Search found 1271 matches

by subbrew
Mon Mar 18, 2024 1:11 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: My first..... I dunno what this is, any help?
Replies: 4
Views: 199

Re: My first..... I dunno what this is, any help?

Not sure but it could be the start of a lacto infection. Without the grain cap it would make a pellicle but perhaps with the grain cap it is foaming from the CO2 coming up. Is there more of a sour odor in the one with the foam?
by subbrew
Fri Mar 15, 2024 1:01 pm
Forum: Legalization of Home Distilling
Topic: A bit of good news for home distilling
Replies: 58
Views: 8517

Re: A bit of good news for home distilling

I wonder if that 5 gallons is alcohol gallons, i.e. you can have 10 gallons if your product is 100 proof. Or 20 gallons if it is only 50 proof. Hopefully it does not include the 1.5 gallons of so if heads I collect and put in my fire starter can.
by subbrew
Fri Mar 15, 2024 12:21 pm
Forum: Legalization of Home Distilling
Topic: A bit of good news for home distilling
Replies: 58
Views: 8517

Re: A bit of good news for home distilling

Bolverk wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2024 11:31 am Ive never done the math before, but 100 gal a year is .27 gal a week or just over 1L per week. That's like 2 drinks a night... its really not that much.
Your math is a bit off. 100 gal/ 52 week in year is 1.92 gal per week or .27 gal per day.
by subbrew
Tue Mar 12, 2024 1:43 pm
Forum: My First .....
Topic: Did my first spirit run!
Replies: 6
Views: 277

Re: Did my first spirit run!

If this was the first spirit run how did you get feints and distilled alcohol? Where you doing cuts on the stripping runs? Why did you redistill things? Anyhow, sounds like you are enjoying it and having fun.
by subbrew
Mon Mar 11, 2024 7:01 pm
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: The liar's bench
Replies: 6676
Views: 487530

Re: The liar's bench

I am finding as I get older I want to travel less. I used to love to travel, have been to Europe, Mexico, South America, Africa and India. And for almost 20 years I caught a plane most Monday mornings to go to a client site for the week. 1.5 million miles on United and another 300K on American. But ...
by subbrew
Mon Mar 11, 2024 11:32 am
Forum: Tried and True Recipes
Topic: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method
Replies: 4778
Views: 1052885

Re: uncle jesse's simple sour mash method

This website is my distilling bible. Huge help during my journey to produce a heavy peated Scotch and and AG bourbon using corn, barley and rye. I have learned that simplicity is king and scale of operation is my biggest limitation to putting up significant quantities of spirit. Having said all tha...
by subbrew
Mon Mar 11, 2024 11:24 am
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: The liar's bench
Replies: 6676
Views: 487530

Re: The liar's bench

Sorry to hear of your loss Crow. As Yonder said, you get to an age and many of us are getting there. I am only at the start of the curve but know what the future holds. Wish the distance were closer. From your posts I would love to sit with you by a still and listen to your stories. Time to enlist t...
by subbrew
Thu Mar 07, 2024 7:22 am
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: What'd ya'll make today?
Replies: 6949
Views: 739710

Re: What'd ya'll make today?

Will do a spirit run on 10 gal of HBB low wines tonight. Then I will pack up the gear for the season. Assuming normal yield this last run will make right at 12 gal aging stock for the season, split between bourbon, rum and apple brandy.
by subbrew
Fri Mar 01, 2024 8:00 pm
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: Sourdough Experiment
Replies: 10
Views: 747

Re: Sourdough Experiment

The yeast in sourdough is only fermenting the sugars in the grain and sugar added. I add a bit of honey to my sourdough bread. It is not breaking down and fermenting the long chain starches. But it doesn't need to, it only needs a little sugar to make enough C02 to raise the bread.
by subbrew
Thu Feb 29, 2024 1:43 pm
Forum: Rum
Topic: Aged rum to white rum
Replies: 11
Views: 862

Re: Aged rum to white rum

What type of molasses are you using? There is a new rum distillery in my town and I talked to the owner last weekend. He started out as a home distiller. He suggested if I wanted a white rum that can be drank soon after distillation (he did not define soon) to use the fancy molasses rather than blac...
by subbrew
Thu Feb 29, 2024 1:32 pm
Forum: Grains
Topic: Types of Corn?
Replies: 7
Views: 4493

Re: Types of Corn?

Most of the corn in the US, and most of what is used for alcohol, but drinking and fuel, is yellow dent corn. This is also known as field corn. There are also white varieties of dent corn. Sweet corn is grown for fresh eating and has been bred to be less starch and higher sugar. As such if it is all...
by subbrew
Wed Feb 21, 2024 6:41 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: question about fermentation
Replies: 6
Views: 300

Re: question about fermentation

Yes, you want anaerobic fermentation because that is when yeast makes alcohol. But first the yeast has to multiply. And to multiply the yeast needs O2. So you need to get all the O2 into solution you can when you pitch the yeast. The yeast will enter the propagation phase where they will divide to c...
by subbrew
Wed Feb 21, 2024 2:07 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Looking to build a CCVM
Replies: 28
Views: 1035

Re: Looking to build a CCVM

My numbers vary a bit from Yummy, but I tend to go very deep on stripping runs, below 5% at the spout. I just did a stripping run last night and on a 10.5 gal charge I took off 3.2 gal in low wines. That would be 70% left of just over 2/3 of the original charge.
by subbrew
Wed Feb 21, 2024 7:28 am
Forum: Research and Theory
Topic: Marble magic and a theory yet to be proven
Replies: 64
Views: 2314

Re: Marble magic and a theory yet to be proven

That makes perfect sense. To illustrate assume your column is packed with copper rods, running up the length of the column. Heat at the bottom will soon transfer to the top. Don't believe me, take a foot of copper pipe and apply your torch (fire, not light for you Aussies) to one end and see how lon...
by subbrew
Fri Feb 16, 2024 9:07 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Spirit run yield?
Replies: 4
Views: 304

Re: Spirit run yield?

A lot will depend on your cuts. And that depends on your ferment. I usually end up with about the same amount of 62% abv product to go into the barrel as the theoretical amount of alcohol in the batch. So if I have 10 gallons of low wines at 30%, so three gallons of pure alcohol, I can expect about ...
by subbrew
Fri Feb 16, 2024 8:59 am
Forum: Fruits & Vegetables
Topic: Favorite Apple Varieties for an All Fruit Brandy
Replies: 9
Views: 1008

Re: Favorite Apple Varieties for an All Fruit Brandy

Here is a good link for looking up apple disease resistance https://blogs.cornell.edu/applevarietyd ... on-apples/
by subbrew
Fri Feb 16, 2024 8:56 am
Forum: Fruits & Vegetables
Topic: Favorite Apple Varieties for an All Fruit Brandy
Replies: 9
Views: 1008

Re: Favorite Apple Varieties for an All Fruit Brandy

Check your local diseases and make sure to get resistant ones. In our area Fire Blight is very bad so it makes no sense to plant something that is not at least moderately resistant. That makes planting cider specific apples almost impossible since those tend to all be older European versions which a...
by subbrew
Thu Feb 15, 2024 6:41 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: Hello
Replies: 5
Views: 131

Re: Hello

Welcome. Lot of information here. Since you have a reflux still I assume you want to make neutrals. Plenty of good info here on making clean sugar washes for neutral.
by subbrew
Thu Feb 15, 2024 6:18 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: Hello
Replies: 5
Views: 131

Re: Hello

Welcome. Lot of information here. Since you have a reflux still I assume you want to make neutrals. Plenty of good info here on making clean sugar washes for neutral.
by subbrew
Wed Feb 14, 2024 8:45 pm
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Feedback Request
Replies: 10
Views: 459

Re: Feedback Request

Tedd, do you have any links to paper on using fats during distillation. It is not a common practice but that certainly doesnt make it incorrect. I would like to read more.
by subbrew
Wed Feb 14, 2024 11:56 am
Forum: Novice Distillers
Topic: Feedback Request
Replies: 10
Views: 459

Re: Feedback Request

A gravity refractometer will not read correctly with alcohol present so your reading after fermentation began are FUBAR. Always use a hydrometer once fermentation starts. But there are reading correction calculators as long as you know the starting gravity. I just find it easier to use the hydromete...
by subbrew
Tue Feb 13, 2024 10:50 am
Forum: Mashing and Fermenting
Topic: Fermenters
Replies: 7
Views: 435

Re: Fermenters

I like the idea of a strip of silicon hose, or perhaps just a small diameter hose, like a fish tank air hose, to use as a gasket. I know it is not needed but even after 20 years of fermenting, beer, wine, cider, mead and now spirits I just like to hear that airlock chugging. It puts a smile on my fa...
by subbrew
Mon Feb 12, 2024 6:42 pm
Forum: Off-Topic Discussion
Topic: Anybody get any good deals lately?
Replies: 2882
Views: 274703

Re: Anybody get any good deals lately?

I like those mesh or wire covers for moving the carboys around. Would be a lot safer.
by subbrew
Mon Feb 12, 2024 2:01 pm
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..

Just a point of semantics. A parrot is a device that you can put under the spout in which the product can collect and then has another spout so it can overflow into a final collection vessel. This allows you to float a hydrometer continually in the output stream to give an ABV reading. It also smear...
by subbrew
Mon Feb 12, 2024 11:50 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 searched the site in the previous link and see a 12 inch glass test jar. I don't see a volume listed but the picture looks like it is very close to a 100 ml cylinder.
by subbrew
Mon Feb 12, 2024 11:42 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..

What size cylinder did you order. I have 100ml and 250 ml sized ones. 100 ml is .42 cups. But a 250 is almost a cup.
by subbrew
Mon Feb 12, 2024 10:51 am
Forum: ** Welcome Center **
Topic: Hello
Replies: 2
Views: 86

Re: Hello

Welcome. Be advised it can become somewhat addictive and I am not talking about the end product. You may well find yourself spending hours on this site and various hardware sites. Let us know what you are interested in making and what you things of for equipment and there are many here that will be ...
by subbrew
Mon Feb 12, 2024 7:57 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)

Nice work, love the science. That said I have always thought of calcium carbonate as a buffer to prevent a crash rather than an agent to really move the PH. Since a PH of 5.0 is still rather neutral I would not expect much reaction. But as the ph falls toward 4.0 I would expect the reaction to pick ...
by subbrew
Sun Feb 11, 2024 6:58 pm
Forum: Other Hobbies and Projects
Topic: Cooking in Cast Iron Camp Ovens / Dutch Ovens
Replies: 59
Views: 11238

Re: Cooking in Cast Iron Camp Ovens / Dutch Ovens

Beautiful loafs Sadie. You are an artist
by subbrew
Sun Feb 11, 2024 6:55 pm
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..

Your notes are perfect but I do wonder about your refractometer. looking at jars 13, 14, and 15 your not going super slow for 300 ml yet you are still above 80% that late into the run. I have never stayed above 80% that deep into the run. Do you have a tralles hydrometer you can check those jars wit...