Home Distiller

Hey all! So I'm excited to anounce that I decided on a recipe and finally got around to "distilling" the wash. Let me preface I know that this post heading says Scotch and I know some purists might be upset, but just like corn wiskey has to be at least 51% corn to be labeled as corn wiskey...

Kveik is very aggressive & can tolerate higher fermentation temps. It's known for its esters, so now I'm off to search "kveik + homedistiller" rabbit hole... Hey! I've made 2 different wiskeys (ujssm) from the same exact wash 10 gallons split evenly with Kveik yeast one at 105° F and ...

OK awesome! I'm not sure the quality of that wood, but it sounds more legit start than I had lol. How to treat your wood prior to aging is crucial too down to toasting and char levels. Too much char can remove those lovely flavors and top much charring can also destroy the toasting process too. Here...

Hey! That's a great point I tend to not be that specific in my day to day cuts due to the time commitment (and jars 🤣) it takes to iron out a blend, but for this one for sure I need to nail the blend as good as it can be going into the barel so I plan on doing this to make sure I add the best of the...

The jar/oak stick version was ok. The underlying chocolate/grain flavors are there. And it's not hot or stanky. It's definitely lacking the dryness/tannin. It's got carmel and vanilla but not as much. It's comparatively flabby. Hmm.. never thought that about a likker before. But I think that's a go...

A relevant post today? https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=88191 From the aforementioned post of Tombombadil: "The white dog is a little headsy and pretty tailsy, stanky even, it's not pleasant. Would not drink this or even use it in a cocktail. The barrel aged stuff is neither sol...

This will probably sound a bit rude, and I don’t mean it to be at all, but I have a feeling that if you have to ask the question, you’re not ready to make use of the answer. It’s a really interesting question to ask, and one which I’m interested to hear the various answers to, but I don’t think it’...

Let's back up a moment and think about what makes a good whiskey. Are you saying 21 years of aging is more important than cuts and blending? My theory is, if it starts out good, it gets better with age. If it tastes bad young because of wide cuts, it might take years to be drinkable. I understand h...

I think if you just practice the hobby for the next 19 years, and put something in a once used 5 gallon barrel for the last 2 years you will get something more impressive out of it. A narrow cut doesn't have to make a boring whiskey, focus on the brew technique, nail the ferment, find the right yea...

If you really want to be sure, scale up your production to allow for different cuts to be made and aim for at least 3 separate blends. Tight hearts, heads-heavy and tails-heavy. That way if any one turns out to be fantastic as is then you've got enough product for your aim. You also then have blend...

Well, all this discussion (questions and more) seem to overshadow your experience. In conclusion, there have been many “golden” answers to your questions here. If you read and understand the voices of experience, you will realize that too. If you’re “phishing” for different answers, then you aren’t...

I keep thinking I should taste it and maybe use it for blending if it's not too hot and solventy. No oak in it, just been in the garage for like a year. The ambient temp is over 120f for weeks at a time here so I'm guessing the garage is a little hotter than that. Maybe the heat sped up the esterif...

The question still remains what subjective experience do you notice with aging both "heads" and "tails" section of the cuts? Pre and post aging? In my experience "heads" solventy taste turns into other esters that are more fruity with age and oak (but in my experience h...

I do it, but not as you described, and mostly with rum. I don't believe whiskey distillers do what you described, as it doesn't make sense, e.g., tannin appears, then mellows, in the barrel, without the distiller having to do anything. What you describe would be better for a newbie desperate to mak...

I was going to recommend making a nice sized barrel. To make it a single malt scotch whisky you’ll need to get the barrel used for bourbon or make bourbon first. Estimate 5 - 7 50’ish gallon mashes or so. Sounds like an awesome plan! Cheers, -j Thanks for the info! I was planning on using a old 15 ...

NZChris wrote: ↑Sun Sep 11, 2022 5:42 pm (Personally, if it turned out really nice after twenty one years, I'd drink it myself buy him a bottle off the shelf. )

Hahahaha! Luckily we're going in on the ingredients together and the goal is to make 15 gallons and split the cost and final product

"A 21 year old scotch wiskey project" Hells of fire, that's past my expiration date. :lol: I'll just keep making whiskey that can be consumed young and white. Haha lol! Luckily I'll still be young enough to enjoy... My buddy (basically brother) had a great idea of making it before his fir...

I agree though and have found that the wider barrel cut is pretty rough early but magically turns into quality with time and oak. Too wide is still too wide and aging a year + makes it hard for me to quantify experiments so enjoy the ongoing learning :) Cheers! -j That's exactly the kind of informa...

You can choose more than one cut from a run, I've done three. I suggest you do more than one cut, age them separately, then if one of them is ok in 21 years, proof it and gift it. (Personally, if it turned out really nice after twenty one years, I'd drink it myself buy him a bottle off the shelf. :...

The last statement of stereotyping "home distillers" into one tidy package could not be further from reality. IMHO, most here have found a way to a product they like... and cutting good whisky off the still leads to good aged whiskey. then the variables come in and are classed as experime...

This a question I've had for a while but have been unable to find straight answers (maybe because the scotch industry is secretive of their process, or because home distilling is just starting to learn about all of this) Basically after extensive research the way I understand it is the "heads&q...

Hey to all! I'm new to the forum and gaining information and love hearing from all of you. I've been reading over the last year and have "never made anything" :wink: but looking forward to chasing the craft and learning more from all of you while contributing all of the things I've learned...