Search found 501 matches

by jon1163
Thu Jan 05, 2023 9:16 am
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: Aging outside
Replies: 15
Views: 855

Aging outside

Man, it’s been a long time since I’ve been on here. Moving the farm to a different state, retiring, and starting a new career… Life is hectic sometimes. So I wanted to get some input on aging barrels outside. I’m located in Texas in the middle part of the state and I am curious as to if it’s possibl...
by jon1163
Wed Mar 17, 2021 8:11 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: Ferment/distil in boiler
Replies: 62
Views: 5865

Ferment/distil in boiler

I figured the agitator would keep the grains moving enough, that when stripping on the grain, it would be moving sufficiently add to avoid scorching, on a natural gas burner. I’m going to bet that you will get an inferior product by distilling on grain unless you use steam or double jacketed. Just ...
by jon1163
Wed Mar 17, 2021 7:57 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: Ferment/distil in boiler
Replies: 62
Views: 5865

Re: Ferment/distil in boiler

I don’t mean to irritate you by obliquely answering your question again but I’m just not sure if you would scorch with the agitator. I have a friend who owns a distillery and from what I know agitators are more for allowing you to apply better power to a mash in large scale set ups. I felt compelled...
by jon1163
Wed Mar 17, 2021 7:05 pm
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: Ferment/distil in boiler
Replies: 62
Views: 5865

Ferment/distil in boiler

It’s interesting to hear how everyone works out their stuff around here. Here’s my process and it might save you a whole lot of money because those agitators are expensive. Wives too. I run ferments in 30 gallon barrels. My process is pretty much the same for neutrals and whiskeys. A few years ago I...
by jon1163
Sat Feb 27, 2021 11:06 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: HBB leftovers
Replies: 3
Views: 599

HBB leftovers

Not really sure where to put this post. I was thinking HBB thread but it didn't really feel right then I thought about Jimbo's wheated bourbon and gumballhead but "no" again. So I'll put it here and know it might be moved. I've been using HBB as one of my staples for years now and barrelin...
by jon1163
Wed Feb 24, 2021 7:40 am
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: Conversion problems with a tried and true
Replies: 5
Views: 714

Re: Conversion problems with a tried and true

Thanks for the advice. I woke up this morning and found it in three days my mouth dropped to .997 so it appears that I did some thing correct in this last batch. I also have a little space heater in the laundry room turned distillery that I kept around 83° forThe duration of the fermentation. Thanks...
by jon1163
Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:10 am
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: Conversion problems with a tried and true
Replies: 5
Views: 714

Conversion problems with a tried and true

Mornin... I started stilling about eight years ago and have had great success with the tried and true recipes here as well as a few modifications of my own. I still all grains and neutrals in a three inch pot and thumper as well as a four inch flute (15.5 gal and 26 gal boilers on hand). In addition...
by jon1163
Sat Aug 01, 2020 9:10 am
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: Home Distiller T-shirts
Replies: 110
Views: 20426

Re: Home Distiller T-shirts

Absolutely
by jon1163
Sat Jun 20, 2020 9:29 am
Forum: Gin
Topic: Gin Mare
Replies: 68
Views: 12882

Re: Gin Mare

NZChris wrote:What I've said already.
Damn. Not sure how I missed that. Maybe I need some more sleep. Thanks NZ
by jon1163
Fri Jun 19, 2020 10:15 pm
Forum: Gin
Topic: Gin Mare
Replies: 68
Views: 12882

Re: Gin Mare

I don’t have a gin basket but would love to try this out. I have about five gallons of 70% set aside for gin experiments. What quantities would you use to macerate this out?
by jon1163
Wed Jun 10, 2020 7:05 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Floaters in my final product
Replies: 5
Views: 1100

Re: Floaters in my final product

bluefish_dist wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2020 6:22 pm Fusel oils coming out of suspension. What is your bottle proof? I always bottled at 94 proof to help avoid this. I did have some bottled at 80 get a little. A quick shake clears it up.
45% for the rye...43% for the bourbon
by jon1163
Wed Jun 10, 2020 4:59 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Floaters in my final product
Replies: 5
Views: 1100

Floaters in my final product

[align=][/align] So this is the second time this is happened. A few years ago I finished my first barrel aged rye, aged two years in a barrel. I poured it out of the barrel through wire mesh to get the big chunks out and then filtered everything through coffee filters and achieved clean Product. It ...
by jon1163
Wed May 20, 2020 5:49 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: How to obtain a fuel permit (if living in apartment)?
Replies: 1
Views: 688

Re: How to obtain a fuel permit (if living in apartment)?

I had that same idea years ago. I even got the paperwork started. I made some inquiries and a Lady, who was very nice, from the liquor control board called me and told me that I needed a serial number on my still. I told her that I didn’t have one and she said that I could just put one on it and the...
by jon1163
Fri May 15, 2020 10:16 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: First Pot Still Build
Replies: 9
Views: 1593

Re: First Pot Still Build

Those are pretty tough to bend back level once bent out. When I made my keg boiler I went a bit overboard. Check out my boiler build in my early posts. I have never regretted putting an 8” triclamp fitting on the top of my keg and buying an 8”-2” reducer. It also gives me headspace for foaming. If I...
by jon1163
Thu May 14, 2020 9:04 pm
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: Hello from the Pacific Northwest
Replies: 1
Views: 429

Re: Hello from the Pacific Northwest

Hi SS. Welcome to the forum. I will say that with a pot and a thumper I can make a damn fine gin. I run a sugar wash twice through my pot and thumper, make tight cuts, and I get a very clean likker out of it. I know a lot of people say it is not a neutral and it really isn’t but the flavor is great ...
by jon1163
Fri May 08, 2020 11:17 pm
Forum: Other Hobbies and Projects
Topic: Poetry
Replies: 1
Views: 804

Poetry

Anyone else here into poetry or philosophy? I vascilate between Tennyson and Kipling. Every time I read Tennyson I swear he’s my favorite and then I will read Kipling and I will change my mind-back-and-forth it goes. It’s been that way for years. Every once in a while I’ll get a blue hair and think ...
by jon1163
Wed May 06, 2020 3:11 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: First Still Advice
Replies: 78
Views: 7530

Re: First Still Advice

‘cept, I suggest saving up a little longer and getting this one: https://milehidistilling.com/product/8-gallon-still-with-2-inch-dual-purpose-tower/ You’ll outgrow a 3 gallon boiler in a heartbeat. ss I second this recommendation if you’re not going to build. You can reflux a bit with it and am eig...
by jon1163
Tue May 05, 2020 9:30 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: First Still Advice
Replies: 78
Views: 7530

Re: First Still Advice

Hey J, That is basically identical to the first still that I ever had. I can tell you that you will quickly become frustrated with trying to keep the condenser level adjusted. You also have to add some valves and some sort of circulation component to keep that water flowing through the condenser. I ...
by jon1163
Sat Apr 25, 2020 9:48 am
Forum: Other Hobbies and Projects
Topic: Knives
Replies: 8
Views: 1852

Knives

B74D36AB-C2DB-4BF0-8465-275FE3DF19C8.jpeg Finished a set of three knives. Blades were purchased. In the photo on the top the two toned handle knife turned out pretty nice where I made the blade out of a ferriers rasp but I’ve found I enjoy premade blade steel much better. 4418776A-7992-4669-9725-77...
by jon1163
Mon Apr 20, 2020 2:28 am
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: Rickhouse build
Replies: 14
Views: 2807

Rickhouse build

Hey. I haven't posted in a long time...life got in the way. But I'm back and have some time available now. Glad to see, er read, that you all are doing well. I recently cracked open my first Still Life Rye that I had aging in a three gallon barrel. Two years! Man did it take discipline to leave it i...
by jon1163
Mon Mar 18, 2019 5:57 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: [in progress] Tried And True Recipe Book pdf
Replies: 65
Views: 16754

Re: [in progress] Tried And True Recipe Book pdf

I've been searching around but gone for a while. Is there a current (US measurement) version of the T&T recipe book? Still on my TODO-list, been busy with a bunch of other stuff lately. My motivation took a bit of a dive with the realization that i'll have to re-claculate many recipes, scale th...
by jon1163
Sun Mar 17, 2019 8:30 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: [in progress] Tried And True Recipe Book pdf
Replies: 65
Views: 16754

Re: [in progress] Tried And True Recipe Book pdf

I've been searching around but gone for a while. Is there a current (US measurement) version of the T&T recipe book?
by jon1163
Fri Aug 03, 2018 4:09 pm
Forum: Yeasts, Enzymes, Fungi, Nutrients
Topic: what is this infection?
Replies: 4
Views: 1340

Re: what is this infection?

it's alive!!!..... and growing...
by jon1163
Sat Jul 28, 2018 2:04 pm
Forum: Yeasts, Enzymes, Fungi, Nutrients
Topic: what is this infection?
Replies: 4
Views: 1340

what is this infection?

So about 5 gallons of rum Dunder from my last Butter Rum. I covered it with a little cheese cloth and let it sit in the garage. Now there's some sort of marble-sized white things floating in it. Does anyone know what this maybe or if this might be a beneficial infection? The smell is still as strong...
by jon1163
Sat Jul 07, 2018 3:58 pm
Forum: Tried and True Recipes
Topic: Jimbo's easy 1/2barrel Wheated Bourbon and Gumballhead
Replies: 531
Views: 149314

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

school wrote:If I wanted to do this with flaked maize instead of cracked corn, is it just a 1:1 substitution? Thanks.
I ran this recipe a while back using flaked Maize in a one-to-one substitute and it turned out great
by jon1163
Fri Jul 06, 2018 4:03 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Watermelon shine
Replies: 11
Views: 2659

Re: Watermelon shine

Copperhead road wrote:I don’t think you will get good flavour carryover with using limited fruit and sugar.
well hell. back to the drawing board I guess
by jon1163
Fri Jul 06, 2018 1:00 pm
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Watermelon shine
Replies: 11
Views: 2659

Re: Watermelon shine

Tater wrote:More like sugar shine with lil watermelon.
maybe next time I'll up the watermelon. money is the issue there
by jon1163
Fri Jul 06, 2018 7:52 am
Forum: Recipe Development
Topic: Watermelon shine
Replies: 11
Views: 2659

Watermelon shine

So I figured I'd give a go with a watermelon shine recipe. From what I found I can get just under a gallon of liquid per watermelon. here goes... 10 gallon wash 10 large watermelons 2 lbs raisins white sugar (roughly 10 lbs) I cut the watermelons in half and then used a long knife to cut the peel of...
by jon1163
Fri Jul 06, 2018 7:43 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Thumper design n rules
Replies: 15
Views: 2489

Re: Thumper design n rules

I run a 15 gallon keg boiler and a 5 gallon keg Thumper. I also have another 15 gallon keg that can be run as a thumper for large stripping runs.. having run them both normally I run the thumper that is one third the size of my boiler but it is on the small side and I use it for convenience. The sup...
by jon1163
Thu Jul 05, 2018 3:51 pm
Forum: Rum
Topic: Butter Rum
Replies: 394
Views: 57272

Re: Butter Rum

OK did my stripping run and let it air out for a few days. Butter bomb indeed! Time to rerun it a second time for cuts but the only concern I have is that I have about 1 gallon - 5 litres - from this run and it won't cover my element in my keg Suggestions? When running my last gin I had success put...