb 15, 2018 12:26 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Rotten egg
Replies: 5
Views: 785

Re: Rotten egg

For my S/S pot still , a couple of foot of copper lead off from the condenser, plus all copper parrot seems to be all I need to loose the pfarty smells . I do however make sure I dont let any dross, like dead yeast enter the boiler... ever....if you nose over the bubbler and can detect off smells in...
by esxman
Sun Feb 11, 2018 12:55 am
Forum: Grappa
Topic: Cut of Wine grappa!
Replies: 2
Views: 1619

Re: Cut of Wine grappa!

Hi Lucazzu , Looks like you have about a 25 litre still there and a better charge would be at least 10 litres . I usually put 10 litres of wine in mine when I still , I could put more , but I use 10 litres water bottles as fermenters , and throw them away after a couple of uses . On 10 litres of win...
by esxman
Sun Jan 28, 2018 9:09 am
Forum: Mashing, fermenting, flavoring and aging related hardware
Topic: Help with making a grain mill
Replies: 16
Views: 2121

Re: Help with making a grain mill

Boys , Thanks so much for all this info , I have several old drills , where the battery has packed up , so thats a good powersource , love the coupling idea , may just go for a giant coffee grinder , with a sieve underneath .Someone has already built one here on the forum .It boasts a plexiglass fro...
by esxman
Fri Jan 26, 2018 1:19 pm
Forum: Mashing, fermenting, flavoring and aging related hardware
Topic: Help with making a grain mill
Replies: 16
Views: 2121

Re: Help with making a grain mill

Thanks boys for all your replies , so it looks like the chaff is included in milling . Maybe I will go for a built mill , but hey I have all the tools and the time , it keeps me out of mischief ! esxman
by esxman
Fri Jan 26, 2018 12:23 am
Forum: Mashing, fermenting, flavoring and aging related hardware
Topic: Anise Essence
Replies: 7
Views: 1686

Re: Anise Essence

Hi from Greece , land of raki and ouzo The raki on Crete is traditionally from the leftovers from the grape harvest , some commercial firms have an upmarket raki made from the tailings of cabernet grapes , its as dear as whisky ! I make my raki from shiraz or sirah grapes from the garden, they make ...
by esxman
Fri Jan 26, 2018 12:04 am
Forum: Mashing, fermenting, flavoring and aging related hardware
Topic: Help with making a grain mill
Replies: 16
Views: 2121

Help with making a grain mill

Hi , I need some advice on building a grain mill . I have been gifted some top quality whole barley and some oats . I was thinking of making a mill to grind them ,( and some corn too ). My question is to the Forum .... how can you separate the husk or hull from the cracked kernel? . I understand mos...
by esxman
Sat Nov 25, 2017 11:24 pm
Forum: Tried and True Recipes
Topic: Buccaneer Bob's Silver, Gold, and Black Rum Recipe
Replies: 511
Views: 179452

Re: Buccaneer Bob's Silver, Gold, and Black Rum Recipe

Bob , nice recipe ,well done a lot of inspiration there to try different things . My interest in a black rum , is I like to make the rum-baba desserts , and rum n raisin ice cream in the summer , to do justice to both you need copious amounts of spicy rum! I cannot get blackstrap here in Greece , so...
by esxman
Mon Nov 13, 2017 2:20 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Gin aroma wheels
Replies: 7
Views: 1171

Re: Gin aroma wheels

Bamaberry , thanks for that guide , the more the merrier ! . The recipes are interesting too
by esxman
Tue Oct 24, 2017 8:45 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Gin aroma wheels
Replies: 7
Views: 1171

Re: Gin aroma wheels

I am not advocating using the stuff listed, please do the research . For instance your cassia , cinnamon bark users , did you know there was a "good" cinnamon , it is called Ceylon cinnamon , the "bad" one is Chinese cinnamon , cassia .The undesirable one sometimes is sold off as...
by esxman
Mon Oct 23, 2017 11:08 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Gin aroma wheels
Replies: 7
Views: 1171

Gin aroma wheels

I found these aroma wheels on Pinterest whilst researching Gins . Maybe of help to beginners . http://www.huntingspirits.tv/gin-tasting-the-wheel/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow https://i.pinimg.com/originals/48/0c/cb/480ccbae39d38ae5d96c9004e0476b1...
by esxman
Tue Aug 29, 2017 10:39 pm
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: Help needed to finesse a citrus liqueur
Replies: 4
Views: 1049

Re: Help needed to finesse a citrus liqueur

LWTCS , I will certainly try your idea for the citrus liqueur on my next run with the pot , thanks . I read on this forum that sugar and/or glycerine will give a more mouth feel to your product . I only had to add 5 drops of glycerine in 1/3 litre (15 in a Litre) , to get the aftertaste to hang on ,...
by esxman
Mon Aug 28, 2017 9:17 am
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: Help needed to finesse a citrus liqueur
Replies: 4
Views: 1049

Re: Help needed to finesse a citrus liqueur

Thanks LWTCS , I have a bottle of Cointreau , the orange liqueur , it is absolutely loaded up with sugar ,good for crepes. Like a pastis or anisette so much sugar it crystallises round the neck of the bottle. I was looking for a quick fix to make my effort hold on in the mouth more than it does .The...
by esxman
Mon Aug 28, 2017 2:40 am
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: Help needed to finesse a citrus liqueur
Replies: 4
Views: 1049

Help needed to finesse a citrus liqueur

Hi guys , I live in Greece where they all make their own Raki , its virtually the bland spirit distilled from the grape leftovers . Its ok but I love something with a nose to it . I took a couple of litres of my bland spirit into the pot still , together with some water to be safe,and half way up th...
by esxman
Sat Aug 12, 2017 6:55 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Thorough column cleaning
Replies: 5
Views: 873

Re: Thorough column cleaning

To Yummyrum I will try a steam run , Stanley steamer springs to mind , also we now have this Lucifer heatwave , so the still is being purged by the heat and the sun , I took it to pieces , as I want to make an artisan gin now for a good friend and need it without a funky watermelon smell .Combing th...
by esxman
Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:37 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Thorough column cleaning
Replies: 5
Views: 873

Re: Thorough column cleaning

To Jimmy Dee , Absolutely right , those lingering aromas are the very devil to purge . I see you are Irish , as was my pappy , he used to run a kettle still he made . He used to tell me my ancestors were travelling whitemetal workers , I think he meant tinkers ! I remember he used to say your nose i...