Home Distiller

The price of quarter sawn "white oak" (Quercus alba) alba by the time it gets here is pretty obscene and what a cooper calls quarter sawn is not necessarily what they try to sell you as "Quarter Sawn" lumber from the mill. It's a lot cheaper and easier in many ways to start from ...

Living here in the middle of Canuckistan access to quarter sawn American White oak (Quercus alba) is an expensive and painful experience. We do have some Burr Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) that is not a completely garbage hardwood and works well and smells nice. Has anyone here made their own barrels wit...

My home distilling/woodworking/toy car hobbies will be winding down in a few weeks as we hit freezing temperatures here in Canuckistan and my garage becomes unpleasant.

I'm starting to think about what silliness will keep me distracted for the next 6 months.
What are your winter hobbies?

-t

assembled vinegar run
ignore the grunting.

Heating up some water and getting ready for a vinegar run
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I think the important point here is that this is a great way to kill yourself.
220 amp, two little live prongs with liquids and alcohol.

You can be certain at some point you are going to electrocute yourself.
The question is only when.

Female-Female connectors on the Box. ... someone said it's bad luck if your input has an inny. This is the first I've heard of such a concern. Was that "someone" here and, if so, can you link to that discussion ? https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/home-product-recalls/dont-use-ma...

I'm using this cheap Wattmeter since years at the output side of a SCR Power controller and never had an issue. https://www.ebay.de/itm/314751401269?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=707-127634-2357-0&ssspo=9-4yrxumtqa&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=xu9NndMiQtS&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY I...

Thanks for your insights... Ground Ground to load seems to be the general recommendation. Spade Connectors Solder - Check. Fan AC Fan - Not easy finding a 30mm ac fan that has reasonable jam. I ordered 2 of these https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32846404079.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.1...

After a fair bit of reading, I've got a plan.
It may not be a good plan. I'd appreciate those of you with knowledge of Electropixies to give this an eyeball for correctness and possible improvements.

Thanks,
t

In North America.... (Prior to 2020) Formerly, the TTB’s standards of identity read, “'Vodka’ is neutral spirits so distilled, or so treated after distillation with charcoal or other materials, as to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color.” It was short and a bit ambiguous. The new...

Silly question, I see people changing their packing around for different thing. What I don't quite understand is why. If you are getting good reflux with a why switch to b? SPP, lava rock, rashing rings, copper mesh, steel mesh, scrubbies, bubble plates. Am I missing something? Don't get me wrong I ...

I've always been of the opinion that people who sell whisky put as much of the run in the barrel as they can practically get away with and then sell it for as much as they can get. This leads me to the idea that very wide cuts are as much or more about making money as taste. The idea that chewy whis...

I'm trying to get my head wrapped around what the purpose of that monstrosity is.
Overcomplicated reflux still is what it appears to be.

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Unlike many of you more practical folk, I have fallen victim to the process. I have been ordering bits and pieces for the better part of 3 years. I can finally see the end. Swhmbo is convinced I am going to blow up the house. I hope I'm not the only one who has a 5-gallon pail of leftover spare part...

That is certainly a nice-looking little all-in-one configurable solution.

I always enjoy watching a building from copper. Thanks for sharing.

There are some really good thoughts in this video.

Doen't matter.

Why not just use 2 4500 or 5kw elements?

You are making me want to spend money on a couple of sheets of copper.
I have absolutely no need to do so but that looks like a wonderful project.

that is a fuqton of copper. very nice.

Start small and get going early. I have spent far too long building stills and far too little distilling. I have enjoyed the learning that comes with obsessing over every little bit but a small pot still can be had for cheap and get you started early instead of waiting ages and spending thousands to...

This comes up every couple of years. We know silicone gaskets will degrade over time when used in the vapor path. There are arguments that silicone is inert and you will not suffer any negative outcomes. PTFE on the other hand is completely inert in an alcohol still so we know that it isn't possible...

Efficient no... Efficient enough? Looks like it.

I saw this on one of the facebook groups today and thought it was very pretty
and might even be practical for a 2" dephleg.

What percentage abv are you taking off at?
You may not be getting adequate reflux and are effectively making a whiskey (maybe)

Interesting thread. With metal 3d printing offering copper and stainless options I expect you could design some pretty darn impressive reflux packing ... but it doesn't seem necessary and would probably be prohibitively expensive. Cool Enginerding though.

Seems like many of the whisky guys like their gin macerated rather than london dry. I am more of a gin basket kind of guy. Copper vs Steel probably matters not at all unless you are using something fruity as a base and have a sulfur taste to remove. In any base I would use for gin it wouldn't matter...