Search found 36 matches

by Hermanji
Wed Sep 09, 2020 10:24 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy
Replies: 61
Views: 5816

Re: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy

Just picked a bunch of plums today now I have to fight my wife for them. I hear you bro [emoji13]. I use Italian plums from my allotment. They have deep blue/purple skins and bright green/yellow flesh and they are super sweet. They taste amazing fresh off the tree so I always have to compromise wit...
by Hermanji
Tue Sep 08, 2020 9:45 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy
Replies: 61
Views: 5816

Re: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy

I'm not a big fan of natural yeast. My thinking is that unless the plums come from a large well established orchard or wild plum thicket and the yeast have had time to adapt to that specific fruit it's a crap shoot. I I totally agree that it can be a crap shoot and also unless you are working with ...
by Hermanji
Mon Sep 07, 2020 10:35 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy
Replies: 61
Views: 5816

Re: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy

Nice :thumbup: I managed to pick some plums from my son's tree the other day. I got a 5 gallon bucket full after pitting, they are doing a natural ferment because I don't have any yeast :roll: I have various small containers of fruit juice and have been debating adding them in for a mixed fruit bra...
by Hermanji
Sat Sep 05, 2020 8:22 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: Hermanji’s first attempt
Replies: 26
Views: 4503

Re: Hermanji’s first attempt

Yea collect in glass my dude. Or stainless measuring cups I like the lil rig. Helping a friend with something similar at present Yes, thanks. I’ve been using glass jugs only since Yummyrum pointed this out. This rig is a pain for stripping - I had to split my latest plum wash in 10 separate strippi...
by Hermanji
Sat Sep 05, 2020 2:01 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy
Replies: 61
Views: 5816

Re: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy

I did not cook with the stones, we removed them when we poured the wine into the pot. Family in Cegled take out the stones for palinka. I remove stones on peach and apricot but not plums. Hermanji, we will have many things to talk about with palinka! Maybe when I visit next I will give some to you....
by Hermanji
Sat Sep 05, 2020 5:09 am
Forum: My First .....
Topic: Hermanji’s first attempt
Replies: 26
Views: 4503

Re: Hermanji’s first attempt

Tummydoc wrote:How about the plastic temperature port at the top of the column? Surprised no one mentioned it.
That is a stainless temperature port. The plastic stuffing gland just holds the probe in place and has no contact with any fluids.
by Hermanji
Sat Sep 05, 2020 2:08 am
Forum: My First .....
Topic: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy
Replies: 61
Views: 5816

Re: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy

What's the difference between fermenting on the stones or not? Some bitterness or a certain flavor? Thanks, jonny I can’t speak for slivovitz, only Hungarian pálinka. Everyone I know in Hungary removes the stones. I believe that leaving them in gives you more methyl alcohols which are not pleasant ...
by Hermanji
Wed Aug 26, 2020 1:25 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy
Replies: 61
Views: 5816

Re: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy

Buy this. Search "glass proofing parrot" on amazon. Its affordable and it works very well! It 20200815_021958.jpg 8ncludes a 0 to 100% alcohol meter. This looks like a good product for my simple pot still set up. Maybe I’ll buy it for next time. Right now this second I’m stripping my plum...
by Hermanji
Wed Aug 26, 2020 8:41 am
Forum: My First .....
Topic: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy
Replies: 61
Views: 5816

Re: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy

Hermanji, great information and thanks. I think I am too chicken to do a wild yeast ferment so far, maybe next year I will try with part of my batch. It is also a timing and logistical thing as I would rather have the plum out of the way before I start in on apples. Just to be sure of what you are ...
by Hermanji
Wed Aug 26, 2020 7:52 am
Forum: My First .....
Topic: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy
Replies: 61
Views: 5816

Re: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy

I didn't know that the cap would eventually sink. It was still floating proud after about 7-10 days. We racked into glass and let it settle. I am still getting over brewing/cider making conventions VS distilling as I am always paranoid of infection. However, having the one infected carboy taste jus...
by Hermanji
Wed Aug 26, 2020 12:15 am
Forum: My First .....
Topic: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy
Replies: 61
Views: 5816

Re: First run in almost a year and first Plum brandy

Nice work. I’m just about to run my second season of Pálinka. Last night I had my first spew - hopefully my last. I overfilled the pot for the stripping run. I have 150 l of wash. Simply de-stoned my plums and added enough water to cover. Stirred daily until the fruit cap sank. Now I will strip then...
by Hermanji
Wed May 13, 2020 5:39 am
Forum: Tried and True Recipes
Topic: Pugi's Rum or "Pugirum"
Replies: 546
Views: 250044

Re: Pugi's Rum or "Pugirum"

Can anyone advise on how much caramelised sugar to add per litre rum? I’m bottling my first batch of this recipe soon.
by Hermanji
Sat May 02, 2020 3:23 am
Forum: My First .....
Topic: Hermanji’s first attempt
Replies: 26
Views: 4503

Re: Hermanji’s first attempt

Patience
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by Hermanji
Tue Apr 07, 2020 3:55 am
Forum: My First .....
Topic: Hermanji’s first attempt
Replies: 26
Views: 4503

Re: Hermanji’s first attempt

Ok, so I haven’t tried the beer whiskey (yet). I did do a brandy from my own apples and rhubarb. The apples lent a distinctive calvados flavour but I’ll definitely leave the rhubarb out next time. It gave a funky sour taste I wasn’t a fan of. For my third project I’m doing rum. I’m using the SBB mol...
by Hermanji
Thu Feb 13, 2020 6:14 am
Forum: The Construction Site
Topic: WHO HAS MADE THE PERFECT PARROT
Replies: 67
Views: 9998

Re: WHO HAS MADE THE PERFECT PARROT

Corsaire wrote:Btw, Hermanji, not knocking you or your scientific approach.
I'm just trying to get across that you need to train your tastebuds and not drive your rig on numbers you found online or research papers.
Thanks. This is really what I was trying to say that I’m cautiously doing.
by Hermanji
Mon Feb 10, 2020 2:12 pm
Forum: The Construction Site
Topic: WHO HAS MADE THE PERFECT PARROT
Replies: 67
Views: 9998

WHO HAS MADE THE PERFECT PARROT

And your taste buds do lie? :esurprised: Yes. My taste buds can lie. And my sense of smell. I was handling ketones yesterday that smelt like pear drops, nice and sweet. They would give you a banging head if you drank it though. But like I said... the gold standard for me will be when I can trust my...
by Hermanji
Mon Feb 10, 2020 1:26 pm
Forum: The Construction Site
Topic: WHO HAS MADE THE PERFECT PARROT
Replies: 67
Views: 9998

Re: WHO HAS MADE THE PERFECT PARROT

Until I’m confident what the taste I’m looking for is like then hell yeah - numbers don’t lie (as long as they are properly analysed - like I said, I’m a scientist)
by Hermanji
Mon Feb 10, 2020 11:59 am
Forum: The Construction Site
Topic: WHO HAS MADE THE PERFECT PARROT
Replies: 67
Views: 9998

Re: WHO HAS MADE THE PERFECT PARROT

Always interesting to hear the numbers vs senses argument. As a newbie myself (and a scientist) I find it hard to trust my untrained senses. Over time I hope to be more natural but I’m making conservative cuts using temps and abv first and taste second until I’m more attuned. I use a glass test tube...
by Hermanji
Tue Oct 22, 2019 2:53 am
Forum: Fruits & Vegetables
Topic: Rhubarb brandy
Replies: 5
Views: 1744

Re: Rhubarb brandy

I’ll try Bents version next year for comparison since I’m not fussed about drinking the wine.
by Hermanji
Tue Oct 22, 2019 12:50 am
Forum: Fruits & Vegetables
Topic: Rhubarb brandy
Replies: 5
Views: 1744

Rhubarb brandy

SP I made the wine before I knew I would be building a still so I used a recipe for a wine suitable to drink [emoji485] Also it was a small batch so: 6kg chopped rhubarb stalks 3 chopped overripe bananas 1 mug of black tea 2kg white sugar Add 10l of boiling water - stir and cool Add 2 tbsp yeast (I ...
by Hermanji
Tue Oct 22, 2019 12:05 am
Forum: Fruits & Vegetables
Topic: Rhubarb brandy
Replies: 5
Views: 1744

Rhubarb brandy

I have a big rhubarb patch. We harvest 3 or 4 times a year collecting 5-6kg each time. I made Rhubarb wine for the first time this year. It tasted fine but there were 2 problems: 1. I’m actually not much of a wine drinker 2. I’ve got a shiny new steel and copper toy So... 6 litres of wine turned int...
by Hermanji
Mon Oct 21, 2019 6:44 am
Forum: Flavoring and Aging
Topic: Nuclear Whiskey / Nuclear Rum and Spirits Rapid Ageing
Replies: 1076
Views: 238085

Re: Nuclear Whiskey / Nuclear Rum and Spirits Rapid Ageing

So I’ve been reading this thread for a while and I’ve barely scratched the surface. What I’d like to know is... has anyone blown up in the last 6 years?

I’m gonna try this now! [emoji16]
by Hermanji
Sun Sep 22, 2019 1:52 am
Forum: My First .....
Topic: Hermanji’s first attempt
Replies: 26
Views: 4503

Re: Hermanji’s first attempt

The finished pálinka. 50% abv. I was conservative with cuts to produce best flavour and got 500ml in the end. Next year I want to do at least 4 times as many plums (if I can get them). I’m very happy with this product. We will infuse it with mint from the garden as this is my wife’s favourite flavou...
by Hermanji
Sat Sep 21, 2019 11:40 am
Forum: My First .....
Topic: Hermanji’s first attempt
Replies: 26
Views: 4503

Re: Hermanji’s first attempt

Ok. 3 stripping runs in this little beaut made just over 2l of low wines. I can afford to go bigger with the plums next year! Lol. I’m running spirits now nice and slow and it all seems good! I wondered what to do with the foreshots and remembered I have this great little toy that needs a little fue...
by Hermanji
Sun Sep 08, 2019 9:59 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Just Post a Pick of your Rig
Replies: 359
Views: 175851

Re: Just Post a Pick of your Rig

First still finished yesterday and done 2 stripping runs last night.
IMG_0376.jpg
by Hermanji
Sun Sep 08, 2019 12:07 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: Hermanji’s first attempt
Replies: 26
Views: 4503

Re: Hermanji’s first attempt

First round of stripping complete :)
IMG_0376.jpg
by Hermanji
Sun Sep 08, 2019 4:49 am
Forum: My First .....
Topic: Hermanji’s first attempt
Replies: 26
Views: 4503

Re: Hermanji’s first attempt

Hopefully these pics are put up correctly. First pic is the Liebig soldered and cleaned up. Second pic is the set up steam cleaning before first use. My fruit cap has sunk in the barrel so should be stripping my first pálinka tonight!
IMG_0374.JPG
IMG_0373.JPG
by Hermanji
Sat Sep 07, 2019 2:49 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: Hermanji’s first attempt
Replies: 26
Views: 4503

Re: Hermanji’s first attempt

The final piece is the Liebig. I milled the stopper out from a 28x15x15 mm reducing tee so I could thread a 15mm pipe all the way down. Here it is assembled dry - will solder this week. [IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190907/8b9ea816a6a1a2fe2dedee3e1ce49296.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://uploads.tap...
by Hermanji
Sat Sep 07, 2019 2:46 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: Hermanji’s first attempt
Replies: 26
Views: 4503

Re: Hermanji’s first attempt

So having drilled and tapped the lid I could assembly the head [IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190907/8602820f6ae37bedcf3d623a2c45cb20.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190907/17cdf5c4f080de81bfceb1b4860885bd.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190907/caf4c53a30...
by Hermanji
Sat Sep 07, 2019 2:44 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: Hermanji’s first attempt
Replies: 26
Views: 4503

Re: Hermanji’s first attempt

The first thing I did was to drill a 1/2” hole through 6mm of stainless steel. It took ages with my battery drill. I had to keep waiting for the big to cool so I was going in and doing 15 mins here and there for the last 2 weeks! Next time I need a home that big in thick stainless I’ll go straight t...